Bringing home your newborn is magical, exhausting, and everything in between. Amidst all the cuddles and chaos, one thing you can begin to shape early on is your baby’s sleep habits. While babies don’t arrive knowing how to sleep independently, you can help them become good sleepers from the very beginning with a few consistent habits.

This guide walks you through simple, effective steps—like putting your baby down drowsy but awake, creating a solid sleep environment, and following age-appropriate routines—that can make a big difference in your baby’s sleep (and yours too).

1. Start Early: Put Your Baby Down Drowsy but Awake

This is one of the most important—and sometimes overlooked—tools in building healthy sleep habits.

Putting your baby down drowsy but awake means they’re calm and tired, but still slightly awake when placed in their sleep space. This helps your baby begin learning how to fall asleep on their own, without needing to be rocked, fed, or held to sleep every time.

While newborns will still need plenty of support, the more opportunities they have to fall asleep independently, the more they practice—and the better they get at it.

Why it matters:

Babies who fall asleep on their own are more likely to connect sleep cycles, take longer naps, and sleep in longer stretches overnight. It’s a skill, and it starts here.

2. Use the Crib or Bassinet for Naps When You Can

Contact naps are sweet, bonding, and completely appropriate—especially in those early weeks. That said, it’s also helpful to practice naps in your baby’s crib or bassinet as often as possible.

Why this helps:

• It helps your baby learn to feel safe and comfortable in their sleep space.
• It gives you, the parent, a much-needed break—to shower, eat, or just breathe for a moment.
• It builds a habit that supports longer, more restful sleep over time.

Tip:
Even one nap per day in the crib or bassinet can make a difference. This doesn’t have to be all or nothing!

3. Create a Solid Sleep Environment

Whether your baby sleeps in your room (as recommended in the early months) or eventually in their own nursery, the sleep environment should be consistent and calming.

Essentials for a great sleep setup:

• Darkness: Use blackout curtains or shades. Darkness helps cue melatonin, the sleep hormone.
• White Noise: A steady sound machine helps drown out household noise and mimics the comforting whoosh of the womb.
• Swaddling: For newborns, swaddling can soothe their startle reflex and help them sleep more soundly.
• Dedicated sleep space: Whether a bassinet or crib, babies should sleep on a flat, firm surface—alone, on their back, without loose items.

Important Reminder:

Even if baby is room-sharing, try not to watch TV, scroll on a bright phone, or talk loudly while they sleep nearby. Protecting their rest is important—even when they’re tiny.

4. Follow Age-Appropriate Wake Windows

One of the biggest causes of sleep struggles in babies is over-tiredness. It sounds backward, but babies who are overtired often fight sleep more, not less.

That’s why it’s so important to follow age-appropriate wake windows—the stretches of time your baby can stay awake between naps or before bedtime.

Here’s a general guide:

Age Wake Window

0–6 weeks: 45–60 minutes

6–12 weeks: 60–90 minutes

3–4 months: 75–120 minutes

Bedtime Tip:

Newborns often have a later bedtime around 10–11 PM, but this will gradually shift earlier as their circadian rhythms mature. By 3–4 months, many babies naturally move toward a 7–8 PM bedtime.

Consistency with wake windows helps:

• Prevent overtiredness (which makes it harder to fall asleep)
• Make naps and bedtimes smoother
• Improve sleep quality overall

5. Practice Independent Sleep Daily

Independent sleep is a skill—and like any skill, it improves with practice. The more opportunities your baby has to fall asleep on their own (whether at bedtime or for naps), the better they’ll become at it. This doesn’t mean you can’t rock or feed your baby—especially in the early weeks. But try to incorporate moments where they go down awake. You might be surprised how quickly they adapt with gentle, consistent practice.

Why it’s worth it:

• Babies who can fall asleep on their own are more likely to sleep longer stretches at night.
• It encourages longer, more restorative naps.
• It gives parents more predictability and rest too!

Final Thoughts

Helping your baby become a great sleeper doesn’t require perfection—it just takes intention. By gently guiding your baby with these early sleep habits, you’re teaching them that sleep is safe, secure, and something they’re capable of doing on their own.



Start small. Be consistent. And give yourself grace along the way. You’ve got this—and so does your baby.