You’re well into your baby’s first week, and they are everything you hoped for and more! This delightful little bundle of joy makes you smile, laugh and cry (happy tears), but they also make you pretty tired.

As you expected, their sleep has been pretty irregular, which means you are up throughout the night to feed, change, burp and cuddle them. And while you are enjoying the cuddles and bonding, you’re probably pretty exhausted and often left wondering, will it get better soon? Will they sleep more this week?

Well, let’s examine the sleep expectations for babies in week 1 and find out.

What are the sleep expectations for babies in week 1?

Babies will typically sleep between 16 and 20 hours a day, but don’t be concerned if your baby sleeps a little less. You’ll no doubt know, or at least find out very soon, that their sleep schedule will be highly irregular and you’ll be rather lucky if they sleep for 4 hours at a time. But don’t worry, soon enough their sleep cycle will balance out and you’ll get a few more much-needed hours for yourself!

But besides your own lack of sleep, is there anything you need to look out for and be careful of?

Unfortunately, there is something, something known as SIDS.

What is SIDS?

If you haven’t heard of SIDS, it stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which occurs during sleep. Experts still aren’t entirely sure what the cause is. Now, we know that this sounds really scary, and if it’s something you feel anxious about, that’s absolutely understandable; but we would also like to let you know that it’s really quite rare these days and there’s actually a lot we can do to reduce its risk.

So how do I reduce the risk of SIDS?

Put your baby to sleep on their back. Even if your baby appears to like sleeping on their belly or their side, don’t let this become a habit, even during naps. On their back is simply the safest option.

Breastfeed if you can. Research has shown that breastfeeding, even if it’s just during the first couple of weeks, will reduce the risk of SIDS. If you aren’t able to breastfeed, don’t worry, as the other steps should still limit any risk.

Room share. It’s thought that sharing your room with your baby can significantly reduce the risk of SIDS, though it’s much safer if they sleep in their own crib or Moses basket, as you are more likely to hear any changes in their breathing or movements.

Keep your baby cool. It is now a known fact that overheating contributes to SIDS, so make sure your baby isn't wrapped in too many layers or blankets. And never put a hat on them whilst they’re sleeping indoors – they need to be able to lose heat from their head. Ideally, the bedroom should be between 16-20 degrees Celsius and 61 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make sure their bed is safe. When it comes to making their bed a safe space, there are 3 things to keep in mind:

‘Feet to foot’. Always put your baby in their crib, cot or Moses basket with their feet close to the end of their bed. The reason being that if your baby shuffles, they’ll move up and not down (so the covers can’t go over their head).

Don’t use pillows, duvets or cot bumpers. These items can cause suffocation. So too can toys. A cellular blanket, one full of small holes and specially designed for babies, works well. Tuck it around the mattress and only place it as high as your baby’s chest – don’t tuck it up to their chin. Although expensive, baby sleeping bags can be great for babies.

Mattress. Your baby’s mattress must be flat, firm and have a waterproof plastic cover to protect it. Ideally, it should be new.

Don’t smoke. Smoking is now considered the greatest risk factor in regard to SIDS. So make sure to keep your baby away from any cigarette smoke – not letting any smoke come indoors. You should also keep smoky clothing out of the house and the bedroom if possible. There seems to be some disagreement as to whether e-cigarettes are any safer, so if you can, try to put a stop to smoking entirely.

To end on a lighter note, we also want to give you a bit of advice that will help your baby become aware of and get used to the variations of night and day.

How do I speed up my baby’s awareness of night and day?

At night, keep curtains closed and lights very dim during feedings. Though you may feel a bit unfriendly, don’t talk or make much eye contact with your baby (although you're probably too sleepy to interact much anyway). They’ll be comforted enough by your presence so don’t worry. And during the day, try not to let them sleep for much more than 3 hours at a time, keep curtains open to let in the daylight, and don’t try to restrict ambient noise. So feel free to use the phone, watch a bit of TV, or put the washing machine on. Go about your daily business as usual. This will gradually teach their body and brain the various differences between night and day.

What does my newborn's sleep look like? (Week 1)