Sleep and the newborn baby

Newborn babies often seem to turn night into day. Many new mums struggle to cope with their own sleep deficit while settling baby and coming to terms with the changes this new life brings.

Babies born at term (when they were due/not premature) should sleep for 16 to 20 hours a day. Premature babies may sleep more. The sleep periods usually last 3 to 4 hours and waking is most commonly due to hunger. Breast fed babies may sleep for shorter periods because breast milk, which is definitely the best, is more easily digested. Wake times are usually short, 1-2 hours wakefulness. When fed and changed baby should settle to sleep within 10-15 minutes.


Mum's sleep
If at all possible mum's should aim to catch up on their own sleep while baby sleeps.

Teaching baby to sleep.
It is helpful if parents learn to recognise when baby is displaying sleepy signals and, while baby is awake but drowsy, put the baby down to sleep so that baby learns early on to self sooth.

It is unlikely that a routine can be firmly established before 12 weeks of age. Babies have no memories and insufficient experience of life to know that when they cry, someone will come and feed/change them. This requires learning which is accomplished when, over a period of time, the baby's experience shows that mum comes when baby cries and that his/her needs are met when they are signaled.

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