Newborns sleep around 16 hours in every 24 hours, but sleep patterns can vary a lot. They usually sleep for 2-3 hours at a time, day and night and wake frequently to feed, as they have small tummies. So it’s normal for your newborn baby to need fed 8-12 times a day, so getting a decent sleep is hard and it’s normal to feel exhausted.
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Always put baby in their own safe space to sleep. Here are a few tips to help get baby into a good sleep pattern and also help you get much needed rest:
Sleep when your baby sleeps: Small regular sleeps can be amazingly recharging and help you cope better with the first exhausting month or two.
Work towards a routine: Although you'll need to be flexible with this to start with, it can help to work towards getting baby into a feeding and sleeping routine. Talk to other parents, a trusted health professional, or read some of the great baby books out there to work out a realistic plan.
Self-settling: Let your baby learn to settle them self. You can do this by putting them down in their bassinet or cot when they’re drowsy, but not asleep.
Ignore the racket: It can be a good idea to let your baby to get used to sleeping through noise. The house doesn’t need to be completely silent when they are asleep.
Around 3 months of age, and as your baby grows they start to learn day and night differences and may start to sleep for longer stretches at night, but will still wake for night feeds. As baby gets older and grows, they will stay awake and alert for longer periods during the day. Ongoing developmental changes such as teething, can impact sleep and may upset babies sleeping routines again.
Remember as a parent you will be getting advice 'left, right and centre' on sleep and other baby topics! At the end of the day, you choose to do what will work best for you and baby. Every family is different, and what has worked well for others, may not be the ideal advice for you. Always speak to a trusted health professional if you have questions or concerns.
The materials published on this website are of a general nature and have been provided for informational purposes only. Always consult your medical practitioner or a qualified health provider for any further advice in relation to the topics discussed.
