RaMa Mama Doula Share: Newborns, Sleep Patterns, and How To Get Through The Night...

One of the most common questions that a mother-to-be asks about is how to best approach sleeping patterns and behaviors during the night with a newborn baby. This is where anxiety can set in because new parents want to make sure they get enough sleep to be the best that they can be. They also want to understand how to care for their child in the best possible way.

To begin with, it is important to understand that newborns tend to sleep a lot. Some studies show that within a 24-hour time period, a newborn can sleep anywhere from 14 hours to 17 hours. The difference with them is that these hours usually come in 2-4 hour blocks, and are not defined by daytime and nighttime because newborns do not have a connection to the natural circadian rhythm for several weeks after they are born. Small bursts of rest manifest as a safety measure to ensure that their calorie intake matches their needs, their diapers are dry, and they are not at risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Newborns need to be cared for "on call" until around 4-6 months when sleep training techniques can be practiced. New parents have to let go of their old sleeping patterns in order to match their newborn baby's rhythms. If the baby is sleeping, the parent should also nap. Most parents use this sleeping time to catch up with cleaning, other work, or self-care, but without prioritizing sleep, parents lose this time and can never get it back. The other tasks can be done at another time and space. Parents may not get the opportunity to sleep through an entire night until the baby is around 4-9 months of age. That is why it is crucial to take it when they can get it, and move through this phase of the newborns life with more ease and grace.

Everyone needs a support system - whether it means getting a housekeeper to do the deeper cleaning, asking family members to babysit for a few hours, or ordering takeout for dinner. When parents are sleep deprived, they need to let go of expectations and be in the flow. It is much more manageable to deal with feeling tired when the daily stressors are minimized. Parents are needed to feed the baby every 90 minutes to 3 hours if breast-feeding, and 3-4 hours when feeding formula. Babies can eat for 30 minutes to almost an hour in one feeding. Then the baby needs to be burped, changed, and soothed back to sleep. There is a small nap time, and then the cycle repeats again. If parents choose to bed-share, then this cycle could repeat more often, and that is why it is suggested to avoid sharing the bed with an infant until they are 6 months to a year old. This allows for the parents to take turns during the night so the other partner can avoid interruption of a sleep cycle. Rotating shifts can be very helpful in creating a routine in the night schedule. Babies need to sleep on their backs in their cribs (in the same room instead of in the same bed as the parents), without toys, blankets, or anything else. Baby monitors can be used if the crib is in another room, and there are many other electronic tools that can help to notify the parents of their baby's needs during sleeping time available and on the market.

Lack of sleep can be extremely dangerous, and that is why it is important to work toward routine schedules that ensure everyone is getting enough rest. Newborns are open to learning this rhythm, and parents can help to create it from the start. Lighting can be used to help shift from daytime to nighttime by using night lights, dimmers, or candles to help set the evening mood. Also, playing soft music, moving into the bedroom from the living spaces, and gentle massage after a soothing bath can all help to set the tone for the night. Daytime will be brighter, the music in the home can be louder and more upbeat, and toys can be introduced to help stimulate the brain and the physical body. By creating these different energies with rituals and repetitive patterns, it will help to teach the baby the rhythms of day and night as well as the house energy and flow for the entire family. Together, baby and parents will move through this temporary time by learning from one another, creating routines, practicing them, and implementing the schedules that promote the most healthy, happy, peaceful, and Loving environment for everyone in the home.