Baby Sleep in Month 1: What to Expect

Key Takeaways:

• During the first month, baby’s brain and body are adjusting to life outside the womb, which can lead to irregular sleep patterns.
• While it’s too early to create a sleep schedule, there’s a lot you can do to set the stage for sleep success later on.
• Hatch Baby’s calming light and sound can help you soothe your newborn, while expert sleep support can help you troubleshoot concerns in the first month and beyond.

Table of Contents

1. What to Expect During Baby’s First Month
2. Tips for Baby Sleep at 1 Month
3. FAQs
4. References

Congratulations on your fresh newborn! The first few weeks with your baby can be unpredictable and sometimes overwhelming, and you may feel like you’re in survival mode. Deep breaths. That’s totally normal (and temporary). Rather than “getting it right,” focus on the basics during this time: your own healing, getting to know your baby, sleep safety, and soothing.

Nothing you do during this time is going to set your little one up for failure, but there are a few things you can begin to do now that will set them up for success later on. In this article, learn more about what to expect with newborn sleep, and how Hatch Baby can help you soothe, troubleshoot, and set the stage for healthy sleep.

What to Expect During Baby’s First Month

Knowing what to expect during your baby’s first month can help you feel more prepared as you settle into life with your newborn.

Milestones

• During baby’s first month, they’re growing rapidly, so frequent waking and cluster feedings rae common.
• Many babies sleep 14-17 hours a day in the first few weeks, spread across many short stretches.
• Because baby’s circadian rhythm hasn’t developed yet, they have no awareness of day or night, (It takes 8-12 weeks for a baby’s internal clock to develop, so try to be patient.)
• It’s also common for babies to only sleep when held during this timeframe, because that’s what they were used to in the womb!
• Noisy sleep and resisting sleep even when tired are also common during this stage.

Sleep Goals

• There’s a huge range for healthy sleep during this time. Some babies need 14 hours of total sleep per 24 hour period, while others sleep 17 or more hours.
• A newborn’s wake windows during the first 4 weeks are extremely short, and it may feel like they are sleeping all the time. Let them sleep as needed, and try to catch a nap when you can, too!
• Enjoy contact naps and take all the pictures. Let your partner do skin to skin with your little one, to help to create a bond with every caregiver.

Tips for Baby Sleep at 1 Month

During your baby’s first month, keep things simple and focus on safety, soothing, and bonding. Here are a few things to help.

Create a Safe Sleep Space

The baby should sleep alone, on their back on a flat, firm surface such as a crib or bassinet. Their sleep space should be completely bare, with no blankets, toys, pillows, stuffed animals, or positioners. Keep baby’s room cool — ideally, 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. Sharing a room can help you quickly respond to your newborn’s needs, but bed-sharing is not a safe option. If baby falls asleep in a car seat, swing, or bouncer, always transfer them to a flat surface right away.

Set the Scene for Restful Sleep

While newborn sleep can be unpredictable and it’s too soon to create a consistent routine, familiar environmental cues can be soothing to your growing baby. Pink noise on your Hatch Baby is a great way to mimic the whooshing sound of the womb while masking household sounds. Heartbeat sounds are another great option to help baby settle for naps and bedtime.

A dark sleep environment can help support baby’s developing circadian rhythm — blackout curtains can be helpful! Amber light on your Hatch Baby may be soothing for sleep (plus, it increases nighttime visibility for feeds and diaper changes).

Respond and Bond

During this developmental phase, focus on forming a healthy attachment with your baby. Rather than following a strict schedule, pay attention to their cues. You’ll likely need to feed your baby every few hours on demand (if they sleep longer than three hour stretches, it’s necessary to wake them up for a feeding). When they’re awake, baby wearing can keep your newborn close while freeing your hands for basic tasks.

Need extra support during the newborn phase? Hatch Baby combines calming sound and light with expert guidance from Hatch Sleep Consultants to help support healthy sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do newborns start sleeping longer stretches at night?

Every baby develops at a different pace, but longer stretches of nighttime sleep generally emerge gradually over the first few months. As your baby’s circadian rhythm develops and they’re able to go longer between feedings, sleep may begin to consolidate more at night.

How can I tell if my 1-month-old is tired?

Common newborn sleep cues include yawning, looking away, becoming less engaged, fussing, or making jerky movements with their arms and legs. Learning your baby’s individual sleepy cues can help you offer a nap before they become overtired.

Why does my 1-month-old wake up as soon as I put them down?

Newborns are still adjusting to sleeping outside the womb and may wake when they notice a change in warmth, movement, or contact. This is common during the first month and doesn’t mean your baby is developing poor sleep habits.

References

1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (n.d.). Newborn sleep patterns. https://www.chop.edu/pages/newborn-sleep-patterns
2. Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. (n.d.). Infant sleep. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=infant-sleep-90-P02237
3. American Academy of Pediatrics. (n.d.). Sleep. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/default.aspx
4. Henderson, J. M. T., et al. (2010). Sleeping through the night: The consolidation of self-regulated sleep across the first year of life. Pediatrics, 126(5), e1081–e1087. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-0976