![]() ![]() *Rest assured that your newborn is still getting the restorative sleep they need with a two-hour nap. Differentiating between day sleep and night sleep.Maintaining regular feedings throughout the day (which can help with excessive night wakings).However, if it’s nearing the 2-hour mark, get ready to gently wake that baby up.Ĭapping their naps to two hours at a time will help with the following: If the baby is reaching a 90-minute nap, fantastic. Pediatricians typically want the baby back at its birth weight before recommending this, so consult with them before making any adjustments to your baby’s sleeping schedule. ![]() When the pediatrician has given the green light not to wake babies up at night to feed, let them sleep. Let the baby sleep as long as they want at night Ensure that the lights go out again when they are done feeding and back in their crib or bassinet. If you need to turn on a dim night light or bathroom light during night feedings so you can see your baby (and what you’re doing!), go right ahead. The best way to establish your newborn’s circadian rhythm is by getting them out and about during the day and letting them soak up the sun’s rays.Ĭonversely, ensuring that nighttime is the darkest it can get is equally as important in cueing their little bodies that day means “play” and night means time to sleep tight. I’ve paired these two “peas in a pod” in this section as they go hand in hand. Dressing your baby appropriately for sleepĪddressing circadian rhythms and day/night confusionĪs mentioned earlier, newborns are not born with circadian rhythms, which can cause day and night confusion.Creating the ideal baby sleep environment.Addressing circadian rhythms and day/night confusion.Your baby’s nervous system is still very immature however, during these initial months outside the womb and being part of this new world we can work on shaping sleep.īelow, we break down newborn sleep tips into three different categories: I hope you’re beginning to understand newborn sleep and why we address it differently than older baby or toddler sleep. Read next: Tips on How to Survive the Four-Month Sleep Regression Nine essential newborn baby sleep tips This is also often infamously related to the four-month sleep regression, which I consider a progression, as the baby’s sleep pattern has gone through a huge cognitive developmental milestone. It is not until closer to a baby’s fourth month that their sleep starts to mature and become adult-like. *Around the third month, babies produce high melatonin levels at night. Needless to say, with an underdeveloped circadian rhythm and lack of melatonin, newborn sleep is very erratic and unpredictable! Newborn babies also lack a very important hormone we – as adults – require to help us sleep known as melatonin.Ī baby’s brain doesn’t start producing melatonin several weeks after birth. You’ve probably heard a parent say, “my baby has their nights and days mixed up!” Also known as day and night confusion (more on this later), newborns will likely want to sleep more during the day and stay up at night. Unlike adults, newborns are born without an established circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the body’s internal clock within a 24-hour cycle, which controls our daily wake-sleep schedule. Understanding newborn sleep mechanics Developing circadian rhythm And that’s an exciting thing to look forward to. The healthy habits you implement now will prepare your baby to be the great sleeper they are meant to be. You’ll be up every couple hours feeding and tending to your baby at night. Of course, sleep after bringing home a newborn baby will be different. You can learn more about this in our Postpartum Mental Health Guide. Studies show that sleep deprivation is a precursor to developing PMADs (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders). Sleep (good, revitalizing sleep) is just as important as eating a well-balanced diet for nutrition. I probably don’t need to tell you that getting adequate sleep is important to your health. Getting your baby to sleep can be more challenging than expected, so we’re sharing newborn sleep tips straight from the expert’s mouth. ![]()
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