Newborn sleeping
![Newborn baby swaddled in bed.](https://raisingchildren.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/nb_sleeping.jpg)
It’s said that the first three months of life are like the fourth trimester of pregnancy, so simulating a womb-like experience will help your new baby settle off to sleep. They need to feel safe and secure and connected to you, and feed and sleep at will.
A newborn will sleep for 16-20 hours in a 24 hour period … although definitely not in one stretch! In the first three months, babies rarely sleep for more than four hours at a time despite how much their sleep-deprived parents will it! This is because they have tiny tummies and need to feed often.