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The Best Sleep Habits For Newborns

Introduction

Bringing a newborn into the world is a magical experience, but those sleepless nights can be a challenging adjustment for new parents. Establishing the best sleep habits for newborns is not only crucial for their well-being but also for the sanity of tired moms and dads. In this guide, we’ll explore essential tips to help your little one drift into dreamland and develop a consistent sleep schedule.

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Understanding Newborn Sleep Patterns

Newborns spend a significant portion of their early days sleeping. It may sound easy at first but their sleep patterns are different from adults. Understanding these patterns is the first step in fostering healthy sleep habits for newborns.

While sleeping patterns can vary widely, and more importantly to note that individual babies may have different sleep habits. However, there are some general patterns and characteristics that are common among newborns.

Irregular Sleep Cycles

Newborns do not have a regular sleep-wake cycle. They sleep for short periods, typically ranging from 2 to 4 hours, throughout the day and night. This irregular pattern is partly due to their small stomach capacity and the need for frequent feedings. Sometimes (but not always) it’s easier for larger newborns to have longer sleep cycles because they’re able to hold a little more food within their bellies.

Frequent Feedings

Newborns have small stomachs overall and need to eat frequently, usually every 2-3 hours. This includes both day and night feedings. As a result, newborns often wake up during the night to feed. If you’re deciding whether to Breast Feed or Bottle Feed, you can read one of our latest posts about this topic below!

General Guide For Feeding Schedules

Newborns (0-4 weeks)

In the first few weeks of life, newborns typically feed every 2-3 hours, and each feeding session may last anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. It’s common for newborns to have shorter, more frequent feeds because their stomachs are small and breast milk or formula is quickly digested.

Infants (1-6 months)

As babies grow, they may start to go a little longer between feedings. However, many infants continue to feed every 3-4 hours during the day. The duration of each feeding session might remain relatively consistent, but some babies may become more efficient at nursing or bottle-feeding, shortening the duration.

Around 6 months and beyond

As you start to introduce babies to solid foods around 6 months (Read Our post “When To Introduce Solid Foods To Your Baby“), the pattern of feeding can change. The frequency of breastfeeding or formula feeding may remain consistent, but the duration of each feeding session might vary based on the type and amount of solid foods the baby is consuming.

It’s important to note that these are general guidelines, and individual babies may have their own unique feeding patterns. Additionally, babies may go through growth spurts or developmental phases that can affect their feeding habits. Always pay attention to your baby’s hunger cues and work with your pediatrician to ensure that your baby is getting the nutrition they need for healthy growth and development.

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REM Sleep Dominance

Newborns spend a significant amount of their sleep time in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. In fact, up to 50% or more of a newborn’s sleep is spent in REM sleep. As babies grow, the proportion of REM sleep decreases, but it remains an important part of their sleep cycle. REM Sleep is believed to be important for healthy brain development within babies.

Short Sleep Cycles

Newborns have shorter sleep cycles compared to older children and adults. A sleep cycle for a newborn typically lasts around 50-60 minutes, compared to the 90-120 minute cycles in adults. As babies grow and their sleep patterns mature, the structure of their sleep cycles becomes more like that of adults.

Difficulty Differentiating Day and Night

Newborns initially have difficulty distinguishing between day and night. Over time, they start to develop a more consistent circadian rhythm, which helps them establish a more regular sleep pattern. Parents can help support the development of a more regular circadian rhythm by exposing their baby to natural light during the day, maintaining a consistent sleep environment, and establishing a bedtime routine.

Variable Awake Times

Newborns can be quite alert and awake for short periods during the day or night. It’s important to note that frequent waking, especially during the night, is a common part of infant sleep, and it often improves as babies get older. 

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Need for Comfort

The need for comfort is a fundamental aspect of a baby’s well-being. Babies are born with certain needs, and providing comfort is a crucial component of meeting those needs. Here are some reasons why comfort is essential for babies:

Security and Attachment

Babies thrive on a sense of security and attachment. Comforting actions, such as holding, rocking, and gentle soothing, help babies feel safe and secure. This contributes to the formation of a strong attachment between the baby and their caregivers, which is crucial for emotional and social development.

Regulation of Emotions

Babies are not able to regulate their emotions as effectively as older children and adults. Comforting gestures, like cuddling and gentle rocking, can help soothe a baby when they are upset or distressed, providing a sense of emotional regulation.

Physical Comfort

Babies have basic physical needs, including the need for warmth, cleanliness, and a dry diaper. Addressing these physical needs promptly helps ensure the baby’s comfort and contributes to their overall well-being.

Promotion of Sleep

Babies need a lot of sleep for healthy development. Comforting actions, such as swaddling, gentle rocking, or soft lullabies, can help create a calm and conducive environment for sleep.

Bonding and Communication

Comforting interactions between caregivers and babies play a significant role in building a strong bond. Babies communicate their needs through cries and other cues, and responding with comfort fosters positive communication and trust.

Developmental Benefits

Research suggests that responsive parenting, including providing comfort when needed, can positively influence a baby’s cognitive and emotional development. Babies who receive consistent comfort may be more likely to explore their environment and develop a secure sense of self.

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Providing Comfort To A Baby:

  • Cuddling And Holding: Physical contact is reassuring for babies.
  • Feeding: Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding provides both nourishment and comfort.
  • Soothing Sounds: Gentle lullabies or white noise can be calming.
  • Swaddling: Wrapping a baby snugly can provide a sense of security.
  • Rocking: Gentle rocking motions are often soothing for babies.

It’s important to remember that individual babies may deviate from these general patterns, and there is a wide range of normal when it comes to newborn sleep. If you have specific concerns about your baby’s sleep patterns, it’s recommended to consult with a pediatrician for personalized advice.

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Tips for Healthy Sleep Habits

Create a Consistent Bedtime Routine

Establish a calming and consistent bedtime routine to signal to the baby that it’s time to sleep. This might include activities like a warm bath, gentle rocking, reading a bedtime story, or singing a lullaby.

Establish a Consistent Sleep Environment

Create a comfortable and safe sleep environment for your baby. Ensure the room is dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature. Use a firm and flat mattress in a crib or bassinet.

Encourage Daytime Wakefulness

Promote wakefulness during the day by exposing your baby to natural light and engaging in interactive activities in between your baby’s naps. This will help regulate their circadian rhythm.

Differentiate Day and Night Feeds

Help your baby distinguish between day and night by exposing them to natural light during daytime feedings and keeping the environment dark and quiet during nighttime feeds. Try to minimize interactions during evening feeds to help your baby understand that nighttime is for sleep.

Respond to Cues Promptly

Be responsive to your baby’s cues, especially during the night. Attend to their needs promptly, whether it’s feeding, changing a diaper, or providing comfort. This helps build trust and a sense of security. Watch for signs of drowsiness, such as yawning or rubbing eyes, these cues will help you to avoid overtiredness.

Use White Noise

White noise machines or apps can create a consistent and soothing background noise that helps drown out household sounds and promotes better sleep. It can also help your baby from being startled awake from sudden loud noises.

Safe Sleep Environment

Follow safe sleep guidelines, including placing the baby on their back to sleep. Avoid soft bedding, toys, and loose blankets in the crib. Having a comfortable and consistent room temperature will also keep your baby used to sleep consistency. Keeping safe sleeping environments for your baby will reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Swaddling and Sleep Sacks

Swaddling can provide a sense of security for newborns. Learn proper swaddling techniques to keep your baby snug without restricting movement. Here are some of our favorite swaddles that make swaddling a breeze! Once your baby is about 4 – 6 months old, you can also use a sleep sack, we absolutely love these!

Establishing a Sleep Schedule

Establishing a sleep schedule for your baby can help promote better sleep patterns and create a more predictable routine for both you and your child. Here are some tips to help you establish a sleep schedule:

Start Early

Begin working on a sleep schedule when your baby is around 6-8 weeks old. Before this age, newborns may not have well-defined sleep patterns. Keeping the same routine every evening and around the same time will help your baby become accustomed to what you would like the “sleep schedule” to look like. Overall, consistency is key.

Observe Natural Rhythms

Pay attention to your baby’s natural sleep and wake rhythms. Every baby is unique, and recognizing their individual patterns will help you create a schedule that aligns with their needs. You can try to work their natural rhythms into your sleep schedule goals over time. For example if you like to get to bed by 10pm, try to get your baby down and in their crib by 8pm or 9pm. This will also help you receive some well needed R&R as well. And of course, if your baby has trouble getting to sleep here and there, you have a little buffer window and won’t be falling asleep at midnight yourself.

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Create a Consistent Bedtime Routine

Develop a calming bedtime routine to signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep. This routine might include activities like a warm bath, gentle rocking, reading a bedtime story, dimming the lights and turning off the tv or tablet screens, or even singing or humming a lullaby. Consistency is key. A good rule of thumb is turning down the lights, music, tv’s and tablets 30 – 60 minutes before you would like your baby to fall asleep.

Establish a Regular Bedtime

Set a consistent bedtime for your baby. Aim for a time that works well for your family and allows your baby to get an adequate amount of nighttime sleep. We personally made the mistake of putting our baby to sleep around 10pm at first, thinking it would be smart for us to get a couple hours of sleep before the first feeding, WRONG! It was horrible, it worked out much better for us getting our son down by 7:30pm – 8:00pm. We slept better, our baby slept better, and everyone was happier!

Consistent Wake-Up Time

Try to wake your baby at the same time every morning even if they do not wake up on their own. This can help regulate their circadian rhythm and establish a consistent sleep-wake cycle. Our bodies like repetition and regularity, keeping bedtimes and wake up times within 30 – 60 minutes apart each day will make all the difference.

Monitor Nap Times

Pay attention to your baby’s sleepy cues and establish regular nap times during the day. Adequate daytime napping is important for overall sleep quality. We personally also made these mistakes and attempted to stretch nap times so it would line up with our planned bedtime. Well the problem here was letting our baby get too sleepy and overtired which caused an entire landslide of issues and problems we could have avoided. Don’t make the same mistakes that we made, once again, consistency is key and pay attention to sleeping cues.

Differentiate Day and Night

Help your baby distinguish between day and night. Expose them to natural light during the day and keep the environment dark and quiet at night. Get outside for a walk, let your baby see the world! Play, listen to music, read books and help your baby become active with play toys or stuffed animals when they’re awake. This will aid in the development of their circadian rhythm as well as encouraging them to see and pay attention to their surroundings.

Be Flexible

Be flexible and adjust the schedule as needed. Babies’ sleep needs can change as they grow, and there may be periods of disruption due to growth spurts, teething, or developmental milestones. While keeping things consistent is key, if you’ve been trying something and it’s not working after 1 – 2 weeks, think about adjusting the approach. Small adjustments will make huge differences.

Encourage Self-Soothing

Allow your baby the opportunity to self-soothe. Putting them down to sleep when they are drowsy but still awake can help them learn to settle themselves. We noticed that this was very helpful for us personally. It will be different for everyone but we noticed it was easier to get our baby back to sleep after feeding in the middle of the night if we didn’t talk or turn on bright lights so our son couldn’t see our face clearly. Just a soothing humming noise and a gentle touch worked wonders for him.

Be Patient

Establishing a sleep schedule may take time, and there will be variations along the way. Be patient and consistent, and understand that sleep habits can evolve as your baby grows. What works for your friends, family or even my personal approach, take everything into consideration and with a grain of salt if it doesn’t work right away. Stay the course and things will get better.

Remember that it’s normal for babies to wake during the night, especially in the early months. If you have concerns about your baby’s sleep or if you’re having difficulty establishing a routine, consult with your pediatrician for guidance tailored to your baby’s individual needs. While it may be hard at times, always try to keep a calm and relaxing tone as your baby can sense your demeanor and will respond accordingly.

Conclusion

Navigating newborn sleep habits can be challenging, but with patience and consistency, you can help your baby develop healthy sleep patterns. By understanding their sleep cycles, implementing calming bedtime routines, and establishing a sleep schedule, you’ll set the foundation for restful nights and happy days. Sweet dreams for both you and your little one!

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About The Blog:

Welcome to Dad Degree, where we empower dads and moms to lead healthier, more active lives while navigating the incredible journey of parenthood. Dedicated to providing you with the latest tips, insights, and real-life stories to keep you and your family fit and thriving.
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