"Newborn baby brings us a piece of heaven on earth" - Unknown
A study from National sleep foundation found that 76%of new parents experience sleep issues! Motherhood is amazing and we don’t want sleep deprivation to come in the way. Read on moms to know how you can sleep better!
Newborns typically sleep a lot, up to 16-17 hours per day. They tend to have short sleep cycles, waking up frequently throughout the day and night. It is normal for newborns to wake up every few hours to feed. Newborns also tend to have irregular sleep patterns and may not have a regular sleep-wake cycle until they are several weeks old. To help encourage healthy sleep habits, parents should establish a consistent bedtime routine and ensure the baby's sleep environment is comfortable and safe.
Top 5 facts on Newborn Sleep
1. Your newborn can sleep upto 16-17 hours!
But this can vary greatly depending on the individual baby. Most newborns sleep in short bursts of 1-3 hours at a time, day and night. During the day, it is important to help your baby get into a routine of napping and sleeping. This will help them to develop healthy sleep habits and establish a regular sleep schedule. Newborns should be placed on their backs to sleep, and the sleep area should be free of any soft objects or loose bedding. It is also important to create a calming environment for your baby to sleep in, such as a dark, quiet room.
2. Your newborn will have wake ups in the night!
Newborns have a very tiny stomach so they need to be fed every 3-4 hrs. for a breastfeeding mother this is actually very important as it helps in establishing a supply! (Breastmilk works on demand supply, the more you feed the more milk you have!)
Newborns don’t have the distinction in day and night yet which is why sleeping at a stretch in the night isn’t something they are familiar with! So how can you get sleep at a stretch? The best thing to do is to rotate with your partner. You each can take a couple of hours each to watch the baby so the other can catch up on sleep!
Your newborns sleep pattern will change with time!
3. Your Newborn can fall asleep anytime anywhere!
This is why baby photoshoots are best in the newborn days! Your baby’s wake window will most likely be 40 minutes! Does this mean you cant go out of the house? Well not exactly- but do expect your newborn to fall asleep when you are out! This sleep might be disturbed as there will be light, sound when you are out but try to let the newborn nap in a consistent environment as much as you can!
4. You will be getting advice from everyone on the “right” thing to do for your newborn!
Be ready to be bombarded with advice on what is the best way to make baby sleep! Grandmothers, older nannies will surely mention cradles or some cloth mechanism which will rock the baby to sleep. Yes this helps in the short term but baby can get used to it! Rocking to sleep is an age old method of calming newborns and it does work. If you are breastfeeding, feeding the baby to sleep is the most efficient way! Do you own research, join support groups and trust your mom intuition.
5. Learn to read newborn sleep cues and know that baby wants to sleep!
Your newborn may show signs of being ready for sleep when you see the following signs like rubbing eyes, yawning, looking away, fussing and crying. Please remember that overtired newborn takes longer to sleep peacefully so it helps to be aware of the cues!
In the lead-up to bedtime, try to set a calming atmosphere and carry out the same bedtime routine every night. The following rituals can help your baby associate nighttime with sleeping:
- Taking a bath
- Changing into night suit and a fresh diaper
- Reading a book
- Singing a lullaby
- Having a nighttime feed
- Giving a goodnight kiss
- Dimming the lights
- Creating a quiet environment
- Feeding to sleep helps baby bridge naps!
Remember to give yourself some grace.
No matter how much knowledge you have about the fourth trimester and newborn sleep, some days will be harder than others! On those days, remember this too shall pass and one day all you will have will be memories! Cuddle your newborn moms!
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