Understanding Your Newborn's Sleep

Newborns sleep in short stretches and wake several times a night. That is a normal feature of this stage, not something parents are doing wrong.

Many new parents go into those first weeks expecting their baby to sleep straight through until morning, then feel bewildered when that does not happen. In reality, a newborn's sleep is very different from an adult's.

Your baby does not yet have a clear day-night rhythm in the first weeks. Their stomach is small, so they wake to feed many times. Their sleep cycles are also shorter, so they move between sleep stages often and wake easily.

What this means for parents

• It is normal for a baby to wake several times a night in the first months
• The sleep rhythm will settle over time, and every baby does this at their own pace
• Comparing your child with someone else's usually only leaves you more tired

Safe sleep

This is the most important part, and you should ask your doctor or a health worker again for guidance specific to your own child.

• Put your baby on their back to sleep
• Use a firm, flat sleep surface that does not sink in
• Keep soft pillows, thick blankets, soft toys and cot bumpers out of the area where your baby sleeps
• Do not cover your baby's face
• Avoid letting your baby sleep on a sofa or armchair, or beside an adult who is very tired
• Do not smoke in the house, even when your baby is not in the same room
• Keep the room airy and do not let your baby get too warm

A few things that make it all easier to bear

• During the day keep the light on and carry on as usual; at night keep the light soft, speak quietly and interact little — bit by bit your baby learns to tell day from night
• Build a simple bedtime routine and repeat it
• Sleep when your baby sleeps, and take turns with family
• Accept help when someone is willing to give it

When to see a doctor

• Your baby feeds poorly, refuses to feed, or is drowsy and hard to wake
• Fast breathing, difficulty breathing, chest indrawing, blue lips
• Snoring, pauses in breathing, or wheezing
• Your baby cries constantly and cannot be soothed
• A baby under 3 months old has a fever — seek care right away
• You feel your child is not themselves and cannot explain why

Taking your child for regular health checks is the best way to have any worries about sleep and growth assessed properly.

This information is for general reference only and does not replace advice from your doctor.

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