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Broken nights can make the smallest tasks feel difficult. If your baby wakes often, it does not mean you have failed to establish a routine. Newborn sleep varies, and waking for feeds is normal. A useful starting point is a safe sleeping space, a manageable evening routine and some practical support for you.
Safer sleep comes first
Put your baby on their back for every sleep, in a clear cot or Moses basket with a firm, flat mattress. Keep their sleeping space in the same room as you for at least the first six months. Keep pillows, duvets, cot bumpers and soft toys out. The Lullaby Trust’s safer-sleep guidance explains how to set this up.
Work with your baby’s changing sleep
The NHS guide to helping babies sleep describes a wide range of normal patterns. Young babies need feeding during the night, and sleep can change as they grow. Avoid treating another family’s timetable as a target your baby must meet.
During the day, allow daylight and ordinary household sounds. At night, keep lights low and interaction quiet. As your baby gets older, a short sequence such as a feed, nappy change, cuddle and story can make bedtime familiar. It need not happen at an exact minute or involve buying equipment.
Understand when to stop swaddling
Swaddling is optional. If you choose it, follow the Lullaby Trust’s swaddling advice: use lightweight fabric, keep the head uncovered, leave room for the hips to move and always place your baby on their back. Do not add extra bedding over a swaddle or let your baby overheat.
Stop swaddling with the arms enclosed as soon as your baby shows signs of trying to roll. Do not wait until they can reliably roll over. Never swaddle when bed-sharing or when your baby has an infection or fever. Ask your midwife or health visitor to demonstrate if you are unsure.
Make rest possible for you, too
A bedtime routine cannot do the washing up or take an older child to school. When someone offers help, give them a specific job. Preparing food, doing a school run or looking after the baby while you rest may be more useful than another suggestion about sleep.
If nights are becoming unmanageable, or you are worried about your baby’s feeding or sleep, speak to your health visitor or GP. Keep a brief note of what is happening so you can explain the problem without having to remember every wake-up. You do not need to wait until you are at breaking point to ask for support.
Information checked: 19 October 2026, using NHS and Lullaby Trust guidance.
