A–Z Glossary

Arousal

Physiological arousal is a state of increased bodily alertness and emotional activation that can make it harder to calm down or sleep.

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Sexual changes by trimester

Sexual changes by trimester

How pregnancy can change sexual function Sexuality in pregnancy is shaped by both physiology and context. In medical terms, sexual function includes desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction; these domains are related, but they are not identical. A person may feel less interested in sex while still becoming aroused, or feel desire without finding penetration […]

Connecting Sleep Cycles Without Full Waking

Connecting Sleep Cycles Without Full Waking

What Happens Between Infant Sleep Cycles Sleep is not a single uniform state. It alternates between non-rapid eye movement sleep, or NREM sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep, or REM sleep. NREM sleep generally becomes progressively deeper, while REM sleep is associated with greater brain activity, variable breathing, eye movements, and more active dreaming in […]

Singing and communication activities

Singing and communication activities

Why singing communicates before words Communication begins before a baby uses recognizable words. Infants exchange information through gaze, facial expression, body movement, crying, cooing, babbling, and changes in arousal. Singing naturally organizes many of these signals into a predictable social event. The caregiver’s voice carries prosody, meaning the rhythm, pitch, stress, and intonation that help […]