Baby sleep: building good habits from the start
With a newborn, a strict routine isn't on the table yet. But a few cues, set early, make things easier down the line.
Telling day and night apart
From the first weeks, keep the room bright and activity normal during the day, and a calm, dim atmosphere at night, even for feeds. The baby gradually learns to link darkness with sleep.
A safe sleep environment
- Baby on their back, on a firm mattress, with no pillow or duvet
- A sleep sack suited to the season rather than a loose blanket
- A room temperature between 18 and 20°C
Spotting signs of tiredness
Yawning, rubbing eyes, fussiness: putting the baby down at these first signs, rather than waiting until they're overtired, often makes falling asleep easier.
Sleep by age
- 0-3 months: 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day, spread across short 2-4 hour cycles
- 4-6 months: nights start stretching out, some babies already sleep 5-6 hours straight
- 6 months and up: a stable evening routine becomes possible, with a short ritual repeated every night
Sleep regression
Around 4 months, and sometimes again around 8-10 months, a baby who was sleeping well often starts waking frequently again. It's tied to normal developmental leaps (motor skills, teething), not a bad habit that's taken hold: it usually passes within 2 to 4 weeks.
To equip the room properly from the start, Kickoala lets you add a sleep sack, night light, and everything else to your registry.
