Facts about baby sleep patterns
When you have a newborn, you’ll find that baby’s sleep patterns can be hard to get used to. As the baby grows, her sleep patterns will stabilize and she will sleep through the night. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with normal infant sleep patterns so you know what to expect from your newborn. Although each baby is unique, for the most part they follow the same sleep schedule.
As a newborn, from birth to 12 weeks, your baby will sleep 14-18 hours throughout the day. You can expect 2 hours of sleep at a time, day and night. What this means for mom and dad is that they will have very little uninterrupted sleep. It is important that the baby wakes up and eats to stay healthy. At around 6 to 8 weeks, you will notice that your baby will start to consolidate sleep and sleep for longer periods at a time, offering much relief to parents as they are also able to sleep longer.
Around 3 to 4 months, Mom and Dad will be able to sleep more regularly, as the baby’s sleep begins to follow a more regular pattern. This is when she will start taking naps and will sleep around 12-15 hours total throughout the day.
As baby approaches 6 months, you can expect 2-3 naps a day and a good amount of sleep at night. At 9-12 months, the baby should take 2 naps a day and start sleeping 11-12 hours at night. Around 18 months is when the afternoon nap will be the only one baby takes and mom and dad can expect a full night’s sleep for the most part. Getting used to your baby’s sleep patterns can be the hardest for new parents.