Sleep is fundamental to your baby’s growth and development, so you want to make sure they get the right amount
of sleep for their age. One of the best ways to do that is to track your baby’s sleep, but what does that
mean? What is sleep tracking? How does sleep tracking help sleep training? And what does sleep tracking have to do
with your baby’s circadian rhythm? We answer those questions here, and so many more.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
Looking to start tracking your baby’s sleep, download the Smart Sleep Coach by
Pampers™. Not only does it feature 1-click sleep tracking, this easy-to-use app also guides you step-by-step
thorugh sleep training while ensuring you get all the necessary sleep fundametals in place.
What is Baby Sleep Tracking?
Quite simply, baby sleep tracking is when you follow and note when your baby wakes up and goes to sleep. This lets
you monitor how long your baby sleeps, their wake windows and night wakings. It can also help you spot sleepy cues
since you start to recognize patterns and know when it’s time for their next sleep.
What is a Wake Window?
Also known as an awake interval, a wake window is how long your baby is awake between naps and/or bedtime sleep
Note that the amount of time your baby is awake, their wake window, changes as they grow. The wake window for a 3-month-old is vastly
different than the wake window of a 10-month-old, for example. When you know what wake window to watch for you know
when it’s time for their next sleep.
What is a Sleepy Cue?
Sleepy Cues are the things your baby does when they’re ready to sleep. Common examples include:
- Yawning
- Rubbing Their Eyes
- Pulling Their Ears
- Fussy or Cranky
- Glazed eyes or avoiding eye contact
When you see your baby’s sleepy cues, you know they’re coming to the end of their wake window and their
sleep drive is at its highest.
Why Do You Track Your Baby’s Sleep?
Sleep tracking is important because when you track, you’re making sure you actually know when your baby is
sleeping, how much sleep they are getting and fundamentally ensuring that your baby is getting the rest they need
for their age and
development
stage
.
Tracking your baby’s sleep is more than just watching the clock, it’s helping you notice patterns in
their sleep and better understand your baby’s natural circadian rhythm. Because of course putting your baby to
sleep when they are actually tired is way easier than when they are not!
What is the Circadian Rhythm in Babies?
The circadian rhythm is the natural ebb and flow of sleep and awake we follow roughly every 24-hours. The
circadian rhythm is often referred to as an ‘internal clock’ and is largely governed by light. It
works in tandem with your baby’s homeostatic sleep drive, this is the release of a hormone called adenosine
during wakeful periods. Adenosine slowly builds up, increasing the desire to sleep and triggering sleepy cues (you
can think of it as a balloon filling). With each sleep, the amount of adenosine subsides (balloon deflates) ready
for the next cycle of wakefulness.
What is the Sweet Spot for Baby Sleep?
While the circadian rhythm and homeostatic sleep drive are two, independent, biological factors, they typically work
in tandem and when aligned are the “sweet spot” for sleep in young children.
When Does a Baby’s Circadian Rhythm Form?
A baby’s circadian rhythm starts maturing around 4 months – until then slee may seem very disorgnznised
and it is possile that your baby will not only take very short or inconsistent naps, but also may still not know the
difference between night and day. That’s why experts recommend
starting
to sleep train
at around 4 month mark. Sleep training earlier than 4 months is less likely to be effective
– for a number of different reasons.
How Does Baby Sleep Tracking Help Sleep Training?
When you track your baby’s sleep, you get to know their natural rhythms – when they are most likely to
wake up and go to sleep. You can also track how long it takes for them to fall asleep.
By knowing this information, you can start to shape those times to help your baby get the rest they need. For
example, if you’re struggling with your
baby waking up too early – by tracking their sleep you can see
the impact different nap times and bedtimes have on that early morning wake up.
Sleep tracking doesn’t need to be complicated, no need to keep pen and paper journals and calculate sleep
yourself, the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ takes the guesswork out of sleep.
What are Baby Sleep Hormones and the Homeostatic Sleep Drive?
There are four primary hormones that regulate your baby’s sleep: they are released and suppressed over a
24-hour cycle to wake them and put them to bed.
Adenosine:
Adenosine is the hormone that tells your baby – and all humans – that it’s time to sleep.
That’s why adenosine is also known as the “Sleep Drive Hormone,” from what is called the
homeostatic sleep drive.
When your baby wakes up, adenosine slowly builds up. Once adenosine hits its upper limit, your baby’s body
releases the “sleepy hormone” melatonin, which prepares their body for sleep.
As your baby sleeps, the adenosine depletes. Once it’s depleted, “wake hormones” are released and
your baby wakes up. It’s kind of like a balloon inflating and deflating. Adenosine builds up very fast in
babies, which is why they need frequent daytime naps.
Melatonin:
Melatonin the sleepy hormone that helps babies, and adults, fall asleep. Melatonin is released when adenosine reaches
its upper level. Once this happens, your baby will begin to show sleepy cues and it’s time to start your
baby’s
bedtime routine
.
Cortisol:
A “wake up” hormone, cortisol is released once your baby “sleeps off” their adenosine. When
adenosine reaches its lowest level, cortisol is released, waking them up. It can also be released if your baby stays
up past their wake window, leading to
overtiredness
– another reason why tracking your baby’s sleep is essential.
Serotonin:
Like cortisol, serotonin is a wake-up hormone that’s released when your little one is ready to rise and shine.
It’s also like cortisol in that serotonin will be released if your baby is awake for longer than their
age-appropriate wake window and is also stimulated by day light.
What Happens If Your Baby Misses Their Wake Window?
The hormones of baby sleep are very sensitive. If your baby stays up past their wake window, after the adenosine
reaches its upper limit, their body gets confused and begins to release both bedtime and wake-up hormones, which is
essentially overtiredness. This can really throw your baby’s sleep – and mood – off track. If you
suspect your baby is overtired, you can recover the sleep debt by
adjusting bedtime
to be earlier.
How Does Daylight Impact a Baby’s Circadian Rhythm?
Since the circadian rhythm is largely guided by light, even the smallest amount of light can confuse your baby.
Therefore, experts recommend two things:
- Blackout Curtain: Daytime naps and overnight sleep should happen in a pitch dark room.
- Daylight During the Day: During awake periods, it’s important to expose your baby to plenty of natural
light in the daytime. This will help sync up their circadian rhythm.
Why Do Babies Need So Much Sleep?
The fastest rate of brain development happens from 0-3 years of age, and most of that happens while your baby sleeps.
Sleep is crucial to the health and well being of your baby, in fact, there are a host of positive health benefits
that come from sleeping.
Is There a Baby Sleep Tracking App?
We recommend the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ app – it
does more than just track your baby’s sleep – it also helps you fully understand what is going on with
your baby’s sleep and helps you sleep train, if and when you’re ready.
How Does Baby Sleep Tracking Help Parents?
Data shows that parents who track sleep reach their sleep goals 3x faster than parents who don’t. So by sleep
tracking and getting your baby on a consistent sleep schedule, you provide yourself with more time, too – more
time to catch up on chores, to do work, or to simply rest – you deserve it!
FAQs
When should I start tracking my baby's sleep?
You can start tracking your baby’s sleep from birth – the earlier you track the more you’ll get in
the habit and start to recognize patterns and syncing sleep with their biological clock.
How do I keep track of my baby sleeping?
Apps like the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ make it easy to keep track of your baby’s sleep and share the
load with other caregivers. Much better than the old fashioned pen and paper, and it even comes with powerful
insights that help you see how your baby’s sleep is progressing.
Which baby tracking app is best?
The Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ is the great for everything from sleep tracking to holistic sleep support and
sleep training. Co-developed with pediatrians and sleep experts it goes beyond sleep tracking offering step by step
sleep training support, personalized to you, when you need it.
Is baby tracking app free?
The Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ has a 7-day free trial so you can try out all of the neat features that a
comprehensive sleep tracking app has to offer.
Sources:
“Sleep tracking: A systematic review of the research using commercially available technology,” Current Sleep Medicine Reports.
“Evidence-Based Behavioral Strategies in Smartphone Apps for Children’s Sleep: Content Analysis,”
JMIR: Pediatrics and Parenting.
“Infant sleep problems and interventions: A review,”
Infant Behavioral Health.
How We Wrote This Article
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such
as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a
full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical
advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.