Why do newborns wake up so often?

Newborns wake frequently because their stomachs are small, requiring regular feeds every 2–3 hours. Their sleep cycles are also shorter and less regulated by circadian rhythms, which mature around 8–12 weeks of age.

When do babies develop a circadian rhythm?

Most babies begin producing melatonin between 8–9 weeks old, and their circadian rhythm—distinguishing day from night—typically stabilizes between 12–16 weeks.

How long should my baby be awake between naps?

Newborns can stay awake for about 30 minutes, increasing to 45 minutes around 6 weeks, and up to 90 minutes by 3–4 months. Putting your baby down slightly before the end of this window helps prevent overtiredness.

What is a night nurse or night doula?

A night nurse or night doula provides overnight newborn care, including feeding support, sleep guidance, and postpartum recovery assistance for parents. Let Mommy Sleep’s licensed and trained team helps families establish healthy sleep routines safely.

When can I start sleep training my baby?

Most babies are developmentally ready to start gentle sleep training around 4 months of age, once circadian rhythms and feeding patterns are consistent. Always consult your pediatrician before beginning.

How can I help my baby sleep through the night?

Each block begins with milk and the last block ends with milk. Consider following the Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training for a step-by-step plan, increase daytime feeds, and gradually wean overnight feeds as your baby grows.

Let Mommy Sleep Blog - Overnight Infant Care + Resources

Baby Sleep: Naps Decoded

January 12, 2022

Most recently updated, 10/26/2025

What You’ll Learn:

Why and how newborns sleep differently than adults
Week by week breakdown of baby’s expected time awake and asleep
Understand when baby should be placed down for a nap.

Baby Sleep: Naps Decoded – Understanding Sleep Cycles

Newborns and infants sleep differently than adults. Once you understand why, you can work with their natural rhythms instead of against them, helping them sleep longer and with less fuss.

They’re tiny! – Newborns have small stomachs so they need to eat frequently. Their tummies can only hold small amounts of breast milk or formula and this nutrition gets digested quickly. As a result, they typically wake every 2 to 3 hours to feed. See the chart at How big is a newborn’s stomach?

Hunger, need for comfort or growth spurts – Babies usually wake up if they’re hungry, have a wet or dirty diaper, or are experiencing discomfort due to issues like teething or gas. Additionally periods of growth mean their bodies and brains are developing rapidly, leading to more frequent waking during the night.

Immature sleep patterns: Newborns have an immature sleep-wake cycle, and it takes time for their circadian and ultradian rhythms to develop. This means that their sleep is not yet regulated by day and night patterns, and they have shorter sleep cycles compared to adults.

Melatonin isn’t Present Yet: Newborns receive melatonin, widely known as the sleep hormone, from the placenta but don’t start developing their own until they’re about 8-9 weeks old.

Baby Sleep: Naps Decoded – Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythm is nature’s 24-hour clock that regulates awake and sleep times. Within this cycle are shorter ultradian rhythms, lasting about 30–90 minutes, that dictate when babies move from alertness to sleepiness.

Every baby book about “schedules” or “wake windows” is based on these patterns—but let’s simplify how they actually work.

Ultradian Rhythm Basics

Serotonin increases alertness and is triggered by daylight.
Melatonin promotes sleepiness and is triggered by darkness.

If we visualize this using a 6-month-old as an example: baby is wakeful at the top of the curve (around 45 minutes after waking), and sleepy at the bottom (around 90 minutes after waking).
Tip: Put baby in the crib 5–10 minutes before that 90-minute mark—right before the “clock dings” and they become alert again.

In full-term newborns, melatonin production doesn’t mature until 9–12 weeks, so they build up to that 90-minute cycle gradually. Getting baby down before they enter another wakeful period prevents fussiness and overtiredness.

Nap Timing Reminder

Baby shouldn’t start winding down at the :30, :45, :60- or 90-minute mark. They should already be in their crib by that point.

Here’s a breakdown of newborns’ basic awake and sleep times:

chart to understand baby sleep nap timing by let mommy sleep night doulas

Baby Sleep: Naps Decoded

Weeks 0-2: Baby is awake for a maximum of 30 minutes. Most of this time is spent feeding and baby will appear sleepy even during wakeful periods, often falling back asleep with no help at all.

Weeks 3-8: Baby is awake for a maximum of 45 minutes. You’ll notice baby is more wakeful around week 8; s/he won’t just go right back to sleep like s/he used to and may need your help to stay asleep. Baby wearing, white noise, giving a pacifier to help sleep are all fine to do because at this age baby needs your help to get and stay sleep.

Weeks 8-12: Baby is working on and eventually awake for 60 minutes. Napping will become longer during these weeks as well but it’s perfectly fine and even recommended to help baby with napping when s/he pops up after 10-15 minutes or so by giving a pacifier, using white noise etc. You’re not creating bad habits, baby simply needs a little help to not fully awaken because the systems that make seratonin and melatonin are not quite mature yet.

Weeks 12 – 18: Baby is working on and eventually is awake for 90 minutes. Baby is even more alert and still may need help getting and staying asleep. If your goal is to have baby eventually sleep through the night independently, try not to pick baby up if she wakes before a 90 minute nap is done. Instead, stay near to comfort with patting on the back or giving pacifier while baby is still asleep, but exhibiting signs of waking up like twitching or moving her head back and forth.

Weeks 18 -24: Baby is awake for 90+ minutes and consolidates naps now. There may be fewer naps that vary in length but a nap of at least 90 minutes will provide adequate rest. S/he will usually be awake for some increment of 90 minutes (11⁄2 hours, 3 hours, 4 1⁄2 hours).

What’s Next?

If your goal is to have baby sleep long stretches overnight without feeding, the 4 month well check is a great time to start talking with your pediatrician. These longer stretches of sleep are really just one big nap consolidation! They can help you to know whether baby is developmentally ready to sleep for at least 6 hours uninterrupted.

If you’re ready for your baby to sleep through the night, start with an appropriate routine. While the cry-it-out method gets a lot of press, sleeping through the night can be a gradual process where baby’s body adjusts to less milk overnight, making sleep a natural next step to waking from hunger. You can read about this in detail in the Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training.

Baby Sleep: Naps Decoded – Important Notes

Sometimes even though we’re doing everything right, babies cry. A LOT.

They might cry because of colic, could be overstimulation, reflux or any other reason only known to your baby. Even if you follow this blog or any sleep advice exactly as it’s written, babies are not robots. You’re doing a great job. If you’re concerned about baby’s crying or health, please contact your pediatrician.

These guidelines are for full-term babies without medical concerns. Preemies, twins, and babies with special feeding or growth needs may follow different patterns. Some babies need to be woken for feeds to gain weight, for example. When in doubt, trust your instincts and your doctor. You can never go wrong with patience, following doctors’ orders and responding to your baby’s needs.

If you’re expecting and want more tips, visit Your First Week Home with Baby: Ultimate Q&A, by our Night Nurse (RN) and Night Doula team. Let Mommy Sleep team members are dedicated to safe sleep and evidence-based care, you can learn about this in Introducing the National NAPS Registry for Night Doulas.

Baby Sleep: Naps Decoded how to know if your baby is sleeping enough — Baby Sleep: Are They Sleeping Enough

Sample Schedule for a 5-6 Month Old Baby

January 6, 2022

“What should my baby’s schedule look like?” is one of those questions for which there are a lot of right answers and being “on a schedule” is usually just a matter of following baby’s natural cycle. It shouldn’t feel forced or like a stand-off between parent and baby and for some parents the schedule is their first step in helping baby sleep through the night. Below is Sample Schedule for a 4, 5 or 6 Month Old Baby.

Every baby is unique, and while the sample schedule can be a helpful guide, keep in mind that sleep regressions, growth spurts, illness and developmental milestones will naturally affect timing. Also, aways prioritize 10 Steps to Safe Sleep for Baby: place your baby on their back on a firm, flat surface, free of loose bedding, pillows, toys and bumpers. Following these guidelines supports both your baby’s healthy development and your peace of mind.

Sample Schedule for a 5-6 Month Old Baby

7:00am wake up, change

7:15 or 7:30 milk/formula given when baby is showing signs of hunger

8:30 solids: grain, or grain + fruit when solids are introduced as directed by your pediatrician. Milk/formula can also be given here.

9:30 wind down to get ready for nap

10:00 down for a nap

– 4 hour cycle repeats upon waking up –

11:30 milk/formula

12:30 solids: grain or grain + veg (when lunch is introduced as directed by pediatrician) Milk/formula can also be given here.

12:00 – 1:00 activity

1:00 – 1:30pm wind down for nap

1:30 – 3:30 nap

– 4 hour cycle repeats again upon waking from nap, but with a third short nap-

3:30 milk/formula

3:30 – 4:30 quiet play, try to stay around home and stick to calm activities

4:30 – 5ish nap

5:30 dinner of solids (this is appropriate whenever you want to begin the addition of an evening meal—we are only including it to show what it looks like to have a 3 meal per day schedule)

6:15 – 7:00 milk/formula, getting into PJ’s, books and quite time and then into bed

10pm Dreamfeed if you wish. Baby does not have to be fully awake for this. It is just a small 2-3 ounce feed to be sure baby has gotten all of the ounces in for the night. You don’t have to wake baby, simply hold the bottle or breast to baby’s lips and they will instinctually take in what’s needed. When you’re done there’s no need to burp since baby is so relaxed but a quick diaper change should be done. You can read this if you’re wondering What is a Dreamfeed?

There will be 3 “blocks” of 4 hours. The last block will only include a short nap since it is close to bedtime.

Each block begins with milk and the last block ends with milk, so feeding times are at: 7am, 11:00am, 3pm and 6:30pm. There may be milk “snacks” in between and at mealtimes, especially for our breastfed babies who do not take in 6 ounces per feed but the 4 main feeding times are the anchor to this schedule.

Baby Schedule FAQs

How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?
Look for steady weight gain, regular wet diapers and contentment after feeds. You can always visit your pediatrician for a weight check too.

What if my baby skips a nap?
Occasional skipped naps are normal as babies grow. Try not to force a nap, just keep activities calm and follow your baby’s cues until the next sleep period.

Can I adjust the schedule for breastmilk vs. formula?
Yes. Formula-fed babies may feed less often but in larger amounts, while breastfed babies often eat more frequently. It’s perfectly fine to adapt the sample schedule to your baby’s needs.

Sleeping through the Night

If your baby is older and you want another sleep schedule, or you’re ready to help your infant sleep through the night, read the Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training. You can also join us on Reddit to share what works for you or talk through any sleep-troubleshooting.

Top 3 Infant Sleep Myths

January 2, 2022

We hear them at playgroups and baby showers, see them on message boards and read them on medicine bottles. Parental Urban Legends add more confusion to new parents’ already overloaded brains and with no basis in fact, they persist like Mikey and Pop Rocks. Here are our Top 3 Infant Sleep Myths and solutions that work better:

Top 3 Infant Sleep Myths from night nannies — Parental Urban Legends

Myth #1. Putting rice cereal in baby’s bottle will help baby sleep longer

There is absolutely no evidence that shows that thickening milk or formula with cereal will make baby sleep longer at night. In fact, the most cited study on this topic, heartily disproves this parental urban legend.

In our desperation to “tank baby up” and buy an extra hour of rest, it’s often thought that a fuller stomach = more sleep. This is true when we give baby milk before bed to ensure that s/he doesn’t wake unnecessarily from hunger, but the addition of rice cereal to thicken a feed does not help baby sleep longer.

There is also a very real, evidence based movement to completely remove rice cereal from babies’ diet but that is for another post.

Why it’s become a parental urban legend: When parents introduce rice cereal in baby’s bottle, it is typically at the 8-12 week mark, when parents are at their wits end with getting up 3-4 times overnight. The fact is, baby is naturally sleeping longer stretches at this time anyway. Thickening formula receives the credit for what baby is doing naturally.

What to Do to Help Baby Sleep Longer: Time is the real answer to allowing babies to sleep longer stretches at night as the more baby grows, the more food their tummies can hold, keeping hunger from naturally waking them. But there are a few things that actually help newborns and infants sleep more soundly:

Swaddling – eliminate baby waking up from involuntary reflex movements. Learn how to swaddle here!
White Noise – drown out the noises that can wake baby up and simulate the womb
Slow feeding with lots of opportunities to burp – hold baby upright for at least 20 minutes (longer if your baby experiences reflux) after feeding to be sure no gas is trapped and there’s plenty of time to digest.

Myth #2. Mylicon will Eliminate Gas and Soothe your Baby

This myth is near and dear to my heart because like so many, I desperately believed it myself with my own 3 kids. Study after study definitively demonstrate that Simethicone (the generic name for gas drops) is no more or less effective than a placebo. What does this mean? Gas drops don’t work. Period.

Why it’s become a parental urban legend: EVERYONE recommends Simethicone drops. Everyone! They even have their own little section in the pharmacy department. Once again well-meaning parents just want to help baby find some relief. Please try to contain your shock when I tell you this, but marketing companies love to capitalize on “soothing baby” so they sell, sell, sell a harmless but useless product.

And once again it’s you and your baby who should receive the credit for getting that uncomfortable gas out of baby’s tummy. Slow patient feeds, lots of burping and gently switching position or massaging baby to get gas out after feeding are tried and true ways to reduce gas.

What to Do to Help Eliminate Gas – While drops certainly can’t hurt there are several other options to help baby work out the gas that’s causing troubling:

Bicycle Kicks –like this!
Once again, slow feeds with lots of opportunity to burp during feeding. If bottle feeding, use the slowest nipple flow.
Probiotics – Probiotics to promote good gut health in baby may be recommended by your pediatrician.
When starting solids, give new foods for breakfast, this way baby’s system has all day to work out any issues that the new food might be causing…and by issues we mean gas! 🙂

*Myth #3**. Putting babies to sleep later at night means they’ll sleep later in the morning*

We’ve all done this one. According to pediatric sleep specialist, Dr. Lisa Meltzer, “the internal clock is a powerful force that typically wakes young children up around the same time every morning, no matter what time they go to sleep at night.” This means that putting baby to sleep later robs them of sleep they should be getting. Even worse, poor night sleep adds to the overtired cycle the next day, making it more difficult for baby to settle and rest again.

Why it’s become a parental urban legend: Because staying up late and then sleeping late seems so logical! And we are desperate for sleep AND logic at this point! Sure there are times babies have a big day and sleep for long stretches out of sheer exhaustion, but this gives us a false positive. Keeping baby awake longer than their bodies need may work for one night or one nap, but fighting against baby’s natural rhythms leads to true exhaustion and meltdown.

What You Can Do Instead– Unfortunately, we can’t fight a baby human’s natural body clock; this one goes in the “this too shall pass” category. Taking turns with your partner or a loving caregiver to handle early wake ups won’t cause baby to sleep later but it will help YOU to sleep later!

If you’re expecting and want more tips, visit Your First Week Home with Baby: Ultimate Q&A

Sample Sleep Schedule for a 6-7 Month Old

January 1, 2022

We’re often asked about “Getting Baby on a Schedule” here at LMS. While baby’s routine is something that naturally emerges if we follow baby’s lead, it’s understandable that the rest of the family can benefit from predictable feeding and sleep times. Below is a sample schedule for a typical 6/7 month old baby. This is by no means the *only* schedule, and it’s certainly not the best schedule for everyone but if you are looking for a starting point, the Sample Sleep Schedule for a 6-7 Month Old template below is one we often use in Sleep Consultations.

helping your 6-7 month old infant sleep through the night — Sample Sleep Schedule

Sample Schedule for a 6 to 7 Month Old

6:00am: wake up, play and cuddle

6:30: diaper change, get dressed, feed 6-8 ounces when baby is exhibiting signs of hunger; this can beright at wake up or after 1/2 hour or more.

8:00: breakfast of solids: oatmeal + fruit. Give as much as s/he wants. ***Remember that any milk used to make oatmeal counts toward daily ounces.

8:00 – 9:00: Play

9:00 – 9:30: quieter play and wind down activities such a cuddling and books. Look for sleepy signs such as eye rubbing or disinterest in toys. If you have trouble seeing those “sleep cues” a good rule of thumb is to place baby in the crib, after you see 1 yawn.

9:45/10–11:00: Nap

11:00 milk, 6-8 oz

12:00 solids: grain + veg, ***top off with milk

12:00 – 1:00 activity (having a meal or snacks counts as an activity)

1:00pm – 1:30pm: wind down for nap

1:30 – 3:30: nap

3:00: milk, 6-8 oz

3:00 – 5:00 activity

5:00 dinner of solids

6:15 – 7:00 bath, milk 6-8 oz , quiet activities, low lights and in bed at 7ish

10:00p dreamfeed several ounces if needed to ensure she’s reached about 28 ounces. A dreamfeed is one last feed for baby. This may not be needed at 6/7 months but we’re including it as another tool to help take away the question “What if s/he’s hungry?” when baby wakes overnight. To do a dreamfeed, simply place breast/bottle to baby’s lips and s/he will instinctually take in what’s needed. Do a quick diaper change at this time as well.

Things to remember:

– THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. It is FINE if your schedule differs and we should never force baby into a schedule that doesn’t work. The goal here is to give baby a start and end to the day with efficient feeds during daytime hours to set the stage for long sleep overnight.

– We are just using 6:00am as a starting point. If baby wakes earlier or later, simply adjust the schedule accordingly.

Sources:

Natasha Pressley, RN and the University of Maryland Pediatric Sleep Center

“Secrets of The Baby Whisperer”, Melinda Blau and Tracy Hogg

The hundreds of babies our nurses and NCP’s have cared for from 2010 to the present.

12 Holiday Activities to Do with Baby

November 20, 2021

You’ve been to Target to look at toys, decided if you’re going to be an “elf on the shelf” family and started cooking traditional holiday foods. Here are 12 Holiday Activities to Do with Baby to keep the holidays going that you may not have thought of!

1) Make a Child-Sized Holiday Light Display! All you need is a large box and some LED lights that can’t get too hot! diyjoy.com calls this a Cave of Stars! We love this because it’s a great activity for siblings to do together and you probably have all the items on hand already!

happy infant playing in a cardboard box — Cave of Stars via diyjoy.com

2) Read holiday themed board books: Whatever holiday you celebrate, there is a board book about it! And the holidays are the perfect time to learn about other cultural traditions too! Babies are never too young for books or learning about the world!

3) Drive or stroll around to view decorations and lights: Babies love to look at lights! Whether you go to an organized festival of lights or simply stroll or drive around your neighborhood, the light show will fascinate baby! Many towns have holiday light shows where you never leave the car too. Let baby experience the magic of lights BONUS: time your ride for an hour or so before bedtime for an easy wind-down!

4) Sing holiday songs to your baby: Baby doesn’t care that you’re not a finalist on The Voice. Belt out some traditional tunes. If baby is old enough, add some instruments and shakers and have baby play along.

5) Buy special holiday or winter themed pajamas: Get cute and cozy with seasonal pj’s for your little one. Bonus points if the whole family has matching pajamas!

6) Create a keepsake such as a plate or ornament: Commemorate this special milestone by capture his/her little handprint or footprint on a plate or ornament. Many paint-your-own pottery places offer these in studio or buy a take-home kit at a craft store, baby store, or online.

7) Use edible finger-paints to make a holiday craft: Crafts and holidays go hand in hand, but many of the materials on the market are not safe when digested. We are huge fans of natural, edible fingerpaints which contain ingredients that are baby-safe, organic, vegan and have no wheat, sugar, or preservatives. Plus, they are made with real fruits and vegetables!

8) Create a holiday themed sensory table/tub: Place wrapping paper, bows, a soft snowman in a big tub, and let baby touch, rub, shake, and play with the items to build tactile development and fine motor skills.

9) Make a holiday felt board: Make or buy a felt Christmas Tree, Snowman, Menorah, or other holiday themed feltboard, and baby can safely “decorate the tree” or “light” some candles. There are a lot of fun options on Amazon! Bonus: Play, sing, and talk to baby using a holiday-themed puppet!

10) Have an indoor snowball fight! That’s right…a bucket of plush white “snowballs” can’t hurt anyone or anything in the house. At less than $20 this fun toy is a great investment in laughs and memories for years to come.

11) Start the tradition of giving: Even though baby is too young for an American Express card, give special gifts in baby’s honor to friends and family members. Teach your infant the joy of giving.

12) Facetime/Zoom relatives and friends that are far away. Looking at pictures on Facebook is nice, but those who are far away really want to see baby in action. Set up a computer date and share some special conversation!

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Baby Sleep: Naps Decoded