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You gently stroke your newborn’s soft hair, letting the fine baby hair slip through your fingers until you reach their rosy cheek. Your baby is now a month old, and you still can’t believe your luck. If it wasn’t for the fact that they're lying peacefully asleep on you – and have been for a few hours now. Is this normal? It’s a question you’ll find yourself asking often, not just about your baby’s sleep. With a new baby, everything changes. That’s perfectly natural – from your clothes and social life to, most of all, your sleep routine.
Why?
Baby sleep is chaotic.
Baby sleep is unpredictable.
Baby sleep is exhausting.
And baby sleep brings up so many questions: When, how long, and where should my baby sleep? How much sleep is normal? What are age-appropriate wake windows? And what exactly is a sleep schedule?
If these questions sound familiar and you’re eager to learn more about newborn sleep, stay tuned! We’ll answer all the essential questions about baby sleep in the first month.
Looking for more structure, routine, and most importantly, sleep? You’re not alone. Those first days, weeks, and months with a newborn can be challenging for many new parents. But don’t worry – it does get better, and yes, you will sleep again.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about newborn sleep rhythms, sleep needs, and age-appropriate wake windows, plus tips on how flexible sleep routines can help you and your little one get better rest.
Restless nights, chaotic days, and constant tiredness? Welcome to the survival camp for new parents!
A few hours of sleep here, a few hours there – newborn sleep (0–3 months) can be unpredictable, making it exhausting for parents in the long run. It’s no wonder that the desire for more sleep, structure, and a set sleep schedule for your baby grows. That’s totally understandable!
But hold off on a fixed sleep schedule for now. Why?
The reason is biological: Babies aren’t born with a regular sleep cycle. They first need to develop this rhythm (more on developmental milestones & sleep regression) and gradually learn to fall asleep and stay asleep. At this age, an irregular sleep pattern with short sleep phases is entirely normal and appropriate.
Around the 3- to 4-month mark (more on the 4-month sleep regression, your baby will start to develop a circadian rhythm, learning to link sleep cycles and sleep in longer, more regular stretches.
So what can you do in the meantime? The magic word is flexibility.
Instead of trying to stick to a strict sleep schedule that might bring more frustration than comfort, it’s best to stay flexible and respond to your baby’s needs. Age-appropriate wake windows and signs of tiredness can help you know when your baby is ready for the next nap.
Remember, your baby’s sleep-wake rhythm is unique and depends on many factors. Age, temperament, and even their mood on a particular day can affect their sleep pattern and needs.
If things don’t go as planned, be patient with your little one. Your baby isn’t a ticking clock but a tiny person who especially in these early months needs flexibility, love, and patience from you to thrive.
To keep your baby’s sleep schedule adaptable, take a look at our guidelines and tips:
In the next section, learn how a sample sleep schedule might look for a 1-month-old.
When should my baby wake up? How many naps do they need? And how long should they sleep at a stretch? The topic of baby sleep can feel like a bottomless pit.
For every question, there are countless answers, because each baby and their sleep needs are unique. There’s no right or wrong, no “normal” or “not normal.” Instead, there are only recommendations, guidelines, and examples covering topics like sleep duration, wake windows, and sleep schedules. Every baby is unique, and so is their development and needs.
Babies will be babies, so expect the unexpected and stay flexible. The time your baby wakes in the morning is often just as unpredictable as the number and length of their naps. Irregular naps, short wake phases, frequent feedings, and full diapers are simply part of these early days and months.
The following sleep plan is just one of many examples of what a day with your baby might look like. It’s not a rigid schedule but a flexible guide for daily life. Stay flexible, observe your baby, and pay attention to age-appropriate wake windows, signs of tiredness , and hunger cues.
Is your sleep schedule completely upside down? Nothing feels like it used to? Welcome to the club of new parents – congratulations (belatedly)! You’ve probably already noticed that your day revolves almost entirely around your little one, especially when it comes to sleep. After just a few nights with a baby, you might be asking yourself: Sleep, what was that again?
Newborn sleep rhythms are completely chaotic – you've probably noticed! And even the first (sleep) year is a bit of a rollercoaster, with phases where your baby might not sleep as well. (Sleep regression: Why isn’t my baby sleeping? [Link]) From one mom to another: these phases are only temporary, just like the one you’re going through now. It will get better – promise.
When? As soon as your baby’s circadian rhythm develops – that internal sense of day and night. Here’s what you should know: newborns don’t yet have a set day-night rhythm like adults do, which can really shake up daily routines.
The reason? During pregnancy, your baby was in a constant environment: warm, cozy, and dark in the womb for nine months, with no experience of the day-night rhythm of the outside world. Starting around the 36th week of pregnancy, your baby begins alternating between sleep and wake phases, but these are still quite irregular and not tied to day or night. After birth, this unpredictable rhythm continues, typically for the first three to four months. It takes time for your baby’s circadian rhythm – their internal clock – to develop and align with day and night. This requires patience and a lot of flexibility.
What does this mean in practice? Your baby’s sleep and wake phases alternate frequently and are still relatively short. Their sleep is also influenced by hunger and fullness, which can happen at any time with newborns. So expect your baby to wake every 2 to 4 hours for feeding. But don’t worry – this is just a temporary phase.
Between months 3 and 4, you can look forward to longer sleep and wake phases (though expect the 4-month sleep regression!). Your baby’s day-night rhythm will start to align more with that of an adult as their circadian rhythm (internal clock) strengthens. They’ll also begin to link sleep cycles, allowing them to sleep for several hours at a stretch.
Remember: every newborn develops at their own pace. So be patient if things don’t go exactly as planned.
Why do newborns (0–3 months) and young babies sleep so much?
The answer: everything is new. Sounds, smells, bright lights, the snug fit of a diaper, and the feel of clothing on delicate skin – all of this needs to be processed during sleep.
A newborn’s body and brain are growing and developing at an incredible pace (more on sleep regression & milestones). Even in sleep, your baby’s brain remains active, constantly forming new connections and processing the day’s experiences. Sleep is therefore essential, supporting your baby’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development.
That’s why newborns have such a high need for sleep. So let your baby sleep as much as they need!
Even in the first month, newborns have a high need for sleep, spending most of the day dozing. A few hours here, a few hours there.
In practical terms, newborns typically sleep about 14 to 17 hours a day, spread across 5 to 8 naps, each lasting between 2 and 4 hours. As mentioned, these are flexible guidelines, not strict rules.
How many naps a newborn needs is entirely individual and depends on your baby’s unique sleep needs. Many babies naturally wake up every 2 hours for feeding, while others may need to be gently woken every 2 to 3 hours to ensure they’re getting enough calories.
Every baby has their own rhythm, so if your little one doesn’t fit perfectly into this pattern, there’s no need to worry – there are many variations of what’s “normal” when it comes to baby sleep. If you’re unsure whether your baby is sleeping enough or perhaps too much, it’s best to consult your midwife or pediatrician.
One thing to keep in mind: you can’t control your newborn’s sleep needs, as they’re influenced by various factors like hunger, growth spurts, development, and more.
What you can control, however, is how you respond to your baby’s sleep patterns. With empathy, patience, and love, you can navigate this special phase together and make it through smoothly.
One thing’s for sure: newborns sleep a lot – a whole lot – because sleep is crucial for their growth and development. But as they get older, this changes. So, expect your baby’s sleep patterns to evolve over the next 12 months (more on milestones & sleep regression). Before your little one grows from a sleepy newborn to a walking, blabbering and energetic toddler, you’ll first go through the newborn sleep phase. That’s why flexibility is key, especially in the early months and beyond.
Below is a guide to typical sleep needs for babies aged 0–18 months. Treat this table as a guideline, not a strict rule. Ultimately, your baby’s sleep needs are unique. Pay attention to their overall mood, energy levels, and developmental stage – all these factors can affect how much sleep your baby needs.
In the first month with your baby, you probably won’t capture many photos of your little one smiling wide-eyed at the camera. That’s because newborn wake windows (0–3 months) are still very short, usually lasting only 30 to 40 minutes – at most, an hour. Especially in the early weeks, these wake phases are often irregular, and you’ll notice that after a quick round of diaper changing, feeding, and a bit of bonding, your baby is ready to sleep again. Not sure what a wake window is? Check out our article Wake Windows for Babies: Tips & Tricks for Better Sleep [Link] to learn more about these wake phases and how following age-appropriate wake windows can help your baby fall asleep and stay asleep longer.
Yawning, rubbing their eyes, or fussing are your baby’s ways of telling you they’re ready for sleep. So keep an eye out for these signs of tiredness to help prevent overtiredness.
Use these awake moments to connect with your baby. During these times, they’re alert and curious about their surroundings, making it a perfect opportunity for diaper changes, feeding, or gently engaging them with sounds like your voice.
Over time, your baby’s sleep-wake rhythm will become more stable, and by around 4 to 12 weeks, they may often stay awake for up to 90 minutes at a time.
In the first 12 weeks, wake windows for newborns gradually lengthen as your baby grows. Here’s a quick guide to typical wake times by age:
Looking for more structure, routine, and most importantly, sleep? You’re not alone. Those first days, weeks, and months with a newborn can be challenging for many new parents. But don’t worry – it does get better, and yes, you will sleep again.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about newborn sleep rhythms, sleep needs, and age-appropriate wake windows, plus tips on how flexible sleep routines can help you and your little one get better rest.
Du bist dir unsicher, ob dein Baby eine Schlafregression hat und möchtest das Schlafverhalten deines Babys verstehen? Mit Happy Baby kannst du den Schlaf deines Babys erfassen und einen individuellen Schlafplan erstellen, der euch durch die schwierigen Phasen hilft.
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