Baby Sleep Cycles

 

By now, you’ve probably felt your little one’s first tiny movements, but these are probably random throughout the day. Before long, you’ll be able to tell when your baby is sleeping and when he’s awake—especially when he’s waking you up from a nap with a swift kick to the bladder! 

How much do babies sleep in the womb?

Right now, your baby spends nearly all of his time in a sleep-like state. This will change as his brain develops, and by around 30 weeks he will have more organized patterns of sleep and wakefulness—though he will still sleep about 90% of the time. Closer to birth, he will start to show the same type of sleeping and waking patterns of a newborn, sleeping an hour or two at a time, then a few minutes spent awake, and then right back to sleep! 

Can my baby dream?

Well, we can’t say for sure, but it sure seems like they do. Before they are born, babies spend much more time in REM (or “dreaming”) sleep than older babies. Just like us, babies in the womb likely dream about the experiences they have when they’re awake. Maybe your little one dreams of his mother’s voice, or that taco you had for lunch, or the feeling of rocking side to side as you walk. 

Fun fact (maybe a call-out box): Your baby yawned for the first time at around 11 weeks, and now he probably yawns once or twice every hour!