Your newborn can't tell the difference between night and day and she has such a small stomach that she needs to be fed multiple times in the middle of your normal sleep time, according to KidsHealth, part of the Nemours Foundation. Her sleep schedule might throw yours off for now, but soon enough she will adapt to a routine that is less exhausting for you. Understanding how and why she sleeps the way she does will help you cope until she develops the ability to sleep for longer stretches.
Total Sleep
Newborns sleep an average of 16.5 hours a day. Since your newborn won't sleep in a long stretch, you'll have to add together each sleep session to get an idea of where he stands. If you discover that your little one sleeps as few as 12 hours or as many as 19 hours in a 24-hour period, he's just on the low or high end of the normal range.
Sleep Intervals
Your newborn should generally not sleep any longer than three or four hours at a time in her first couple of weeks, or she won't get enough to eat, says KidsHealth. She may wake up on her own when she's hungry, or you may need to wake her up to feed. She might be able to sleep four or five hours straight after she has regained her weight, but she'll generally need to eat more frequently than that if she is small, premature or breastfed, according to KidsHealth.
Sleep Cycles
Your newborn has the same sleep phases as you do: drowsiness, rapid eye movement sleep and light, deep and very deep sleep, according to KidsHealth. You may notice that he squirms in his sleep and wakes up frequently. This happens because his sleep cycles are much shorter than yours and he spends more time in light, rapid eye movement sleep than you do. Rapid eye movement sleep is thought to help sustain brain development in your newborn's first few months, but his sleep patterns will accommodate more deep, quiet sleep as he matures.
Tips
Don't try to keep your baby awake for longer intervals during the day in hopes that she will get better sleep at night, warns KidsHealth. If she's overly tired, she may actually struggle to sleep. Start to wire her brain for bedtime by establishing a relaxing bedtime routine. Giving her a warm bath, singing a lullaby and rocking her in the same order every night will set the pace for better sleep habits down the line, says KidsHealth. Another tip for keeping her relaxed: Don't talk to her or turn on the lights during nighttime feedings and diaper changes.
Talking to a Doctor
The range of normal newborn sleeping behavior is broad, but you might want to consult your pediatrician if your baby seems irritable and difficult to soothe or if you have trouble rousing him from sleep or feeding him, suggests KidsHealth.
