Apr 29, 2025

Newborn Sleep Tips to Help You and Baby Get Rest

Bringing home a newborn is a life-changing and exciting experience, but it can also mean sleepless nights for new parents. Understanding your newborn’s sleep patterns and implementing strategies to support their rest can help both you and your baby get the sleep you need. Here are some in-depth tips to navigate those early weeks and months.

1. Understand Newborn Sleep Cycles

Newborns sleep differently from adults. They typically sleep 14 to 17 hours a day but in short stretches of 2-4 hours at a time. This fragmented sleep pattern is because newborns have shorter sleep cycles, moving through light (REM) and deep sleep phases more quickly.

Tip: Knowing that frequent waking is normal can help you manage your expectations. Over time, your baby will begin to sleep for longer stretches.

2. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

A soothing sleep environment is key to helping your newborn feel secure and comfortable.

Suggestions:

Keep the room dimly lit during night feedings and nappy changes.
Use white noise or a sound machine to mimic the womb’s comforting sounds.
Ensure a comfortable room temperature (between 68-72°F or 20-22°C).
Use blackout curtains to keep the room dark during sleep periods.

3. Establish a Gentle Sleep Routine

While newborns are too young for rigid schedules, a simple bedtime routine can cue your baby that it’s time to sleep.

Routine Ideas:

Warm bath to relax your baby.
Gentle rocking or swaying.
Soft lullabies or white noise.
Feeding followed by a calm, quiet atmosphere.

4. Practice Safe Sleep Guidelines

Following safe sleep practices reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and ensures your baby rests safely.

Safe Sleep Practices:

Always place your baby on their back to sleep.
Use a firm, flat mattress in a safety-approved crib or bassinet.
Keep the crib free of blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals.
Share a room but not a bed with your baby for at least the first six months.

5. Learn Your Baby’s Sleep Cues

Recognizing when your baby is tired can prevent overtiredness, which makes it harder for them to fall asleep.

Common Sleep Cues:

Rubbing eyes or pulling ears.
Yawning or fussiness.
Decreased activity and glazed eyes.

6. Encourage Day-Night Differentiation

Newborns often have their days and nights mixed up. Helping them distinguish between day and night can improve their sleep patterns over time.

How to Help:

Keep daytime feedings lively and engaging.
Expose your baby to natural daylight during the day.
Keep nighttime feedings calm and quiet with minimal stimulation.

7. Take Care of Yourself

Caring for a newborn is exhausting, so prioritize your own rest whenever possible.

Self-Care Tips:

Sleep when your baby sleeps.
Share nighttime duties with your partner or a support person.
Accept help from friends and family.

Navigating newborn sleep is a journey that takes time and patience. By understanding your baby’s needs and creating a supportive environment, you can help both you and your little one rest better. Remember, every baby is unique, and what works for one may not work for another—be kind to yourself as you find what suits your family best.

Here are some products we recommend that we stock at Bambinos and Beyond, to help you and your baby get the rest you deserve;

Maxi-Cosi See Pro Monitor

FEATURES:

6 months subscription for CryAssist service included
Fully protected with AES 128 encrypted technology
Cry detection
Night vision
Remote pan, tilt and zoom
Motion detection and tracking
Soothing white noises
Sleep inducing lullabies
Room humidity & temperature alerts
Two way audio
Additional 30 degrees tilt down angle
SD card storage

Zello original white noise machine/ zello portable white noise machine

Features for original white noise machine

A white noise machine that blocks out unwanted noises.
Helps you and baby get a better nights sleep
Features a warm white night light with 5 brightness levels or choose from 7 colour options
Choose from 24 relaxing sounds
20 hours playtime from one charge
Play continuously or set a timer for 30, 60 or 90 minutes
Dimensions 10.6 x 10.6 x 6.4cm
Suitable for all ages

Features for portable white noise machine

White noise machine and adjustable night light – choose from 3 warm light options
Up to 20 hours of play time from one charge
Choose from 16 calming sounds
Play continuously or set a timer for 30, 60 or 90 minutes
Weighing just 110g, it is lightweight and compact making it perfectly portable
Dimensions 8.5 x 2.5cm
Suitable for all ages

Cloud b lovelight nightlight and sound soother - Billy Bunny

FEATURES:

Record a message for baby
Choose between heartbeat, rain, soft shush, brook or 4 calming lullabies
Settings for brightness and movement create a fully controllable experience for various environments
30 min automatic shutoff
Recycled fabric
Sound machine can be recharged with a USB-C (cable included)

4. Angelcare pabobo ambiance projector- Turtle

Features:

Captivating Projections – Animated underwater projections with moving fish to mesmerize and calm your baby.
Soothing Sounds – Choose from a musical lullaby, sea melody, or white noise (rain, waves, and heartbeat). Volume is adjustable to suit your preference.
Cry Sensor – The turtle automatically turns back on if your baby cries, playing white heartbeat noises to comfort them.
Rechargeable – No need for batteries! The Aqua Dream Turtle is USB-C rechargeable, making it convenient and eco-friendly.
Adjustable Settings –
3 light intensities to select from.
Adjustable volume for sound.
Light and sound can be used separately or together.
Washable Plush – Oeko-Tex certified machine washable plush with a removable projector cover for easy care.
Automatic Shutdown – The projections stop after 25 minutes and the sound after 15 minutes for energy efficiency.

5. Cotton rope caddy

Our cotton rope diaper caddy is designed to store newborn essentials. Its size of 15” x 9.5” x 7” makes it not too bulky while large enough to keep everything you need.

The caddy will help you keep your changing essentials close by through the night so you’re not fumbling around in the dark trying to find anything. Meaning less time spent searching for changing supplies, assisting with a quick nappy change allowing you to get back to bed, taking advantage of every minute of precious sleep time.

Please remember Mummies and Daddies, getting into your sleep routine can be difficult, everyone has a different journey, there is no right or wrong way and believe you’re doing amazing! Here at Bambinos and Beyond, we offer a support group on Facebook - Bambino’s & Beyond Support Group.You can ask questions or see if someone else is experiencing the things you are. We have a community of Mummies and Daddies in exactly the same boat as you as new parents! We are here to help and support you!