Are these questions you have about newborn sleeping habits…How do I get my newborn to sleep? Why won’t my newborn sleep? What are the best practices for optimal newborn sleep?

These and more are common questions asked by parents worldwide as they begin to navigate life with a newborn baby. Even those with their second or third baby might still find themselves at a loss when their baby doesn’t sleep. Sleep deprivation can be tough for everyone, parents and baby included.

Understanding what to expect with a newborn, how to create a conducive sleeping environment, and what is considered normal can provide you with the peace of mind that it’s not your fault. It’s simply your newborn adjusting to life outside the womb and getting used to the world. These sleep patterns, as erratic as they may seem, are perfectly normal for a newborn.

Short But Sweet

It’s important to remember that the early days, especially the second week with a newborn, can be challenging. Your baby’s sleep should be limited to around 3-4 hours at first, as they need to be fed frequently and show signs of weight gain. Once these are established, usually after a couple of weeks, you can allow your baby to sleep longer. But initially, 3-4 hours of sleep in one stretch is perfectly normal and sufficient.

Every Baby Is Different

This is where it gets interesting because even though it’s advised that you let your baby sleep no longer than 3-4 hours during the initial few weeks, not all babies will do this. It’s important to note factors that might be impacting your baby’s ability to sleep so you can adjust what you do or your environment to facilitate sleep for everyone in the household.

Babies Aren’t Silent Sleepers

If this is your first baby, it is only natural to get concerned when you hear a baby making different noises in their sleep. But not all babies are silent sleepers, and it’s likely you will listen to many random and often unsavory noises while they go through different sleep transitions. This is entirely normal and a sign that your baby is adjusting to the world. As long as they’re comfortable and breathing ok, not too hot or cold, you can probably leave them to get some much-needed sleep or join them!

18 Hours A Day Is Normal

Babies can sleep for up to 18 hours per day, especially during the first few weeks of life. This likely will be throughout the day and night. As they age, the daytime naps might become shorter, and nighttime sleep longer, or vice versa, or they might not even change. There is no one right or wrong way for your baby’s sleep to evolve, but now it is normal for them to sleep for the majority of the day.

Newborns Are Restless Sleepers

As your baby’s body is getting used to the world, they will be going through more periods of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, meaning they will move around a lot more and might be more vocal or restless in their sleep. You could hear whimpering and see a lot of movement, but all of this is normal. Newborns spend half of their sleeping patterns in REM, a stage of sleep where dreaming occurs, but this reduces over time. You’ll find they quickly become more peaceful in their sleep than those first days and nights.

Babies Don’t Know Day and Night

It is highly likely that they won’t grasp this concept for at least a few months. Your newborn doesn’t understand the difference between day and night, which is part of the reason it can be so tough in those early weeks. They simply sleep day and night, which is often why people tell you to sleep when your baby sleeps. As adults, our body clocks and environmental signals tell us it’s daytime and bedtime, but babies take time to develop this, so they don’t and won’t understand it’s bedtime at night just yet.

You Can Impact Your Baby’s Sleep

This isn’t about external noise. In fact, it can often be a good idea to get your newborn used to sleeping with general activities going on in the background or some level of noise, as it means they won’t always need a silent environment to be able to sleep and noise doesn’t disturb them as much.

It means that the more exhausted or stressed you are, the harder it could be for you to get the baby to sleep. So, instead of fighting to stay awake and not getting enough rest yourself, get as much sleep as possible because the baby will pick up on your feelings and exhaustion, which can impact their sleep too. I hope you feel more comfortable with newborn sleeping habits and can find joy in this super special and short time.