Baby sleep basics: birth to three months
Newborns sleep a lot: 16 to 17 hours a day!
Newborns sleep for two to four hours, every two hours, DAY and NIGHT!
By eight weeks, your baby will sleep less during the day and more at night.
Most babies wake less at night by six months, and some may sleep through the night.
Tips to help your baby sleep
Tip #1: Take a nap
Give your baby a chance to nap every two hours.
Your baby may have trouble falling asleep if you wait longer.
Tip #2: Day and night
At two weeks, you can begin to help your baby to distinguish day from night.
During the day:
- Interact with your baby as much as you can.
- Keep your home and your baby’s room light and bright.
- Don’t worry about regular daytime noises. It's okay!
At night:
- Dim the lights.
- Keep noise level low.
- Keep energy calm.
- Don’t play with your baby during night wakings.
Tip #3: Read the signs
- rubbing eyes
- pulling on ears
- fussy
These are signs your baby is tired. Time for a nap!
Tip #4: Swaddle
Swaddling calms newborns because it feels like being in the womb.
Tip #5: Play soothing sounds
White noise calms newborns.
Try a white noise machine or an app on your phone.
Sleep can be tough in the first three months.
Luckily, at six to eight weeks, many babies begin to fall asleep on their own.
Five tips to help your baby sleep:
- Take regular naps.
- Distinguish between day and night.
- Look for signs of tiredness.
- Swaddle.
- Play soothing sounds.
