How Long should I Let My Newborn Sleep For?

As a new mom, you may be wondering whether your baby is sleeping enough, or even sleeping too much. There are guidelines of what to expect, but of course these can vary from baby to baby. Even if you've had children before, each baby will be different.

New born babies will usually sleep 16 to 17 hours a day. Most babies will not sleep through the night until they're at least 3 months old. There are a couple of reasons why this is the case. The first is that they have small stomachs, so they become hungry a lot quicker, particularly if they are breastfed. It is easier for them to digest breast milk than to digest formula, so they will have to eat more often, particularly at the start of their lives.

They also sleep in shorter cycles and dream in shorter cycles than adults do. Most of the time, new born babies sleep an average of 8 hours a day and 8 hours a night. They won't sleep 8 hours straight, though. When you first bring them home, they will sleep in very short cycles.

As the baby gets older, up to about 2 years of age, she'll still be sleeping 13-14 hours, but the amount of daytime sleep will diminish month-by-month. When your baby reaches the age of 2, he should be able to sleep all through the night and take a nap for 2 hours in the day. Remember that all babies' sleep patterns are different, for example some need two naps per day while others make do with one longer nap. At this age though, try to discourage naps too late in the afternoon, as this can make it harder to get them to sleep a few hours later at bed time.

When your baby starts to sleep all the way through the night, you might be frustrated when they start waking up again in the middle of the night. Most of the time, this occurs when they are about 6 months old, and means that they are experiencing a normal development called separation anxiety.

Again, this will vary by child. Don't be concerned if this pattern does not seem to fit your newborn. Sleep needs vary a lot between individual babies and it is not beneficial to compare your newborn's sleep patterns with others.


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Helping baby sleep through the night can be the hardest thing you have to do as a parent. Visit me at Newborn Sleep to find out more about safe natural sleep solutions for your baby. Wendy Owen (HH Dip) is a holistic health therapist and sleep expert with an extensive knowledge of herbal and homeopathic remedies.