Ashwin Lewis
Newborns sleep in bursts ranging from 30 minutes to three hours, with awake periods of two hours in between. They need a bit of time to develop an internal 24-hour rhythm that tells them when they should be awake and when they should sleep. This is what adults know as a “circadian rhythm”. Newborns also wake up a lot because their tummies are tiny, and they get hungry not long after feeding. These short bursts of sleep and wakefulness are normal and an important part of your baby’s growth. While most parents can expect their newborn to sleep or catnap a lot during the day, the range of what is normal is quite wide.
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What You'll Learn
Safe co-sleeping practices
Safe Sleep Environment:
- Ensure your baby's sleep environment is safe and free of hazards. Remove any hanging items such as mobiles, window blind cords, or draperies that could be within the baby's reach.
- Use a firm, flat, and level sleep surface, such as a crib, bassinet, or a separate mattress on the floor. Ensure the mattress fits snugly in the crib or bassinet to prevent gaps.
- Keep the baby's sleep area clear of pillows, blankets, toys, and other items. Avoid using fluffy materials, waterbeds, or soft surfaces like lamb's wool or folded blankets.
- Make sure the baby's head and face remain uncovered during sleep. Remove any headwear and avoid wrapping or swaddling the baby, as this can increase the risk of suffocation.
Room-Sharing and Bed-Sharing:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing for at least the first 6 months, as it reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
- If you choose to bed-share, place the baby on their back, on a firm, flat surface, next to one parent, away from the edge of the bed. Avoid placing the baby between parents or next to other children or pets.
- Ensure the baby has unobstructed airways and can breathe easily. Avoid co-sleeping on couches, chairs, or soft mattresses, as they can obstruct the baby's airways and lead to suffocation.
- Avoid co-sleeping if you or your partner smoke, consume alcohol or drugs, or take medication that affects your awareness and responsiveness.
- Breastfeeding and a healthy gestation period can help reduce the risk of SIDS and promote safe co-sleeping.
Sleep Routine and Soothing:
- Establish a bedtime routine with soothing activities like bathing, reading, and singing to signal bedtime.
- Put your baby in the crib or bassinet while drowsy but still awake, so they learn to fall asleep on their own.
- Offer a pacifier at sleep time, but don't force it.
- Swaddling with a light blanket is safe until the baby starts to roll over (usually around 3-4 months).
Remember, it's important to prioritize your baby's safety and well-being when considering co-sleeping. Always follow safe sleep guidelines and seek advice from healthcare professionals if you have any questions or concerns.
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How to establish a bedtime routine
Establishing a bedtime routine for your newborn is an important step in teaching them good sleep habits from the very beginning. It is also crucial for their development and growth, as well as for building a healthy immune system.
Newborns don't initially have a sense of day and night, so it is best not to pressure yourself to impose a bedtime routine right away. After a few weeks, you can start a very simple and short routine, such as a cuddly feeding and a brief reading of a book. This reinforces their natural circadian rhythm, helping them to understand the difference between day and night.
As your baby gets older, you can add more steps to the routine, such as bathing, singing, or reading books. A bedtime routine can be a special connection time between you and your baby, providing loving reassurance and encouraging a secure attachment. It is important to be consistent and perform the same steps in the same order each night. This predictability offers a sense of safety and security to your baby.
- Keep things quiet and calm during middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes.
- Try to keep the lights low and avoid playing or talking to your baby.
- Let your baby fall asleep in the crib at night so they learn that it is the place for sleep.
- Avoid keeping your baby up during the day in the hopes that they will sleep better at night. Instead, ensure they get enough sleep during the day.
- If your baby is fussy, it is okay to rock, cuddle, and sing to them as they settle down.
- Swaddling (wrapping your baby in a light blanket) can help to soothe them, but only do this until they start to roll over (usually around 3-4 months).
- Place your baby in their crib drowsy but still awake, so they learn to fall asleep on their own.
- If possible, incorporate nightly baths into the bedtime routine to help your baby relax.
- Offer a pacifier at sleep time, but don't force it.
- Make sure the sleep environment is safe and free of hazards.
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How to create a safe sleep environment
Creating a safe sleep environment for your newborn is crucial to prevent sleep-related infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation. Here are some essential guidelines to ensure your baby's sleeping environment is as safe as possible:
Room-sharing without bed-sharing: It is recommended to practice room-sharing without bed-sharing. Keep your baby's crib, portable crib, play yard, or bassinet in your bedroom instead of a separate room. This arrangement facilitates feeding, comforting, and monitoring your baby at night while reducing the risk of SIDS. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises room-sharing without bed-sharing for at least the first six months, or ideally, until your baby's first birthday, as the risk of SIDS is highest during this period.
Sleep position matters: Always place your baby on their back to sleep, not on their stomach or side. Sleeping on the back has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of SIDS. This recommendation applies for the first year of your baby's life, and you don't need to force them into the back sleep position once they can turn over on their own.
Use a firm, flat sleep surface: Provide a firm, flat, and level surface for your baby to sleep on. This can be a crib or bassinet that meets government safety standards. Make sure the mattress is covered with a sheet that fits snugly, and avoid using soft mattresses, pillows, air mattresses, waterbeds, or soft materials that could compromise your baby's safety.
Keep the sleep area clear: Remove any items that could pose a risk of suffocation or strangulation. This includes plush toys, pillows, blankets, quilts, comforters, bumper pads, and loose bedding. Ensure that hanging items like mobiles, window blind cords, draperies, and pictures are out of your baby's reach to prevent any hazards.
Avoid co-sleeping on couches or chairs: Never sleep with your baby on a couch, sofa, or armchair. This sleeping arrangement can obstruct your baby's airways and lead to suffocation. If you choose to co-sleep, ensure it is on a designated sleep surface, and always place your baby on their back, away from the edge of the bed.
Establish a bedtime routine: Consistency is key. Create a calming and consistent bedtime routine to signal to your baby that it's time to sleep. Bathing, reading, and singing can help soothe your baby and prepare them for sleep. Try to maintain the same nap times and bedtime every day, even on weekends.
Remember, the first few months with a newborn can be exhausting for parents due to frequent feedings and sleep interruptions. Creating a safe sleep environment is a crucial step in reducing the risk of sleep-related infant deaths and ensuring your baby's well-being.
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How much sleep newborns need
Newborns generally sleep between 12 and 17 hours in a 24-hour period. However, some newborns may sleep up to 18-19 hours a day. They sleep in short bursts, known as sleep cycles, which are usually around 20 to 50 minutes long. During the first few months, newborns do not know the difference between day and night and have yet to develop sleep-wake rhythms. As such, they sleep and wake frequently throughout the day and night to feed.
It is important to establish positive sleep associations for your newborn. For example, some parents choose to room-share, which involves placing the baby's crib in their bedroom. This practice is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) without bed-sharing for at least the first 6 months to 1 year, as bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths.
To create a safe sleep environment, always place your baby on their back to sleep on a firm, flat surface free of soft toys, blankets, pillows, and bumpers. Additionally, make sure that all sleep products have been approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and meet federal safety standards. Avoid hanging items or objects with cords within the baby's reach, and do not use products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS, such as sleep positioners or monitors.
In terms of sleep routines, it is generally recommended to wait until your baby is 3 to 6 months old before establishing a predictable schedule. However, you can start a bedtime routine that is familiar and relaxing, such as bathing, reading, or singing, to signal the end of the day. It is also important to be consistent so that your baby associates these steps with sleeping. While it is okay to rock, cuddle, and sing to soothe your baby, avoid creating negative sleep associations that may be hard to break in the long term, such as holding your baby until they fall asleep.
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How to get newborns to sleep longer
Newborns will invariably wake up repeatedly in the night during their first few months. This can be very hard for parents to cope with. However, there are some things you can do to help your newborn sleep longer.
Firstly, it's important to establish a bedtime routine that is familiar and relaxing for your baby. Bathing, reading, and singing can soothe babies and signal that it's time to sleep. Try to keep things calm and quiet during middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes. Keep the lights low and don't play with or talk to your baby. This will help them understand that nighttime is for sleeping.
Secondly, make sure your baby falls asleep in their crib at night. If you rock your baby to sleep, they may expect to be rocked to sleep every time they wake up. Instead, put your baby in their crib while they're drowsy but still awake. They will learn to fall asleep on their own.
Thirdly, make sure your baby gets enough calories during the day. Establish a cycle where they wake up and eat immediately, staying awake for 60 minutes of wake time before sleeping again. This will hopefully lead to longer stretches of sleep at night.
Finally, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that infants up to 3 months old get 14-17 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period. This usually takes the form of 2-3 naps during the day, followed by a longer stretch of "sleeping through the night" after a late-night feeding.
Some parents choose to co-sleep with their babies, which can help with breastfeeding and make it easier to respond to babies during the night. However, it's important to be aware of the risks associated with co-sleeping, such as the increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents. If you choose to co-sleep, make sure your baby can breathe easily and that their face and head are uncovered.
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Frequently asked questions
Co-sleeping is when a baby sleeps on the same surface as another person, such as a parent or sibling. It can be done intentionally or unintentionally, such as when parents fall asleep on a couch holding their baby. While co-sleeping can aid in breastfeeding and bonding, it has been linked to an increased risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents.
If you choose to co-sleep, there are ways to make it safer. Ensure your baby can breathe easily by keeping their face and head uncovered and removing any hats or hoods. Keep the sleep space clear of pillows, blankets, toys, and other items that could create a strangulation risk. Additionally, place your baby on their back, away from the edge of the bed, and next to only one parent to reduce the risk of suffocation.
Newborns sleep in bursts ranging from 30 minutes to three hours, with awake periods in between. On average, newborns sleep around 18 hours per day, including daytime naps. The range of what is normal varies, and some babies may need more or less sleep than others.
It's important to create a soothing bedtime routine that will signal to your baby that it's time for sleep. Activities such as bathing, reading, and singing can help soothe your baby and establish a consistent routine. Additionally, placing your baby in a crib or bassinet while drowsy but still awake can encourage them to fall asleep independently.
It's important to ensure that all sleep products and surfaces are safe for newborns. Avoid using products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS, such as sleep positioners or monitors, as there are currently no known products that can guarantee this. Keep the sleep area free from hazards such as cords, ties, or sharp objects within the baby's reach. Always place your baby on their back to sleep and use a firm, flat sleep surface covered with a snug-fitting sheet.
