Coming home with baby - sleeping, what to expect in the first 6-8 weeks

In the first 6-8 weeks, your baby’s tiny stomach, developing brain, and undeveloped body clock mean they’ll wake often, and the distinction between day and night means little to them. They may drift between sleep and being fully awake, with no apparent pattern or reason.

You may find that your newborn sleeps in tiny bursts, often waking as soon as you’ve settled down for a rest. You may be wondering whether what you and your baby are going through is typical. Whilst the simple answer to that is yes, it is typical, it’s also true that there is no such thing as a typical baby or a usual routine - not for the first few weeks anyhow.

Patti Read, certified sleep coach and owner of Goldilocks Sleep Solutions, USA, says: “Newborns’ brains and bodies are undergoing rapid growth and change, which means they have very high sleep needs. Because of this, newborns are often able to fall asleep easily and at seemingly random times throughout the day.”

This unpredictability is completely standard. Your baby isn’t fighting sleep or doing anything wrong - they’re simply adjusting to life in their new home. After all, that new home is quite a bit different from where they have spent the last nine months.

Understanding how newborn sleep works can make these early weeks feel more manageable and help you set realistic expectations. There is no routine to achieve at this stage. It’s just about you and your baby feeling secure, comfortable, and finding the best ways to get rest.

Your baby’s six states of alertness

Throughout the day, your baby goes through different stages of sleepiness and wakefulness. These are known as the six states of alertness - three of which relate to sleep.

Knowing these states helps you recognise when your baby wants to feed, play, be cuddled, or rest.

Identifying the sleep related states will help you achieve better sleep management. For instance, knowing when your baby is becoming drowsy helps you put them down for a nap before they become overtired and fussy.

1. Deep (quiet) sleep

Baby is still, peaceful, and breathing is steady. Often difficult to wake.

This is the most restorative sleep, and baby is doing most of its growing.

2. Light (active) sleep

Lots of twitching, noises, and fluttering eyelids. Easily woken.

Newborn babies spend most of their sleep time in this state, and it this is when their brains develop most.

3. Drowsy

Half‑awake, half‑asleep. Slow movements, glazed eyes. This is usually the time before baby drifts of to sleep - or not, depending on their environment.

4. Quiet alert

Calm, bright‑eyed, ready to connect. Your baby wants cuddles and feeding.

5. Active alert

Lots of movement and noise. Baby may become fussy or overstimulated.

6. Crying

Your baby’s way of letting you know that they need something or that something is bothering them - they may be hungry, tired, or overstimulated.

What to expect in the first 6-8 weeks

Newborn sleep is unpredictable. In the first 6 to 8 weeks your baby is trying to adapt to their new life in the real world. Nothing seems normal to your baby - nor probably to you.

The first couple of weeks are when you can get used to your new life - and having a new life in your life. Whilst your baby will not have a routine, you will be able to recognise signs - and understand what is expected.

Early days at home

You will often find that when you first bring your bay home, they only really want to sleep on you. Jaimie Zaki, IBCLC, is a Licensed Practical Nurse, author of "Baby's First Year", and host of the Breastfeeding with Confidence Podcast. Zaki explains this, saying: “Humans are ‘carry mammals’ and all carry mammals sleep on and with their parents.”

The benefits of your baby sleeping on you go beyond constant cuddles. Zaki says: “This close connection promotes nervous system regulation for both mother and baby and has healthy hormonal balancing effects. It also allows for frequent feeding, which is necessary to stimulate milk production.”

Sleep behaviour will vary from baby to baby in the first few weeks. As we keep saying, nothing is standard with your newborn’s sleep, but you can usually expect your baby will:

• Sleep for around 15 to 17 hours out of any 24-hour period.

• Only be able to comfortably stay awake for around 30-90 minutes at a time.

• Have sleeping and eating cycles that are around 2-3 hours long.

Routines

At this early stage, your baby has no real body clock - day or night, morning or afternoon mean nothing to them - so developing a sleep routine is still some way off. Zaki says you should never try to sleep train your baby for the first 8 weeks, explaining: “They are simply not neurologically or biologically ready for forced, long stretches of sleep.”

Patti Read says: “Your newborn baby knows that sleep is essential, but without a mature internal clock, the timing of that sleep doesn’t matter - only that they get it.”

But whilst you should not introduce a routine, you can introduce sleep hygiene and flexibility. Zaki says: “At this early stage, implementing routine looks like following natural light cycles, minimising exposure to blue and artificial light in evenings, and promoting daytime naps in naturally well-lit areas.”

Your baby’s body clock will take around 4-6 months to mature enough to support a more predictable sleep schedule. This important developmental step can also make sleep transitions more challenging. Read says: “Your baby is no longer able to fall asleep anywhere, at any time, which can understandably cause you to worry. However, this shift is completely normal.” She says that with the right timing and an appropriate sleep environment, most babies will adjust and sleep well again.”

Safe sleep

Safe sleep is one of the most important parts of your baby’s early weeks. And in these first few days when you are learning so much, adjusting your lifestyle, and coping with tiredness, concern over safety can be overwhelming.

Baby’s room and bed

Here are some simple steps you can take to make your baby’s sleeping environment secure:

Bed and bedding

• Keep their cot clear - avoid cuddly toys, pillows and loose blankets.

• Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress.

The room

• For the first six months you should have your baby in the same room as you - although not usually the same bed.

• Always smoke-free.

• Keep the room temperature between 16-20C.

Baby’s comfort

• Dress in light layers to avoid overheating.

• Lay your baby on their back when putting to bed.

Read says that once your baby can independently roll from their back to belly, and from belly to back, it is safe for them to remain on their stomach if they roll there on their own. But always place your baby on their back at the start of their sleep.

Co-sleeping

Co-sleeping doesn't always mean sleeping in the same bed as your baby - it can be:

Room sharing - when baby sleeps in the same room as their parent(s) or carer, but in their own sleeping space, such as a cot.

Bed sharing - when baby sleeps in the same bed as their parents - and not just when they are being comforted or fed.

Bed sharing

Bed sharing may be deliberate and every night, or may happen accidentally - such as when baby is brought into your bed for a cuddle or feed - and you fall asleep together. Either way, whilst it is considered best to avoid bed-sharing with your newborn, there are steps you can take to mitigate the risk.

Lara Taylor, resident specialist midwife at Silver Cross, and founder of The Specialist Midwife, says that if sleeping with your baby in bed then the parent should sleep on their side in the C-Curl position, with the baby between them and the wall, ensuring there are no gaps.

La Leche League itself has an easy way to remember these safe bed-share tips - and reciting it in their style might even help get your baby off to sleep.

Here is La Leche’s ‘The safe sleep seven bedsharing song’

Recite this to the tune of ‘Row, row, row your boat’

No smoke, sober mum
Baby at your breast
Healthy baby on their back
Keep them lightly dressed.
Not too soft a bed
Watch the cords and gaps
Keep the covers off their head
For your nights and naps.

Safe sleep during the day

Daytime sleep has the same safety considerations as nighttime - the main difference will tend to be that baby may be sleeping out of their cot, and maybe outside of the house.

We asked Lara Taylor, and founder of The Specialist Midwife for her advice on how to keep your baby safe and rested when they are out of their cot.

Sleep signs to be aware of

Most sleep challenges are normal, but sometimes they can be a sign your baby needs attention. However, spotting what is usual and what is not is often difficult - every baby is different, and there are few typical behaviours.

It can be trickier, as Read explains that many sleep behaviours that might raise concerns in older children or adults do not carry the same meaning in the newborn stage. For example: “Frequent catnaps, or falling asleep quickly, are all standard for newborns,” she says.

When everything is so unsettled, probably the most important indicator to watch for is whether your baby is getting enough total sleep over a 24-hour period - which should be around 16-17 hours.

Despite the uncertainty, there are some symptoms that you do need to act on straight away.

How parents can cope with broken sleep

Your wellbeing matters too - if you are not looking after yourself, it will be harder to look after baby. Lack of sleep can make you feel physically and emotionally drained and can make it feel challenging to get through the day.

Read says: “Broken sleep is usual for a newborn who takes multiple short naps throughout the day - but it can significantly impact parental health.”

So, getting rest and respite is vital in these demanding early days. These exhausting times will not last forever, and things will improve for you and your baby - but in the meantime, there are simple steps you can take to make these early weeks a little bit easier.

Learn a little and ease the worry

With so many thoughts racing around your head about whether everything is OK and if you are doing the right thing, getting rest can be difficult. So, just doing things like reading this article can help as it makes you feel more in control.

Zaki says: “Being educated on safe sleep is the most important strategy for protecting yourself as a parent during the early days.” She gives the example of the constant messaging about "never bed sharing" leading to anxiety, as studies show most parents do bed-share at some point - even if they do not admit it.

When it comes to getting rest, Zaki says: “Understanding biological needs of both the parents and the baby, having flexible sleeping arrangements, and making informed decisions is critical.”

Sleep when the baby sleeps

Being told to sleep when your baby sleeps may seem a bit of over-given advice. It may also seem a bit annoying when you’re looking for the chance to catch up on all those jobs you haven’t done.

However, getting a rest when baby does is one of the most important things you can do - and far more important than household chores. Read says: “Protecting parental sleep is an important part of supporting both your wellbeing and your ability to care for your baby. When nighttime sleep is fragmented, look for opportunities to supplement your rest with daytime naps whenever possible.”

Parental sleeping checklist

To keep it simple, here are the steps to take to keep yourself healthy and rested:

• Sleep or rest whenever your baby sleeps - do not leave it till nighttime.

• Get help from friends and family - they can do some of the chores you are behind on, cook a meal, look after the older children - so you can catch up on sleep with a little less worry.

• Ignore any non-essential jobs around the house.

• Eat a healthy diet - get your five a day.

• Get some fresh air - have a walk or sit in the garden or the park.

• Try not to worry - always use the safe sleeping technique, you do not need to excel, just get through this time. Remember, it will get better.

Jaimie Zaki, says the most important thing, aside from managing your expectations, is to focus on smart sleep hygiene for all of you. She says: "Bedtime routines that include winding down, using soft or orange lights, or limiting screens, will support the parents' sleep and create a strong foundation for baby to regulate and build sleep routines as they grow and develop."

Help and support

These organisations provide advice, help, and support on your baby’s sleeping requirements and wellbeing.

UK

The Lullaby Trust: Charity for safer sleep and SIDS prevention, with simple, practical guidance for parents.

BASIS - Baby Sleep Info Source: Durham University provides research‑based, evidence‑led information on baby sleep, bed‑sharing and safe night‑time care.

The Sleep Charity: Support for families having difficulty with sleep, including helplines, resources, and expert advice.

La Leche League GB: Breastfeeding support from trained volunteers, including help with night feeds, sleep patterns, and newborn settling.

NCT (National Childbirth Trust): Practical support for new parents, including postnatal groups, feeding help and early‑days guidance.

US organisations

AAP - American Academy of Pediatrics: Trusted, evidence‑based guidance on safe sleep, infant health and newborn care.

Safe to Sleep (NICHD): The US national safe‑sleep campaign with clear advice on reducing SIDS risk and creating a safe sleep environment.

La Leche League USA: Breastfeeding support and guidance on night feeding, bonding, and newborn sleep rhythms.

Zero to Three: Expert resources on baby development, sleep, soothing, and early emotional wellbeing.

Cribs for Kids: A national safe‑sleep charity providing education and support to help families create safe sleep spaces.