“Feeling less kicks? Your baby might just be… napping 😴” | Dr. RITU
💤 Do Babies Sleep in the Womb? – Detailed Explanation
✅ Yes — babies do sleep inside the womb!
And they sleep a lot — especially in the third trimester.
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📆 When does fetal sleep begin?
• 🧠 Around 24-28 weeks: Fetal brain activity begins showing recognizable sleep patterns.
• 💤 By 30 weeks: Sleep becomes more organized, with alternating active and quiet states.
• 🌀 By 32-36 weeks: Babies begin to have REM sleep — the phase associated with dreaming.
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🕒 How much does a baby sleep in the womb?
• Fetuses sleep for 90–95% of the day.
• That means your baby might be sleeping up to 22–23 hours a day.
• REM sleep (dreaming stage) accounts for 40–60% of that time in the last weeks.
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🧬 Types of fetal sleep patterns:
1. Active Sleep
• Baby moves, kicks, changes position.
• Irregular heart rate and breathing movements.
• Similar to REM sleep in adults.
2. Quiet Sleep
• No movements.
• Slow, steady heart rate.
• Baby appears very still — this often worries mothers but is normal.
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🔄 Why do you feel baby movements more at night?
• During the day, your movement rocks the baby to sleep.
• At night, when you’re still, your baby may wake up and start kicking!
• Babies also develop their own circadian rhythms — opposite to yours sometimes.
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🧠 Why is fetal sleep important?
• REM sleep is linked to brain maturation, sensory processing, and memory development.
• Sleep supports the formation of neural connections in the developing brain.
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🤔 What if baby is too quiet?
✔️ Feeling fewer than 10 movements in 2 hours (after 28 weeks) should be evaluated.
✔️ Not all stillness is sleep — always track kick counts and consult if unsure.
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🩺 Clinical Note for Doctors & Parents:
• Fetal behavior patterns (active/rest cycles) are now used in biophysical profiles to assess baby’s well-being.
• Deep sleep (non-REM) reduces reactivity — that’s why sometimes, babies “sleep through” scans or Dopplers.
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