Parenting Blog

The life of newborn babies is mostly all about feeding and sleeping. After all, he/she is in the inertia of the long cozy sleep inside the mother’s body. Parents do need to know how much a newborn baby normally sleeps in 24 hours. 

While newborn babies do not follow a set routine for sleep, for most babies, the sleeping time is up to 18 hours daily (in 24 hours). But the sleep is often intermittent and the baby wakes every 2 to 3 hours to be fed. Also, most babies will sleep for 3 to 5 hours maximum at a stretch. Following are some common sleep patterns for newborn babies of varying ages: 

Up to 3 Months

Newborn babies, ranging in age from their natal day up to 3 months, usually take 16 to 18 hours of sleep daily. The sleep is divided into 2-3 hours sessions. Their sleep does not have to do much with night or day and they will sleep almost equally at day as they do at night. The day-night awareness appears in the baby at an age of around 6 to 8 weeks. By the age of 2 to 3 months, a sleep pattern is developed by the child. The parent can then anticipate when the child is going to sleep and how long the sleep is going to continue at a particular time. 

3 to 6 Months

The total daily sleep of the baby at this age is about 14 to 16 hours. It is usually 8 hours of sleep at night and 6 hours at day (divided in three stretches of 2 hours each). The child gets asleep more readily and does not wake in the absence of much disturbance. Some babies at this age may not wake at all during the night. However, most would wake once to be fed. By the age of 6 months, the daytime sleep drops to 2 naps, each lasting about 2 hours. 

6 to 12 Months

During the 6 months to one year, the total daily sleep of a baby is 12 to 14 hours. Most babies take a daily nap of about 2 to 3 hours each. A 6 month sold baby is able to sleep well through the night, without waking at all. But many kids do wake once. Before the baby’s first birthday, a long stretch of sleep (about 11 hours or more) is less likely to occur.

Young babies need good sleep to keep getting along well. But oftentimes, moms face difficulties in putting their babies to a peaceful night sleep. The baby usually keeps waking due to what has been called ‘separation anxiety.’ The baby’s wee mind is filled with the thought of having mom away. To ensure your young one gets a peaceful night sleep, try the following 4-step guide to putting your child to a deep slumber.

• Put the child to bed using his/her normal routine i.e. bedtime story, bath, playing, cuddle etc.
• Back off slowly and return to kiss and cuddle if you see the baby is not settled immediately. Stay and see if he/she tends to get up with unease. Cuddle and kiss again for reassuring him/her of your presence. However, remember not to lift the baby out of the cot or bed.
• If the baby wakes and cries, return to him/her soon as you can. Repeat the reassurance and keep coming back to him/her as long as it is needed. Usually, the first two nights are more tiresome for moms. By the third night, most babies get settled in their sleeping place.
• Keep a dim light on in the room where the baby sleeps. This helps reduce the effect of darkness that causes many babies to fret in separation anxiety.