Nature has a sense of humor. It must, or how else would you explain the platypus? Or man-nipples? Or Miley Cyrus? When it comes to babies and sleep, it seems nature also decided to have a little fun at the expense of parents.
It's almost as though God was bored one day and devised a sinister plan that went something like this: "Here's an idea... let's take new parents, who will already be exhausted and generally dazed. We'll give them this incapable, demanding little thing that must be catered to 24/7. Then just for kicks funny post, we'll arrange it so that infants completely disregard the day/night cycle their mom and dad have grown accustomed to. Babies will wake up and scream at odd hours throughout the night, demanding to be fed and held right when parents are just starting to sink into a deep sleep. Newborns will be as mismatched to their parents as any contestant on a reality TV show. What fun!"
If you're the poor sap this prank is being played on, however, it doesn't seem so humorous. After a few days of sleeplessness when it looks as though you've aged 15 years and it hurts just to open your eye, this situation has pretty much lost all of it hilarious irony. Yet like many things in life, a little understanding will help he said. Knowing why you baby seems intent on driving you crazy can help you maintain your sanity during this period of adjustment.
Why sleep patterns are different for infants.
Why are babies so determined to disturb your nightly rest? There are a few good reasons. When human babies are born, they are still in an immature stage when compared with other mammals. The problem is our big brains. If our babies weren't born at about 9 months, their large head holding their large brain wouldn't fit through the birth canal. This also means that they are born while still underdeveloped. If human babies had a gestation period like that of other mammals, they would need to be in the womb close to two years. (Remember this the next time your up in the night caring for a fussy baby. At least you didn't have to be pregnant for two years.) Because they are underdeveloped, newborns are still on in-utero sleep schedules, and require several months before their brain developmental level will catch up to the rest of the world.
Another reason for your babies messed-up sleep schedule is their need to eat regularly. Though small, they are developing with giant growth spurts -- experiencing mental and physical development unlike anything that they will ever experience in the future. This requires a massive intake of calories as the body converts nutrients into new muscle and tissue. This generally means they need to be fed at least every four hours. Use your math. This doesn't mesh with a parents' desire for eight hours of sleep.
Hanging on to your sanity.
Looking on the bright side, this crazy schedule doesn't last long. Ninety-percent of infants will ease into a more parent-friendly sleep schedule by about three or four months, sleeping for at least a 6 hour stretch during the night. Your baby should be sleeping all night by the time they are a year old.
Until this happens, just sleep when you can and hang in there. Every parent before you has experienced the same sleep deprivation you are having now. They survived, and so will you.