Newborn Sleeping

...... a new parents' guide

As a mom of 6 children, I know exactly how difficult it is when your baby won't sleep for more than an hour or two at a time, and that infant sleep patterns can vary tremendously between babies.

About Newborn Sleeping Patterns

So, once you brought your infant home you may have felt as though you'd been thrown into the deep end - especially if the reality of life with a baby was a bit at odds with your fantasy. I personally found that the biggest rift between reality and fantasy (at least in the early weeks) was when it came to newborn sleep habits.

The fact that new born babies don't know the difference between night and day, and on average sleep for about 16 out of 24 hours, should have been my first clue that life was about to change big time. Naively I imagined that at least 8 of those 16 hours of newborn sleeping would come at night - sadly I was wrong.

I soon learned that newborns sleep when they're tired - period. They have no regard to their parents' schedule or how other family members may have planned their day. Newborn infants tend to sleep in short 'cat naps', often lasting anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours, and they've never heard of the word 'routine'.

And, to make matters more confusing, the above figures are for the 'average' infant, and even with 6 children, I guess there wasn't an average one in the whole bunch! All babies are different, and so are their sleep habits. There are many factors which contribute to way newborn sleeping patterns develop, including health issues, home life and (this is a big one) individual personalities.

Newborn Sleep

In an adult, one 'sleep cycle' (encompassing all 5 stages of sleep) usually lasts about 90 minutes. In comparison, one newborn sleeping cycle only lasts 20 - 40 minutes.

The more rapid 'cycling' of these sleep stages in newborns means that they're potentially at risk of waking up (or being woken up) about once every hour, or even more frequently.

Of course, just because an infant may wake up during the lightest stage/s of sleep, that doesn't mean that they're necessarily hungry, or aren't tired anymore. This is where it's important for a baby to learn to 'self-soothe' (help themselves to fall back asleep) without assistance from mom or dad.

Another factor that is very important when thinking about newborn sleeping habits, is that they need to eat much more often than older children or adults. At least in the early weeks, this need for food is often the primary reason a baby isn't 'sleeping through the night'.

Newborn infants have very tiny little tummies, and most babies simply can't eat enough at one feed to last them more than 3 or 4 hours. Premature or very small babies usually need to eat even more often than this.

Infant formula tends to take a little longer to digest than breast milk, so breast-fed babies may have slightly shorter periods between feeds. The flip-side to this is that during the night breast-feeding is often easier and quicker than having to mess with bottles, formulas and heating equipment.

Another breast-feeding plus(for mom this time), is that studies have shown that women who breast feed regularly spend significantly more time in the 'deep sleep' (the most restful) sleep stage - even up to two or three times as long - than women who are bottle feeding. Or even women who don't have a baby at all!

Although there's no definitive answer yet as to why this happens, researchers believe that hormones play a role!

Help Your Baby To Sleep Better (& Longer)

One of the most important things you can do is to begin to establish a routine that is predictable, both during the day and (as much as possible) during the night. By working daytime naps, and the evening 'bedtime' into some sort of a recognizable daily schedule, you'll be helping your baby to move past her irregular newborn sleep cycle and move towards the more normal sleep/wake cycles of the rest of the world.

Having her take daytime naps in a different location from her bedroom or the crib where she usually sleeps, or even keeping the blinds/curtains open to let in more light, and allowing daytime noises or having a radio/TV playing while she naps will help her to tell the difference between 'nap time' and 'bed time'.

In the evening, when she goes to bed for the night, darken the room and keep it quieter. Set up a 'bedtime routine' and follow it every day (again as far as this is possible). For example, a bath, a quiet story or lullaby and her bedtime feed, then put her down in her crib to sleep. A music box or crib mobile that plays a quiet lullaby is also a good idea. All of this 'sets the stage' for sleep, and as you repeat it day after day, her body will start to anticipate bedtime, and the familiar routine will signal her body to relax and get ready for asleep. In effect, you're 'resetting' her body clock!

A good part of our sleep patterns, even as adults, are born of habit and repetition, so setting up the right newborn sleeping habits now is the best way to go.

Newborn Sleeping - Safety Issues

Here are a few tips and advice to help you make sure your newborn sleeping arrangements are on the right track...

• The Crib
  Use a firm crib mattress, and a well-fitted sheet and although bumper-pads look pretty, they can be dangerous and I wouldn't recommend using them. The Canadian Pediatric Society has advised against using crib bumpers since 1994, after a study found a link between several accidental deaths and the bumper pads in cribs or bassinets. Babies shouldn't have 'normal' (or even child-sized) pillows, and loose, soft or 'puffy' bedding such as blankets or quilts are best avoided. A baby sleep sack or sleeping bag is a safe way of making sure your baby stays warm enough, without smothering her in blankets. Never leave anything sharp or hard in the crib, and keep soft toys to a minimum. To keep your newborn sleeping comfortably (and in one position) all night, a baby 'sleep pillow', also known as a baby sleep positioner, is a good option.


• Room/Environment
  I mentioned above about the benefits of keeping your babys' room dark at night. The other important thing to think about is temperature. You want your newborn sleeping environment to be neither too warm, nor too cold, basically just a temperature that feels comfortable to you. Somewhere between 68F and 70F is about right. Overheating is thought to be one factor that contributes to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), so keep an eye on this area. If your newborn has her own room, using a baby monitor is a good idea. Although most moms wake at the first whimper from their baby, knowing that you won't miss a sound is very reassuring.


• Sleep Position
  The newborn sleeping position is very important. When my children were babies (going back a while!), the professional advice was to always have them sleep on their tummies. Now, it has been found that this sleep position is strongly linked to SIDS and is absolutely discouraged (unless your baby has a particular health issue that means your doctor has recommended it). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that babies only sleep on their backs since 1992, and since then the number of SIDS deaths has fallen by over 50%, so it's obviously the correct choice. Again, a baby sleep pillow can help your newborn sleep in this position all night.


• Sleep Location
  You may be wondering what I mean by this - I mean the exact place that your baby sleeps, whether it is in a crib in her own room, a bassinet or crib in your room, or your bed with you (co-sleeping). Although many cultures practice co-sleeping as a normal part of child-rearing, some research has shown that it may pose special risks to newborns. There is the chance that you, or your partner, may accidentally roll over and hurt the baby, or even smother/suffocate her. She may find it more difficult to regulate her body temperature in this situation and overheat. Some studies have shown that babies co-sleeping in their parents beds experience a higher incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

  However, there are also benefits of co-sleeping. Being close to her mommy may help your baby to sleep better as the familiarity and warmth will make her feel more relaxed and secure. Night time feedings are much easier (especially if you're breast-feeding) and less disruptive for everyone! Some studies have also indicated that the regular breathing patterns of her parents may actually help regulate the babys' breathing. Whether to bring your baby into bed with you or not is really a very personal decision, and everyone needs to weight the pros and cons, and take into account personal beliefs and situations when deciding where your new baby should sleep.

Newborn sleeping and breathing! I'd just like to add a few lines here about how newborns breath while they're asleep as I know when I was a first-time mom this gave me some scary moments.

Very young babies tend to breath a little erratically at first, and sometimes even seem to be holding their breath for a few seconds. The majority of the time this is perfectly normal, and you don't need to worry about it at all. As their bodies and nervous system matures, their breathing patterns soon even out.

However, there is a sleep disorder called Sleep Apnea, and there are two pediatric forms, one of them is sometimes seen in newborn infants (especially if they're premature). The most obvious sign of this condition (called Central Sleep Apnea) is irregular breathing. Notably, if a baby stops breathing for more than 6 - 8 seconds, there could be a problem and you should have your pediatrician check it out as soon as possible.

Sometimes the baby will even seem to 'gag' or look pale or blue, or go limp. This is an emergency situation and you need to get help right away.

Newborn Sleeping - Final Words!

You may spend 6 weeks dreaming about getting 3 uninterrupted hours of sleep (and it may seem like an impossible dream!), but gradually as your infant grows and develops, he will need to eat less often and will get into the habit of sleeping for longer periods at night.

Although I never gave birth to a baby who wanted to help me out by being 'average', these figures may help show you the light at the end of the tunnel of newborn sleep deprivation (yours, not hers!)

Newborn - 6 weeks - the 'average' baby will sleep for 3 - 4 hour stretches, both at night and during the day.

6 weeks - 12 weeks - probably sleeping somewhere around 5 hours in one stretch. If you've managed to get a routine set up and are working on resetting her biological clock, this stretch of newborn sleep should happen during the night :o)

12 weeks - 6 month - hopefully your little one will now be sleeping for anywhere between 8 and 10 hours at night (and you are starting to feel human again).

Of course, all babies ARE different, and your infant hasn't read about the 'average baby', so she may not be anywhere close to the above figures. But, she will almost certainly start to sleep through the night at some point before she is 6 months old.

..... but then again, her idea of 'sleeping through the night' may be to fall asleep at 11pm and wake up at 4am ready to face the day. NOT the same as your interpretation, you'll need to keep working on that body clock.

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