Newborn and baby sleep

How much do babies sleep?

Babies will sleep for different amounts at different ages (Barry, 2020). There’s also a lot of variation between babies (Basis, no date a).

• Newborns spend between 8 and 18 hours asleep in a 24-hour period, which is spread across day and night. This is often for only 2-3 hours at a time, so they wake frequently, day and night (Basis, no date a).
• At 3-6 months, they might sleep for longer periods and need fewer night feeds. Some babies may sleep for 8 hours in one stretch at night, but many won’t (Lullaby Trust, no date a).
• By one year old, they might sleep around 15 hours in a 24-hour period, most of which happens at night (Basis, no date a). But even at one year, around 1 in 3 babies have not slept through the night (Lullaby Trust, no date a).

Babies gradually begin to sleep more at night as their circadian [ser-kay-dee-an] rhythms develop. These are the biological processes which regulate cycles of being asleep and awake, heart rate, and body temperature (Basis, no date a). See our tips for how to work with the baby's internal clock as they grow.

Why does my baby cry in their sleep?

All human babies wake up and feed frequently through the night in the first year (Basis, no date a).

Normal infant development means it takes several months to settle into a pattern with more sleep at night and less during the day (Basis, no date a).

In Western cultures, we tend to think of anything that disturbs the parents or doesn’t match our expectations as a sleep problem. In fact, frequent waking is necessary for the baby’s development and is protective against SIDS (Barry, 2021).

Even babies who have been sleeping for longer can start waking more frequently because of teething, illness or hunger (Lullaby Trust, no date a).

If they are made to ‘sleep through’ before they are ready, it can (Basis, no date a; Basis, no date c):

• increase the risk of SIDS
• make it hard to continue breastfeeding, if they are being breastfed
• encourage the development of sleep patterns which are out of step with their circadian rhythm

Sleep deprivation

Disrupted sleep is exhausting, and parents often feel like their baby sleeps less than other babies do. It’s common to feel that there is something wrong with the parenting, or with the baby (Lullaby Trust, no date b).

The Lullaby Trust has an informative video about sleep deprivation.

Sleep patterns for parents change most drastically after the birth of the first baby (Basis, no date b). It is the number of wakings, rather than the amount of time spent caring, that feels most disruptive (Basis, no date b).

Sleep deprivation can lead to feelings of desperation and helplessness, especially if the parent is on their own (Basis, no date c). It can make life easier to plan for, ask for, and accept any offers of help. Talk to the health visitor or GP if lack of sleep is meaning you are struggling to cope.

What are REM/active sleep and quiet sleep?

In babies, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is also known as active sleep. During this lighter sleep, the brain is dreaming and processing information. Quiet sleep is when the brain and body are resting and recharging (Basis, no date a).

Newborns spend over half of their sleep time in active sleep, where the brain is busy growing and processing all the information they have learnt (Barry, 2020).

By six months of age active sleep is only around a quarter of total sleep (Barry, 2020), which is similar to an adult’s active sleep (Basis, no date a).

Babies have sleep cycles of about an hour. When they first fall asleep they go straight into active sleep for about 20 minutes (Basis, no date a).

After this, they go into the quiet stage of sleep when it is easy to move them without disturbing them (Basis, no date a).

This applies to both daytime naps and nighttime sleep (Lullaby Trust, no date a).

Why is my baby making noises in their sleep?

Babies being noisy while asleep is a common concern for parents. All sorts of noises might be made during active sleep, such as grunts or groans, coos or whispers, and these are normal. As the baby gets older and spends less time in active sleep, the noises decrease (Basis, no date d).

Feeding and sleep

Research shows that how the baby is fed does not affect how much sleep the parents get (Basis, no date b).

But some research showed that parents who exclusively breastfeed or exclusively formula fed had a better quality of sleep than those who combination fed (Basis, no date b).

Human milk is high in sugar to provide the energy for rapid brain growth. It is low in fat so needs to be taken frequently, including through the night. Babies who are breastfed will wake frequently to feed (Basis, no date e).

Mothers and parents who breastfeed and sleep near their baby get more sleep than those who breastfeed but don’t sleep near their baby (Basis, no date b).

What is dream feeding?

Adult brains get the most refreshing sleep in the first 4-5 hours of sleep. So some parents offer a ‘dream’ or 'focal' feed to reduce night wakings (Dewar, 2022).

Dream feeding means different things to different people (Dewar, 2022).

• Offering a feed when putting the baby to bed
• Waking a sleeping baby to feed when the parent goes to bed
• Stroking the baby's mouth and offering a feed to an awake or sleepy baby when the parent goes to bed

A study on babies fed with a bottle of formula or breastmilk at their bedtime, found that five months later those babies slept on average an additional hour (Quante et al, 2022).

While dream feeding may give parents a rest, there isn’t evidence to show it’s suitable for all babies. So it may not be recommended (Dewar, 2022):

• If the baby is underweight
• If they have reflux
• If they have certain medical conditions

Dream feeding may affect the baby learning to settle, which some families may consider important (Dewar, 2022).

Tips to help a baby sleep

Use daylight

Getting your baby used to daytime and nighttime by getting them out and about during daylight hours can help set their ‘internal clock.’ Even premature babies have been found to respond to daylight signals (Dewar, 2018).

Limiting their exposure to blue artificial light from screens in the evening can also help babies recognise that nighttime is for sleeping. Lower the room lights in the evening before bedtime, or better yet, use a low watt, amber bulb (Dewar, 2018).  

The TV and electronic devices emit blue light (Dewar, 2018). Our article on screen time has more information.  

Nighttime care

Don’t feel you have to burp the baby after a nighttime feed. And unless the baby has a heavy wet nappy or has done a poo, you don’t need to change it (Dewar, 2018).

Keep any nighttime feeds or nappy changes for your baby low key – be gentle and caring, but boring. Bright light, eye contact, or chatting can make it harder for them to fall back asleep (Dewar, 2018).

A study of babies between 5 weeks and 3 months of age found that a quarter of babies woke up and resettled themselves at night, often without their parents knowing (Basis, no date).  Try leaving them for a minute when they wake up, to see if they settle to sleep on their own (Dewar, 2018).  

If your baby cries a lot at night, see our article on newborn crying.

Nap and bedtime routines

By about three months old, the baby might be ready for a bedtime routine (Lullaby Trust, no date a). However, the focus on wind down time should be on helping them feel settled, safe and loved. This is no time to create anxiety or conflict (Dewar, 2018).

For older babies, make sure the afternoon nap doesn’t stretch too close to bedtime. Aim to increase the amount of waking time between the last nap of the day and bedtime (Dewar, 2018).

Coping as a parent

Look after your own health as a parent too – see our articles on perinatal mental health. If you’re struggling, talk to a health visitor or GP.