Newborn sleep can feel unpredictable and overwhelming, especially if you are trying to understand what is normal.
In the early weeks, babies do not have a circadian rhythm. Day and night are often mixed up, and sleep is spread across the full 24 hours.
Most newborns sleep between 14 and 17 hours a day, but this happens in short stretches.
Frequent waking is biologically normal. Babies wake to feed, for comfort, and because their sleep cycles are short.
It is also very common for newborns to prefer contact sleep. This is not a habit you have created. It is a reflection of how close they have been to you for months.
In these early weeks, the focus is not on strict routines or sleep training.
Instead, gentle structure can help. Exposure to daylight, short periods of wakefulness between naps, and a simple bedtime rhythm can start to shape sleep over time.
If you feel like you are doing nothing but feeding and settling your baby, you are not alone.
This phase is intense, but it does pass.
