Establishing good sleep habits: newborn to three months

Key points about newborn sleep routine

• Newborns sleep for around 12 to 16 hours each day (DHHS 2020). But getting your baby to sleep may not always be easy.
• A routine before sleep time can help many newborns settle for sleep. By three months, babies start to develop day and night sleep patterns and sleep for longer overnight.
• Learning your baby’s signs of tiredness will help you decide when it’s right to put your baby down for a sleep.

What will my newborn’s sleep routine look like?

Newborn babies sleep a lot. Expect your baby to be asleep for 12 to 16 hours in every 24 hours in the first few weeks (BHC 2020). Your baby most likely won't sleep for more than three hours or four hours at a time, day or night (DHHS 2020). And they may nap for as little as 30 minutes.

This does mean that you can expect some sleepless nights at first. This is a normal phase for your baby and it won't last long, though it may seem like it while you're sleep-deprived.

Remember, your baby needs to feed often, both day and night, when they’re little and young.

About newborn baby sleep cycles

As your baby sleeps or naps, they will cycle through stages of deep and light sleep. For newborns, each sleep cycle lasts around 20-50 minutes. (Whereas an adult’s sleep cycle is around 90 minutes long). During deep sleep, you baby may lie very still, breathing evenly. During light sleep they may seem restless, and grunt or groan. Sometimes they may even open their eyes. Newborns are easily woken during a light phase of sleep (CCCH 2015, RCN 2020).

Between six weeks and eight weeks your baby may start to sleep for shorter patches during the day and longer stretches at night. But it’s normal if they still wake up to feed during the night. They’ll have more deep and fewer light sleep cycles (CCCH 2015).

An average newborn sleep routine

• Total amount of sleep: 13-17 hours
• Number of daytime naps: 3-4 naps
• Amount of daytime sleep: 4-8 hours
• Night time sleep behaviour: Your baby will need to be fed every 2–3 hours around the clock. At some point near the third month, as feeds begin to stretch out, a slightly longer sleep of around 6 hours may emerge.
  (DHHS 2020)

That said, your baby may sleep through the night at eight weeks old. But it's more likely that your nights will be broken for at least the first few months. If your aim is to get your baby to sleep for longer stretches at night, helping them learn soothing habits from the start may be helpful.

How can I encourage good sleep habits for my newborn?

Many babies learn sleep and settling habits at a couple of months of age. Here are a few things you could try to help your baby to settle.

The signs that mean your baby’s tired

For the first six weeks to eight weeks, your baby may be showing tired signs after being awake for around an hour or so. This includes the time they are feeding and being changed. If you wait much longer than that to put them down, they’ll be overtired and may not settle as quickly.

During the first three months, you’ll begin to notice your baby’s sleep cues. These are some of the classic tired signs that babies show when they’re ready to sleep:

• grizzling, fussing or crying
• jerky movements
• staring blankly into space
• yawning and stretching a lot
• rubbing their eyes
• flicking their ear with their hand
• losing interest in people and toys
• getting quiet and still
  (CCCH 2015)

They may also turn their face away from moving objects or people, or bury their face in your chest.

If you spot these signs, or any other signs that they’re tired, try putting your baby down in their cot or bassinette. You'll soon get to learn your baby's daily rhythms and patterns, and know when they’re ready for a nap.

Teach your baby the difference between night and day

Your baby may be a night owl and still be wide awake when you're ready to go to bed. After the first couple of months, you can start to support your baby to sleep for longer periods overnight.

In the daytime when your baby’s alert:

• Change their clothes to signal the start of a new day.
• Play with them as much as you can without letting them get overtired.
• Make daytime feeds social. Chat and sing as you feed them.
• Keep the house, and their room, light and bright.
• Let them hear daytime noises, such as the radio or washing machine.

At night:

• Take care not to excite your baby.
• Keep lights and noise low, and try not to talk to them much.
• Change them into their pyjamas to signal the end of the day.

All this should help your baby to start to understand that nighttime is for sleeping (CCCH 2015).

Give your baby a chance to fall asleep on their own

When your baby is between six weeks and eight weeks old, you can teach them how to build skills towards settling to sleep on their own. Put them down when they’re sleepy, but still awake. Stay with them if you wish, but be prepared to do the same every time they wake at night.

If your baby cries then soothe and pat them. You will need to pick them up and reassure them if they don’t calm in the cot after a while (Pregnancy birth & baby 2021).

Young babies often need their parents help when settling to sleep. In their first six months, you could try holding your baby in your arms until they’re asleep and then putting them in their cot. You could also try ‘hands-on settling’. This means placing them in their cot when they’re drowsy, though still awake. Try patting, stroking and shushing them until they fall asleep.

Some experts advise against rocking or feeding your baby to sleep as a newborn (DHHS 2020). But it’s up to you. It’s normal for newborns to settle to sleep when they’re feeding and being held.

If you want to set a pattern, it may be helpful to follow the same routine every night.

What sleep problems happen from birth to three months?

In your baby's first few months of life you should expect a few disturbed nights. In the first few weeks, you may find that swaddling your baby helps them to feel safe and soothed.

Many parents are concerned about the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome (SUDI) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) during these first few months. There are some ways to reduce that risk.

Seek help from a professional if you find that sleepless nights are affecting your mental health.

Read about establishing good sleep habits from three to six months.