Final answer:
From birth to 2 years of age, the duration of sleep decreases option b is correct, and the sleep patterns of infants become more aligned with circadian rhythms, transitioning from long periods of sleep to fewer hours more reflective of adult sleeping patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sleep patterns of infants change significantly from birth until 2 years of age. At birth, infants can sleep up to around 16 hours a day, but this duration gradually decreases as they grow older.
By the end of the first year, infants have typically reached a point where they are awake about as much as they are asleep. Sleep patterns do not remain constant from birth; instead, they go through a process of maturation.
As infants develop, their sleep cycles align more closely with the typical circadian rhythms that dictate the sleep-wake patterns of adults.
The change of sleep patterns from birth until 2 years of age is that sleep patterns become more irregular. In the first few months after birth, infants typically sleep for about 16-18 hours a day, but their sleep becomes more irregular as they reach 2 years of age. By the end of their first year, infants start to spend about as much time awake as asleep, and their sleep patterns become less predictable and more influenced by external factors.
Newborns spend a lot of time sleeping, but as they grow, the total duration of sleep decreases. By their second year, children have established more regular sleep patterns, sleep less during the day, and most of their sleep occurs at night.
The shift to fewer hours of sleep is a healthy and expected developmental change. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: b) Sleep duration decreases with age.