Newborns have no circadian rhythm yet — their sleep is completely ultradian, cycling every 45 to 50 minutes regardless of day or night. The goal in the first two weeks is not to establish a schedule but to follow your baby's hunger and sleep cues. Most newborns need to feed every 2 to 3 hours and can only stay awake for 45 to 60 minutes before becoming overtired.
Total Sleep
16 to 18 hours
Naps
4 to 6 micro-naps
Wake Window
45 to 60 minutes
Bedtime
9:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Night Feeds
Every 2 to 3 hours
This is a sample schedule based on a 7:00 AM wake time. Shift all times proportionally if your baby wakes earlier or later.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Wake and feed |
| 7:45 AM | Nap 1 |
| 9:30 AM | Wake and feed |
| 10:15 AM | Nap 2 |
| 12:00 PM | Wake and feed |
| 12:45 PM | Nap 3 |
| 2:30 PM | Wake and feed |
| 3:15 PM | Nap 4 |
| 5:00 PM | Wake and feed |
| 5:45 PM | Nap 5 (short catnap) |
| 7:00 PM | Wake and feed |
| 9:00 PM | Bedtime feed and settle |
| 11:30 PM | Night feed 1 |
| 2:30 AM | Night feed 2 |
| 5:00 AM | Night feed 3 |
Follow hunger cues, not the clock. Newborns cannot be overfed.
Expose your baby to natural daylight during wake windows to begin setting their internal clock.
Keep night feeds calm and dark. No talking, no bright lights, no eye contact.
The witching hour (5 PM to 10 PM) is normal. Cluster feeding and fussiness are expected.
Swaddling reduces the startle reflex and helps newborns sleep longer stretches.
The Newborn Sleep Guide covers everything in this schedule plus detailed gentle methods, troubleshooting, and real-life scenarios.
Newborns typically sleep 8 to 10 hours at night, but this is fragmented into 2 to 3 hour stretches between feeds. Sleeping through the night is not developmentally expected at this age.
A loose eat-play-sleep rhythm can begin around 4 to 6 weeks. A true schedule with predictable nap times usually emerges around 3 to 4 months when the circadian rhythm matures.
Yes. Newborns sleep 16 to 18 hours per day across many short naps. As long as your baby is feeding well and gaining weight, frequent sleep is healthy and normal.
