How to Help Your Newborn Sleep Better 

Living with a newborn is notoriously difficult, mainly because of their erratic and unproductive sleep schedules. As the parent of a young infant, it’s your job to support your newborn in every way possible to ensure they get enough sleep to grow and develop adequately. 

Of course, getting a newborn into a regular sleep routine can often be difficult (or even impossible at times). Some babies simply don’t want to sleep or only take very short naps before waking up once again. 

A newborn’s erratic sleep schedule can be put down to their needs. Your baby may wake up if they’re hungry, thirsty, too hot or cold, or need their diaper changing. 

Below, we have covered some top tips to improve your newborn’s sleep schedule (and your sleep in turn). 

How Long Do Newborns Sleep? 

Each newborn is unique and will have their own quirks when it comes to their sleep-wake cycles. However, in general, you can expect a young infant to sleep for between 15 and 18 hours across a 24-hour day.  

These hours will likely be split into smaller chunks of one to three hours, but don’t be surprised if your little one wakes up after just an hour of sleep before drifting back off to sleep shortly after. 

Breastfed babies will need to be fed every two to three hours, and bottle-fed babies should be fed every three to four hours. If your newborn is still fast asleep when it’s time to feed, you’ll need to wake them up.   

You’ll notice that, as your baby grows and approaches one year old, their sleep schedule becomes more regular, and they sleep for longer periods of time at once before waking up again. In turn, you’ll get a better sleep as a busy mom.

Top Tips for Improving Your Newborn’s Sleep 

Whether your baby sleeps in one, two, or five-hour intervals, there are plenty of steps that you can take as a parent to encourage better. Here are some top tips to help you get started. 

Ensure your newborn is dressed properly for sleep 

Proper sleeping attire is essential for a newborn to get good sleep. Depending on how warm it is in your home, your infant may or may not need lots of warm layers for insulation. 

In terms of clothing, it’s best to dress your newborn in onesies or infant sleepers when they’re sleeping for extended periods of time. Consider adding socks to their feet and swaddling them in a blanket for maximum warmth in the colder months of the year. 

During warmer summer months, your infant probably won’t need to wear multiple layers of clothing and could get away with a light sleeper. Of course, you’ll need to assess your baby’s sleeping conditions each nice and adjust their sleepwear accordingly. 

Make sure their bed is comfortable and appropriate 

Your infant’s crib or bassinet should have a firm but comfortable mattress that fits the shape of the baby bed appropriately. You should cover the mattress with a fitted sheet made of soft cotton, and any additional blankets that you use should also be made of soft cotton material. 

Avoid adding lots of soft toys and plushies to your baby’s crib or bassinet. As comforting as these may be for your newborn, soft toys can pose suffocation or choking hazards. Once your baby reaches the age of one-year-old, you should be safe to place a few plushies in their sleeping area. 

Optimize your baby’s sleep environment 

In order for your newborn to get high-quality sleep on a regular basis, you will need to optimize their sleep environment. This means controlling the temperature, light, noise, and humidity of the room they’re sleeping in. 

The ideal room temperature for a baby during sleep is between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 22 degrees Celsius). You may need to get a thermostat to make monitoring room temperatures in your home easier. 

You can connect your thermostat to your central heating system and set your preferred temperature. If your home drops below the allocated temperature, your central heating system will turn on so you can maintain a warm and cozy environment for your little one.  

On the other side of things, avoid leaving your central heating on for too long. Doing so can cause your baby to become too warm and cause the air to become dry in your home. 

Baby overheating carriers an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and dry air can irritate their skin, disrupting their sleep. You can purchase a humidifier to maintain the optimal humidity in your home and avoid negative side effects for you and your baby. 

Take turns attending to your baby 

If you are raising your newborn with a partner, consider taking turns each night attending to your infant. Set a schedule so just one of you needs to wake up several times during a single night to check that your baby is okay and attend to their needs.  

Setting an alternating schedule enables each of you to get a few full nights of sleep each week, making the process easier for both of you. 

Alternatively, you can split each night in half, where one of you attends to your baby for the first half of the night before swapping duties around 2-3 am. You can achieve at least four hours of undisturbed sleep each night using this method. 

Understand your baby’s sleep cues 

Your baby will drop hints when they’re feeling tired. They might yawn, rub their eyes, or cry. Learning your newborn’s sleep cues enables you to get them into a comfortable sleeping position quickly and easily so they can get their much-needed rest. 

Aim to put your baby to sleep when they start to show signs of drowsiness instead of waiting for them to become extremely tired. Being overly tired can cause your baby to become distressed, cry, and avoid getting proper sleep.