A new report from the Institute of Statistics of Quebec presents data on the sleep of Quebec babies.
November 20, 2024 | Even if this is not always the case for their parents, the majority of babies get enough sleep, according to a report from the Institute of Statistics of Quebec (ISQ) which has just been published.
The report entitled Baby health, nutrition and sleep arises from the study Growing up in Quebec, also known as ELDEQ 2. Led by the ISQ, it follows more than 4,000 children born in Quebec in 2020-2021 from birth to adulthood. Over time, she will examine the relationships between their health, their development and their lifestyle habits.
Sleep is one of the important factors to consider among lifestyle habits. This ISQ report therefore looked at babies’ sleep during the first five months of their life. “Indeed, we recognize that it is essential for the maturation of babies’ brains, their physical and psychological health and their growth. Ultimately, good sleep would promote the various mental functions of children such as memory, language, and emotions and would help the child’s proper development and learning,” mentions the ISQ.
Babies’ daily sleep
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 14 to 17 hours of good quality sleep per day during the first 3 months of life. Babies aged 4 to 11 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours, including naps.
The ISQ report concludes that the majority of babies in Quebec sleep a sufficient number of hours. Its main findings:
- Three-quarters (75%) of babies aged around 5 months sleep 12 to 16 hours per day.
- Nearly half (49%) of babies aged 5 months and over are all-nighters, meaning they sleep at least six hours straight during the night.
- Among babies at least 5 months old, about 13% had not woken during the night in the month preceding the survey. Some 52% woke up once or twice and 35% woke up three or more times.
- The majority of babies aged at least 5 months (68%) take three naps a day, 29% take two and 2% take only one.
Parental behaviors
How do parents put their approximately 5 month old baby to bed? Nearly 60% of parents put their baby to sleep before putting them to bed, 12% put them to bed awake and stay close to them until they fall asleep, and 29% put them to bed awake and let them fall asleep on their own. . And 31% of parents give their baby a pacifier to put them to sleep and 45% give them another transitional object to help them fall asleep, such as a cuddly toy.
Where do parents put their babies to sleep? About 40% of babies around 5 months old sleep alone in their room, 31% in their parents’ room, but not in their bed, and 11% in both their parents’ room and their bed.
What do parents think about their baby’s nighttime awakenings? Around 62% of parents do not consider their baby’s nighttime awakenings around 5 months of age to be a problem, while it is a slight problem for around 33% of parents. Nocturnal awakenings, however, constitute a real problem for around 5% of parents.
Furthermore, parents are more likely to find night waking really problematic when their baby wakes up three or more times per night. This is also the case when their baby stays awake for more than an hour.
Various factors linked to the environment, culture and behaviors specific to children and their families influence sleep toddlers. “It is important to address these factors early in life, because that is when sleep patterns are established,” the ISQ report states.
Read also: Increase in breastfeeding in Quebec over the past 25 years
Source: Quebec Statistics Institute
Amélie Cournoyer – Born and Grow Team
Photo : GettyImages/fizkes
