These newborn sleep tips helped my baby sleep through the night by 8 weeks old! No cry it out needed to create these good sleep habits for newborns.
If you’re here, it’s because you are exhausted and want to sleep through the night, or because you are terrified of what sleep will be like when your new baby arrives.
Let me tell you…I didn’t know anything about newborn sleep habits when my oldest was born. Silly me thought, “when she’s tired, she’ll sleep! I can read her cues! I’m not going to fret about bedtime!”
As new parents, my husband and I were so confident in our baby’s ability to regular her own sleep. I figured since breastfed babies ate so often, the night waking was just something I’d have to deal with.
While that’s true for the early days, you don’t want to develop bad sleep patterns.
When my daughter was 6 months old I started working as a labor nurse and I had to work some night shifts. I was exhausted. And part of the problem was that she was 6 months old and still up for a night feeding 4-6 times per night.
As much as I loved seeing her sweet face at 2am, I couldn’t handle the sleep deprivation any longer. Since I couldn’t be on a consistent sleep schedule, I needed her to.
With her, we ended up doing the Ferber method, which I was super against until I had no choice. Even though I hated it, it worked beautifully for us.
Ferber method is cry-it-out in intervals. It felt mean but I also felt like I had no choice. Fortunately it only took one night, but that didn’t make it feel any better.
I don’t want to ever have to do cry-it-out again, so that’s why I vowed to do something different with my other children.
Creating healthy sleep habits in infants is very important
Healthy sleep habits start from day one. Yes, you can start developing good sleep habits in a newborn baby!
I’ve made many mistakes when it comes to my baby’s sleep, but I knew I had to do things differently the second time. I knew I couldn’t handle my two younger children having sleep issues.
At one of my first pediatrician appointments with my second child, I expressed my fears and concerns to the nurse practitioner. That’s when she said to me,
“Start a consistent bedtime routine now, and she will learn that sleep is to follow.
I thought, “interesting…she’ll learn that when this routine starts, next comes bed, and then comes sleep.”
At first I didn’t think it could be so simple. But let me tell you – it was really that simple! My two youngest daughters are very good sleepers thanks to this advice.
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My breastfed babies were sleeping through the night by 8 weeks old
Between 6-8 weeks old, my younger two daughters were sleeping 6-8 hours straight, waking to breastfeed, and then sleeping another 4 hours.
By the time they were between 6-8 months old they were sleeping 12-13 hours straight.
If I had known all of this when my oldest was born, it would have saved me a lot of stress and tears. Hopefully it will help you out, too!
Sleep regressions
No one is immune to sleep regressions. My girls have had nights here and there where they have been restless.
Regressions are very common during a growth spurt and teething. Nighttime feedings may be necessary for comfort during those times.
When is it normal for a breastfed baby to sleep through the night?
When reading this post, keep in mind that babies typically don’t sleep through the night until they are a few months of age. According to this article from Stanford Children’s Hospital, the research shows most infants don’t start sleeping through the night until they are 3 months old, or 12 to 13 pounds.
Night feeds are very normal for infants exclusively eating breast milk. Formula-fed babies may sleep longer since it takes longer to digest than breastmilk.
However, there is no guarantee that switching your baby to formula will help them sleep in longer stretches. A breastfed baby will sleep through the night, too! With all of the benefits to breastfeeding, it makes sense to continue to do so if you are able tp.
Establishing good habits early can help your baby sleep through the night much easier and sooner than if there are no healthy sleep habits or sleep associations.
How to get your baby to sleep through the night
1. Create a consistent bedtime routine
A consistent bedtime routine is the *key* to getting your baby to sleep through the night
Bedtime routines look a little different for each family, but here’s an example of ours:
6:45 PM – The baby starts getting fussy. We bring her upstairs, change her diaper, put on her Owlet Smart Sock and put her into pajamas (check out my full review of the Owlet Smart Sock here.)
7PM – Put her into a sleep sack or swaddle. Turn off all lights, turn on sound machine, and rock baby while nursing or feeding a bottle.
7:15 PM – Lay the baby down in the crib (or bassinet) while they are drowsy but still awake. Put in a pacifier, turn on “fishies” (I’ll explain what that is below), say I love yous, and shut the door.
She usually wakes up sometime between 8-9 AM!
The routine can vary greatly from family to family, and it really does NOT matter what the routine entails as long as it is the same every single night. It should also start at the same time every night!
Here’s a few ideas of things that may be a part of your baby’s bedtime routine:
- Bath
- Lullabies
- Books
- Music
- Rocking or swaying
- Swaddling
- A bottle
- Sound machine
- Change of clothes
- Change diaper (Note: make sure you are using the right kind of diapers at bedtime! This can make a huge difference in your baby’s sleep habits.)
For us, the biggest things that let my kids know it is bedtime are the noise machine, swaddle/sleep sack, and the “fishy” crib soother.
It’s a good idea for you and your partner need to get on the same page when it comes to a routine. Consistency is everything!
Sit down together, and figure out what you both would like to include in a bedtime routine. Your routine may change as the baby gets older, so if story time before bed doesn’t feel right when your baby is a week old, it may feel right when they are a year old.
My advice is to start simple, and write the routine down for reference. It will also help any babysitters you may have around bed time or nap time.
Pick a time to start the bedtime routine. The ideal bedtime for your baby is likely earlier than you’d expect. I’ve always found 6:30-7:30pm to be the perfect time to put baby down to bed.
Weird as it may sound, the later my kids go to bed, the earlier they wake up! Sometimes their little brains get overstimulated when they are over tired and it is harder for them to fall and stay asleep.
It’s also a good idea to keep your nap time routine similar to your night time routine. This can help lessen sleep problems by helping your baby learn exactly what to expect.
2. Use a noise machine
I ended up purchasing one of these noise machines when my oldest was a few months old. It made a HUGE difference!
Not only does it drown out background noise, but when we turn it on, I can see my kids eyes getting heavier. When they hear it, they immediately start settling down!
It’s like their little brains go quiet as soon as it turns on.
I also have one that I keep in the car or on the stroller when they’re little. It’s great when we’re out and about when they’re newborns and need a nap.
I’ve recommended this portable one to many friends who have LOVED it!
3. Use swaddles or sleep sacks
Swaddles are great until your infant can roll over, and then they aren’t safe to use anymore.
I love these velcro ones from SwaddleMe on Amazon.
Not only are they way easier to figure out than a blanket, but when you’re trying to break your infant of swaddling, you can let them sleep with one arm out for a few days and then the other arm afterwards. That way they don’t completely startle themselves awake, and it lets them adjust slowly to having their arms free.
I always hated swaddling with a blanket once they got a little bigger because I was worried it would come unraveled while I was sleeping and they would get tangled in it. The velcro ones gave me some peace of mind because they’re harder to unravel and use less fabric.
Once my kids grew out of swaddles, I started using sleep sacks.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), infants should not use blankets until they are over 1 years old. Sleep sacks give them the warmth of a blanket or swaddle, but still allow your baby to move their arms and legs.
My kids sleep better when they’re in warm pajamas or a sleep sack, so I love these ones from Carter’s. They are super snug and warm!
4. Buy a crib soother
I buy these “fishies” for almost everyone I know. This is one of my favorite products ever!!
The Baby Einstein Crib Aquarium plays lullabies or white noise for your baby, and has little aquatic creatures that move up and down or side to side.
There is an option to have it light up or stay dark. If you choose to have it light up, the lights slowly fade as the music dims.
There is a remote so you can turn it on from afar, or a big, orange star button on the front that will also activate it.
I turn these on for my kids every night, and they sleepily fall into a trance watching the sea creatures move to the lullabies.
If they wake up in the middle of the night, they turn their “fishies” on and fall back to sleep.
The only downside: they burn through batteries pretty quickly. It makes my husband crazy, but it’s worth it to have them sleep through the night!
5. Make sure you are breastfeeding enough during the day
When you are working on night weaning, you need to make sure you are having enough daytime feedings. Try not to let your breastfed baby go a long time without eating.
Not only is this important for your milk production, but it will help make sure you are giving the baby the right amount of milk during the day.
The important thing is you don’t want to hear your baby cry out of hunger. They are more likely to sleep longer periods if they have eaten well during the day.
6. Dream feeds
You can also try doing a dream feed. This is when you feed the baby while they are sleeping before you go to bed.
So if you put the baby down at 7pm, you may want to do a dream feed at 9pm. While the baby is still sleeping, carefully pick them up and breastfeed. They will fill their tummies but still stay sound asleep.
This form of night feedings puts the parent in control. For some people it extends the length of time before the baby’s next wake-up.
The key to dream feeding is to keep the room dark and quiet while you feed. Try not to startle or arouse the baby, just let them feed while they stay in a deep sleep.
7. Put your baby down in their bed when they are drowsy but awake
If this is the first time you’re hearing of this, I promise it won’t be your last.
This is a common piece of advice you’ll find in parenting books, pediatrician’s offices, or from well-intended strangers.
And there’s a reason everyone recommends this: you want your baby to learn to fall asleep without being touched. The best time to start this is when they are infants.
Now, I am not telling you that your baby should never sleep on your arms or chest. I let both of my babies do that from time to time, and I cherish that time with them. It is an excellent way to bond with your newborn baby.
However, you should be laying them down when drowsy but awake more often than not.
Many people that let their baby fall asleep in their arms before every sleep, and it often causes a lot of problems later.
Friends of mine have needed to do intensive sleep training, hire sleep consultants, or let their baby sleep in bed with them so they, too, could get some rest. And even despite all of those efforts, some of my friends still can’t get their older children to sleep through the night.
It’s hard to put a sleepy baby down, but you’ll be thankful later!
And like I said, it’s OK to let them sleep in your arms here and there, but try not to let it become a habit.
Sleep is such a controversial topic with moms, so you should always do what is right for you and your family. However, following the newborn sleep tips above when your baby is an infant should make your experience easier, happier, and quicker than if you wait until your baby is older.
Establishing a consistent bedtime routine will make it much easier for your infant to fall asleep and sleep through the night, so start early!
I hope this post answered your questions – and maybe gave you some good pointers!
Good luck and sweet dreams!
