Search the site for providers, locations, and content.
Main Menu
Recovery
How important is sleep?
How important is sleep?“The importance of sleep for the developing brain is absolutely tantamount. There is almost nothing else thatwe do other than allowing them to sleep. It makes their brain development be as normal as it can. So, a typicalfetus before their born is sleeping almost 24 hours a day. They may have 30 minutes of wakefulness.“Even though they're moving around, and you may feel like they're awake and moving they typically havealmost no wakeful moments or a very small fraction of their time in the womb is a wakeful moment. So, babieswho are born prematurely are being exposed to lots of different stimuli and typically have a hard time findingthat happy sleeping state.”So, we try to minimize the amount of time we spend giving them external stimuli, whatever that means,whether that means touching them or measuring things from them. So, we try to get them the most amount ofsleep possible. And essentially what I tell parents is you should expect them to sleep all the time, and that asthey become more alert when they start be closer within a month or two of their due date, then you might seethem wake up some. But for the most part we want them to be asleep almost all the time. So that is ideal fortheir premature brain growth.”This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG57558A EN HowImportantIsSleep.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 1
Featured in
Dr. Sue Hall explains why milk feedings are sometimes stopped.
Dr. Valencia Walker addresses the common question: When can my baby come home?
Watch this video to hear other parents talk about the challenges of having their child in the NICU.
Watch this video to learn why responding to your baby's needs is important for their growth and development.
