When you understand your newborn’s sleep patterns and habits, you can start to establish a little more structure in your daily life and build a little more confidence in your decisions and actions during the baby’s first days.
While newborns can’t stay on a strict sleep or feeding schedule – mostly due to their many growth spurts in these early months – these sample newborn sleep and feeding schedules can guide you through these stages and make sure everyone is getting the sleep and nutrition they need.
Otherwise, you may be soothing a crying baby all day.
A newborn baby cries a lot more when they are over-tired, not sleeping enough, or hungry. In other words, getting him or her on a routine (even if it’s not a strict schedule) can be a life-saver!
Your newborn’s feeding schedule should be age-appropriate, and you should never withhold food from a newborn just to stay on schedule. A newborn sleep schedule is also often based on how long your baby can stay awake (not strictly by the clock), which is usually short in the newborn days.
Keep reading to discover what you can do to get started.
Understanding Newborn Sleep Patterns
A baby is considered a newborn from birth until about 3 months of age.
During this period, your newborn’s sleep patterns will look nothing like yours.
Your baby will sleep in short bursts – anywhere from 30 or 45 minutes to 3 or possibly 4 hours – and then eat between periods of sleep.
In other words, the typical day/night sleep cycle doesn’t really apply to newborns. Some newborns come out of the womb with their days and nights completely mixed up!
This is called day/night confusion, and babies who struggle with it tend to sleep a lot during the day and then wake up frequently at night.
Many newborns also seem extra sleepy in the first week or two after birth and must be woken up to feed or drift off while feeding before getting their fill.
Eventually, though, your newborn will definitely “wake up” within three weeks after birth. This is when you will start to deal with more wakefulness. In fact, you may start to miss the early weeks of having a super-sleepy newborn!
Babies simply cry more often as they get a bit older (depending on temperament), but you will quickly learn how to soothe a crying baby.
Working with Newborn Feeding Schedules
Newborns feed very, very frequently, but this isn’t a problem that needs to be solved.
It’s perfectly natural!
Your newborn’s tummy is quite small. They simply need to fill it up regularly.
Formula-fed newborns may need to eat slightly less often than breastfed newborns because it takes a newborn’s tummy longer to digest and break down formula.
So babies tend to feel fuller for longer periods of time. Breast milk, on the other hand, is digested fairly quickly.
How much breastmilk or formula does your baby need?
Every situation is different, of course, but if your baby is formula-fed, you can use a fairly simple formula to determine approximately how many ounces your baby needs in a day.
Simply multiply your baby’s weight by 2.5.
For example, an 8-pound baby would need about 20 ounces of formula in a 24-hour period.
If your baby is breastfed, the general rule is that most newborns need between 20 and 30 ounces of breastmilk (and between 25-35 ounces once they’re past the newborn stage).
How often should you feed your baby?
In general, if you are exclusively nursing, it’s best to nurse on demand in the first few weeks after birth to ensure that your milk supply becomes well-established. In fact, in order to maintain your supply, you’ll need to nurse every 2 to 3 hours, on average.
Once your baby is past 3 months of age and is in the infant stage, that will slowly stretch into 5-6 hours, and then 7-8, and eventually right up to 10 or 11 hours once your baby is 9 months old or 10 months old.
Newborn Growth Spurts
Believe it or not, a lot is going on with your newborn baby.
So much growth and development is happening in that little body! Your newborn will very likely go through growth spurts at the following times:
- 7-10 days of age
- 2-3 weeks of age
- 4-6 weeks of age
- 3 months of age
During these growth spurts, it will feel like your newborn is feeding almost constantly (and like when she’s not feeding, she’s sleeping). This is 100% normal – feed your newborn as often as she needs it, as the extra nourishment is important during the growth spurt.
How to Create a Newborn Feeding and Sleep Schedule
Your unique newborn’s wake times and total sleep needs may vary from what is recommended below.
These schedules are based on averages, but your baby may need more or less sleep (or shorter/longer wake times) than what is listed here.
Remember, watch your baby’s sleepy cues closely (rubbing eyes, yawning, staring off into space, etc.), and let those guide the sleep schedule.
Remember, too, that if your baby is already fussing, he or she is already overtired. Try to get your child down for his or her nap earlier next time, before the fussing starts.
2-8 Week Old Newborn, Breast Feeding
This schedule is best for babies who consume average amounts of breast milk and for moms who have average breast milk production and storage amounts.
9:00 AM | Wake and Feed* |
10:00 AM | Nap (30-60 minutes) |
11:00 AM | Wake and Feed |
12:30 PM | Nap (30-60 minutes) |
1:30 PM | Wake and Feed |
3:30 PM | Nap (30 – 60 minutes) |
4:30 PM | Wake and Feed |
6:00 PM | Nap (30 – 60 minutes) |
6:30 PM | Wake and Feed |
7:30 PM | Catnap (20 – 30 minutes) |
8:00 PM | Wake and Feed |
9:30 PM | Catnap (20 – 30 minutes) |
10:00 PM | Wake and Feed |
11:30 PM | Feed and Bedtime* |
3:30 AM | Feed and Right back to sleep |
6:30 AM | Feed and Right back to sleep |
* – We recommend you make these fixed points in your baby’s schedule. You can read more about this in our article on fixed points in a baby schedule.
Babies who eat smaller amounts, babies with reflux, and moms who produce and store smaller amounts of breastmilk will need a different schedule. So will babies who eat larger amounts per feeding and moms who produce/store greater amounts of breast milk.
Schedules for those scenarios, as well as schedules for older, breastfed newborns, are available in our newborn book, Essential Keys To Your Newborn’s Sleep.
2-8 Week Old Newborn, Formula Feeding
This schedule recommends longer naps and fewer feedings than the breastfeeding schedule above, simply because formula is more difficult for baby to digest. So, babies tend to feel fuller longer and therefore need slightly fewer feedings.
9:00 AM | Wake and Feed* |
10:00 AM | Nap (60 – 90 minutes) |
11:30 AM | Wake |
12:30 PM | Feed and Nap (30 – 60 minutes) |
1:30 PM | Wake |
3:00 PM | Feed and Nap (60 – 90 minutes) |
4:30 PM | Wake and Feed |
6:00 PM | Nap (30 – 60 minutes) |
6:30 PM | Wake |
7:30 PM | Feed and Nap (30 – 60 minutes) |
8:30 PM | Wake |
9:30 PM | Nap (30 – 60 minutes) |
10:00 PM | Wake and Feed |
11:30 PM | Feed and Bedtime* |
4:30 AM | Feed and Right back to sleep |
7:30 AM | Feed and Right back to sleep |
* – We recommend you make these fixed points in your baby’s schedule. You can read more about this in our article on fixed points in a baby schedule.
For formula-feeding schedules for older newborns, see our newborn book, Essential Keys To Your Newborn’s Sleep.
Additional Newborn Sleep Articles
Want more newborn sleep tips? Check out our other newborn sleep articles:
- 7 Gentle, Natural Ways To Help Your Newborn Sleep Better
- Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits In Your Newborn (Members Area tele-seminar)
- 10 Tips To Help Your Newborn Sleep
- What You Should Know About Newborn Sleep Patterns
- Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep (Members Area digital book)
- Why Newborns Are Fussy In The Evening (Besides Colic)
- Your Top 5 Breastfeeding + Sleep Questions Answered by an Expert (Members Area article)
Want FREE sleep help that you can put to use right away? Download a copy of our free guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night! The guide is available to download instantly, which means you can start using the techniques in it as early as tonight. So download now, and learn why your baby is waking at night – and what you can do about it.
Click here to learn more about how to get your free guide.
A better night’s sleep could be just a few clicks away. So don’t wait – download now, and start your journey to better sleep tonight!
Thiranya Ravi says
Hi Emily DeJeu, such a wonderful post on newborn baby sleep and feeding schedule. Thanks for sharing this post with us. Keep sharing.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Thiranya Ravi, thank you for your comment, we are glad the article was helpful!
Destiny says
Hi, my 4 week old is now sleeping longer at night and less in the day but I just want to know should we wake her so she can eat at night or let her sleep until she wakes up for a feeding? During the day she eats 3-4 ounces every 3-4 hours of formula, She is past her birth weight as well.
Danielle says
Hi Destiny,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! Usually, we do recommend waking baby to eat during the day, but not at night at this age, if she was born on time and is generally healthy. However, you should check in with her pediatrician, as it can depend on her growth curve and we definitely want to make sure she’s getting enough to eat 🙂 Hope this helps, and good luck!
Kamie says
I just wanted to say I’ve been following this sleep/feeding schedule since my newborn was 3 weeks old, and since then she’s been sleeping up to 9 hours a night and only short naps through the day rather than the other way around!! You’ve saved me weeks of sleeplessness so I wanted to thank you!!!
Janelle Reid says
@Kamie, Woo-hoo!!! That is awesome! We are so glad things have been going so well for you and hope they continue. 🙂 Thanks for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource for sleep help.
zane says
Hi
this means that if my baby wake and feed for like 30mins than there is 1hour for him to play and 30mins to fall aspeep?
1:30 PM – Wake and Feed
3:30 PM – Nap (30 – 60 minutes)
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Zane, thanks for writing! This would mean that from the time your baby wakes up, you would have 2 hours to feed, play, and help them sleep again. It is simply that they would not be awake longer than 2 hours total, so if it takes about 30 minutes to get your baby asleep, then yes, that is what it would look like for you. I hope that helps clarify!
Alison says
Hi!
My 2.5 month old is not napping longer than 30 minutes at a time then will take one longer nap most days. What is the recommended length of a nap for this age? Is this something I should work on with him?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Alison, thanks for your comment! Short naps are pretty common at this age so I wouldn’t worry about it too much unless it is still going on by 4 months or so. If you haven’t yet, here is a link to a free ebook with information that will be helpful to have on hand: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/ Hope this helps!
Alicia L says
I need help with my 7 week old. My first child would’ve been able to follow your plan above beautifully since she fed for 30-45 minutes each feed and slept for 1-1.5 hours each nap (she’s 5 now and I don’t remember exactly what she did at 7 weeks) but my new LO is a whole other bag!! I EBF (as I did with the first kid) but LO has reflux (first kid didn’t have it so I’m lost in the sauce!) and will not go any longer than 1.5-2 hours between feeds during the day, then a 4-5 hours stretch at night before going back to the 1.5-2 hours. Ok no biggie, but she only sleeps 30 minutes at each nap during the day. I know that the above info says that’s ok, but I’m confused with the schedule. What am I to do with my LO between feeding and getting to sleep? I try to get her in her play yard and bouncer but that doesn’t last long- 30 minutes tops- since she’s quite a fussy girl. She acts so tired only 30-45 minutes after I feed (she feeds 5-8 minutes on each breastfeeding) her so I’ve tried watching her cues and get her down for a nap but either it takes forever to get her to sleep or she goes right to sleep and is up in 5 minutes and I wait a bit and try again after she’s gotten a bit more tired looking. She also won’t sleep in my arms or in the carrier, and will only sleep in a rock n play sfter rocking her to sleep. We have a dark room and swaddle. So are her sleep cues true or is she just kinda tired from dealing with her reflux? I need to figure her out because I work from hone and I’m afraid I’ll get fired since I have to spend so much time trying to get her to sleep. Please help!
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Alicia – Thank you for writing to us! Sorry that you are having a tough time with baby number 2! If all babies were simple, and had sleep (and feeding) issues that were “easy” to solve, we’d all have a lot more time on our hands! All babies are so different, as are their sleepy signs, sleep needs, and sleep habits! Many parents in this situation find that baby wearing can help calm/soothe/etc during awake times, and depending on what you use, the positioning can help with reflux too! Wearing baby also helps free up your hands! Crib aquariums, and swings can help during awake times too. #0 minutes in any one place is quite a while at this age too, so if she is content in her bouncer for 30 minutes, I would call that a win!
Regarding her schedule and catching her at just the right sleepy time, you may need to play around with watching those more subtle of signs, and getting her down before she is too tired.
A consultant can help, if you would like some supportive one on one help to really maximize sleep and schedules! Hopefully things will smooth out with just a little tweaking, but if you find that you would like more help, you can check out our consultation packages here:https://www.babysleepsite.com/services/
Good luck Alicia! : )
Amy says
Feeding a newborn can be challenging, confusing and overwhelming at the same time. So, how do new parents go about it? Read on to know more.
https://www.parentcircle.com/article/how-often-do-you-need-to-feed-your-newborn/
Janelle Reid says
@Amy – Thank you for your comment!
Jordan says
Hi! Love your site. My 6wo currently sleeps and wakes only to feed between 12am and 8am… Then throughout the day will sleep for 1-2 hour periods and then be awake for 1-3 hours and repeat. I breastfeed him when he fusses or after 3 hours whichever comes first. This results in an average of 13-14 feedings a day. I am wondering, should I be trying to get him closer to the schedule you post here? On one hand, I don’t want to let him dictate our daily schedule for longer than I should, but I don’t want to schedule him unnecessarily either, as it seems like lot of work and stress. TIA
Janelle Reid says
@Jordan – Thank you for your comment and congratulations on your new baby. I am glad to hear he is sleeping good stretches for you and it sounds like nursing is going really well too! If you are happy with the way things are going right now, I wouldn’t stress yourself out trying to change things just yet. As he gets older you will want to think about a more solid schedule, or if you start to notice he is developing some bad habits and is dictating how things go a little too much, then that is a good indicator it may be time. Please let us know if you have any other questions along the way, we are here to help!
MELISSA ANN BAAD says
you have baby sleep or feed please
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Melissa Ann Baad – Thanks for stopping by! I am happy to help but I don’t know what your whole comment got posted. When you’re able to give us a little more information we’ll be here. 🙂
Melissa Andrews says
I need some advice. My 5 week old will sleep only if she is swaddled. She will also sleep thru the night and not wake up for a feeding. My questions is do I wake her up at night for a feeding or just let her sleep? She also will sleep most of the day if I keep her swaddled. If I take her out and wake her up, she starts fussing. Is she getting too much sleep?
Neosha says
@Melissa – Thank you for stopping in to our sleepy little village. Congratulations on your new little girl! 🙂 This is a great question and one I’m afraid we can’t answer with 100% certainty. This would be a question better posed to your daughter’s medical provider. Frequently, once a baby has reached a certain weight and trend in their growth as newborns, it’s okay to let them sleep longer than 2-3 hours without having to wake them up to feed them. But, if they haven’t yet regained all their birth weight and developed a trend in weight gain, you’d want to keep waking them to feed them. I wish I could be of more help here for you, Melissa, but reach out to her medical provider as I’m certain this is something they can quickly clear up for you.
In regards to her sleeping swaddled, this is generally perfectly okay for many, many months. Newborns easily sleep 16-18 hours per day. And many babies prefer that close feeling they had in the womb to sleep and sleep much better when you recreate this feeling for them in a swaddle, so no worries there. So long as you release her from her swaddle during the day to allow for adequate physical development, swaddling safely while asleep is generally okay. This article will help you determine when and how to stop swaddling her: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/how-when-to-stop-swaddling-baby/ and how to know if she’s getting too much sleep: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/can-baby-sleep-too-much/
I hope this is helpful! Please stop in to see us again soon, Melissa.