Outline lifespan changes in sleep

Outline lifespan changes in sleep (4 marks)

As humans grow from infancy to old age there are major changes in the amount of sleep experiences.  Babies sleep a lot more than anyone. They tend to sleep about sixteen hours a day. They wake up every hour or so because there sleep cycles are shorter than adults. They have similar sleep stages sleep stages to adults, quiet sleep and active sleep. By six months a circadian rhythm has been established and by one year they are mainly sleeping at night, with a couple of naps during the day. Sleep lengthens and REM reduces. There are explanations to why babies sleeping patterns are so different to adults. One suggestion is that babies sleep this way to make their parents’ lives easier, by sleeping in the day to let them get on with their everyday jobs. This enhances survival for both mother and baby.

By the age of five, children have sleeping patterns that look like those of adults, but they still sleep more, around twelve hours a…