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How to get newborn to sleep?

There's no single trick that makes a newborn 'sleep through the night' — frequent waking is normal and expected for months. The best evidence-based approach combines safe sleep practices (back sleeping, firm flat surface, room-sharing) with simple settling routines like putting baby down drowsy-but-awake, dimming lights at night, and responding to your baby's sleep cues.

Consistent cues like a naptime/bedtime routine and a dark, quiet room can help babies gradually learn sleep signals over the first few months.

Strength of evidence

Good

Safe sleep recommendations come from national guideline bodies (CPS, AAP, CDC, NHS) based on large epidemiological studies. Settling and routine advice is largely expert consensus and observational guidance rather than randomized trials, so it is good but not the strongest tier of evidence.

What the evidence says

Newborns sleep a lot overall (roughly 14-18 hours a day) but only in short stretches of 2-4 hours, waking often to feed — this is completely normal and not something to 'fix' in the early weeks. Their body clock for telling day from night hasn't matured yet, so long stretches at night usually don't happen until around 3 months or later.

What actually helps: put your baby down drowsy but still awake so they start learning to fall asleep in their sleep space; keep nighttime feeds and diaper changes calm, dim, and low-stimulation so they learn night is for sleeping; and use a simple, predictable routine (like a quiet cuddle, dimmed lights, or a short 'bath-book-bed' sequence as they get a bit older). Swaddling, gentle rocking, white noise, and a pacifier (once breastfeeding is established) can also help some babies settle, and letting a baby fuss for a few minutes before intervening can support self-soothing.

Safety always comes first: always place baby on their back on a firm, flat surface in a crib, cradle, or bassinet with nothing loose inside, room-share (not bed-share) for at least the first 6 months, and avoid overheating. These steps lower the risk of SIDS and accidental suffocation.

If your baby cries inconsolably for hours despite trying these approaches, or you're worried about feeding, growth, or your own coping, check in with your doctor or public health nurse — there's no need to manage this alone.

Sources

✓Reviewed by CH, MD, FRCPC

Reviewed by a specialist physician certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, who has read this answer against the sources listed above and confirmed it reflects them. That is not medical advice about your child. How we review

Answer checked July 31, 2026

Educational information only. Not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and no doctor-patient relationship is created by using this. Founded Parent has not examined your child and does not know their history, so this may not apply to you. In an emergency, call your local emergency number. What Founded Parent cannot do

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