Active sleep appears to be related to your baby's brain growth and development while deep sleep appears to be involved in your baby's body growth and the repair of tissues.

As babies mature active sleep gets less and less while quiet sleep increases. Your baby is more apt to fall directly into deep sleep instead of having an active phase first.

Should You try to "make" Your Baby Sleep?

Some psychologists and physicians have bought fame for themselves byurging parents to force their babies to sleep. They instruct parents to ignore a baby's pleas to be fed or held in the night until the baby finally gives up and doesn't ask for night time help any longer.

However, most baby experts believe that a baby's needs should be promptly met whether it is day or night. In fact, it has been shown that babies with parents who respond readily to their cries move on to more sophisticated levels of communication quicker than those whose screams for help go unanswered.

Whatever the reason for the waking and crying, it is better for babies to have a kind, humane response than none at all.

Safety Issues

Hundreds of babies die every year in sleep related accidents. Outdatedand malfunctioning cribs can allow a baby to strangle between bars or between the mattress and crib frame. The safest solution is to buy a new, certified crib that meets current government and manufacturers' safety standards.

Babies also die when they are strangled by getting their necks entangled in mobiles, ribbons, strings, or blind cords next to the crib, or when the neck holes of clothing get caught on crib posts. Remove mobiles as soon as your baby is able to turn over. Don't use pacifier strings and keep blind cords tied up, far away from a baby's reach. Avoid older model cribs with cutouts or posts that could capture a piece of clothing.