Why does a baby sleep little? An expert explained the main reasons

Babies sleeping less than normal worries many parents. Experts note that while this is normal in some cases, in other situations it may be a sign of problems related to the central nervous system. According to neonatologist Malika Usmanova, a lack of normal sleep is mainly observed in infants who have experienced perinatal damage to the central nervous system.

According to the doctor, if complications related to the mother's health arose during the last months of pregnancy or the childbirth process, this can also affect the child's subsequent development. In particular, in cases where the baby is born with asphyxia (oxygen deficiency in the blood and tissues due to acute respiratory failure), hypoxia (a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood and tissues below normal), or infection, sleep disturbance issues are highly likely to be observed after discharge from the maternity hospital.

The expert emphasizes that a newborn baby usually sleeps up to 18 hours a day. If their sleep is around 14–16 hours, this is also considered a physiological norm. However, if daily sleep is less than 14 hours, it can be assessed as a sleep disorder.

As age increases, the child's sleep schedule also changes. For example, babies aged 5–9 months sleep an average of 15–16 hours, and children from 10 months to 2 years old sleep 12–13 hours. Over time, daytime sleep decreases, and the main rest time shifts to night sleep.

Doctors also remind that the importance of sleep in a baby's development is immense. This is because about 90 percent of the somatotropin hormone is released into the infant's body during sleep. It is this hormone that plays a crucial role in the child's physical growth, healthy development, and the proper formation of the body.