>I wonder if this relates at all to one of my theories (totally my own
>theory, no research basis to it) that one of the causes of SIDS may be
>stress. (I developed this theory after noticing that stressed babies
>sometimes retreat from the stress by going into a very deep sleep...

That's a fascinating idea. Does anyone know if there is any
research on that theory? Is such a theory hinted at or
discussed more directly in any of McKenna's work.

> I wonder if babies sucking pacifiers at night mimics a breastfeeding
>behavior, which is why it is proving to be beneficial?
That makes good sense to me and does not contradict Theresa's stress
theory at all.



> What I don't understand, though, is why we still
>try to find sleep and comfort measures to help babies from startling
>themselves awake too often.
Because babies waking up at night is most inconvenient for new parents
who want to take in a video at night, or who have to get up early to
work in the morning. Because in American culture at least, we value
adults, but we don't value the children they have to be in order
to get there. Can you tell you've hit one of my favorite topics?

In my childbirth classes, I always spend some time talking about
babies sleeping and I am very clear about 2 points. 1. Babies are not
meant to sleep through the night, in fact it is not safe for them
to do so. 2. Sleeping in close proximity to the baby makes life
easier, more fun and safer for mothers, fathers and babies.

>Of course, in families in which sustained breastfeeding of several
>children occurs, the interrupted sleep of mothering simply merges into
>the low sleep needs of menopause. It is in this state that I really
>question how much sleep adults really need.
I have thought about this for some time now. It's not clear to me that
anyone, babies, kids or adults, thrives on or can even achieve 8 hours
of uninterrupted sleep a night. It's up there with three meals a day and
nothing in between. Both of those ideas fit into the industrial age ideas
about human bodies being just like machines and therefore regular meals
and continuous sleep seem to make sense. Too bad we're not just like
machines.
These things are convenient but not real.


Naomi Bar-Yam

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