GRAND Magazine - July/August 2017 Subscribe Today! - 15

The six states of a
baby's consciousness
Quiet awake: Babies tend to watch and listen. The amount of time
infants spend in this state increases as time goes on. By one month, it's
typical to be in this state for about 2-1/2 hours a day.
Active alert: The baby's arms might be waving and legs kicking.
Sometimes this state happens just before fussiness, and close on the heels of
fussiness can come crying.
Crying state: Probably the one babies are most known for; usually a result
of being hungry, uncomfortable, overtired, or unhappy. But determining which of
these is happening at any given moment remains a major mystery.
Drowsiness: In an infant this state looks much like it does in anyone else - drooping eyelids, unfocused stare, yawns, and stretches. This state happens when the baby is
going in or out of sleep.
Active sleep: Also known as REM sleep for "rapid eye movement," babies often move
restlessly and make little noises. Babies spend about half their sleep time in active sleep.
Observers report that babies typically alternate between active and quiet sleep about every 30
minutes.
Quiet sleep: In this state babies move less and breathe more regularly. The baby seems to
have "zonked out." This is usually when the parents are also most relaxed!
A newborn typically spends 16 or 17 hours per day sleeping but it's broken up into many segments,
usually no longer than two to four hours, and sometimes much shorter.
As much as we want babies to get a good night's sleep, you'll feel better about sleep interruptions if you
remember that waking up is actually a survival skill because it assures that the baby is fed and cared for.
Wonder if babies dream? Adults dream during the REM cycle but in babies REM sleep fills a different need.
Scientists believe that's when infants' brains are building pathways, connecting those pathways, and laying the
foundation for language.

15 GRAND

JULY AUGUST 2017

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