Newborns sleep a lot, but not for long stretches. Sleep is spread across the day and night.
Weeks 1–2
Month 1
Months 2–3
Sleep is broken into sessions of 2 to 4 hours. Long stretches at night usually start at 3 to 4 months.
These rules reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Baby sleeps alone in their own sleep space. No bed-sharing.
Always place baby on their back to sleep, every time.
Use a firm, flat surface. No pillows, blankets, or bumpers.
A newborn's stomach is very small. It holds about 30 to 60 ml at birth. It empties in 2 to 3 hours, so babies wake to feed.
Newborns also have short sleep cycles of about 45 minutes. They wake briefly between cycles. This is normal.
By 3 to 4 months, many babies start sleeping one longer stretch of 4 to 6 hours at night.
Many newborns sleep more during the day and wake more at night. This is because they spent nine months in a dark womb where motion during the day was soothing.
To help shift this: keep daytime feeding sessions bright and social. Keep nighttime feeds quiet and dark. This takes 2 to 4 weeks to improve.
Log night feeds to see your baby's sleep patterns. When you can see the data, it is easier to spot when stretches are getting longer.
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