How Much Sleep Does My Baby Need?

There's nothing more beautiful and calming than to watch your baby sleep. During the early weeks your baby devotes much of the day and night to sleep.

When your baby first comes home from the hospital, you will notice your little one has irregular sleep patterns, this can be both challenging and exhausting. With little care for day or night, your new little bundle will probably wake often for feedings, nappy changes, or comfort.

Sleep is individual and is dependent on physical activity, general health and wellbeing and environmental factors. Therefore the required amount of sleep may vary from baby to baby and sleep to sleep. Be guided by your baby’s tired signs and behaviour.

Need ways to help your baby sleep? There are no magic tricks but try these 10 baby sleep tips, and you might find you both enjoy a better night’s sleep.

Your baby can wake at night for many reasons and the cause is often age related and very individual. Night – day rhythms are not established until your baby is about three months old.

Making sure your baby is active is important for their health. Tummy time is a big part of that, as it helps develop important muscles and motor skills that your little one will need to use when they get bigger and starts doing things like crawling and rolling over. And, it’s just a lovely way to spend time with your new baby!

A good night’s sleep plays an important role in your baby’s health and happiness during the day.

Your baby is growing and developing every day. Each month or even each day, brings new skills, new processing, and progress. Read about your baby's developing skills.

Good sleep is important for healthy growth, so try our all-day guide to better sleep.

Arriving home with a newborn and no midwife standing by to help or encourage you can be daunting. You may find you can’t take your eyes off your newborn and burst into tears for no good reason. Your breasts leak and you can’t sleep despite being exhausted. Don’t worry it’s all normal.

You and the immediate environment are your baby’s best toys. Everything is new to them and it takes time to process and feel comfortable with new and natural sounds, smells and feel.

Sleep helps your baby recharge their batteries for tomorrow’s playtime.

Tummy time for your baby can start shortly after bringing them home, and it's important for building strength. Grow your baby's little muscles with our tips.

Recognising and acting on your baby’s tired cues can help them settle earlier and easier. When your baby won’t settle and becomes overtired, getting them to settle and fall asleep is often more difficult and may take longer than usual.

Getting enough sleep during the day and night is vital for your baby’s optimal growth and development. Here are some tips to help your baby at sleep times.

Is your baby struggling to settle to sleep? Still getting up lots of times in the night? Being woken up before sunrise? Try these ideas for helping your little one get the sleep they need for happier days for everyone.

Baby sleep routines can vary enormously, giving parents many a sleepless night. Read these bedtime tips to help your baby sleep through the night.

What is kangaroo care and how can it help you to take care of your preterm baby? Find out about kangaroo care benefits, from helping with premature baby feeding to encouraging parent and baby skin-to-skin bonding, whether you’re in hospital or at home.

No one is an instant expert at nappy changing - don’t worry there is plenty of opportunity to practice. Your baby may lie still, wiggle, kick and scream or do all three. The most important thing is to take note of the amount of wet and dirty nappies.