BABY'S FIRST MONTH: STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

As you get to know your baby, you'll soon realize that there are times when he's very alert and active, times when he's watchful but rather passive, and times when he's tired and irritable. You may even try to schedule your daily activities to capitalize on his "up" times and avoid overextending him during the "down" periods. Don't count on this schedule, however. These so-called "states of consciousness" will change dramatically in this first month.

There are actually six states of consciousness through which your baby cycles several times a day. Two are sleep states; the others are waking states.

States of Consciousness in Action

State 1 is deep sleep, when the baby lies quietly without moving and is relatively unresponsive. If you shake a rattle loudly in his ear, he may stir a little, but not much. During lighter, more active sleep (State 2), the same noise will startle him and may awaken him. During this light sleep you can see the rapid movements of his eyes beneath his closed eyelids. He will alternate between these two sleep states, cycling through both of them within a given hour. Sometimes he'll "retreat" into these sleep states when he's overstimulated, as well as when he's physically tired.

As your baby wakes up or starts to fall asleep, he'll go through State 3. His eyes will roll back under drooping eyelids and he may stretch, yawn or jerk his arms and legs. Once awake, he'll move into one of the three remaining states. He may be wide awake, happy and alert but relatively motionless (State 4). Or he may be alert, happy and very active (State 5). Or he may cry and flail himself about (State 6).

If you shake a rattle by your baby's ear when he's happy and alert (States 4 and 5), he'll probably become quiet and turn his face to look for the source of this strange sound. This is the time when he'll appear most responsive to you and the activity around him and be most attentive and involved in play.

In general, it's a mistake to expect much attention from a baby who is crying. At these times he's not receptive to new information or sensations; what he wants instead is comforting. The same rattle that enchanted him when he was happy five minutes earlier will only irritate him and make him more upset when he's crying. As he gets older, you may sometimes be able to distract him with an attractive object or sound so that he stops crying, but at this early age the best way to comfort him usually is to pick him up and hold him.

As your baby's nervous system becomes more developed, he'll begin to settle into a pattern of crying, sleeping, eating and playing that matches your own daily schedule. He may still need to eat every three to four hours, but by the end of the month, he'll be awake for longer periods during the day and be more alert and responsive at those times.

States of Consciousness