Congratulations! Your bundle of joy has arrived and one of your first learning curves is understanding your newborns sleep patterns.
Baby sleep can be challenging for new parents, so having a baby sleeping guide may help.
Add in the exhaustion of birth and looking after older children, and it’s safe to say any useful advice is a blessing.
In this article, we discuss newborn sleep and some bedtime routines to make the transition to having your beautiful baby even more enjoyable.
Baby Sleeping Guide
It can be an anxious time, trying to figure out how to get your baby sleeping better without turning either of you into a sleep deprived monster, while wading through conflicting advice online.
Our baby sleep guidelines aim to provide new parents with recommendations, peace of mind and optimal conditions for ensuring the mother and child gets a good night’s rest.
Sleep experts recommend that parents always put babies on their backs to sleep in order to minimizing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) with a firm, flat surface free of pillows, toys and loose bedding. Having your baby in the same room for at least the first six months can also make night time feeds easier while encouraging safety.
Bear in mind, each baby will be different, and what works in one family may not look very different in another. These guidelines can serve as the building blocks, but listening to your baby’s cues and finding a rhythm that works for you and your household are far more meaningful.
How much sleep do babies need?
How much infant sleep your baby needs depends on the age of your baby, how often he is feeding and any other medical complexities he might be experiencing.
The Sleep Foundation recommends that most babies sleep between 14 and 17 hours.
A newborn baby is not meant to sleep through the night.
He will generally need to feed every few hours in the early stages.
As your baby gets older, he might be able to stretch out the feeds and sleep a little longer; eventually he’ll begin sleeping through the night.
What is a baby sleep cycle?
In newborns, there are two main sleep cycles, in which babies sleep around about the same amount of time. They are:
- REM (rapid eye movement) – the active sleep alert phase
- NREM (non rapid eye movement) – the quiet sleep alert phase
After three months of age young infants will develop two more sleep patterns:
- NREM 1 and NREM 2 – when babies wake quite easily and have a light sleep.
- NREM 3 – when babies are in a deep sleep phase and they are not so easy to wake at this time.
You might like to read more in BellyBelly’s article What Is A Baby Sleep Cycle?
Why is my baby not sleeping?
There are quite a few reasons why your baby might not be sleeping.
It is usual for newborn babies to be waking every few hours to feed. Although it’s exhausting this might be one of the reasons your baby is not sleeping.
Sometimes babies might have an upset tummy. For those who are given breast milk, it might caused by the food their mothers have eaten. It might also be from formula feeding, or if mothers had medications in labor or after the birth. These reasons can also cause young babies to be constipated or have very loose stools.
Many babies like to be swaddled to sleep. The Moro reflex, when the arms suddenly extend when babies are startled, might wake them up and, if swaddled, they will have a more comfortable and safe sleep.
Some babies, though, might not like their arms wrapped and will not sleep this way. The key message is to do what works for you and your baby.
Other things that affect baby sleep include being too hot or too cold. The rule of thumb is to gauge whether you feel hot or cold; this is usually how your baby will feel.
Babies might experience separation anxiety and want to be close to you to sleep. Perhaps you could try co-sleeping with your little one to help him fall asleep.
My newborn only sleeps a few hours; is that normal?
We mentioned earlier that, initially, your baby will wake every few hours to feed. This is called Cluster Feeding.
This happens to help bring in your milk supply. As he gets older, your baby will stretch these feeds out and might feed and sleep more when having a growth spurt.
It is perfectly normal, and expected, that the average newborn will wake every few hours. Be mindful that your baby might not follow the rules; he is an individual and will do his own thing.
Should you be quiet when baby is sleeping?
Babies sleep quite well when there are noises around them; after all, they did not experience silence in the womb and are used to having sounds around them.
Newborn baby sleep occurs day and night – even when the vacuum is going or the radio’s on and the lawns are being mown.
You baby might fall asleep and then, if there is a loud noise, it might startle him into producing the Moro reflex, which could wake him. Quiet sleep is not necessarily required for baby’s sleep cycle to occur.
Why does baby grunt and squirm at night?
The main reason most babies make these sounds is due to digestion. Their bodies move erratically, as the bowels are working to clear. Often this squirming is followed by a phooey nappy.
Grunting on its own is also due to digestion. If it is accompanied by nasal flaring and rapid breathing, this might be of concern and you should seek immediate medical advice.
What is sudden infant death syndrome?
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) usually occurs in babies under 12 months of age.
SIDs is unexplained. We don’t know why this happens to babies; we simply know they just stop breathing.
The safe sleep guidelines recommend you put your baby to sleep on his back.
Recommended readings:
What Is SIDS? 6 Things Families Need To Know
SIDS Prevention – 6 Ways To Reduce The Risk.
A very sleepy baby; when to worry
A well baby should wake and demand to feed. If he will not wake for a feed then this is of concern.
There are a few contributing factors. You should ask yourself these questions:
- Is he looking yellow or orange?
- Has he been unwell with jaundice?
- Does he have any other medical concerns?
- Has the doctor or midwife suggested you wake him every few hours to feed?
- Has he produced a good number of wet and phooey nappies?
If you feel concerned, contact your health care professional at any time.
You might be interested in reading Jaundice In Newborns – The Truth About Jaundice.
Is it bad to leave white noise on all night for baby?
White noise is not bad for your baby. In fact, as we discussed above, babies are used to sounds. Some noise might even help baby fall asleep.
Do babies sleep better in the dark?
In the early stages, babies can sleep in the light or in darkness. When they get older, the light might be over stimulating.
Having a dark room for older babies might encourage then to sleep through the night and help with their bedtime routine.
How do you get a newborn to sleep?
Baby sleep patterns can vary for each baby. Watch for those early signs that your newborn is sleepy, such as rubbing eyes, yawning and finishing feeding.
Here are a few tips to help settle your little one:
- Swaddle-wrap or don’t swaddle-wrap – whichever works
- Don’t overstimulate by handing baby around for a cuddle from everyone
- Play soft music
- Make sure baby has a clean nappy
- Ensure he has a full tummy
- Check he is not full of wind or gas
- Develop a bedtime routine
- Watch for sleep readiness
- Settle a crying baby first, to help him sleep consistently
- Get to know your baby’s sleep habits
- Minimize sudden loud noises; they can cause sleep disturbances.
Learn more about How Do You Get A Newborn To Sleep? and find out about 4 Gentle Alternatives to Sleep Training Your Baby Or Toddler.
Newborn’s and self settling
Self settling simply means walking away and leaving your baby to settle himself to sleep.
Baby sleep can be an elusive thing some parents find difficult to understand. Even when your baby is fed, nappy changed and cuddled, leaving him to self settle can be really hard if he cries and wants you near.
Your newborn baby is not used to being away from you. He has been in the womb for around nine months and, after he is born, he still wants that closeness, and to listen to your heartbeat.
Some schools of thought say that if you pick babies up to settle them, or let them sleep beside you, they will become spoilt. My thoughts are you can never spoil babies too much or cuddle them too often.
Whether or not self settling is for you and will work for your baby really comes down to your individual parenting style.
You might like to read more in Cry It Out Method | 6 Baby Experts Who Advise Against It.
