You and your little bundle of joy are settling in at home. But the joy is turning into a “Will I ever get to sleep?” challenge. Getting more than a few hours of straight sleep with the arrival of your newborn seems like wishful thinking for a new mom like you.

Well, we have bad news and good news for you.

The bad news is that newborns are notoriously restless sleepers. That means you’ll have to put up with their chaotic sleep patterns for a while. And yes, that also means it will be a while before you get a peaceful few hours.

However, the good news is that we can try to better understand why newborns sleep the way they do. This way, we can work with your newborn’s need for sleep instead of against it, and you’ll be able to get the quality snooze that you need!

Let’s get to it, shall we?

 

Newborn Baby Sleep Basics: What is it that I need to know?

Here are some of the Certified Labor Doula Tips you need to know:

 

Quantity 

Newborn babies sleep most of the time, from 14 to as much as 20 hours a day. They need this much sleep until they are about three months old.

It is important that you monitor how long your newborn sleeps. Inform your pediatrician if your newborn sleeps 11 hours or less or more than 20 hours a day – that might be something they’d like to check.

By the 4th month, the quantity of sleep that babies need will settle to around 12 to 15 hours of sleep a day.

 

Intervals 

Newborns sleep in stretches. They may be sleeping most of the time, but they do so in 2 to 3-hour stretches. A 3-hour nap or snooze is the longest stretch of sleep for newborns.

Newborn babies also do not sleep through the night. Therefore, their nighttime sleep of 8 to 9 hours actually means your newborn will have wake-up intervals of every 2 to 3 hours.

Once you are in the fourth to the sixth-month stage, you will notice that your baby will be sleeping longer. This is because babies’ bodies are producing more melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone that provides instructions to human bodies to get more sleep at night.

 

Hunger is what wakes newborns up

Newborns are constantly hungry. They have small tummies and their body needs to be nourished every 2 hours. Their digestive system gives out signals to their bodies that they are hungry, and they need to wake up for feeding. And the way babies communicate this hunger is by crying out loud. Only through feeding will the crying stop, when their tummies are full.

For breastfeeding moms, that means we have to be awake as well to feed our baby. Breastfeeding cannot be delegated to others, unlike, say, diaper change. And while bottle-fed babies mean you can switch up with your partner during feeding, that’s still a lack of quality sleep for either you or your partner!

 

Newborns=noisy sleepers

If you have been looking at your baby sleeping, you’d know that they make lots of sounds when they are asleep. Newborn babies make weird noises that range from grunting, wheezing, gurgling, whistling, and whining. You’d also notice that they sometimes take a brief pause in their breathing.

Not to worry; these sounds are normal in a newborn. Remember that the bodies of newborns are still developing, including their respiratory system. The function in their brains that regulates breathing is still a work in progress and newborns breathe mostly through their nose.

 

How do I survive the first few days of having interrupted sleep?

Now that we have a better understanding of why newborns sleep the way they do, new moms or parents can prepare for the arrival of their baby in their home. Here’s how:

 

Set realistic expectations (or lack of it).

You feel exhausted after delivering your baby. And what you look forward to most when you come home with your newborn is to get a good night of rest and sleep.

Well, as you already know, you can say bye-bye to that thought as most probably, it will take months before you experience a good night of rest and sleep once again. Babies do not sleep the way adults do. And their sleep patterns, especially in the first days, can be very hard to pin down.

Brace yourself for the road up ahead with you and your partner becoming sleep-deprived. Once you’ve accepted that fact, everything else becomes easier.

 

Focus on getting quality sleep.

Since you know that you can only sleep for 2 to 3-hour stretches, focus on getting quality sleep. Be prepared to get that anywhere, whether on the bed, couch, or a comfortable armchair. It might be good to get blackout curtains to keep the light away during the daytime whenever you snooze. Have a playlist ready that will help lull you to deep sleep.

 

Create a relaxed atmosphere at home. 

Make your home environment conducive to you and your newborn getting good quality sleep by cultivating a relaxed atmosphere at home as much as possible. Identify sacred spaces in your home where the priority is for you and your newborn to feel relaxed to promote sleep.

You may need the help of your partner or family on this one too. Talk to them and ask for their support in respecting and maintaining your sacred space by keeping their noise levels down to avoid disturbing you. And if they see you nodding off, ask them to close the curtain and to turn on your playlist so you can get that much-needed shuteye.

 

Learn how to get your baby to sleep with Certified Labor Doula Tips

There are ways that can help you get your newborns to sleep. Light massage or touch therapy is one way. Try to give your baby a loving massage during the wake-up time so they can associate your touch with calm and comfort.

You may also want to swaddle or cuddle with your baby. Remember that they spent 9 months inside your tummy where they felt all warm, cozy, and safe. Recreate that atmosphere by getting cuddle time with your newborn whenever you can.

You may also want to keep the room temperature between 68 to 72 degrees for your baby’s comfort. Dimming the lights may also help. Try to find out too if your newborn responds to relaxing music or white noise or if they prefer silence to get them to doze off.

 

Get Doulas of the Valley to help you out! 

Whether you like it or not, you need to go through the first days of your newborn being home, and the frequent interruption in life and in general. If you feel you need more help, Certified Labor Doula Tips, and support caring for your newborn, talk to us at Doulas of the Valley. We understand the challenges faced by moms in navigating the first few days after childbirth. Our doulas provide exceptional postpartum care and support for families of newborns, guaranteed!

Drop us a line anytime and ask about baby sleep basics or Certified Labor Doula Tips. We look forward to hearing from you.