How many hours does a newborn baby sleeps
Sleep and Your Newborn (for Parents)
Newborns don't yet have a sense of day and night. They sleep around the clock, and because their tiny stomachs don't hold enough breast milk or formula to keep them satisfied for long, they wake often to eat — no matter what time of day or night it is.
How Long Will My Newborn Sleep?
Newborns should get 14–17 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period, says the National Sleep Foundation. Some newborns may sleep up to 18–19 hours a day.
Newborns wake every couple of hours to eat. Breastfed babies feed often, about every 2–3 hours. Bottle-fed babies tend to feed less often, about every 3–4 hours.
Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3–4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks. After that, it's OK to let your baby sleep for longer periods of time at night.
The first months of a baby's life can be the hardest for parents, who might get up many times at night to tend to the baby. Each baby has a different sleep pattern. Some start to sleep "through the night" (for 5–6 hours at a time) by 2–3 months of age, but some don't.
How Should Babies Sleep?
During the first weeks of a baby's life, some parents choose to room-share. Room-sharing is when you place your baby's crib, portable crib, play yard, or bassinet in your own bedroom instead of in a separate nursery. This keeps baby nearby and helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring at night. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing.
While room-sharing is safe, putting your infant to sleep in bed with you is not. Bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and other sleep-related deaths.
Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one:
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep, not on the stomach or side. The rate of SIDS has gone way down since the AAP began recommending this in 1992.
- Use a firm, flat sleep surface. Cover the mattress with a sheet that fits snugly.
- Do not put anything else in the crib or bassinet. Keep plush toys, pillows, blankets, unfitted sheets, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and bumper pads out of your baby's sleep area.
- To avoid overheating, dress your baby for the room temperature and don't overbundle. Don't cover your baby's head while they're sleeping. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or feeling hot to the touch.
- Keep your baby away from smokers. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS.
- Offer a pacifier to your baby at sleep time, but don’t force it. If the pacifier falls out during sleep, you don’t have to replace it. If you're breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is firmly established.
- Watch out for other hazards, such as items with cords, ties, or ribbons that can wrap around a baby's neck, and objects with any kind of sharp edge or corner. Look around for things that your baby can touch from a seated or standing position in the crib.
Hanging mobiles, wall hangings, pictures, draperies, and window blind cords could be harmful if they are within a baby's reach. - Don’t let your baby fall asleep on a product that isn’t specifically designed for sleeping babies, such as a sitting device (like a car seat), a feeding pillow (like the Boppy pillow), or an infant lounger (like the Dock-a-Tot, Podster, and Bummzie).
- Don’t use products or devices that claim to lower the risk of SIDS, such as sleep positioners (like wedges or incliners) or monitors that can detect a baby’s heart rate and breathing pattern. No known products can actually do this.
- Don’t use weighted blankets, sleepers, or swaddles on or around your baby.
- Make sure that all sleep surfaces and products you use to help your baby sleep have been approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and meet federal safety standards.
Helping Your Newborn Sleep
Newborns follow their own schedule.
Over the next couple of weeks to months, you and your baby will begin to settle into a routine.
It may take a few weeks for your baby's brain to know the difference between night and day. Unfortunately, there are no tricks to speed this up, but it helps to keep things quiet and calm during middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes. Try to keep the lights low and resist the urge to play with or talk to your baby. This will send the message that nighttime is for sleeping. If possible, let your baby fall asleep in the crib at night so your little one learns that it's the place for sleep.
Don't try to keep your baby up during the day in the hopes that your little one will sleep better at night. Overly tired infants often have more trouble sleeping at night than those who've had enough sleep during the day.
If your newborn is fussy it's OK to rock, cuddle, and sing as your baby settles down. Swaddling (wrapping the baby in a light blanket) can also help to soothe a crying baby.
If you swaddle your baby and they start trying to roll over, that is a sign that you can stop swaddling. For the first months of your baby's life, "spoiling" is definitely not a problem. In fact, newborns who are held or carried during the day tend to have less colic and fussiness.
When Should I Call the Doctor?
While most parents can expect their newborn to sleep or catnap a lot during the day, the range of what is normal is quite wide. If you have questions about your baby's sleep, talk with your doctor.
What is normal and what to do
Most newborns spend more time asleep than they do awake, but their sleep may happen in small chunks or on an irregular schedule.
Managing a newborn’s sleep is one of the most challenging tasks associated with looking after a newborn.
Newly born babies are not accustomed to schedules or the rhythms of a typical day and night. For this reason, they might not sleep at what many people consider to be the appropriate times.
Some people may worry that their baby is sleeping too little or too much. Anyone who is concerned about a baby’s sleep habits could try keeping a sleep log. They might find that the newborn is sleeping much less, or much more, than they thought.
This article discusses how much and how often a newborn baby should sleep.
Most newborns sleep for around 8–9 hours during the day and 8 hours at night. Most also wake up at least every 3 hours to feed.
However, this timing varies widely. Some newborns may only sleep for 11 hours per day, while others may sleep for up to 19 hours per day. Also, newborns may sleep more or less than usual when they are sick or when they experience a disruption to their regular routine.
Most newborns also do not sleep in one stretch. They usually sleep for only about 1–2 hours at a time, though some may sleep a little more or less than this. In the first couple of weeks, it is normal for a newborn to wake up to feed and then go right back to sleep.
As newborns grow into infants, they begin to develop a schedule. They eventually start sleeping longer at night, though they may still wake several times to feed.
By the age of 6 months, 90% of babies sleep through the night. Even then, though, there is a significant variation from baby to baby.
A baby occasionally sleeping for longer than usual is not a cause for concern unless there are other symptoms.
In general, it is uncommon for a newborn to consistently sleep through feedings or to sleep for longer than 19 hours per day unless they are ill or are having feeding difficulties.
Some of the most common reasons that healthy babies sleep for longer than usual include the following:
- They may experience a growth spurt or developmental leap.
- They may have a minor illness, such as a cold.
- They may have a serious infection. This is rare, but it can happen. A newborn might not have a fever or other symptoms of illness like an older baby might.
- In very rare instances, a baby may have another medical condition that causes them to sleep too much. Breathing and heart disorders may affect sleep, and premature babies often have different sleep patterns from full-term infants.
- Some babies sleep too much because they have jaundice. A newborn who has jaundice will have a yellow color to their skin and a yellow cast to the whites of their eyes. Other symptoms of more severe jaundice include being lethargic, having difficulty eating, and being fussy or irritable.
- Sometimes, babies may sleep too much because they are not getting enough to eat. They may get dehydrated, lose too much weight, and even experience a failure to thrive.
The latter could happen if there is a problem with nursing because a breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, person cannot measure how much their baby is eating compared with a person who is formula feeding. They rely on external signs, such as the baby’s weight gain and diaper output.
However, in the early stages — especially for first-time parents — the signs of a potential problem may be easy to miss.
The good news is that early intervention from a pediatrician and nursing consultant can ensure that a baby is getting enough food and reassure people that breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, is possible.
A baby, whether breastfed, chestfed, or formula fed, may not be getting enough to eat if the following apply:
- They seem very lethargic and unresponsive.
- They are 14 days old and have not retained their birth weight.
- They are more than 6 weeks old and are consistently gaining less than 4–6 ounces per week.
- They are producing fewer than four very wet diapers per day.
- They do not seem calmer after eating.
Newborns often cluster-feed, which means that they may eat several times over the course of 1–2 hours or nurse for an extended period. Most newborns should eat every 2–3 hours (or eight to 12 times every 24 hours) or more if a pediatrician recommends so or if the baby is not gaining enough weight.
Feeding a newborn whenever they show hunger cues — such as rooting, sucking, or sticking out their tongue — is the best way to ensure that they get enough food.
It is not necessary to wake most older newborns up to eat. However, those younger than 1 month old or so may not wake up when they feel hungry. Babies younger than 4 weeks old should not go longer than 4–5 hours without food.
To wake a baby up to eat, try brushing the side of their cheek. This can trigger the rooting reflex. Most babies dislike having their feet stroked. So, if stroking the cheek does not work, try gently wiggling the baby’s toes or gently stroking the bottoms of their feet.
Food needs vary from baby to baby. Parents and caregivers should consult a pediatrician or nursing expert, who can offer individual advice based on the needs and development of the baby.
Usually, a newborn who appears to be sleeping too much is just sleeping on an irregular schedule.
Nevertheless, health issues such as respiratory infections that are minor annoyances in older babies can be much more dangerous in newborns.
So, anyone who is concerned about a baby’s sleeping schedule should consult a pediatrician.
Some strategies to try before calling the doctor include:
- feeding the baby every time they show hunger cues
- offering the baby the breast, the chest, or a bottle every 1–2 hours to ensure adequate food intake
- making sure that the baby is not too cold or too hot
- keeping a log of the baby’s sleep schedule for 1–2 days
When in doubt, contact a doctor. Only a doctor can accurately determine the reason that a newborn is sleeping too much. In many cases, a pediatrician may be able to assess the problem over the phone.
Excess sleep in a newborn is not typically an emergency unless they also show signs of respiratory problems. Call a doctor or go to the emergency room if the following apply:
- The baby is gasping for air or wheezing.
- The baby’s breathing is very loud.
- The baby’s nostrils flare when they breathe.
- The skin around the baby’s ribs sinks in when they breathe.
- The baby has a fever.
- The baby may have inhaled, touched, or eaten something toxic.
Finding the rhythm of a newborn’s sleeping pattern is a constant challenge. Most babies settle into a comfortable routine sooner or later. Parents and caregivers should eventually understand what is and is not normal for their baby.
It is common to worry about a baby’s sleep. This concern often helps people detect problems early and encourages them to seek expert advice when necessary.
Anyone who is worried that a baby may be sleeping too much should talk with a pediatrician.
Children's Clinical Medical Center of Chita
Sadly, pediatricians are increasingly stating the fact that modern children do not get enough sleep. And the lack of sleep in a child is much more dangerous than the lack of sleep in an adult. Children who sleep significantly less than normal grow more slowly and develop worse than their peers. This is easily explained.
First, growth hormones are produced during sleep.
Secondly, a good sound sleep contributes to a better memorization of previously received information.
Thirdly, general weakness due to lack of sleep makes it difficult to fully assimilate information.
In addition, the immune system is weakened in children with little sleep and the likelihood of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system increases. Sleep-deprived children become nervous, absent-minded, fussy. This applies to all children, regardless of their age: Babies and teenagers alike should sleep well.
Parents are obligated to provide their child with adequate and healthy sleep.
For children, as for adults, the normal amount of sleep is individual. Some kids sleep more, some less. The figures given by doctors are an average. In general, they should strive for. These figures reflect the total amount of sleep per day, that is, taking into account both night sleep and daytime sleep.
- Newborn baby sleeps an average of 18-22 hours a day.
- Baby from 1 to 3 months old sleeps 18-20 hours.
- A 3-4 month old baby can sleep 17-18 hours.
- A 5-6 month old baby must sleep at least 16 hours.
- Baby 7 to 12 months old sleeps 14 to 16 hours a day.
- A child from 1 to 1.5 years old must sleep at least 10-11 hours at night and 3-4 hours during the day. In general, at least 14 hours a day.
- A child from one and a half to 2 years old must sleep at least 10-11 hours at night and 2-3 hours during the day. In general, at least 13 hours a day.
- Child 2 to 3 years old must sleep at least 10-11 hours at night and 2-2.5 hours during the day. In general, at least 12.5 hours a day.
- Children 3-4 years old should sleep at least 10 hours at night and 2 hours during the day.
In general, at least 12 hours a day.
- Children 5 to 7 years of age should sleep at least 9-10 hours at night and 1.5-2 hours during the day. In general, at least 10.5-11 hours a day.
- Pupils of elementary school may not sleep during the day. At night, they should sleep at least 9 hours, preferably 10 hours.
- Adolescent needs at least 9 hours of sleep per night.
- high school students should sleep an average of 8 hours per night.
In order for the child to get enough sleep, it is necessary to follow the regimen and put him to bed at the same time. This is especially true for night sleep. Make it a rule to put the child to bed, for example, at 21 o'clock. And never deviate from this rule. Let there be guests in the house, let the child become interested in the game, let the parents have things to do - everything should be postponed for the sake of the child's sleep.
If he gets used to going to bed at the same time, nothing will prevent him from relaxing in time and wanting to sleep. No game will seem more attractive to him than a fresh warm bed and a cozy pillow.
2. Preparation for sleep, relaxation, rituals.
In order for the child to fall asleep easily and quickly, already an hour or two before bedtime, he must be in a calm atmosphere. Noisy games, difficult puzzles, intellectual tasks, homework preparation, computer games, watching noisy long movies and cartoons, listening to loud music, etc. - all this should end an hour or two before going to bed. The kid at this time can calmly play with toys or listen to a fairy tale read by his mother. An older child can read by himself, chat with his parents, watch a calm movie. Yes, and not so much time will be left for quiet leisure, because direct preparation for sleep will require a lot of time. It is necessary to take a shower, brush your teeth, straighten the bed, change into pajamas, drink some water, etc.
The same actions performed day after day before going to bed become a kind of ritual, the performance of which also helps the child tune in to sleep. And this, in turn, contributes to faster and deeper falling asleep and, as a result, better rest. If, for example, a few sips of water before bedtime suddenly become a habit, do not try to wean your child from it. Let this be your ritual helper. If a child is used to parents reading a fairy tale to him, then he needs to read, regardless of employment.
3. Lightness in the stomach.
The last meal should be 2 hours before bedtime (this does not apply to infants and children who are breastfed). Shortly before bedtime, a child can drink a cup of tea with 1-2 cookies or a glass of kefir, but not with a high-calorie sandwich. Firstly, with ease in the body falls asleep more soundly. Secondly, dense high-calorie snacks before bedtime are bad for the stomach.
4. Comfortable atmosphere in the room.
The room must be well ventilated before putting the child to bed.
If the room is dry, after airing it is worth turning on the humidifier and bringing the humidity level to an acceptable level. When the child goes to bed, you need to turn off the light, you can leave a dim nightlight if the baby asks for it. In no case should children be put to bed with the TV turned on or a flickering computer monitor. However, it is impossible to turn on the TV, the overhead light and the sound of the computer speakers even after the child falls asleep. Light noises and light may not wake him up, but they will make the child's sleep superficial, because of this, the body will not get proper rest. If this happens consistently, the child will show signs of sleep deprivation. That is, he seems to be sleeping as much as necessary, but still does not get enough sleep. The reason is the lack of conditions. The room where the child sleeps should be fresh, dark and quiet.
Sleep is very important for a child's normal growth and brain development, and regular lack of sleep can lead to serious illnesses.
