Newborn Sleep and Bedtime Routine

Newborn sleep cycles are significantly shorter than those of adults, with babies spending much more time in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which is essential for their brain development. They will sleep for around 17 hours per day, but wake much more regularly during this phase. What that basically means -  is that while your newborn gets a lot of sleep, you may not. 

Creating a consistent bedtime routine as soon as you can is the goal 🎯

Settling Your Newborn to Sleep

Start by incorporating a calming pre-sleep routine to help your baby know bedtime is coming. 

Feeding your baby about an hour before sleep helps prevent them from associating sleep with feeding. Follow this with a calming bath. Warm water and a gentle bathe with soft running water from our BabySqueezy will help with soothing your baby before wrapping them in a hooded towel to keep them warm whilst you do a nappy change and then get them dressed for bed.

Watch for signs of sleepiness, such as yawning or rubbing eyes, and place bub in their crib or bassinet while they are drowsy but still awake. Swaddle your baby if needed and if comforting is needed - try cuddling, rocking, or patting to help them drop off to sleep. You can gradually reduce comforting as they learn to fall asleep on their own.

Many babies settle better with a white noise machine or some soft music, while others may prefer a quieter environment. Trial different ways and be patient with new techniques, as establishing a sleep routine takes time. If initial methods don’t work, give them a fair trial before making changes. Your journey is unique so adapt your routine based on what seems to work best for your baby. 

Where Should Your Newborn Sleep?

Deciding where your baby sleeps really depends on what works best for your family. Co-sleeping is where the baby sleeps in the same room as you, but not in the same bed. This gives new parents more confidence in knowing baby is safe (and also saves you wandering around the house in the middle of the night 😴). 

Bed-sharing (where the baby sleeps in the same bed as you) is generally advised against these days as it poses risks, primarily suffocation.

Whether you choose to have your baby sleep in a crib or bassinet in your room initially or move them directly to their own nursery, the most important thing is to ensure the sleep environment is safe and conducive to good sleep habits.

Sleep Patterns - What to Expect

Newborn sleep cycles often feel like a never-ending series of short bursts—two to four hours of sleep at a time can make those early days feel like an absolute marathon.

By around 8 weeks, you'll start to see the light at the end of the tunnel with longer stretches of nighttime sleep and shorter naps during the day. As your little one grows, their sleep patterns will gradually fall into place, and you’ll both enjoy some more restful nights ahead.

Then its' time for mama bear to get some rest with our sleep headband. Our headband is designed so that you don't have to cover your ears to get the audio to come through. Allowing you to be able to hear your little one when they awake from their slumber and you get a peaceful sleep at the same time they do.

 Hang in there, mama - the sleep deprivation is temporary 💗