What You Need To Know About Newborn Sleep

What You Need To Know About Newborn Sleep

If you’ve just brought your baby home (or are preparing to), you’ve probably been told to “sleep when the baby sleeps” - but what happens when your baby only naps for 30 minutes, wants to feed every hour, or seems to confuse day and night?

Welcome to newborn sleep: beautifully erratic, often unpredictable, and entirely normal.

The good news? You’re not doing anything wrong. Newborns simply sleep differently. At SleepBaker, we support families through this fragile, precious, and sometimes overwhelming stage - with gentle, realistic guidance grounded in how newborns truly sleep.

Let’s walk through what to expect and how to make it feel a little less daunting.

Understanding Newborn Sleep (0–12 weeks)

Newborns sleep a lot - typically 14–17 hours in a 24-hour period. But those hours are scattered in short stretches, often only 30–90 minutes at a time.

Here’s why:

  • Short sleep cycles: A newborn sleep cycle is around 40–50 minutes and includes a lot of active, light sleep (which means they’re more likely to stir or wake).
  • Around-the-clock feeding: Tiny tummies mean frequent feeds - day and night.
  • Immature circadian rhythms: Babies aren’t born knowing the difference between night and day. That internal clock takes time to develop.

It’s completely normal for newborns to sleep at unusual times, wake frequently, and need a lot of support to settle. This is a season of survival - not perfection.

What’s not a problem (even though it might feel like one)

  • Your baby needing to be held to sleep
  • Naps that last just one sleep cycle
  • Cluster feeding in the evenings
  • Frequent overnight wakes
  • Short bursts of sleep, even at night
  • Only settling when rocked, fed, or cuddled

Newborns thrive on connection, and needing you to fall asleep isn’t creating “bad habits” - it’s meeting their biological need for security.

Gentle ways to support newborn sleep

While you don’t need to “sleep train” a newborn, there are a few simple things that can support more restful sleep for everyone in the house:

1. Focus on awake windows

Newborns can only stay awake for short periods (usually 45–90 minutes max). Keeping your baby up too long can lead to overtiredness, making it harder for them to settle or stay asleep.

Watch for tired signs like jerky movements, yawns, or staring into space, and aim to settle your baby before they’re overtired.

2. Start to create gentle day/night cues

During the day: open curtains, keep the house bright, and talk to your baby.
At night: keep lights low, voices soft, and avoid stimulation after feeds.

Over time, this helps their circadian rhythm develop - usually around 6–8 weeks.

3. Support safe, responsive sleep

Always follow safe sleep guidelines (like placing your baby on their back in their own cot or bassinet), but know that contact naps, pram naps, and carrier naps are all okay too - especially in the newborn stage.

Your baby is adjusting to the world. Let them feel close and safe, while keeping sleep environments as secure as possible.

4. Accept help where you can

You weren’t meant to do this alone. Ask your partner, family or support team to hold the baby while you shower, nap or just take a breath. If nights are especially tough, consider an overnight nanny or sleep support for a few hours of rest.

5. Lower the pressure

There’s no “perfect” routine at this stage. Flexibility is your friend. Some days your baby will sleep more, some less. Some days will feel easier, others incredibly hard.

You are not failing. You’re adjusting. So are they.

When should you ask for more support?

If your newborn is:

  • Unsettled even after feeds
  • Waking hourly all night, every night
  • Screaming inconsolably for long periods
  • Sleeping less than 10 hours total in 24 hours

- it’s worth checking in with a trusted health professional, sleep consultant or lactation consultant. Sleep and feeding challenges often go hand-in-hand, and early guidance can make a big difference.

You’re doing better than you think

Newborn sleep is raw and real. There’s no perfect method, and no quick fix — just small rhythms, gentle routines, and moments of calm that build over time.

At SleepBaker, we’re here to support you through it all - from those blurry first weeks to the months ahead where sleep (yes, really) does get better.

🌙 Need help navigating the newborn stage? You can start with our 3 - 6 Month Sleep Guide or book in for a personalised consult which is designed to meet you right where you are - with empathy, experience and no unrealistic expectations.