The first Months
In the first few weeks after birth, babies sleep most of the day and night, with many babies sleeping 14 -18 hours a day. These hours won’t happen in one big block, they are broken into shorter periods to accommodate feeding, diaper changes, and interaction with their family.
All babies are different, and their sleep patterns can vary a lot, but during the first few months, your baby’s sleep schedule will largely be dictated by their eating pattern. Breastfed infants usually need to eat more frequently than bottle-fed infants, about every 2 hours versus every 3 hours.
The circadian rhythm or body clock is a 24-hour cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep and also signals hunger and digestion. Observe your baby and keep track of his natural biological patterns of sleep and hunger so you can help your newborn to stay awake during his feeding. Try to disassociate feeding and sleeping, it will be one less habit to break when the time comes to sleep train baby.
Feed your baby at the times he is most awake – either right after waking up or well before he is ready for sleep again.
Eat, Wake, Sleep cycle
Your goal is to establish an eat, wake, sleep cycle.
Even if you help your child fall asleep by bouncing or rocking, giving them at least some opportunities to practice sleeping in an appropriate sleep environment can help tremendously down the line. A cool room tends to make for the best sleep, as the body’s temperature naturally falls during sleep. Overheating a baby can disrupt the sleep process, so if you swaddle your baby, do not over-bundle. Keep the room dark and quiet.
Place your baby on their back on a firm mattress (such as in a newborn bassinet, bedside co-sleeper, or other approved infant bed) free of any loose bedding or clothing. If baby is younger than 8 weeks, (or more importantly, has not yet started to roll) you can swaddle your baby to encourage sleep and calm.Â
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