Why Do Newborns Sleep So Much?

How Much Should a Newborn Sleep?

Most newborns sleep for 14 to 18 hours each day. Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source Trusted Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. View Source They sleep for short periods of time spread throughout the day and night, rather than in big blocks of time. For the first three or so months of life, these periods of sleep do not adhere to any sort of schedule or pattern, and the infant has no understanding of the difference between day and night. Trusted Source Merck Manual|MSD Manuals View Source The American Academy of Sleep Medicine avoids providing official recommendations for sleep duration in newborns under 4 months old since there is so much variation. Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source

“Parents should be aware that even though newborn sleep may be erratic initially, good sleep hygiene is still mandatory to enforce. This includes having a short routine of turning off the lights, swaddling the newborn, singing a song, and allowing the child to fall asleep independently in the crib or bassinet.”

Dr. Nilong Vyas

Pediatrician, MD

Babies should sleep on a flat surface with nothing in the crib or bassinet except a fitted sheet. Parents should always avoid smoking near their infant, and not share a room or bed with their baby for at least the first six months.

Attempts to get a newborn to sleep through the night won’t work, especially since they will need to wake to feed overnight, but an infant will gradually begin sleeping more at night and less during the day as they grow older. Most babies start getting most of their sleep at night — while also taking naps during the day — when they are between four and six months old. Trusted Source Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source

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Why Does a Newborn Need So Much Sleep?

When they are first born, infants spend more time asleep each day than they do awake Trusted Source Infant and Child Development View Source , with sleep accounting for up to 75% of their time. Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source Sleep is believed to be crucial to a newborn’s ability to learn, create memories, develop a healthy brain and nervous system, and develop important survival instincts. Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source

Newborns are only awake for short windows of time. Every instance of learning something new in their environment is followed by a period of sleep, which may help them form memories and solidify that learning. Some experts also believe that, unlike adults, newborns may have the ability to learn while they are asleep. A newborn may be taking in information, like temperature and sounds, during sleep and, as a result, learn about sensations and their environment.

In the first few months of life, newborns experience two types of sleep, often referred to as active and quiet. During active sleep, similar to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in adults Trusted Source Oxford Academic Journals (OUP) OUP publishes the highest quality journals and delivers this research to the widest possible audience. View Source , an infant may move their eyes, and their breathing and heart rates are varied. 

During quiet sleep, the equivalent of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM), an infant’s eyes do not move, and their breathing and heart rates are slow and steady. If the sleep state an infant is in is not clearly active or quiet, it is called an indeterminate or transitional state.

Active sleep is thought to play a role in brain development. In their first weeks of life, infants spend much of their time in active sleep. The brain also rapidly develops during this time. Some experts suspect that infants can learn more during active sleep, but more research is needed to confirm this idea.

Can a Newborn Sleep Too Much?

Sometimes, parents and caregivers worry about whether their newborn is sleeping too much, but it’s normal for newborns to sleep a lot. While newborns need an average of 14 to 18 hours of sleep daily, some healthy infants can sleep for as many as 20 hours each day. Preterm infants may spend virtually all of the day and night asleep. Sleep gradually diminishes as a natural function of the child growing older. 

Doctors say that as long as your newborn is eating, urinating, eliminating, and gaining weight as expected, they are doing okay, even if they seem to sleep more than expected. Generally, it’s considered more concerning if an infant is not sleeping enough. However, if you’re concerned that your baby’s long sleep periods may reflect an underlying condition or if your infant isn’t waking up often enough to feed, consult your pediatrician.

Reasons a Newborn May Sleep More Than Usual

When a newborn sleeps over about 20 hours per day, there is usually an underlying reason. Reasons a newborn may sleep more than usual include:

• A growth spurt or sudden increase in development 
• A minor infection, like a cold, or a more serious infection Trusted Source Merck Manual|MSD Manuals View Source
• Failure to thrive (FTT) Trusted Source Merck Manual|MSD Manuals View Source , a disorder that can stem from under-eating
• A breathing or heart condition Trusted Source Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source
• Jaundice, a condition that makes the skin and eyes look yellow because of an increase in a substance in the body called bilirubin Trusted Source Merck Manual|MSD Manuals View Source

When Should I Wake My Newborn to Eat?

Most newborns wake up on their own when they need to eat Trusted Source Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source approximately every two to three hours. In the first few months of life, they eat many times throughout the day and night, rather than on a set schedule. Most newborns will want you to feed them every two to three hours throughout both the day and night Trusted Source Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source . If your newborn doesn’t wake up at least every four hours to feed, it’s ok to wake them up.

“If your newborn is waking every hour to feed,” says Dr. Nilong Vyas, Pediatrician MD, “evaluate if the newborn is getting adequate milk intake with each feed and determine whether it’s really hunger or comfort that they are waking for. Discussing this with a pediatrician or sleep coach can help prevent sleep loss for both the parent and child secondary to unnecessary wakeups.” 

When your newborn is awake, there are signs that can indicate if they are hungry and want to be fed. A hungry newborn may make sucking sounds with their mouth, stick their fingers in their mouth, or move their head around as if looking for something to feed on Trusted Source National Agricultural Library The National Agricultural Library is one of five national libraries of the United States and houses one of the world's largest collections devoted to agriculture and its related sciences. View Source . By the time your baby starts crying, it means they are very hungry.

“Babies can want to suckle when they are in need of comfort as well or sleepy, especially breastfed infants. So, if the baby has already been fed and it may be time for sleep and you see these cues, offer a pacifier instead and put the baby to sleep. Feeding the newborn right before sleep can create a feed-to-sleep association, which can be hard to break later. ”

Dr. Nilong Vyas

Pediatrician, MD

Babies can want to suckle when they are in need of comfort as well or sleepy, especially breastfed infants. So, if the baby has already been fed and it may be time for sleep and you see these cues, offer a pacifier instead and put the baby to sleep. Feeding the newborn right before sleep can create a feed-to-sleep association, which can be hard to break later. 

Your doctor may suggest waking up your newborn and feeding them on a schedule if they were born prematurely or with a medical condition. In this case, wake your newborn up for feedings at the times your doctor outlined rather than waiting for them to wake up and show an interest in eating.

If your newborn doesn’t naturally wake up to eat, or if they wake up but don’t seem interested in eating, contact your doctor and ask for their advice Trusted Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. View Source .

How to Wake Up Your Newborn

First, talk to your doctor to determine if you should wake up your newborn for feedings if you think they aren’t waking up to eat enough on their own. If your doctor suggests waking your newborn up for feedings, you can gently wake them by talking or singing to them, picking them up, stroking their feet, or moving their arms or legs. You can even try to stimulate them gently around the clavicles (collarbone). If you’re having particular trouble waking them up, try undressing them, changing their diaper, or giving them a bath.

When to Take Your Newborn to the Doctor

For most newborns, sleeping a lot is normal and not a reason to see the doctor. However, if certain other symptoms are present, taking your newborn to the doctor may be in order. Take your newborn to the doctor if any of these situations apply: 

• They are unusually difficult to wake up
• They are not feeding regularly, either because they are asleep or they refuse to feed
• They are not urinating or eliminating regularly
• They are not gaining enough weight over time

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