Newborn Sleep Tips for New Parents
- Karen Rickert
- Mar 27
- 7 min read
While in the womb, babies are not exposed to light or darkness, nor do they experience day or night. The sounds they hear primarily come from their mother's body, with external noises significantly muted.
Once they are born, babies begin to physically sense their environment. Their vision is still developing, so they are learning to distinguish between light and dark for the first time. As they learn to nurse and feel clothing, air temperatures, and various muffled noises, everything feels quite different from the womb, and this new sensory experience can be overwhelming for them.
Newborns experience sleeping differently than older children and adults
Newborns have two sleep stages. Active and Quiet Sleep. Active sleep comes first, which has more movement, and babies may make noises, followed by quiet sleep. It is a deeper stage in which they are quieter, move less, and are more difficult to wake. When the quiet stage ends, the lighter active stage starts again if baby is still tired. Sometimes, newborns have difficulty transitioning into the new cycle. They may cry out for assistance to return to sleep, or sleep may just be over, and they remain awake for a while.
Older children and adults experience more stages of sleep. Light to heavier non-REM sleep followed by REM sleep. REM sleep is when dreaming occurs. REM stands for rapid eye movement. Everyone experiences non-REM and REM sleep.
Sleep Hormones and Circadian Rhythm
As babies grow, they begin producing hormones that regulate their awareness of day and night, known as the body's circadian rhythm. Melatonin, which promotes sleep, rises when sleep pressure builds—typically in the evening as darkness falls. During sleep, melatonin decreases while cortisol, the hormone responsible for waking up, increases as the body senses daylight.
Since newborns haven't developed this system yet, their sleep patterns can appear unpredictable, which is perfectly normal. Over the first few months, usually after about six weeks, a baby's sleep and wake hormones start to regulate, and their circadian rhythm begins to form.
As babies continue to grow, they may still prefer to be held frequently.
Contact Sleep
Contact sleep is wonderful for newborns if done in a healthy, safe way. Some families choose contact naps, such as skin-to-skin sleep during the day, while others prefer different routines. To ensure your baby's safety, always use sleep surfaces recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Avoid placing blankets or objects in the bassinet or co-sleeper, and do not bring your baby into bed with you if you're likely to fall asleep. If the mother is recovering from a challenging birth or a C-section, she may need to nurse or feed the baby while reclining or lying down. In cases where the mother plans to sleep after feeding, it's important to place the baby in a safe sleeping space like a bassinet or co-sleeper. This practice eliminates risks such as rolling onto the baby, suffocation from pillows or blankets, or the baby falling off the bed.
Observing Baby’s Sleepy Cues
New parents often find themselves captivated by their babies, enjoying both their waking and sleeping moments. It's an exciting stage of life. Make sure to notice signs that your baby is tired or overtired; these can include yawning, rubbing their eyes, or avoiding eye contact by briefly closing their eyes or turning away. You’ll likely spot other cues unique to your child as well. If a baby becomes overtired, settling down for sleep can be more challenging. While some babies display clear cues, others are less obvious. We created a wake window chart to help parents determine when to assist their baby in getting some rest. This chart is a valuable resource for the first three years, supporting healthy sleep habits and monitoring your child’s rest, and comes as a part of any sleep plan or coaching session with Pocono Pediatric Sleep Consulting.
Calm Breathing Techniques
Parents can get frustrated from lack of sleep and ask the baby, "Why won’t you sleep?" Cat- napping and frequent night wake-ups are totally normal for a newborn. So, stay calm and know this only lasts for a few weeks, generally. Calm is what baby needs from you as parents. Learn and practice some healthy calming techniques before baby is born to rely on when things get stressful. Starfish breathing and positive affirmations that this will pass, I am okay, the baby will be okay. If you are getting overwhelmed, be sure to clue your partner or spouse in on it. Decide on what to do if any stressful scenarios occur.
Partner Support
Support each other. If it is at all possible, take turns during the night to give each other a needed break and to keep bonding with the baby. If you are single or your partner or spouse is currently not with you, reach out to a relative, friend, or neighbor, someone you trust, to help in case things get difficult. Just knowing someone may be available to help when you are overtired or ill can be enough to keep a new parent calm and responsive to the baby.
5 Ss and Swaddling
Swaddling and sleep sacks: Use safe ones that are age and size-appropriate for your baby. Swaddles can be used for naps and night-time sleeping until your child starts to roll over, and then it’s time for sleep sacks. Follow the directions accurately. Check for 4-to-5-star ratings.
The 5 S’s: a nearly perfect way to calm unsettled newborn babies. There are many videos online to demonstrate the safe practice of the 5 S’s. They are
Swaddle
Side or stomach position
Sway or gently rock baby, slightly jiggling the baby. This can be done sitting or standing.
Shushing sound. The caregiver makes a repeating and extended “sh” sound. Louder than the ambient noise around baby.
Sucking. Helping the baby to hold a pacifier, a newborn-size one, in his or her mouth. Support the pacifier gently to keep it from falling away. Even do a partial pullout, so the baby is actively sucking on it.
As baby settles, the caregiver reduces the sound of the shushing and slows the rocking if baby starts getting upset again or cries again. Continue the 5 Ss until the baby settles.
As baby grows, you can assist in healthy environmental cues for sleep.
Daytime
Expose your baby to daytime light. Get some outside time if the weather permits. You don’t have to have a silent or overly quiet daytime routine for a healthy baby. The baby can adjust to normal daytime noises, including older children playing. I don’t recommend allowing an older child to scream next to the baby, but use common sense.
Fussy Baby or Witching Hour
Newborns often become fussy in the late afternoon and evening due to dips in hormone levels in breast milk; formula-fed babies can also experience this. Babies may feed more frequently or seek comfort, and parents should stay calm and follow the baby's cues for cluster feeding or one-on-one time. This phase is temporary and will improve soon.
Environmental Variables
Parents can help babies by dimming the lights and closing room darkening or at least light-filtering blinds and curtains to keep a consistent level of low to no light in baby’s room. Use the least amount of light in the room baby is sleeping in at night. Turning on a sound machine that is a consistent sound, like a gentle rain or white noise, can help stabilize the sounds the baby hears while sleeping. Place it by the bedroom door. If the baby is sharing the bedroom with an older sibling or with parents, place it between the bassinet and the older sibling’s or parent’s side of the room to muffle any noise from parents coming and going. It can help keep a baby calm while transitioning through sleep cycles. It muffles the environmental noise from inside and outside the house. The level or volume should be as low as possible but still provide enough sound to be useful. Read the directions from the manufacturer and use it safely. The temperature of the room is important as well. Too warm or too cool may lead to baby not sleeping well. A consistent safe temperature is something parents can control easily; 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is good.
Bedtime Routines
Bedtime routines should be established early and be consistent for your newborn. For newborns, the first 6 to 8 weeks, bedtime routines should be around 9:30 pm. Closer to adult bedtime so that if the baby decides to sleep a long stretch, it will coincide with mom and dad's. It will let parents get a few hours of sleep before nighttime feedings.
An Example Routine: A good feed takes place. The room is ready for nighttime (see above information), then a warm bath, pajamas, some cuddles or gentle love, like a massage, not to rouse the baby, but to relax. Put the baby’s swaddle or sleep sack on. Read a short book about loving baby while watching for sleepy cues from your baby, when drowsy but awake in the bassinet, co-sleeper, or crib to drift off to sleep.
Daytime Routines for Baby
When your baby first comes home, there will not be an established morning wake time. So, parents can decide when to get the baby ready for the day. Let your baby set the pace and schedule for now. Remember, it will seem erratic to you, because it is. To promote healthy sleep habits, as you do for nighttime, you can swaddle the baby for daytime naps or use a sleep sack once the baby starts to roll over. Through consistent use of this practice, it gives the baby yet another cue to go to sleep.
Independent Sleep and Sleep Props
It is the eventual goal for all children to fall asleep independently and not rely on caregivers to get them to sleep or to return to sleep once old enough. Sleep props are habits a caregiver uses that baby relies on to fall asleep or return to sleep. It is easy to see where and how parents can develop sleep props in the early struggles to help baby sleep. The first one to happen is usually a feed-to-sleep association. Next could be rocking, walking, or using a stroller, or even, in desperation, taking the baby for a ride in the car. All are time-consuming, and when parents are exhausted, they can become a point of frustration.
Having a certified Sleep Consultant can help you establish healthy sleep habits for life for your baby. If the family has an older sibling(s) who still needs mom and dad multiple times a night to help the older child to sleep, it is also a good time to hire a certified sleep consultant to help establish better sleep for everyone.
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