Depending on the age of the baby, how much time a newborn needs to sleep is different for each individual. A pediatrician or child and family health nurse may recommend waking a premature or low birth weight infant for a feeding. However, if you are unsure, always consult your doctor. Alternatively, you can consult a sleep consultant. The most important thing to remember is that the baby should be sleeping for at least eight hours.
| Newborn Age | Nighttime sleep (in hours) | Daytime sleep (in hours) | Total (in hours) |
| 1 week | 8.5 | 8 (4 naps) | 16.5 |
| 1 month | 8.5 | 7 (3 naps) | 15.5 |
| 3 months | 10 | 5 (3 naps) | 15 |
| 6 months | 11 | 3.25 (2 naps) | 14.25 |
| 9 months | 11 | 3 (2 naps) | 14 |
| 12 months | 11.25 | 2.5 (2 naps) | 13.75 |
Short stretches
Babies start sleeping between 11 and 15 hours a day at around three months, but their sleep cycle varies widely. At this age, they are still not developmentally ready for long stretches of sleep. Most babies learn to sleep for extended periods at around five or six months. But they do need to feed frequently during their short stretches. Here are some guidelines for parents on when a newborn can go to sleep for long periods of time at night.
The ideal duration of a newborn’s naps is three to four hours. However, if you can’t get the baby to sleep, try waking him or her up. Try putting him or her in a cool room, direct sunlight, or lukewarm water. Whatever works for you, try to get your baby to wake up so you can get him or her back to sleep.
Despite being a new parent, most new parents pay close attention to their baby’s sleep and hope each overnight stretch will become longer. While newborns don’t seem to have much sleep in the early days, they will eventually sleep like a champ. If you are concerned about how long your baby needs to sleep, keep an eye on his or her sleeping pattern. And remember to reward yourself with a cuddle every now and then.
Transitional sleep
Babies sleep in different schedules, so how long should a newborn sleep during transitional sleep? The answer varies, but it is generally between three and five hours per day. This phase can be tricky because babies are super sleepy the first few months. As the baby gets older, however, they will begin to wake up more frequently. The following tips should help you find a healthy transitional sleep schedule for your baby.
The first three or four hours of a newborn’s sleep cycle should be quiet and uninterrupted. During the active stage, your baby will suck and smile. During the transitional stage, baby will stir and may call out. Once they wake, help them get back to sleep. Once they are back in their sleep cycle, they will sleep for several more hours. The sleep cycle is important for your baby’s development.
After your newborn has reached the first few weeks, it will begin to establish a consistent pattern. During the transitional phase, your baby will spend about two or three hours awake and two to four hours in the night. As a result, you’ll want to make sure they get around to sleeping at least three times a day. As they get older, they may need longer stretches of time between sleep sessions.
REM sleep
Babies are born with shorter sleep cycles than adults and children, and they spend about half their time in REM sleep. Although babies spend less time in REM sleep, it is necessary for brain development and growth. For this reason, it is crucial to allow newborns to have uninterrupted REM sleep. This is not always easy to determine, however, because the length of the sleep cycle changes throughout a baby’s life.
The sleep cycle of newborns is very different from that of adults, as they spend 40 to 70 percent of their time in REM. During the first six months, they sleep eight to eleven hours in REM sleep, and only a fraction of that time is spent in light REM sleep. REM sleep lasts from 90 to 120 minutes for a newborn, compared to 15 to 20 minutes for an adult.
During the first year of life, babies’ brains continue to grow. The process of neural connections takes place during sleep. While newborns are still developing, it is important to understand that they spend nearly half of their time in REM sleep, which is the most productive stage of sleep. However, after one year of age, many babies wake up at least once during the night. As a result, it is important for parents not to worry if their baby doesn’t sleep through the night until they are older.
Light stretches
The first few months are the most critical for your baby’s sleep, and long stretches of light sleeping may be beneficial for your child. Newborns need plenty of sleep to develop their body temperature and learn to breathe. Long stretches of sleep should be done at least four to six hours a night. By six to eight weeks, you can introduce longer stretches of sleep. Regardless of the length of sleep, your newborn will likely need longer stretches than before.
Your newborn will need to eat often, and will likely wake up several times during the night. Their sleep pattern is still developing and a newborn’s nap time may not coincide with yours. You may need to wake them for feedings, but your baby will eventually adjust. You should also keep in mind that newborns are not used to set meal times, so they will often wake up during the night.
Your newborn’s sleeping habits will continue to improve with time, and you may find yourself getting a longer stretch of sleep each night. Remember that your newborn can only stay awake for 60 to 90 minutes, and they need about seventy percent of their calories during the day. So if you want your newborn to sleep for longer periods, you must introduce stretches of light during the day. You should also introduce short stretches of light during the day.
Developing good sleep habits
Developing good sleep habits in a newborn requires consistency and love. Newborns can wake frequently, and their sleep patterns are not yet set in stone. In fact, a baby can wake several times during the night without your intervention. Sleep deprivation can cause an extra-cranky child who is likely to cry at bedtime. Developing good sleep habits in a newborn will ease any adjustment to the new routine and serve your child for a lifetime.
The goal of sleep training a newborn is to have him or her sleep through the night by the time they are a couple of months old. Once the baby has reached this milestone, their sleep patterns will be similar to those of an adult. This will mean a more consistent schedule for the parents, and a less chaotic one for the baby. Even though the first two months of life are the most critical for establishing a baby’s sleep pattern, you can encourage good sleep habits in your newborn as early as six weeks old.
Once your baby is three months old, his or her sleep patterns will be much more predictable. Your newborn will usually let you know when he or she needs a nap. Start a sleep diary to learn when he or she is tired. During naptime, prepare a quiet cuddle or a story in the dark. Babies don’t sleep well when they are overtired, so a naptime routine is crucial to the baby’s health.
Wake-up time
The wake-up time for a newborn can vary from one baby to another. Some babies are more prone to waking spontaneously, while others do not wake up at all. Talk to your healthcare provider to decide what is best for your child. For example, some babies do better when they are awake at 7am, while others are not as eager to be awake at that time. In either case, you will want to keep a consistent wake time within thirty minutes.
A newborn’s sleeping schedule is highly variable. Newborns sleep anywhere from 20 minutes to four hours per day. Some pediatricians advise waking the baby every few hours to feed and for a few days after birth. Others advise waking the newborn after the green light comes on, while others say that there is no need to wake up a sleeping baby. Once the baby has reached the desired weight, the wake-up time will be more predictable.
Newborns need a lot of sleep and often wake up several times during the day. Their sleeping schedule can vary greatly. Some babies sleep 14 hours a day, while others sleep up to 20 hours a night. Typically, newborns wake up to eat or drink every two to three hours. At around three months, they begin to settle into longer sleep patterns. By six months, 90% of newborns sleep through the night.