From Newborn Sleep Patterns towards Healthy Sleep Habits

Author: Heidi Holvoet, PhD

A newborn's sleeping skills are governed by her newborn sleep patterns. Their optimal development towards bigger is crucial for good health now and later on.

Developing rapidly, especially in the first six months, newborn and baby sleep patterns explain why baby's naps and nights can be so unpredictable, in those first months, and even past one year old.

Understanding this development helps us guide our child in the best possible way: by accepting what is inherent to her maturity and by steering towards good habits that fit our daily lives. An overview ...

The first six months are key in sleep development: at no other stage in life do sleep patterns develop this rapidly. After six months, the sleep patterns continue to develop. Around the age of four close-to-adult sleep patterns are reached. How much is enough continues to depend on age, but also on personality and environment.

Developing newborn sleep patterns

The main characteristic of a newborn's sleep pattern is the lack of a circadian rhythm.

So indeed, our baby has no choice when giving us a hard time with broken nights, for her there is just no difference between day and night ... A clear daily routine and light/dark cues can help instill this day-night rhythm towards a newborn baby sleep schedule.

Different things influence the natural infant sleep patterns. This results, as usual, in (large) differences between babies: some seem to get our rhythm in a snap and others may take many months to adjust.

After birth, newborn sleep patterns are naturally linked to food: a newborn and growing baby needs food regularly: ideally in not too big portions but frequently. Her natural infant sleep patterns reinforce these food needs:

Baby will wake up because she needs food, just long enough for feeding, a burp and a diaper filling, some socializing and then back to sleep again. Sleeping: to develop brain and body, and to be ready for another feeding, burping, ...

A small baby spends a lot of time in so called light sleep, about half of the time. The other half is quiet sleep which is deeper. This results in rather easy arousal, especially shortly (first 30 minutes) after going to sleep.

She also makes short sleep cycles: 50-minute slots of light and quiet sleep, after which she wakes up (either completely or else goes straight on to next cycle). This explains the frequent (night) awakenings.
(We adults do the same, but in 90-minute cycles.)

As the first weeks go by, little by little, there will be a bit more awake time: baby becomes more aware of her surroundings, the socializing with mom/dad/carer becomes more important.

1 - 6 months baby sleep patterns

Then during the following months, practicing motor skills requires her to be awake more. And that's how the awake stretches become longer. As baby becomes ready to be without food for longer, she can also sleep for longer stretches.

Around 3 to 4 months old, the circadian rhythm has usually set in. Sleep at night will be different and - in spite of night awakenings - longer than during the day.

Unfortunately, these abilities are no guarantee for perfect nights ... At this age, there are other factors besides food and deep sleep: there's awareness of needing mom/dad, separation anxiety, teething, etc.

6 months and onwards

At about 6 months old, baby starts to reach a deeper sleep more often. Then little by little, towards the age of 4, her sleep cycles become longer, going from 50 to 90 minutes. Sleep is starting to resemble adult sleep more and more, most of the work is done ...

As is clear from the above overview, newborn sleep patterns need time to develop. They do so quite rapidly and with a gentle guiding hand, grow towards lifelong healthy sleep habits. See the baby sleep patterns page for practical tips.

For the right tools and techniques to teach your new baby the right sleeping skills you may find my free Complete Newborn Sleep Guide helpful.