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- Newborns generally sleep 12 to 16 hours in a 24-hour period and do not know the difference between day and night.
- Newborns need regular feeding, so they usually sleep in short periods.
- Newborns sleep in short bursts, known as sleep cycles which are usually around 20 to 50 minutes long.
- In the first three months of life, babies cry a lot it is their main way of communicating.
- From approximately two weeks to three to four months of age, newborns go through a stage of increased crying, which will be at its worst at 6 to 8 weeks of age.
My Mum Says I Was Slept On My Front And That Was The Advice Then Why Has It Changed
Many parents will have been slept on their tummies as babies, as that was the advice before 1991. However, research has since shown that the chance of SIDS is much higher when a baby is placed on their front to sleep.
We know that in the early 1990s, there were thousands of babies worldwide dying suddenly and unexpectedly every year. The reason the number of deaths is much lower now is due to the new advice being followed by parents, such as lying babies on their backs to sleep.
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Maternal And Child Health Nurse Visits Are Important
Victorian parents have free access to the Maternal and Child Health Service, which is a great support after your baby is born. Specially trained maternal and child health will work with your family to help you care for your child until they are ready to start school.As part of this service, you will visit a maternal and child health nurse in your local area at 10 key ages and stages in your childs development. These visits are important because they you an opportunity to identify and address any issues and concerns early in your childs development. Visits take place:
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How Much Sleep Do Premature Babies Need
Babies that are born prematurely often need even more sleep than babies born at full term. It is not uncommon for premature babies to spend around 90% of their time asleep. The exact amount that a preterm newborn will sleep can depend on how premature they were born and their overall health.
Over the course of the first 12 months, preemies sleep patterns come to resemble those of full-term infants, but in the meantime, they often have more total sleep, lighter sleep, and less consistent sleep overall.
Newborn Sleep Cycles: Why Newborns Are Light Sleepers
When adults first fall asleep, we pass through a couple of light sleep stages, and then plunge into a bout of deep sleep.
Afterwards, we switch into REM, or rapid eye movement sleep, a sleep stage famous for its association with dreaming, and the loss of muscle tone. We dont move much during REM.
When REM is over, we either awaken, or return to light sleep and begin the cycle again. For the average adult, a single sleep cycle lasts about 90-100 minutes. We may partially awaken many times during the night. But were more likely to wake up all the way during transitions between stages, during light sleep, and during REM.
Newborn sleep is also characterized by sleep stages and cycles, but there are crucial differences.
First, babies typically begin their sleep bouts in the newborn equivalent of REM .
Second, newborns in REM dont usually experience muscle atonia.
Unlike us, they may thrash around, stretch, twitch, and even vocalize. The results can fool parents into thinking their babies are waking up, when they are actually experiencing normal REM sleep.
Third, newborn sleep cycles are shorter around 50-55 minutes for the average infant and REM makes up a much bigger proportion of sleep.
Its not unusual for newborns to spend more than half their total sleep time in REM . Indeed, several studies suggest that, over the course of a 24 hour day, some newborns spent may spend as much as 75% of their sleep time in active sleep .
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Week 6 Of Newborn Sleep Schedule
Morning wake times.
This is one of the most important habits you can start with your 6 week old baby. Why decide a morning wake time?
Well its simple.
If you feed them at a consistent time each morning, thats the time they learn to sleep until.
So, if you feed your baby at 5:30 am and then start the day their metabolisms and body clocks will get used to waking up for good at 5:30 am.
You probably want to avoid this.
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Other Tips For A Safe Night Sleep
In addition to safe clothing and sleeping surfaces, there are a few other tips you can implement to ensure that your newborn has a safe night sleep:
- Put baby to sleep using a pacifier
- Avoid smoking around baby
- Breast-feeding your baby is associated with a lower incidence of SIDS
- Keep babys room well ventilated
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References:
Hockenberry, Marilyn., Wilson, David. . Wongs Nursing Care of Infants and Children. Elsevier, St. Louis, MO. pgs 542-543.
American Academy of Pediatrics. . SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Expansion of Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. Pediatrics, Volume 128, Number 5.
Moon, R. Y. How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained Retrieved from
Rechtman, L., Colvin, J., Blair, P., Moon, R. . Sofas and Infant Mortality. Peadiatrics, Nov, Volume 134, Issue 5.
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Sleep Tips For Newborns
Your one week old doesnt yet know the difference between night and day. Keeping things quiet, dim, and calm during those nighttime feedings and diaper changes can help them recognize its still time to sleep.
Remember, try not to keep your baby awake if they dont want to be. An overly tired newborn can have trouble settling down and falling asleep at all, even if theyre exhausted.
For more baby sleep schedules click here.
Newborn Sleep Surface Dos:
Babies should always sleep on a firm, flat sleeping surface that is completely clear of objects. This can include a safety-approved crib, a portable crib, a play yard, or a bassinet. While it may not be as cute to look at, boring is better!
Room-sharing without bed-sharing is generally recommended as the safest way to sleep. Keep your babys crib in your room until he is at least 6 months old and has learned to roll from side to side on his own .
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How Does Your Baby Compare
The Baby Tracker
When it comes to sleeping habits, all babies are different. Even twins are different. You might look at the table above and think that your baby is way off from where he or she should be. Or, you might not know after a few weeks of sleep-deprived nights, everything starts to run together. Thats why I recommend keeping track of your babys eating and sleeping patterns in a log book like the one to the right , at least for the first several months. Not only will it give you an accurate record of your newborns habits as they change, but it will also make a nice keepsake for a time in your life when, lets be honest, the memories might be a little bit fuzzy.
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To 6 Months: Longer Stretches Of Nighttime Sleep
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At 1 month old, your baby may begin to sleep for longer stretches in the night, perhaps including one longish block of 3 to 4 hours. Itâs during this time that your babyâs circadian rhythms are forming, and heâs getting used to the difference between day and night.
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2 months old, your baby will be more alert and sociable during the day, which means he may end up sleeping a little longer at night. At this point, you may even choose to skip one nighttime feeding.
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From 3to 5 months old, your baby may be able to sleep for a stretch of about 5 to 8 hours at night. If by about 6 months old your baby still has trouble sleeping for these longish lengths of time at night, you might consider shortening the length of his afternoon nap. If even with this fix he continues to wake up several times in the night, talk to his healthcare provider to get some personalized guidance.
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How To Keep Babies Awake Long Enough To Feed:
- Rub their feet and hands
- Wipe their forehead, neck, and face with a wet wipe
- Strip baby down to their diaper and un-swaddle or wrap them so they are not too warm and snug
- Burp thoroughly when you change nursing sides, or halfway through with the bottle
- Before a feeding, put your newborn on the ground for a little tummy time while you prepare to feed them, theyll kick around and wake themselves up a bit
When you begin nursing, encourage your baby to take a full feed. This will vary depending on the baby, but it will not be 5 minutes, then falling asleep.
If your baby falls asleep after only a few minutes, gently rouse them and encourage them to continue feeding.
If you can get your baby to take full feeds for the first week theyll naturally rest well, both day and night.
I know it can be super hard for you to get through this , but you will get through it. Youll likely do some contact napping during this period as well, which is precious and sweet in this early phase.
Theres a tendency to just let baby feed for a few minutes here and there and sleep here and there. This feels natural, but if you are a first time mom particularly its very hard to begin to understand babys cues.
Why?
Because baby seems to be fussing a lot and then falling asleep a lot and you dont know when theyre tired or when theyre hungry. THIS IS WHY routines are so beneficial to baby and mom.
Sample One Week Schedule:
Where Should Our Newborn Sleep
Your newborn can sleep in a bassinet or a crib. This can be located in a parents room, a siblings room or in the newborns own room. Its important that you have your baby sleep in a safe place. Your baby should not sleep in your bed with you. This is dangerous because of the risk of suffocation, strangulation and sudden infant death syndrome .
You can bring the baby into your bed for feedings, but should return the baby to a crib as soon as you are done. Many experts recommend feeding your child while in a chair to avoid any injury that can happen while sleeping in a bed with the baby. Room-sharing with your baby is recommended, but not bed-sharing.
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How Were The Recommendations Created
To create these recommended sleep times, an expert panel of 18 people was convened from different fields of science and medicine. The members of the panel reviewed hundreds of validated research studies about sleep duration and key health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, depression, pain, and diabetes.
After studying the evidence, the panel used several rounds of voting and discussion to narrow down the ranges for the amount of sleep needed at different ages. In total, this process took over nine months to complete.
Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society have also published recommendations for the amount of sleep needed for adults and children. In general, these organizations closely coincide in their findings as do similar organizations in Canada.
Below We Give You An Idea Of What Your Baby Will Likely Require In Terms Of Sleep And Feeds In Their First Weeks:
Weeks 1-2:
- 16 – 18 hours of sleep per day
- 8 – 12 feedings in 24 hours
- Awaken to feed every 3 hours – even at night
Weeks 3 – 4:
- 14 – 16 hours of sleep per day
- 8 – 10 feedings in 24 hours
- Can begin to allow your baby to sleep longer stretches at night* with approval from your baby’s pediatrician
Weeks 5-6:
- 14 – 16 hours of sleep per day
- 6 – 10 feedings in 24 hours
- Your baby may begin to sleep 5 hour stretches at night* provided your baby is growing well
Weeks 7-8:
- 14 – 16 hours of sleep per day
- 6 – 10 feedings in 24 hours
- Babies may start sleeping 6-hour stretches around 2 months old*
*though some babies can sleep in longer stretches, it’s also normal for babies to cluster feed or wake multiple times per night
You’ll notice that the amount of sleep that a baby needs during a 24-hour period changes very little between weeks 3 and 8. However, the goal is that your baby will start to consolidate more sleep into the nighttime hours as he starts to figure out that’s what nighttime is for.
We always love to remind parents that there is no perfect pattern to strive for. As much as you’d love to sleep for an extended time at night or have your baby take a nice 2-hour long nap, for many babies this just isn’t realistic. And if you’re breastfeeding, your baby will likely wake more and eat more often than a formula-fed baby because breastmilk is digested more quickly.
Focus on getting your baby full feeds when they need them, and the sleep will come!
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Baby Sleep Schedule: 2 To 4 Months
By the time your babyreaches 4 months old, they will have finally sorted out their days and nights, making napping and night sleeps a bit easier. The womb-like trifecta of white noise, gentle rocking, and swaddling are still importantbut one of these sleep-savers may need to stop soon. Once your baby shows signs of rolling, its no longer safe to swaddle them . And be warned about the possible 3-month sleep regression! It can suddenly appear, with your baby starting to wake up like a newbornevery few hoursand wanting to play or cuddlebut refusing to sleep alone.
Total Sleep for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Babies this age are still sleeping a ton, usually around 13 to14 hours of ZZZs a day.
Wake Time for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Your little one will most likely wake up little earlier now. Most babies this age start their day around 6am.
Napping for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: When babies first emerge from newbornhood , they settle into two to three daily naps, totaling four to eight hours of sleep.
Bedtime for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Lights out shifts a bit earlier, with most babies going down around 9pm.
Nighttime Sleep for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Babies are able to sleep a little longer now, but they still wake for a feeding or two. Longest unbroken sleep can range from around five hours to up to eight hours.
Implement A Bedtime Routine
Just as patterns are not schedules, routines aren’t the same as schedules either. Here we’re going to talk about routines you can implement from early on that will pay dividends later on in terms of your baby’s good sleep habits.
It’s not necessary to worry about these routines during your baby’s first few weeks. If it feels easy to do, great! But if it feels like one more thing, is stressful, or your baby’s not having it – let it go.
Trying to implement a lengthy sleep routine with a new baby will likely cause them to get overly tired to the point they end up having trouble falling asleep. But doing the same types of things every time your baby is ready to sleep sets the stage for independent sleep and sleeping through the night which will come later on.
This is a shortened form of our crib routine we talk about here.
- put on a clean diaper
- turn on white noise to drown out outside sound
- hold your baby close to you as you rock them and sing to them
- lay them down to sleep on their back
In the newborn weeks, if your baby falls asleep while you’re rocking them or nursing them, that’s completely ok! As they get older and you’re ready to sleep train, you’ll want to eliminate this habit, but it’s not necessary to worry about it during the newborn stage. What is most important is that you are giving your baby a lot of attention and are following safe sleep practices.
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When And Why To Wake Newborn For Feeding
Whether you should wake your baby up for feeding or not, depends on the babys age, health some more facts.
For making it easy to understand, we will talk about it based on babys age-
Case 1: When your baby is 0-4 Weeks oldAs you know, newborns are likely to lose some weight right after birth. Within two or three weeks after birth, babies start to regain weight.
And till that point, you need to feed your baby on a frequent basis, even if the babys sleeping when its mealtime.
At this stage, babies can sleep for up to 4 hours at a stretch.
Case 2: When your baby is 4-12 Weeks oldThe second case is when your baby is on a regular growth rate, and starting to put on weight on a regular basis.
At this stage, you can let your baby sleep as long as it can. Waiting for them to wake up for a meal is quite okay at this point.
On a side note, you should always keep an eye on the age-weight ratio, and make sure that your baby is meeting the milestones.
Case 3: When your baby is 12-24 Weeks oldBy the age of 12 weeks, babies learn to express their hunger through some common ways such as crying.
There are also signs with which you can be informed about it. The most common kind of signs is restlessness, stirring, lip movements, and so on.
At this age range, its okay to let your baby sleep for 5-7 hours after a meal.