How to Help Your Newborn Sleep Longer at Night (Without Sleep Training)

Wouldn’t is be AMAZING to get one stretch of 4 hours sleep? If you have asked yourself ‘How can I help my newborn sleep longer?’, you’re in good company. Most new parents for even the smallest of wins in the sleep department. The good news: With gentle strategies, cosistency, and realistic expectations, you will nudge your baby towards deeper, more resoractive sleep. Ready to dig in and learn how?

Understanding Newborn Sleep Patterns

• Newborns typically sleep 14-17 hours per 24 hours, in small bursts.
• Sleep is broken into short cycles (~45-60 minutes), and they need to eat every few hours.
• Because teir tummy is so small, they can’t go an extended period of time between feedings early on-so we’ll aim for better stretches, not “through the night” right away.

Strategy #1: Create a Calm, Consistent Bedtime Routine

Babies thrive on patterns. A predictable “wind-down” sequence signals it’s time for rest. Here are some ideas:

• Dim lights, reduce stimulation
• A warm bath + baby massage (I suggest using a lavendar soap and lotion.)
• Diaper change + cozy pajamas
• Gentle lullaby, story, or white noise (It is never to early to start singing or reading to your baby.)
• Put baby down drowsy but not fully asleep

Routine Suggestion: bath → fresh diaper → pajamas → reading/singing → dimming lights.

Keep the routine to ~20 minutes or less. Don’t start late-aim for bedtime to be around 6:30-7:30 pm, which has be correlated with longer nighttime stretches in babies.

Strategy #2: Help Baby Learn to Self-Settle

One of the keys to longer sleep is fostering self-settling skills (vs. always rocking or nursing to sleep). Afew gentle ways:

• Put baby down drowsy but awake
• Use a consistent “soothing ladder” (pat → shush → minimal intervention)
• Keep the sleep environment consistent (dark, cool, white noise)
• Avoid picking up at the first stir-give baby a chance to resettle

Self-settling is also recommended by pediatric sleep experts to help babies transition between sleep cycles.

Strategy #3: Manage Daytime Sleep + Awake Windows

Believe it or not: daytime matters as much as nighttime.

• Don’t overshoot awake times- overtired babies fight sleep.
• Especially in early months, aim for shorter awake stretches (30-60 min.)
• Try to flatten baby’s nap patterns (avoid too many late, long naps).
• Ensure baby isn’t overly stimulated close to bedtime.

The Talli blog suggests balancing daytime wakefulness to avoid overstimulation and daytime sleep interfering with night sleep.

Strategy #4: Use Swaddles, White Noise & Dream Feeds Wisely

• Swaddling (if baby still fits swaddle safely) can offer that “womb-like” containment. (I suggest using a Swaddle Sleep Sacks.)
• White noise (steady hum) helps mask startling sounds.
• Dream feed (a gentle feed just before you go to bed) is a technique some parents use to stretch baby’s first sleep block. (Try for 5-7 nights and see if it helps.)

Realistic Expectations & When to Call for Help

• In the first 8-12 weeks, expect 2-3 wakeups (it’s normal).
• Every baby is different-some stretch early, some take more time.
• If baby shows signs of discomfort, reflux, or growth issues, always check with your pediatrician.
• Sleep issues beyond 4 months may benefit from structured sleep coaching.

If you’re tired of feeling link a sleep deprived parent and ready for one-on-one support, book a free 20 minute consult with me. I’ss help you create a personalized plan to improve your baby’s sleep AND yours! (Also, check out my blog “Should I Hire a Sleep Constulant?” -coming soon!)