How to Help Your Newborn Sleep - 5 Tips From an Online Sleep Consultant

Bringing home a new baby is incredibly exciting—but let’s be honest, it can also feel totally overwhelming. For many new parents, sleep quickly becomes one of the biggest stressors. And that makes so much sense! Other than the basics of safe sleep, most of us leave the hospital with very little guidance on how newborn sleep actually works.

This post shares five of the best newborn sleep tips to help make the early days a little smoother. You’ll learn what’s normal, what to expect, and how to gently support your baby’s sleep from the start. The newborn phase is exhausting—but it’s also so temporary, and there are ways to make it more manageable.

1. You Can’t Spoil a Newborn

One of the most common concerns I hear is, “I’m worried I’m spoiling them,” or “Will they get used to being rocked to sleep?” Here’s the truth: you cannot spoil a newborn.

Newborns need help falling asleep, it’s developmentally normal. Rocking, feeding, bouncing, holding… these are all beautiful ways to support your baby’s transition into the world. At the earliest, around 4 months, your baby’s sleep structure will shift and they will have developed some self-settling skills and then be developmentally ready to start learning independent sleep if that’s something you want to teach (you can read more about sleep training and how to do it here). But for now, I promise that you’re not doing anything wrong if they need help falling asleep.

Enjoy those newborn snuggles when you can, and know it’s also okay to need a break. Both things can be true!

2. Newborns Are Loud Sleepers: Pause Before Intervening

Newborns are noisy, active sleepers. They spend much more time in active sleep (which later becomes REM) than adults do. It’s easy to think they’re waking up when they’re just shifting through sleep cycles.

Try pausing for 2–5 minutes before picking them up. This short wait helps you figure out whether they’re truly waking and need support or if they’ll settle themselves back to sleep.

3. Prioritize Full Feedings & Watch for Discomfort

Newborns are often so sleepy that they nod off while feeding. While it’s okay for them to be drowsy and to fall asleep while eating, full feedings can be an important factor in stretching the time between night feedings. You can gently help them stay awake by tickling their toes, talking or singing, blowing gently on them, or sitting in a well-lit room.

If your baby starts snacking—taking little bits of milk and then waking again soon after—they might not be getting enough during feeds. You may also want to check for signs of discomfort like reflux, gas, a shallow latch, or tongue/lip ties. Babies sleep better when their tummies are full and their bodies feel good.

4. Help Your Baby Learn Day from Night

Your baby just spent nine months in a dark, cozy womb, so it’s no surprise that they don’t yet know the difference between day and night. Their circadian rhythm hasn’t developed yet.

During the day, open the curtains, go outside, and let them nap in a light, noisy environment. In the evening and at night, dim the lights, lower the stimulation, and speak in softer tones. Exposure to natural light in the morning for a few minutes—especially within the first hour of waking—can also help their body clock start to take shape. Their circadian rhythm will be more established around 3 months. 

5. Watch for Overtiredness and Overstimulation

Newborns have very short wake windows—usually 60–90 minutes between naps, and up to 2 hours before bed. When they stay awake too long, their bodies can become overtired, which leads to the release of cortisol and adrenaline and makes sleep harder.

Watch your baby for early sleepy cues. When you notice a subtle yawn, a quiet demeanor, or reddening around the eyes, it may be time for sleep. More obvious cues like fussing, pulling at ears, rubbing eyes, and lots of yawning are tired signals and signify your baby may be getting overtired. It’s okay if you miss their cues sometimes—no one gets it perfect—but keeping an eye on their cues and the clock can make a big difference in how easily they settle.

You can learn more about getting your baby’s wake windows just right in this blog!

When to Get Support From a Baby Sleep Consultant

There’s a wide range of normal when it comes to newborn sleep. 

Even if you’re not having any major struggles, it’s okay to reach out simply because it feels hard or you want reassurance that what you’re experiencing is normal! And if you feel like you’re hanging on by a thread, let’s chat.

You can learn more about one-on-one sleep support here.

You’re doing an amazing job and things will get easier! One day (maybe not today, but soon), you’ll look back and realize just how far you’ve come.