Ashwin Lewis
Newborns have day/night confusion and need to be fed every few hours, which can be chaotic and exhausting for parents. While you can't force a newborn to sleep, you can establish a consistent wake-sleep schedule and use calming techniques to help them settle. Light is a powerful biological signal, so keeping your baby's days bright and their nights dark can help them understand when it's time to sleep. You can also try soothing techniques like swaddling, rocking, and singing lullabies to calm their senses and decrease their cortisol levels.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Average sleep for newborns | 14-17 hours over a 24-hour period |
| Sleep patterns | Individual to each baby |
| Sleep training | Not recommended until the baby is 4-6 months old |
| Sleep pressure | Refers to the mechanism that tells the body it's time for sleep |
| Cortisol | The hormone that keeps babies revved up and ready to go |
| Adrenaline | Another hormone released when a baby is overtired |
| Wake windows | The time a baby is awake between naps or bedtime |
| Daytime naps | Should be in a well-lit room |
| Nighttime sleep | Use a night light, but ensure the room is mostly dark |
| Room-sharing | Recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics |
| Bed-sharing | Not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics |
| Self-soothing | Babies can be taught to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own |
| Soothing techniques | Swaddling, rocking, singing, feeding, dimming lights, soft music, white noise |
| Sleep schedule | Establish a consistent wake-sleep schedule and stick to it |
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What You'll Learn
The importance of a sleep schedule
Establishing a sleep schedule for your newborn is of utmost importance to ensure they receive adequate rest and to help them develop a healthy sleep routine as they grow older. While newborns will sleep for most of the day, it is still essential to create a structured sleep-wake cycle that suits their unique needs.
Every baby is different, and their sleep patterns will vary. Some babies sleep for long periods, while others sleep in short bursts. Some quickly sleep through the night, while others take a more extended period to adjust. As a result, it is crucial to observe your baby's sleep cues and create a schedule that works for them.
The first few weeks with a newborn can be chaotic due to their day/night confusion and frequent feeding needs. They may sleep through the afternoon and then be up all night. However, once your baby is a few months old, you can start implementing a more normal sleep routine.
To establish a healthy sleep schedule, you should:
- Observe your baby's sleep cues: Each baby has unique tired signs, such as yawning, rubbing eyes, or becoming fussy. Learn to recognize these cues so you can put your baby to bed when they are tired but still awake.
- Create a sleepiness scale: From 6 to 8 weeks onwards, you can create a scale from 1 to 10 to gauge your baby's sleepiness, with 1 being wide awake and 10 being asleep. Put your baby to bed when they are around a 7 or 8 on the scale.
- Stick to a consistent schedule: Babies respond well to consistency and structure. Maintain regular nap and night sleep times as best you can. If your baby struggles to fall asleep at night, gradually adjust their nap schedule by moving morning and afternoon naps earlier.
- Differentiate day from night: Ensure your baby's days are bright, and their nights are dark. Exposure to light during the day and darkness at night helps set their internal clock. Lower the lights in the evening to signal bedtime.
- Minimize stimulation at night: When your baby wakes up at night, keep it low-key. Soothe them back to sleep with a quiet voice and gentle touch. Avoid changing their diaper unless soiled, and use a high-quality nighttime diaper to prevent leaks.
- Create a calming environment: Use techniques like swaddling, rocking, or playing soft music to calm your baby. Dim the lights and remove stimulation to signal that it's time to rest.
- Practice responsive settling: Your baby may need your help to settle and go back to sleep. Use gentle touches, shushing noises, or white noise to soothe them. Check their diaper, temperature, and feeding schedule to ensure their comfort.
Remember, the key is to be patient, consistent, and observant. Every baby is unique, and you will learn their sleep cues as they grow. By establishing a sleep schedule, you will help your newborn develop healthy sleep habits that will benefit them throughout their childhood.
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Calming techniques
Create a Sleep Schedule
Consistency is key when it comes to newborn sleep. Try to establish a regular wake-sleep schedule and stick to it as much as possible. This will help your baby develop a sense of routine and make it easier for them to fall asleep at the designated times. Remember that newborns sleep around the clock and need to eat every few hours, so be prepared to adjust your schedule accordingly.
Wind-Down Activities
Engage in calmer activities before bedtime to help your baby wind down. Reading, singing lullabies, or playing soft music can signal to your baby that it's time to relax and prepare for sleep. Lowering the lights in the evening can also help set the mood and induce sleepiness.
Sensory Soothing
Rocking your baby, swaddling them, or using light, repetitive movements like swaying or swinging can be calming and soothing. You can also try feeding your baby until they become drowsy, but avoid feeding them until they fall asleep as it can lead to restlessness due to gas pain.
Create a Calm Environment
Make sure your baby's room is dark at night to signal that it's time for sleep. A dim night light is fine, but avoid turning on bright lights if your baby wakes up during the night. If early morning sunlight causes your baby to wake up too early, consider using blackout curtains. Keep the room well-lit during the day to help set your baby's internal clock.
Teach Self-Soothing
Techniques like "Ferberizing," or graduated extinction, can help teach your baby to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own. This involves soothing your baby if they fuss or cry, but then returning them to their crib before they fall asleep. This technique requires patience, but it can comfort your baby as they learn to fall asleep independently.
Safe Sleep Practices
Always prioritize safe sleep practices. Place your baby on their back to sleep, and avoid bed-sharing as it increases the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Remove any hazards from your baby's crib, such as items with cords, ties, or sharp edges. Do not let your baby fall asleep on products that are not designed for sleeping, such as car seats or feeding pillows.
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Self-soothing
In the early days, newborns can't voluntarily control their hands or movements enough to self-soothe. They will depend on their parents to help settle them to sleep. This could be by rocking or patting them or letting them fall asleep on the breast. Settling a newborn to sleep does not have any long-term consequences, and it is not true that you are "spoiling" your baby by helping them fall asleep.
Before three months old, babies do not develop habits or expectations, so you are not in danger of embedding bad sleep habits. As your baby reaches four months, they will develop the capacity to self-regulate or self-soothe to sleep.
Establishing a sleep routine and healthy sleep habits from birth may help the baby sleep well later on. Parents and caregivers can try putting the baby to bed at the same time each night in a quiet, dark room and establishing a bedtime routine, which may include a bath or a bedtime story. It is also important to ensure the baby is warm and feels safe.
Babies who learn to self-soothe sleep for longer periods and don't have as many night wakings. They will also use self-soothing tools to self-regulate and calm themselves when they are overstimulated or irritable.
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Sleep pressure
The sleep pressure in newborns is also influenced by their environment. Darkness works with a baby's internal clock to signal that it is time for sleep. Exposure to light during the day tells the body to release melatonin, the body's natural sleepy hormone, at bedtime. An increase in melatonin makes the sleep pressure stronger. Similarly, too much excitement and stimulation before bedtime can wake a baby up.
To help your newborn build sleep pressure, you can try calming activities such as rocking your baby, singing a lullaby, swaddling, or feeding. Dimming the lights and playing soft music or white noise can also help.
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Light exposure
The Impact of Light on Circadian Rhythm
The presence of light stimulates a newborn's brain, signalling that it's time to be awake. This is due to the impact of light on the developing circadian rhythm, which includes the release of hormones like cortisol and melatonin, as well as the regulation of body temperature and sleep-wake cycles. Exposure to light during the day helps establish this rhythm, and continued exposure to light at night can disrupt it.
Creating the Right Environment
To promote healthy sleep patterns, it is recommended to keep the newborn's room as dark as possible at night. This can be achieved through the use of blackout curtains or similar methods to block out external light sources. Creating a dark environment helps signal to the newborn's body that it's time for sleep and encourages the production of melatonin, a crucial hormone for regulating sleep.
Daytime Light Exposure
During the day, it is beneficial to let your newborn nap in a light room. Exposure to daylight or bright lights during the day can help set their internal clock and build sleep pressure, making it easier for them to fall asleep at night. Allowing your newborn to nap in a well-lit environment can also help prevent day-night confusion, where they sleep for extended periods during the day and become more active at night.
Blue Light Concerns
It is important to limit blue light exposure, especially before bedtime. Blue light can disrupt sleep patterns by decreasing feelings of drowsiness, increasing the time it takes to fall asleep, and reducing the quality of deep sleep. This includes exposure to electronic devices, such as tablets, phones, and TVs, which should be turned off at least two hours before your newborn's bedtime.
Medical Considerations
In certain cases, such as with preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), the use of red LED light has been found to be beneficial. This is because preterm infants cannot perceive light in the same way as full-term infants, and red light does not disrupt their circadian rhythm or sleep development.
In summary, light exposure is an important factor in regulating your newborn's sleep patterns. By creating the right lighting environment at the appropriate times, you can promote the development of a healthy circadian rhythm and encourage restorative sleep for your newborn.
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Frequently asked questions
Newborn babies are usually asleep more than they are awake, and they may sleep for up to 18 hours a day. They will wake up at night for feeds and may sleep through the afternoon, staying awake at night. As they grow, they will need fewer night feeds and may sleep for longer.
During the day, expose your baby to lots of sunlight or take them outside. At night, keep the lights dim or use a small, dim night light. You can also try installing dimmers to lower the lights in the evening. This will help your baby understand the difference between day and night. You can also try to establish a routine and look out for signs that your baby is tired, such as yawning or fussing, and put them down when they are quiet and drowsy.
If your baby is overtired, their body releases cortisol and adrenaline, making it hard for them to fall asleep. To break this cycle, try to gently stretch out their wake times and ensure they get long naps. You can also try holding them to help them nap or putting them in a baby carrier.
