The sleep pattern of your newborn baby can be unpredictable, to say the least! Your little one wakes up consistently in the late hours of the night and then sleeps erratically during the day. You struggle to plan your days because your baby’s sleep cycle seems to change day by day. When will they next fall asleep? Are they sleeping for long enough? Why is their sleep pattern so different from my own?

If this sounds familiar, then don’t worry—for many parents, the sleep pattern of their newborn is somewhat of a mystery. A seemingly random sleeping schedule for a newborn is completely normal, so it is nothing to be concerned about in itself.

However, since your baby’s sleep pattern is so different from your own, it can be disruptive and frustrating at times, almost certainly hindering your own quality of sleep. Knowledge is power, so let’s look at the differences between the sleep patterns of newborns and adults.

What are the differences between mine and my baby’s sleep cycles?

The first major difference is that your newborn needs far more sleep than you do. To be precise, while adults require about 7–9 hours of sleep, newborn babies typically need around 14–18 hours!

Another difference is that, while an adult’s sleep tends to be continuous and uninterrupted, a newborn will sleep in many small periods, each around 2 to 4 hours long.

Your baby will sleep during both the day and night, whereas nearly all adults get the vast majority of their sleep during the nighttime.

Why is my newborn’s sleeping pattern different from my own?

Why does your baby sleep so much? The primary reason for this is simple: they need a lot of sleep to support their development during such a critical period in their lives. So, if you’re worried about the fact that your newborn is sleeping for most of the day and night, then don’t panic—their sleep-filled days are helping them towards balanced growth!

Adults and older children usually tire in the evening, fall asleep at night, and wake up in the morning. This is because we have developed a circadian rhythm, which determines our regular sleep cycle. Your baby has not yet had the time to do this.

As you may have learned the hard way, your baby’s individual periods of sleep, though frequent, are not lengthy! The reason for their regular waking is that they frequently require something in particular, such as feeding, a nappy change, or greater comfort.

When will my newborn’s sleep pattern cycle change?

Naturally, you may be wondering when your baby’s sleep schedule will start to look more like your own. Not only will this indicate the natural development of your baby, but it will finally give you some peaceful nights!

There is no exact rule for this, but on average, your baby at 6 months will sleep an average of 13 hours per day, with each period of sleep being longer. By 1 year, the majority of babies will have conformed to a sleep schedule that is more similar to an adult’s, meaning that the majority of their sleep will take place during the night. However, up to the age of around 3, they will still typically need at least one daytime nap.

Why is my sleep pattern different to my newborn baby’s?

For our Unii Newborn Journey, we look at why your sleep pattern differs from your baby’s.