A new born baby usually spends most of the time in 24 hours sleeping only waking for feedings in every few hours. For the birth to first 3 months, they generally sleep around 8-18 hours a day. Then it gradually decreases to around 8- 12 hours a day as the baby grows older.  Every baby sleep pattern can be different from that of other baby so the parents shouldn’t concern themselves with comparing the sleep patterns but if there is something unusual i.e., if the baby is sleeping longer than their usual routine, in that case it might be a signal to the underlying fever, illness or other health issues and the parents should seek proper medical attention. Since a new born doesn’t know the difference between day and night sleep schedule or their brain is not developed enough to comprehend day and night sleep cycle, they sleep during both, the day and night. They usually start to get aware about this routine around 6 weeks and by the age of 12 months, they start to adapt to this routine. The parents can also help in this process by exposing them to the light and playing with them during the day and provide a quite environment for sleeping at night. New-born babies are known to sleep known to sleep in short bursts, lasting around 2-4 hours at a time. They need frequent feeding and changing.  New born sleep cycle   A new born baby have 2 different types of sleep cycle. These are Active Sleep: During the active sleep, a new born usually show irregular shallow breathing, make noises and lots of movements. They can easily wake up during the active sleep phase. From the birth to around first 12 weeks, the baby usually spends most of their ‘sleeping time’ in active sleep. The amount of their active sleep slowly starts to reduce after that.  Quite Sleep: During quiet sleep, a baby is still and shows deep and even breathing. They don’t easily wake up during the quiet sleep.  A new born sleep cycle involves both active sleep and quiet sleep and these cycles are generally around 40 minutes.   Settling the new born: things to follow After each cycle, a new born baby usually wakes up crying and the parents can settle them back to sleep by holding the baby in the arms or swaddling the baby in a receiving blanket and gently rocking, patting, swaying and singing before putting them in their cot for sleeping.

Best sleeping positions during pregnancy The best sleeping position during pregnancy is “SOS” (sleeping on your side) because it provides the best blood flow for you and your baby. It also puts the least amount of pressure on your veins and internal organs. Sleeping on your left side increases the amount of maternal blood and essential nutrients reaching the placenta and your baby. Also, good circulation helps reduce potential swelling, varicose veins in the legs, and hemorrhoids. More steps to sleep better during pregnancy Limit caffeine. Try not to drink coffee or caffeinated tea after 3:00 p.m. Bring lots of water. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, but limit your intake to a few hours before bed so you don’t have to wake up and go to the bathroom. Exercise for 30 minutes. Exercise will help you sleep better, but don’t exercise within four hours of bedtime. Relaxing Activities. A warm bath, foot or shoulder massage will help you relax. Quiet bedroom. Keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool at night will help you fall asleep and stay asleep How Much Sleep Do I Need When I’m Pregnant? When you’re pregnant, your sleep won’t be as deep and restful as usual, and you’ll wake up more frequently throughout the night. You need more than usual – as much as you can get. But getting more sleep isn’t always easy, especially when you have work, other children, or other commitments. If possible, go to bed earlier than usual and take naps during the day. Tips for comfortable sleeping positions during pregnancy not used to lying on your side? Or have you always been a side sleeper – but can’t rest now that you’re pregnant? Here are a few tips to address sleep issues during pregnancy and to make sleeping on your side comfortable: Use lots of pillows. Try crossing one leg over the other and putting a pillow in between and another pillow behind your back – or some other combination that will help you sleep. Get a special pillow. For extra support, try using a wedge-shaped pillow or a 5-foot full-body pregnancy pillow. Brace yourself If pillows don’t help, try sleeping in a semi-upright position in a recliner chair (if available) rather than in bed. Remember that it is normal to feel unwell for a few nights or even a few weeks. Your body will most likely adjust to a new position over time.

Everyone needs around 7-9 hours of sleep daily to feel productive and well throughout the day. But people with ADHD often have a hard time falling or staying asleep during their normal days. Because you feel uneasy and tired, your ADHD symptoms may get worse, and that makes it even harder to sleep for you the next night This cycle keeps on repeating. And generally, it happens to a lot of people. One study found that roughly two-thirds of people with ADHD which is around 76% found it hard to get a good night’s sleep. But why? And what’s the solution to the problem? While experts don’t know exactly how sleep woes and ADHD are linked together, they do know about some of the possible causes and what might help them to overcome this problem. Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder also known as ADHD  is a  disease that begins in childhood and encompasses symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity and may or may persist to adulthood. These symptoms majorly interfere with the regular functioning of individuals at school, at work, and in social situations. ADHD is present in approximately 7% of children and is more common in boys. For a majority of people, the disorder continues into adulthood, by careful management can greatly improve the quality of life for people with ADHD. It is estimated that nearly 25 to 50% of people with ADHD experience sleep problems, ranging from insomnia to other secondary sleep conditions. Doctors are now starting to realize the importance of treating sleep problems and the impact this can have on both ADHD symptoms and the quality of life for ADHD patients and their families.  Beginning around puberty, people with ADHD are more likely to experience shorter sleep times, problems falling early asleep and staying in bed for very long, and a higher risk of developing a sleep disorder. Nightmares are also very b common in children with ADHD, especially in those with insomnia.  Ways ADHD Causes Sleeplessness in an individuals On top of the daily rituals that can keep anyone from getting a good night’s rest, there can be extra challenges if you have a problem with ADHD. These includes : Trouble in keeping a schedule. People with ADHD are often easily distracted and find it difficult to stop projects, tune out interruptions, and go to sleep. Even once you’re in bed, it can be hard for you to quiet your mind and relax enough to get to sleep. Stimulants. The stimulant medications often used to treat ADHD that can make you feel more awake and can make the sleeping process even harder. That’s on top of any kind of caffeine you get from sources like coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate. Other conditions. Often people with ADHD also have anxiety, aggressiveness, depression, mood swings, or substance abuse problems that can make falling and staying asleep quite difficult. Tips to have a good sleep  Try to a Create regular Wake-Up cycle  Proper Waking up on time depends on the time of going to bed and getting a full night’s rest. Try to Develop routines that will help you wake up happier and faster in the morning. These get-to-sleep and wake-up routines can be made simple by listening to music each night, having coffee and reading the paper each morning. Try to Avoid Sleep Traps Try to find out your ADHD sleep traps and avoid them. If talking on the phone, watching TV, or checking e-mail keeps you up past your bedtime schedule, try to avoid them. Seek help from family, so they know not to distract you from your goal. Calm and Slow Down Your Brain Once you’re in bed, with lights off, use ADHD-friendly tools that will help you to relax a white noise machine, earplugs, or soothing soft music can all slow down racing thoughts. Another solution is to try to Concentrate on relaxing one muscle at a time, starting with your feet and moving up toward your head, slowly breathing out each time you reach a new muscle group. Avoid alcohol Alcohol is a sedative. Although it appears to induce sleep, your sleep will be less restful and more disrupted if you are drunk. Alcohol increases how often you wake up at night and stops you from getting the deep sleep that you need to feel rested in the morning. Alcohol is also a diuretic and can cause you to wake up several times to urinate if you wake up it will disturb your sleeping cycle.  Avoid sugar Avoid sugary foods and carbonated drinks late in the daytime. The extra energy boost from sugars can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Don’t smoke  Not only smoking is harmful to your lungs, but nicotine may also make it more difficult for you to fall asleep and can result in disrupted sleep during the night. Avoid caffeine after midday Caffeine can be very stimulating mentally and it can prevent you from falling asleep. Try to avoid caffeine, especially after midday to ensure that it’s all out of your system by the time you go to the bed.