Every new parent expects the first few weeks and months of their baby’s lives to be full of sleep deprivation.
But if you’re a first-time parent, it’s tricky to know exactly how much sleep your baby needs, and when they should be sleeping.
You may have conflicting reports from friends and family who have been through it before; some whose babies always seemed to be sleeping, and others who say their little one barely closed their eyes.
Over the course of this guide, we’ll be exploring sleep schedules and how much sleep your newborn baby should be getting every day.
Table Of Contents
How much sleep should a newborn have?
This is typically the first big question new parents have. ‘How much sleep should our baby be getting every day?’
As with most child development matters, every baby is different and has different needs. Some may sleep up to 18 or 19 hours per day, while others may only get around 10 hours. There are, however, some general guidelines that apply to most newborn babies.
Typically, a newborn baby will get anywhere between 12 and 16 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, broken down into a series of naps lasting 1-4 hours each.
Do newborns need a sleep schedule?
Firstly, we need to be sure what we mean by sleep schedule. A sleep schedule is a series of set times for a baby to go to sleep and wake up.
And the short answer is no, newborns do not need a sleep schedule.
Humans generate a natural sleep/wake cycle through something called the circadian rhythm. It’s the natural pattern that our bodies follow to prepare us for sleep and help us to wake up… the biological clock. Babies do not develop any sense of circadian rhythm until at least two months old as they’re exposed to daily routines and variations in light and dark.
For that time (at least), newborn babies should sleep when they need to. They only tend to wake to feed, because their stomachs aren’t large enough to allow them to sleep any longer than a few hours.
Most newborn babies will stay awake for anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes before they get tired again and need another sleep.
Signs a newborn needs sleep
Now we know that a newborn doesn’t need a sleep schedule, it’s important to allow them to sleep when they’re tired.
Therefore, it’s important that we recognise the signs that your child is sleepy and in need of a nap. Each baby is different and may exhibit their own sleep cues - for example, my son’s ears get red when he’s sleepy - but there are some general ones that most, if not all, babies will show.
Crying - This is the classic tell tale sign. We know that babies cry to communicate when they’re unhappy about something. And at this age, it’s typically either tiredness or hunger.
Fussiness - Even if they’re not crying, if your child is very fussy, it may be a sign that they’re tired and need to sleep.
Staring at nothing - This one can be a little tricky to spot, because babies’ field of vision isn’t developed yet. But if they look like they’re not really focusing on anything, they may well be in need of some sleep.
Rubbing eyes - Your little one may try rubbing their eyes, even if they can’t quite coordinate the movement perfectly.
When do newborns start a sleep cycle?
According to the Sleep Foundation, the circadian rhythm is influenced by two key hormones; melatonin and cortisol. Production of these hormones increases around the age of 8-9 weeks. Meaning your baby’s circadian rhythm begins to establish itself after two months.
By the age of 4-6 months, you may have experienced your baby ‘sleeping through the night’ for the first time. It’s important to note that this means sleeping for at least six hours without waking, rather than from bedtime to wake-up time.
It’s around this time that parents can start sleep training their babies and introducing a sleep schedule. That’s where you will nudge your baby towards consolidating some of their naps, typically to two or three daytime naps, with the remainder of sleep coming at night.
Some parents will aim for a rough time of day. E.g. anywhere between 9:00 and 10:30am. Others, however, will go for set times.
Sleep regressions
Sleep regressions can be a huge battle for parents, especially those who haven’t been through them before. In short, they’re periods of child development that cause disruptions to a child’s sleeping patterns.
They may struggle to get to sleep, actively fight it, or wake up more regularly throughout the night.
The first of these sleep regressions happens at around four months; just as the circadian rhythm is establishing itself.
In fact, sleep expert Janine Orford, founder of The Bedtime Champ, says that four month regression is ‘the only true sleep regression’.
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She explains: “[This is] where your child’s sleep cycles change entirely… and become more like that of an adult. Where before they spent 50% of the time in deep sleep and 50% in active sleep, their sleep cycles become more complex.
“They will cycle between states of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep, and they will also wake briefly between sleep cycles. This is something we all do - wake briefly, and if everything seems fine, we will fall back asleep.”
FAQs
What is a circadian rhythm?
Put simply, the circadian rhythm is the biological clock that helps our body understand when it’s time to sleep and time to wake up.
When can I use a sleep schedule for my baby?
Realistically, babies need a circadian rhythm in order for a sleep schedule to be effective. Therefore, it’s best to wait until around six months to introduce a sleep schedule.
How long do newborns sleep?
For the first few months, babies typically sleep for anything between one and four hours at a time.
