Sleepy (and not-so-sleepy) babies! Learn about your newborn's sleep

Sleep (or lack of it) will take up a lot of your and your baby’s time, and well-meaning friends and family will probably have tons of advice for you. In this article, we explore some of what is known about a newborn baby's sleep pattern. It might not give you more shut-eye, but it will help to make sense of the topsy turvy sleep routines you may be experiencing.

How much do newborn babies sleep? 

Now, that’s a question! The one thing to remember is that your baby is an individual and all babies have different sleep needs.

However, it's likely that in the coming weeks and months your newborn will be asleep more than they are awake, either having fairly short bursts or longer periods of sleep. Sleep patterns might become more similar between babies during their second year, but in their first year there is considerable variation, so try to resist the temptation to compare your baby’s sleep with that of others (easier said than done, we know).  

Why does your baby wake every few hours?

The circadian rhythms that help us to differentiate between day and night are not established for a few months, and your baby’s stomach is very small so they will need to wake for feeds during the night.

Even if your baby is asleep more in a 24-hour period than they are awake, it might not feel like it for you when you're woken at night, so it’s really important to think about how you fit in some rest at other times during the day when you're adjusting to life with a newborn.  

Your baby’s sleep patterns will be different to an adult’s

Before birth, your baby will have spent around 90% of the time asleep, with sleep cycles that last around 40 minutes. Following birth, they might have been alert for a few hours but then continue a pattern of being asleep more than they are awake.

Active and quiet sleep cycles

Babies' sleep cycles are not the same as adults’; babies fall into active sleep first: in this period your baby’s brain is busy making connections between different parts of their brain – they might be more easily woken during this part of their sleep cycle. They then fall into a period of quiet sleep, during which they'll be less easily disturbed.

Your baby’s sleep cycle is likely to be shorter than yours, which might explain why you feel more tired as a result of your baby’s night waking – your baby may finish a sleep cycle and wake while you're in the part of your sleep cycle when you are sleeping deeply.  

Sleep is biological 

While it might not feel like it when you are up with your baby at 3am, most babies do not have problems with sleep. Sleep is ingrained in our biology. Babies and children need a lot of sleep as they grow and learn and, while they will sleep, night waking is a normal part of your baby’s sleep pattern and is likely to be for a while. All babies are different and differences between your baby’s sleep and other babies’ sleep could be linked to your baby’s need for sleep and their temperament.  

Sleep safety advice

The Lullaby Trust provides information about safer sleeping for babies. You can read more about this on their website: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/ 

References:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/helping-your-baby-to-sleep/ 

https://www.basisonline.org.uk/hcp-normal-sleep-development/