You can't create bad habits in a newborn. Go with it, go with your baby. Babies are not born with the skill to put themselves to sleep - this emerges closer to 5/6 months. So feeding, rocking, holding your baby to sleep is all completely normal and part of the newborn phase. Here are some things to work on to support sleep in those esarly months:

 

Aim for 10 – 12 hours night time sleep and 4 hours day time sleep across 3 or 4 naps.

 

Naps tend to organise and become more predictable between 3 and 4 months.

 

Practice putting baby down to sleep awake and having them gradually learn to self settle. They may not be able to do this at the beginning, but with practice and over time, they will get there.

 

Try a dream feed to create a long stretch of sleep.

 

Routines are key this month – have a regular bedtime (aim for close to 7pm/7.30pm), wake up time (7.30am latest). Between 3 and 4 months, baby’s circadian rhythm (body clock) really starts to develop. By bringing bedtime earlier we are supporting and regulating their natural sleep & wake times. Typically speaking, baby’s natural sleep time will fall somewhere between 6.30pm and 8pm, and wake up between 6am and 7.30am.

 

Wake windows (typically 1.5-2 hours). If a nap has been short, the wake window to next nap will likely need to be shorter than usual.