Ashwin Lewis
Newborns typically sleep between 12 and 17 hours in a 24-hour period, but this varies, and some newborns sleep for up to four hours at a time. They have shorter sleep cycles than older children and adults, and their sleep is divided into two types: REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep, and non-REM sleep. During REM sleep, newborns are in a light sleep, and their eyes move rapidly under closed eyelids. They may also make sucking or rooting motions, and their breathing becomes irregular and sometimes faster. During non-REM sleep, newborns will lie relatively still and their breathing will be more even. It is normal for newborns to move around a lot and make noises during REM sleep, and they may also experience the Moro reflex, which causes involuntary twitches and jerks in response to sudden changes in position or loud noises.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep hours | 12-17 hours in a 24-hour period |
| Sleep pattern | Short bursts of 2-3 hours each |
| Sleep cycles | 20-40 minutes |
| Active sleep | 50% of the sleep cycle |
| Quiet sleep | 50% of the sleep cycle |
| Active sleep characteristics | Rapid eye movement, increased brain activity, muscle tone changes, irregular breathing, kicking, grunting, and other noises and movements |
| Quiet sleep characteristics | Deep and regular breathing, stillness |
| Self-settling | Newborns wake between sleep cycles and learn to settle themselves as they get older |
| Moro reflex | Involuntary twitches and jerks in response to sudden position change, noise, or their own movements |
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What You'll Learn
Active sleep
The active sleep stage can be alarming for new parents as newborns move around a lot, make noises, and have irregular breathing patterns. It is important to remain calm and not overreact if your baby is in active sleep and making movements or noises. Babies can sense your anxiety, which can disturb their sleep. If you are concerned about your baby's sleep patterns or suspect that their active sleep is disrupting their overall sleep or development, you may want to seek advice from a healthcare professional or a sleep specialist.
As babies get older, they will spend less time in active sleep, and the sounds they make will become quieter. By 4 to 6 months, most parents will notice major improvements in their baby's sleep patterns.
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Quiet sleep
Newborns sleep a lot—up to 18 hours a day—but this sleep is broken into multiple short periods of about 50–60 minutes in length.
Newborns experience two types of sleep: REM (rapid-eye movement) and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is sometimes called "active sleep" because of the baby's small movements and irregular breathing. Non-REM sleep is also known as "quiet sleep".
During quiet sleep, newborns are still and quiet, but awake and taking in their environment. They may look at or stare at objects and respond to sounds and motion. This phase usually moves into an active alert phase, where the baby is more attentive to sounds and sights and moves more actively.
- Feed your baby before they reach the crying phase. During the crying phase, they can be so upset that they may refuse the breast or bottle.
- Establish a bedtime routine.
- Allow your baby to become sleepy in your arms, then place them in their bed while they are still awake, so they learn how to fall asleep on their own.
- Put your baby to sleep on their back. Putting a baby to sleep on their stomach has been linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
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Sleep cycles
Newborns typically sleep between 12 and 17 hours in a 24-hour period, but this can vary. They sleep in short bursts of 2-4 hours, waking frequently to feed. Newborns don't have established sleep-wake rhythms, and they often confuse day and night.
During active sleep, newborns move around a lot and make noises. They can be woken easily during this type of sleep. Their eyes move rapidly under closed eyelids, and their breathing becomes irregular and sometimes faster. Their muscle tone can fluctuate, and they may make sucking or rooting motions, as if feeding. Active sleep is crucial for a baby's brain development, as it is during this stage that the brain processes information and consolidates memories. It is also important for the development of the nervous system.
Quiet sleep, on the other hand, is when newborns are still and quiet. Their breathing is deep and regular, and they are less likely to wake up. This is a very deep sleep, and the baby does not move.
It is normal for newborns to wake between sleep cycles, and they may have difficulty settling themselves and falling back to sleep in the first few months. This ability to settle themselves is called self-settling, and different babies have different self-settling abilities.
It is important to create positive sleep associations for your newborn. For example, holding your baby until they fall asleep can create a negative sleep association, resulting in them needing to be held to fall asleep.
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Moro reflex
Newborns typically sleep much of the day and night, waking only for feeding every few hours. They generally sleep for about 16 hours in a 24-hour period, with about half of this being REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. REM sleep is a light sleep when dreams occur and the eyes move rapidly. During this stage, a baby's brain processes information and consolidates memories, and their nervous system develops and matures.
Babies have shorter sleep cycles than adults, with one full sleep cycle typically occurring in cycles of 20-40 minutes. A baby's sleep cycle consists of active sleep and quiet sleep. During active sleep, a newborn may move, groan, open their eyes, cry out, or breathe noisily or irregularly. This is a normal and essential part of a newborn's sleep cycle and development.
The Moro reflex is a normal reaction to stimuli in infants. It is one of many reflexes that are seen at birth and normally goes away after 3 to 6 months. The Moro reflex is elicited by pulling up on the infant's arms while in a supine position and letting go, causing the sensation of falling. The normal Moro reflex starts with the abduction of the upper extremities and extension of the arms, followed by the extension of the fingers and a slight extension of the neck and spine.
The presence or absence of the Moro reflex can indicate the development of the infant. Absence or asymmetry of the Moro reflex can be a sign of injury or disease, and it may warrant an assessment for possible developmental complications. An exaggerated Moro reflex can be indicative of severe neurological defects, including cerebral palsy. On the other hand, an absence of the Moro reflex during the neonatal period and early infancy can result from a variety of compromised conditions, including birth injury, severe asphyxia during birth, intracranial hemorrhage, infection, or brain malformation.
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Self-settling
Sleep is an important topic for new parents, and it can be hard to know how long and how often a newborn should sleep. Newborns sleep much of the day and night, waking only for feedings every few hours. Generally, newborns sleep about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and about 8 hours at night. Most babies do not begin sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) without waking until at least 3 months of age, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds.
Babies, like adults, have various stages and depths of sleep. There are two types of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement sleep) and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is a light sleep when dreams occur and the eyes move rapidly back and forth. Although babies spend about 16 hours each day sleeping, about half of this is in REM sleep. Non-REM sleep has four stages, progressing from drowsiness to a very deep sleep in which the baby is quiet and does not move.
Active sleep, also known as REM sleep, is a normal and essential part of a newborn's sleep cycle. During active sleep, a baby's eyes move rapidly under closed eyelids, and their breathing becomes irregular and sometimes faster. Muscle tone can fluctuate, and they may make sucking or rooting motions, as if they are feeding. Active sleep is crucial for a baby's brain development and nervous system development and maturation.
To foster good sleep habits, you can use techniques such as a super dark room, loud white noise, a swaddle, or a baby sleeping bag. These positive sleep associations will help your baby fall asleep without your assistance. Putting your baby to bed drowsy but awake can also help them learn to associate falling asleep with being in bed alone and with self-soothing.
Babies who can self-soothe sleep for longer periods and have longer total sleep times at night. Your baby is more likely to self-soothe if they fall asleep and wake up in the same safe and familiar place, such as their cot. It is important to create positive sleep associations for your newborn and avoid negative sleep associations, such as holding your baby until they fall asleep, which can be challenging to break in the long term.
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Frequently asked questions
Newborns typically sleep between 12 and 17 hours in a 24-hour period. They sleep in short bursts of 2-4 hours, waking up frequently to feed.
Newborns have two types of sleep: REM (active sleep) and non-REM (quiet sleep). REM sleep is characterised by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and muscle tone changes. During this stage, newborns may move, twitch, kick their legs, and make noises. Non-REM sleep has four stages, progressing from light sleep to very deep sleep.
The Moro reflex is an involuntary response that newborns exhibit in reaction to sudden changes in position, loud noises, or even their own movements. This reflex is completely normal and usually fades by 3 to 6 months as their nervous system matures.
It is important to create positive sleep associations and avoid negative ones. For example, holding your baby until they fall asleep may create a negative sleep association, resulting in them needing to be held to fall asleep. Instead, help your baby fall asleep independently by recognising signs of sleep readiness and providing a safe and comfortable sleep environment.
Crying is the primary way that newborns communicate. In the first three months, newborns cry a lot because they need help feeding, changing, or settling to sleep. They may also cry for no apparent reason, which is normal as long as they are growing, gaining weight, and happy at other times.
