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You are here: Home » Baby Care » Newborn Sleep Schedule – What’s Normal?
Newborn sleep schedule - whats normal_2

Newborn Sleep Schedule – What’s Normal?

February 4, 2019 //  by Katie Griffin

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Now that baby has arrived on the scene, your life as a new parent revolves around eating, pooping, and sleeping.  And speaking of sleep, your sweet bundle of joy sure does know how to sleep deeply in those first few days of life!  But what does a newborn sleep schedule look like after you leave the hospital and head home?  What’s normal?

Table of contents

  • Newborn Sleep Schedule – The First Few Weeks
  • Newborn Sleep Schedule – Behavior States
    • Newborn Sleep Schedule – Sleep States
      • Deep Sleep
      • Light Sleep
    • Newborn Sleep Schedule – Alert States
      • Drowsy
      • Quiet Alert
      • Active Alert
      • Crying
  • Learning Your Newborn’s Sleep Schedule

Newborn Sleep Schedule – The First Few Weeks

As babies adjust to life outside the womb, they tend to sleep 12 to 18 hours in a 24-hour period.  These are not usually long sleeping stretches.  Rather, your baby will cycle in and out of sleep throughout the day and night in a series of short “cat naps” that have no noticeable pattern.  Expect anywhere from 8 to 10 sleep and wake cycles in a 24-hour period.

Remember that your newborn’s brain is too immature to recognize the difference between night and day, so plan to sleep when your baby sleeps for the first few months (1).

Newborn Sleep Schedule – Behavior States

Although newborn sleep patterns are unpredictable, they are all comprised of 2 behavior states known as sleep states and alert states.  Here are the states broken down:

Newborn Sleep Schedule – Sleep States

Deep Sleep

Newborn sleep schedule - deep sleep

Your baby has relaxed, regular, and even breathing.  Eyes are closed with no eye movements.  Baby may occasionally twitch or make sucking movement with her mouth. During this state, babies aren’t easily woken.  Now’s the time for you to try to rest yourself or accomplish mom jobs that need to be done.

Light Sleep

Newborn Sleep Schedule - light sleep

During light sleep, your baby has irregular breathing and irregular movement.  Eyes are closed and may be moving rapidly behind their eyelids.  They may have more body twitches or make those adorable sleeping baby faces like smiling or pouting.  They wake easily in this state and are more likely to startle if they are moved or hear a noise.

If your baby is coming out of deep sleep into light sleep, it might mean that he’s hungry or needs a diaper change.  If you’re alert to baby’s cues and care for his needs quickly, it’s possible that he may fall back into a deep sleep state.

Newborn Sleep Schedule – Alert States

Drowsy

Newborn sleep schedule - drowsy

This is the state where they are awake but becoming sleepy.  Their breathing becomes more irregular.  They may rub their eyes, have their eyelids droop, and startle easily.  This is the ideal time to try to put your baby down to sleep.

Quiet Alert

Newborn sleep schedule - quiet alert

This is when your baby is fully awake and content. Their breathing is even.  They are looking at you and taking in their surroundings.  This is a great time to just engage and play with your baby.  Talking, singing or simply smiling at them make this a great time for bonding.

Active Alert

Newborn sleep schedule - active alert

This is when your baby is beginning to realize they need or want something.  Their breathing starts to become more rapid.  They are no longer looking into your eyes contently and instead make faces and begin to move their arms and legs erratically.

These are all signs that your baby needs something.  They might be hungry, in need of a diaper change, or simply over stimulated.  If you are able to determine baby’s need and satisfy them quickly, you just may get to skip the next state — crying.

Crying

Newborn sleep schedule - crying

This is, of course, when baby is crying.  Babies cry as their last resort to tell you they just can’t handle whatever is going on.  Hunger, discomfort, or boredom can all lead to tears.  Sometimes babies cry to help get themselves into another state.  Learn more about why do babies cry (and how to comfort them).

Why Do Babies Cry and How To Comfort Them

During the crying state you can use Dr. Harvey Karp’s “5 S’s” method to calm your baby if feeding and changing don’t help (3).  They are:

  1. Swaddling  – Wrapping a baby snugly.   Ask your health provider how to swaddle correctly.
  2. Side or Stomach Position – Holding your baby on their side or on her stomach with gentle pressure on their tummy,
  3. Shushing – Making a shushing sound near your baby’s ear or other white noise.
  4. Swinging – Gently swaying, rocking, jiggling or bouncing your baby.
  5. Sucking –  Offering a pacifier or clean fingers. (2)

Learning Your Newborn’s Sleep Schedule

Although there’s no set-in-stone newborn sleep schedule that you can plan on, the good news is that learning your baby’s different sleep stages and cues can allow you to adapt to them.  As you get to know your baby better, you’ll be able to identify a loose sleeping schedule.  And rest assured (pun intended 🙂 ) that as time goes on and your baby matures, a more solid pattern will emerge.

Kopa Birth’s online childbirth classes allow you to prepare for a natural childbirth from the comfort of your own home, 24/7. Enroll today in our free online childbirth class to learn more about preparing for a natural hospital birth.

References:

(1) Hockenberry, M. J., Wilson, D (2011). Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children. Ninth Edition.  Elsevier Mosby Inc

(2) Simkin, P., Whalley, J., Keppler, A., Durham, J., & Bolding, A. (2016). Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide. Minnetonka: Meadowbrook Press.

(3) Karp, Harvey, M.D., (2017).  The 5 S’s for Soothing Babies.  Retrieved from https://www.happiestbaby.com/blogs/baby/the-5-s-s-for-soothing-babies.

Here are some other birth articles and stories we know you’ll love.

  • Week 17 Pregnancy: Belly, Symptoms & Sleeping
  • When Can Babies Sleep On Their Stomach (Q&A)
  • When Do Babies Sleep All Night?
  • What Do Newborns Sleep In (Safe Clothes & Bedding)

Category: Baby Care

About Katie Griffin

Katie Griffin, Founder of Kopa Birth,® is a Registered Nurse, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, and mom of 7. Using her nursing background and 14+ years of experience teaching birthing classes, Katie has become an expert in the field of natural hospital birth. Kopabirth.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and observation, and all posts are current and evidence-based. Katie is also the instructor for the KOPA® PREPARED online childbirth course and offers online coaching for pregnancy and natural birth.

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