Freely translated from the writings of Santi Hartono
For a baby, sleep not only means the rest, but also the special time to optimize his growth. That's why a lot of sleep will create better conditions of his physical and his emotion. Let we know various sleeping baby out as described dr.Jo. Edy Siswanto, Sp.A., from RSAB Harapan Kita, Jakarta.
SLEEP BENEFITS
For babies, sleep has a huge benefit for his growth. First, It was as an opportunity to rest the body. Second, to give opportunities to improve the process of metabolism, the processing of food into energy needed. When sleep, physical growth will encouraged. So, time sleeping of baby closely related with the increase in weight, body height, and physical health in general. Infants who sleep less are usually not as physical growth of infants who sleep enough.
Another benefit of sleep can also found from a research at London in 1998. The studies reveal that the infant who sleep a lot, his brain development will be optimal. Why? Sleep activities is one of stimulus for brain growth. This is understandable because 75% growth hormone is issued when the children sleep. Especially on the stage the third and fourth stages of sleep (see box stages of sleep below).
Growth hormone is served to stimulate bone and network growth. In addition, growth hormone also allows the body to improve and update all the cells in the body, from skin cells, blood cells to the brain nerve cells. So, the process of cell renewal will be held more quickly if the baby oftenly sleep.
SLEEP STAGES OF BABY
Sleepy process from the baby to fall asleep was differentiated into 2 phases. The first phase is sleeping quietly or non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement). Second is the active phase of sleep or Rem.
* REM Sleep
Stage called REM or dream stage. Generally, the pattern of respiratory and heart beat of the baby has not regularly yet, and was not produce perspiration. Sometimes, he sleeps with a smile, laugh, or even gibbered. Hands and feet can also sway. Although he is so active, the baby will remain sleep and difficult to awoke up. REM phases are supposed an important role in restoring the mind, mind power, and maintain the function of brain cells.
Babies have REM sleep since his age 6-7 months in the womb. Premature baby use 80% of sleep time in REM state, while the baby was born normally only around 50%. Although not yet known why the baby spends much time in REM state, there is an opinion stating that REM sleep is important for the development of the baby.
* Non-REM Sleep
Non-REM sleep is deep sleep. In this phase the baby is in a relax state, lie quietly with the heart beat and breath regularly. At this stage, growth hormones are produced to recover the body, repairing cells, as well as build muscle and network support. Often he sweat, so he feels up so fresh and new.
Too Long or just a moment?
Normally babies do not have a problem sleeping. It can quickly fall asleep and not easy to wake up. However, there is also sometimes difficult to sleep and awakened easily. The ideal length of sleep could not be generalized. In the first months the baby can sleep up to 16 hours per day and this number will fade reduced in line with increasing age (see table).
How long the baby to sleep on must be considered as has been described as the duration of sleep effect on the development of his physical and brain. Unfortunately, the baby often had less sleep as a result of mistakes that parents may not be intentional. For example, because they want to make him stick in terms of food / drink, parents wake him up. Besides if the baby feels hungry, even though he was sleeping, he would wake up by itself and crying. As if he wants to urine or feces.
That also need to known by parent; babies do not know the terms difficult to sleep or less sleep as adults because they generally have their own sleep patterns are different from adults. Conversely, there are not babies that too much sleep because they will immediately awake when he feel hungry, thirsty, etc. The important thing is, time and earn enough sleep quality. How? Note comfort room sleep. Make sure ventilation is good and the lighting is not too bright or too dark, not noisy, and temperatures are not too hot or too cold.
To maintain the quality and the time of baby sleep, parents can make time to sleep regularly. The first thing to do is attend that night is the time to sleep by give breastfeeding and nappy changing with the dimmed lighting at night. After that, do not take him playing. Once finished, lay and call him back to sleep.
Infants who always less sleeps would have detrimental impact on their growth and development. Growth hormone and body cells are will also disturbed and make the body resistance lower. The white blood’s level cells in the body will decrease whereas white blood cells determine the effectiveness of the system resilient body. So he will sick so easy. The Emotional of less sleep baby also usually choosy. Of course, this will make their parents bustle isn’t it?
BABY SLEEP TIME ESTIMATE PER DAY
| Age | Day sleep (hrs) | Night Sleep (hrs) | Total (hrs) |
| 0-1 month | ± 7,5 | ± 8,5 | 16 |
| 3 month | ± 5 | ± 10 | 15 |
| 6 month | ± 4,5 | ± 10 | 14,5 |
| 9 month | ± 3 | ± 11 | 14 |
| 12 month | ± 2,5 | ± 11 | 13,5 |
DO NOT OFTENLY WAKE BABY UP
Wake baby up at night can be a routine activity conducted by mothers to babies aged less than 12 weeks. They give a reason, to give breastfeeding a baby once every two hours. It's a dilemma because on one hand the baby needs to feed as often as possible, but in other parties a baby also needs a rest.
Babies who wake up many times at night will not sick, but this habit make him long to find the right sleeping patterns. But, for any parents, babies often wake up at night can cause stress.
The researchers from the University of London, such as the BBC News, learn a range of 600 infants aged 1-12 weeks to see the factors that cause them can or cannot sleep all night. Found, the baby is fed more than 11 times in a period of 24 hours a week for the first time will reduce his sleep time until aged 12 weeks. This means, until the age of 12 weeks, the baby does not enjoy sleep soundly throughout the night. If only movable activity to the time before midnight, the baby will sleep better.
The researchers under the leadership Dr. Ian St James-Roberts, also found that the breast-fed babies will learn to make distinction between day and night. Research published in the journal Archives of Diseases in Childhood reveal that the breast-fed that often given in the first week is a significant factor that determines patterns of sleep the next. That's why the researchers hope this study that called behavioural programme can be a reference for medical circles to overcome the sleeping baby problem.
YELLOW BABY SLEEPS LONGER?
Yellow baby generally always sleepy and easy to sleep. That’s because the level of bilirubin in the blood affect the working of the body, including his brain nerve. Bilirubin, which is toxic if this is not overcome soon can even cause damage to brain cells.
A simple way to know whether the baby is suffering from yellow, or not actually was not difficult. Observed the white eyes when he suckle. If true jaundice will usually be seen clearly in the eyes.
Yellow on the baby arise because of the dump bilirubin (substances / components derived from splitting hemoglobin in red blood cells) under the skin. That is why the baby skin look yellow. While still in the womb, the fetus needs red blood cells in a large number because his lungs still not work. This red bloods cells which carry oxygen and the duty of nutrients from mother to baby through placenta.
When he was born, His lungs have to work so that the red blood cells that function as a means of transportation is not needed anymore. Cells were then destroyed, and resulting bilirubin. In case the babies born on enough month, the limit of safe bilirubinnya rate is 12.5 mg / dl. While premature, the safe limit is 10 mg / dl. If classified as mild, babies do not need special treatment. Self-ray therapy with blue (light blue) in the hospital spread out in the sun in the morning.
We need felt concerned about if the rate of severe bilirubinnya more than 20 mg / dl. Or arising signs of poisoning bilirubin, among other convulsions. If this happen need to do exchange transfusion. This action is required to dispose of indirect bilirubin are toxic in the body of a baby. Especially when the nerves have reached the brain because if brain cells are damaged cannot be updated or replaced by anything.
Source : Tabloid Nakita