Typical sleep behavior (1) – newborns 0 to 3 months

Crying is the way babies communicate with you. In the first three months, newborns cry a lot because they need your help to feed, change or settle so they can get back to sleep. Although they seem to spend a lot of time sleeping (generally 12 to 16 hours in a 24-hour period), they do not yet have established sleep-wake rhythms like older children and adults.

These first three months are an important time for you and your baby to start to learn and understand each other.

Newborn sleep rhythms#

Newborns do not know the difference between day and night, and they do not have set sleep-wake rhythms. They wake frequently during the night, often because they need to be fed or changed.

At around 3 months of age, babies may start to learn the rhythm of day and night. You can help your newborn learn this rhythm by:

• exposing them to light and gently playing with them during the day
• providing a dim and quiet environment at night

Newborn sleep cycles#

We all have sleep cycles, and these change as we develop and grow. Newborns sleep in short bursts, usually around 20 to 50 minutes long. Each cycle is made up of active sleep and quiet sleep:

• During active sleep, a newborn may move, groan, open their eyes, cry out, or breathe noisily or irregularly.
• During quiet sleep, they lie relatively still and their breathing is more even.

It is a normal part of newborn sleep to wake between cycles. As babies get older, they learn to settle themselves and fall back to sleep. This ability is called self-settling. Different babies have different temperaments, personalities and self-settling abilities.

Settling your newborn#

It is important to create positive sleep associations for your newborn. You can help your baby settle by:

• putting them in their cot when they are tired but still awake
• recognising and responding to tired signs
• using a gentle, positive and consistent routine, such as feed, play, sleep
• trying different settling techniques to see what works

Some settling techniques may be hard to keep up in the long term, such as holding your baby until they fall asleep. These can create a negative sleep association, where your baby comes to need to be held in order to fall asleep. You need to decide what is right for you and your family.

Feeding your newborn#

Newborns need regular feeding, so they usually sleep in short periods. The first three months are an important time for you and your baby to learn how to feed and to develop a routine together.

Whether your baby is breastfed or formula fed does not affect the age at which they will sleep through the night. It helps to use a routine that prioritises your newborn’s feeding needs, rather than trying to enforce a strict sleeping schedule.

Newborns communicate by crying#

The average newborn cries and fusses for almost three hours a day until around 3 to 6 months of age, and some cry more than this. Newborns are usually most unsettled during their first three months, when they also have their longest periods of crying. Much of this crying and fussing tends to happen in the late afternoon and evening.

Because crying is a newborn’s main way of communicating, respond calmly and consistently. Sometimes there is no clear reason why a newborn is crying, and they may not stop even when you try to help them settle.

From about 2 weeks to 3 or 4 months of age, newborns go through a stage of increased crying that peaks around 6 to 8 weeks. The crying may be difficult to soothe. This is a completely normal part of newborn development, and there is no need for concern as long as your baby is growing, gaining weight and is happy at other times.

Looking after yourself#

Caring for an unsettled newborn can be exhausting, and your wellbeing matters too. If the crying becomes overwhelming, it is okay to place your newborn in their cot or another safe place and take a break for a few minutes.

If you are worried about your newborn’s crying or sleep, talk to a child health nurse, your doctor or another health professional.

Key points#

• The first three months are an important time for you and your baby to start to learn and understand each other.
• Newborns wake frequently during the night, often because they need to be fed or changed.
• It is important to create positive sleep associations for your newborn.
• The first three months are an important time for you and your baby to learn how to feed and to develop a routine together.
• Crying is a newborn’s main way of communicating, so respond calmly and consistently.

Where to get help#