A –A newborn encompasses up to 4 weeks of age. Most newborn babies are very sleepy and are just making their transition from that lovely warm cozy womb environment to the outside world. They vary on the amount of time that they spend asleep due to temperament but on average you would expect a newborn to sleep for approx. 16 – 18 hours per 24 hours. Newborn babies are not born with circadian rhythms, have shorter sleep cycles, do not sleep as deeply and will transition between sleep cycles more frequently than an adult. A newborn will also gain their sleep in chunks as their little tummies still require frequent feedings. It is also perfectly normal for newborns to move around, flinch, cry out briefly, and pull faces all whilst being asleep – hold off if you see this happening, as sometimes interfering to prevent them from waking up is actually the cause.

Dawnn Whittaker is a baby and child sleep consultant and lives in Langley, BC. She provides sleep solutions for families throughout North America on an individual basis. Her approach is to first asses the sleep pattern and then put together a sleep plan that reflects the parenting style and supports them through the transition. Contact her at www.cheekychops.ca or 778-552-0069.