Newborn sleep: how much and when

Babies need sleep to grow and develop well. For newborns this is usually 14-17 hours in every 24 hours. But newborn sleep patterns vary a lot.

Newborns usually sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours each. Some newborns sleep for up to 4 hours at a time.

Newborns wake frequently to feed because they have tiny tummies. Your newborn might go straight back to sleep after feeding, or they might stay awake long enough for a short play. Some newborns get tired after being awake for 1-1½ hours. Some stay awake and alert longer.

Newborns sleep during the day and night. They don’t know that people sleep at night. The parts of their brains that control day-night sleep cycles haven’t matured yet.

Newborn play might be cuddling quietly with you, watching your face and listening to you talk or sing, or stretching out and kicking on a blanket. You might find that 10-20 minutes of play is enough for your newborn. You can increase playtime as your baby gets older and stays awake for longer.

Newborn sleep cycles

Newborns have 2 different kinds of sleep – active sleep and quiet sleep.

During active sleep, newborns move around a lot and make noises. They can be woken easily during active sleep.

During quiet sleep, newborns are still. Their breathing is deep and regular. They’re less likely to wake during quiet sleep.

When newborns sleep, they go through sleep cycles. Each newborn sleep cycle has both active sleep and quiet sleep, and each cycle takes about 40 minutes.

At the end of each cycle, newborns wake up for a little while. When they wake, they might grizzle or cry. If your baby wakes at the end of a sleep cycle, you might need to help them settle for the next sleep cycle.

Read our article on sleep for more information on sleep patterns at every age. And our article on responsive settling at 0-6 months has ideas for helping your baby settle.

At night: newborn sleep and waking

In the first few months, newborns usually wake several times a night for feeds.

Between 1 and 3 months, your baby might start waking less often and having longer periods of sleep at night.

By the time your baby is around 3 months old, they might regularly be having a longer sleep at night – for example, around 4-5 hours. But you can expect that your baby will still wake at least once each night.

If your baby is premature or low birth weight or has other health or growth concerns, your paediatrician or child and family health nurse might recommend that you let your baby sleep for only a certain amount of time at night before you wake them for a feed.

Premature babies might have sleep challenges, particularly if they’re sleeping in the neonatal intensive care unit. If you’re worried about your premature baby’s sleep, speak to your paediatrician or child and family health nurse for help.