During the first month, babies will spend around 16 hours a day sleeping. This will usually happen in the form of three- or four-hour naps evenly spaced between feedings. After a newborn has been awake for one to two hours, he or she will need to sleep again.
Generally, newborns sleep a total of about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and a total of about 8 hours at night. But because they have a small stomach, they must wake every few hours to eat. Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) until at least 3 months of age. But this can vary a lot.
Some newborns sleep for up to four 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.
The amount of sleep an infant gets at any one stretch of time is mostly ruled by hunger. Newborns will wake up and want to be fed about every three to four hours at first. Do not let your newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks.
In the first few weeks after birth, babies sleep much of the day and night. Most wake 2 to 3 times during the night for feeds. Babies have shorter sleep cycles than adults and wake or stir about every 40 minutes.
1-Week-Old Baby Development
Your baby's main job at 1 week is to adjust to life outside the womb, to learn how to suckle at the breast or bottle, and get lots of snuggle time with their loved ones. You can see some of these reflexes at work when you feed your baby.
One week after birth the baby can see colors and can see about 8-10 inches away. At six weeks of age baby can see about 12 inches away. You can help your infant's vision by holding and feeding him or her on each side, left and right (Picture 1). Place your baby in the crib facing different ways to see different views.
Most newborns spend most of their time asleep – they sleep 14-17 hours in every 24 hours. It's common for newborns to sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours between feeds, both night and day. Also, newborns need to feed every 2-4 hours.
Chronic sleepiness, though, can sometimes be a cause for concern. If your newborn is regularly sleeping for more than 17 hours a day and it's interfering with her ability to eat at least eight times per day, you should let your pediatrician know.
Newborns need a lot of sleep – about 14 to 18 hours a day. It's normal for newborns to sleep almost constantly in the early weeks, waking only long enough to eat and then fall back asleep. All that rest plays a critical role in their rapid growth and development.
The first few weeks are the hardest. Erin is a writer and educator born and raised in New Jersey. She writes about lifestyle, travel, women's health, and wedding and event planning. From the moment you share your pregnancy news, it seems that you're bombarded with (often unsolicited) advice.
Smile, stick out your tongue, and make other expressions for your infant to study, learn, and imitate. Use a favorite toy for your newborn to focus on and follow, or shake a rattle for your infant to find. Let your baby spend some awake time lying on the tummy to help strengthen the neck and shoulders.
Feeding and sleeping in the first week of life
Your newborn will sleep most of the time, waking up every few hours to feed. Newborns can't 'sleep through the night'. They have tiny tummies, so they need to wake and feed often. Most newborns feed every 2-4 hours, and they have around 8-12 feeds every 24 hours.
Newborns eat and sleep around the clock, but starting around 2 to 4 months, you may start to observe patterns and establish a routine. Start by practicing a consistent bedtime routine every night, and plan to do roughly the same things at the same time every day.
This is all learned behavior. If your newborn sleeps like a vampire all day and is up all night long, or if she's exhibiting other common infant sleep patterns like frequent night wakings, restless sleeping or early waking, it's all completely normal. Her sleep patterns will evolve as she grows.
Primarily, newborns sneeze a lot because they have to. Newborns have smaller nasal passages than adults and may have to literally clear their noses more often than adults do, since they can get clogged more easily. They sneeze to get rid of anything from breast milk to mucus, smoke, and even dust bunnies in the air.
What makes a baby sleepy? Recovering from birth: In the first few days, some babies are sleepy or uninterested in feeding. It's especially true for small babies, after a difficult labour or birth, or if you received drugs for pain relief during labour. Jaundice or an infection may make a baby sleepy.
While there's a lot to learn as a first-time mom, a baby is only considered a newborn for his first 2-3 months of life. Next is the infant stage, which lasts until your baby turns 1 year old.
Another great time to change your newborn's diaper is before or during feedings. If you're breastfeeding, as you switch from one breast to the other, take the time to check her diaper, and change it if needed. If you're bottle-feeding, check her diaper right before you give her the bottle.
Breast-fed babies are more likely to sleep in shorter bursts, sleep less deeply and take longer to sleep through the night . But they do benefit from the melatonin in your breastmilk, which helps them get to sleep .
Even if your baby falls asleep, try burping them for a few minutes before placing them back down to sleep. Otherwise, they make wake up in pain with trapped gas.
Babies recognize their mother's scent even before they are born. Your baby is biologically and genetically programmed to connect to you through your unique smell. The process of development of olfactory cells (cells responsible for the sense of smell) begins as soon as the first trimester of pregnancy.
Hiccups are normal and usually don't hurt your baby. In younger babies, hiccups are usually a sign that they need to be seated upright during or after feeding, that feeding needs to be slower for them, or that they need more time before or after feeding to relax.
How often does my newborn need a bath? There's no need to give your newborn baby a bath every day. Three times a week might be enough until your baby becomes more mobile. Bathing your baby too much can dry out your baby's skin.