Healthy Sleep Habits for Your Newborn
Establishing healthy sleep habits for your newborn can feel like a daunting task, especially during the first few weeks of life. Newborns tend to sleep a lot—often up to 16-18 hours a day—but their sleep patterns can be unpredictable. While your baby’s sleep will evolve over time, you can take steps early on to set the foundation for healthy sleep habits that will benefit both you and your baby in the long run.
In this blog, we’ll cover some key tips for establishing healthy sleep habits for your newborn and how to navigate this important part of your baby’s early life.
1. Create a Safe Sleep Environment
The most important aspect of newborn sleep is safety. Ensuring your baby sleeps in a safe environment is essential to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related accidents. Here’s how you can create a safe sleep space:
Place your baby on their back to sleep: Always lay your baby down on their back to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Use a firm mattress: A firm crib mattress is recommended to prevent suffocation hazards.
No soft bedding: Keep pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, and bumper pads out of your baby’s crib. Instead, opt for a wearable sleep sack or swaddle for warmth.
Keep the room at a comfortable temperature: Keep the room temperature between 68°F and 72°F (20°C - 22°C) to prevent overheating.
2. Establish a Consistent Sleep Routine
While newborns aren’t likely to follow a strict schedule in the first few weeks, you can start laying the groundwork for a consistent sleep routine early on. Creating predictable patterns helps your baby start to associate certain activities with sleep.
Establish bedtime rituals: Simple activities, such as a warm bath, soft music, and a lullaby, can signal that it’s time to wind down.
Create a calming atmosphere: Keep the lighting low and avoid overstimulation in the hour before bedtime. This helps your baby’s body naturally transition into sleep mode.
Consistency is key: Try to follow the same pattern each night, even if your baby’s sleep times vary. Over time, they’ll begin to recognize the routine and it will help them settle more easily.
3. Understand Your Baby’s Sleep Cues
Newborns are still learning how to regulate their sleep, so it’s important to pay attention to their cues and respond quickly to their needs. Over time, you’ll become more familiar with the signs your baby is ready to sleep.
Tired signs include: Rubbing eyes, yawning, looking away from you, and becoming fussy or more quiet.
Catch the window: Babies can become overtired very quickly. If you wait too long to put them down, they may become overly fussy and have a harder time falling asleep.
4. Encourage Day and Night Awareness
Newborns are often confused about the difference between day and night, especially in the first few weeks. To help your baby distinguish between the two, follow these tips:
Expose your baby to natural light during the day: During the day, keep your home bright and expose your baby to natural sunlight. This helps set their circadian rhythm.
Create a calm, dark environment at night: At night, keep the environment dim and quiet to signal that it’s time to sleep. Avoid loud noises and bright lights.
5. Help Your Baby Learn to Self-Soothe
While newborns rely on you to help them fall asleep in the beginning, over time, it’s important to encourage self-soothing techniques. Self-soothing helps babies settle on their own and fall asleep without needing constant support from you.
Put your baby to bed drowsy, but awake: This gives them the opportunity to learn how to self-soothe. If you wait until your baby is fully asleep, they may wake up later and not know how to fall back asleep independently.
Use gentle sleep associations: Offering a pacifier or a soft swaddle can help your baby comfort themselves, without you needing to rock or nurse them to sleep each time.
6. Keep Naps Consistent
While it’s important to let your baby sleep as much as they need during the day, you can also start to establish consistent nap routines. Keep in mind that newborns need frequent naps, but setting patterns for daytime sleep helps with their nighttime sleep as well.
Create a consistent nap schedule: Newborns generally need 3-4 naps a day. Try to offer naps at roughly the same times each day, even if the naps themselves are short.
Avoid long or late naps: Try to avoid letting your baby nap too long or too late in the day, as this can interfere with nighttime sleep.
7. Respond to Night Wakings with Calm and Comfort
It’s completely normal for newborns to wake frequently at night. Whether it’s for feeding, comfort, or a diaper change, be prepared for your baby to need you during the night. Here’s how to handle nighttime wakings:
Keep nighttime interactions calm and quiet: When your baby wakes, avoid stimulating play and bright lights. Instead, keep things calm and low-key to help your baby transition back to sleep.
Feed on demand: If your baby wakes and is hungry, go ahead and feed them. Newborns have small stomachs and may need to eat every 2-3 hours.
Check for discomfort: If your baby is crying at night, check to see if they need a diaper change or are uncomfortable in any way.
8. Be Patient and Flexible
Remember, every baby is different, and their sleep patterns will evolve over time. While you can lay the groundwork for healthy sleep habits, it’s important to be patient and flexible as your baby’s needs change.
Don’t stress about perfect sleep: Newborn sleep is irregular, and it’s normal for your baby to wake frequently. It’s important to take care of yourself as well, so don’t be too hard on yourself during this stage.
Seek support when needed: If you’re struggling with sleep issues, reach out to your pediatrician or a sleep consultant. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference.
Establishing healthy sleep habits for your newborn is an ongoing process, and it’s important to take it one day at a time. By creating a safe sleep environment, sticking to a gentle routine, and responding to your baby’s cues, you’ll set the foundation for better sleep as they grow.
Be patient with yourself and your baby, and know that you’re doing a great job. With time, your little one will begin to develop their own sleep patterns, and both of you will enjoy more restful nights ahead.