How Your Newborn’s Sleep Works

Newborn SleepNew Mom TipsNewborn Sleep SupportBaby Sleep Tips

May 7

Sleep is a complicated thing!

There is an entire science and understanding that goes along with it. Without having some knowledge on this, it’s easy to have unrealistic expectations when it comes to what your newborn’s sleep should look like.

Cycles and Stages

Your baby’s sleep has cycles, and within each cycle are stages. As a newborn, they only have two stages: Active (REM) sleep and quiet (non-REM) deep sleep. Between 3-5 months their 2 stage sleep cycle will switch over to the 4 stage cycle. You’ll know when this is happening because it’s marked by a little something called the "4-month sleep regression”.⠀⠀

How can you tell which stage of the sleep cycle your baby is in?

During the active sleep stage babies are actually quite mobile! It may seem like your baby is awake, but they aren't! Try not to mistake this as them needing you to rush in, because you just might really wake them up if you do!

Things you may notice:

• Fluttering/slightly opened eyes or darting movements under eyelids.

• Arms or legs moving about.

• Whimper or cry.

• Irregular breathing.

• Moving lips.

Here is a video showing showing a baby in the active sleep stage.

In the quiet (non-REM) stage, your newborn will be very still and have regular breathing.

Newborns have shorter sleep cycles and spend about 50% in each stage. So if you're rocking or holding your little one and laying them down once they are in the quiet stage, they've actually completed half of a sleep cycle! Without being able to easily transition to the new sleep cycle yet, you may find they fully wake 10-30 minutes after you lay them down (once they've completed that second stage).

Try this:

Get your snuggles in during their awake time, and lay them down (on their backs) in their crib awake for naps. This way they get drowsy on their own, and can complete the full sleep cycle in their crib.

What this will mean for you: You’ll have time to get a solid nap in, take a shower, or maybe even drink some hot coffee!

Feeling overwhelmed when it comes to your newborn’s sleep? If you would like to have additional support during the fourth trimester and everything you need to know about newborn sleep at your fingertips, then check out my prenatal/newborn sleep support package.