There's one really simple, quick change you can make that will instantly improve newborn sleep by getting them to take longer naps.

Most parents don't even realize that often they are inadvertently causing their newborn to wake sooner than they need to.

In this article you'll learn what this change is and how you can implement it right away for better newborn sleep.

The key to understanding why this works is understanding how newborn sleep is different from our sleep as adults.

A baby's brain is developing at a rapid pace, and as a result their sleep behaviors and patterns are still developing and changing as well.

In the article you'll learn why this aspect of newborn sleep is so important, and how to accommodate for that next time your baby takes a nap.

If you're struggling with your newborn baby waking frequently and taking short naps, this article might be exactly what you need!

Extend Your Newborn's Naps With This One Simple Change

Newborn Sleep Mistake Parents Often Make

There is an extremely common mistake that parents make that results in their baby being awake and having much more broken sleep than they actually need to.

In this article, I'm going to explain what that mistake is and what you should do instead.

Now, this is all related to the different stages of your baby's sleep, which is in fact quite different to yours and mine.

As adults, we are actually paralyzed for a significant amount of time while we're asleep.

And that's because while we're in REM sleep, the voluntary muscles of our body are paralyzed.

And the reason for this is because REM sleep is a really active sleep state.

The brain is very active and our dreams are at their most intense.

And so as a protective mechanism to prevent our body from acting out what's going on during our dreams the body experiences sleep paralysis and that effectively stops us from harming ourselves.

However, newborns don't yet experience sleep paralysis, which means when they are in REM sleep they move around a lot.

And they also make noises, grunting, a spontaneous cry, smiling, frowning, or sudden body movements, are really common when they're in this active stage of sleep.

And it usually looks a little like this.

(screen whooshing) (baby moaning) (screen whooshing) And here is where the mistake comes in, if you saw your newborn doing this, you would probably assume that they're awake and rush in to comfort them.

But, knowing what you now know about newborns and active sleep, you won't be surprised to hear that in a lot of cases, the newborn is actually still asleep.

And if you just wait a little while longer this is what usually happens.

(screen whooshing) (baby moaning and then going quiet) (screen whooshing) By rushing in at the first sound or sign of movement, there is a good chance that your baby is still sleeping and you're actually waking them up when you enter the room.

How to Avoid Making This Mistake

So the immediate effect of this is that you now have a newborn who is awake that has had a shorter nap than they would've otherwise had.

And as a result, they're probably a little bit grumpy and cranky as well.

But it doesn't end there, if this happens regularly, your baby may develop a habit where brief arousals turn into full blown waking sessions.

(screen whooshing) All right, now let's talk about how you avoid falling into this trap? But before we get into it, if you haven't already, make sure you download the free new "Parents Guide to Naps" by clicking the link in the description box below.

So to avoid falling into this trap, the answer is to pause when your baby first starts moving around, grunting, or making noises instead of rushing in immediately.

Now, I want to be very clear here, I am not telling you to or advocating for letting your baby cry it out.

This is simply about understanding how newborns sleep and adjusting your response based on that.

So, we know that newborns are noisy sleepers and they sometimes let out little cries in their sleep.

We also know that they wake briefly between sleep cycles but if they are still tired, and comfortable, and not hungry, they're going to drift back to sleep as long as they are not interrupted.

So the key is to pause! Pausing is watching and listening to your baby whether that is through a monitor or by quietly entering their room and observing them for a few minutes.

And just a quick note, if you do want to enter your baby's room, you really need to make sure that you have some form of white noise on and this is because if they are in that REM stage of sleep, they are going to startle and awaken from any noises.

Also, you really want to make sure that you stay out of their line of sight, because if they see movement or you when they briefly open their eyes in that REM stage of sleep, they may actually wake up and become alert.

And lastly, you do want to make sure that you go in quietly, so don't talk because here's something interesting, researchers have actually found that babies aroused more easily in response to their mother's voice than a smoke alarm, so try not to talk to your little one.

Now, as you observe your baby, you're listening to the sounds that they are making and you're looking at their movements to help inform you if your baby actually needs your attention or if they're just making noises or moving around during their REM sleep.

If you notice your baby is getting more restless and they're starting to cry, then it is highly likely that they're awake and of course, you need to comfort them.

But, what you will find quite often is the movements actually slow down and their noises gradually reduce, and they will continue sleeping.

So the next time you do hear your baby grunting or moving around in their sleep, make sure you pause and see what is happening.

This pause could make the world a difference to your baby's sleep routine.

And if you're still struggling with sleep, read this article next to learn seven of my favorite tips to quickly improve your newborn sleep.

I hope you found this article helpful and I will see you next week.

Newborn Sleep