Right, being a new parent – it’s no walk in the park, is it? And one of the toughest bits can be getting your tiny one to settle down happily in their crib. Those first few weeks back at home with your baby… well, they’re a mix of wonder and pure exhaustion, especially when it comes to sleep. But if you get your head around what your newborn actually needs and set up the right sort of sleep space, moving your little one into a cot doesn’t have to be a battle.
In this proper guide, we’re going to share helpful tips – a mix of solid science and stuff that’s worked for other mums and dads – so your newborn can learn to love sleeping in their crib.
Understanding Newborn Sleep Fundamentals
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of cot sleep tricks, it's helpful to know a few basics about how a newborn actually sleeps. They're not like us, you see – their sleep patterns and needs are completely different, and this makes all the difference when getting them used to a cot.
Truth be told, your little one will typically sleep for 16 to 20 hours a day, but it's all in short bursts of 1 to 4 hours at a time, round the clock. Their sleep cycles are shorter than ours too, lasting about 50 to 60 minutes, and they spend much more time in light, active REM sleep – which is why they startle awake so easily.
Sometime between 6 weeks and 3 months, things start to shift. That's when their body clock begins to develop, helping them tell the difference between day and night. This window is really the ideal time to start gently introducing better sleep habits, including getting comfortable in their cot.
Creating the Ideal Sleep Environment
1. Optimal Room Temperature
Getting the baby room temperature right in the nursery is key for a comfortable baby – and a quieter night. If it's a bit too stuffy or a bit too chilly, your little one is much more likely to wake up fussing.
Aim to keep the room between 20-22°C, which is usually about right for a newborn.
How to know if baby is too hot or too cold:
- The best way is to have a feel of their tummy or the back of their neck – their hands and feet aren't a reliable gauge, as they're often cooler.
- If they're too warm, you might notice sweating, damp hair, flushed cheeks, or even heat rash.
- If they're too cold, their torso will feel cool to the touch, their skin might look a bit pale, or they might seem restless.
It's important the temperature stays consistent through the night. A little tip: the Bebebus Baby Crib has rather clever breathable mesh sides. This helps air circulate properly around your baby, preventing them from getting too hot and making it easy to just pop your head round and check on them.
2. Getting the Hang of Awake Windows
Right, "awake windows" – that's just the time your little one can manage to stay awake between naps. For a newborn, especially those under six weeks, this window is really quite short – usually just 45 to 60 minutes, and that includes the time it takes to feed them. This stretch naturally gets a bit longer as your baby grows, and understanding newborn wake windows is key to keeping naps and sleep on track.
Getting to know this rhythm is key, because a baby who's gotten overtired will fight sleep much harder and won't settle as well. You'll want to keep an eye out for their sleepy cues, like:
- Yawning
- Rubbing their eyes
- Looking away or losing interest in you
- Slowing down and becoming less active
- General fussing and grizzling
3. Understanding Your Baby's Sleep Cycles
As we touched on earlier, newborns sleep in much shorter chunks than we do – about 50 to 60 minutes from start to finish – which is their baby sleep cycles, compared to our 90-minute cycles. They also spend much more of that time in "active sleep" – a light, twitchy, often noisy stage where they’re easily stirred.
For the first three months or so, don't expect a set routine; their sleep is all over the shop, with frequent wakes mostly for a feed. After the 3-month mark, you'll usually notice they start to settle into more predictable patterns and spend a bit more time in deeper, quieter sleep.
This is precisely why where they nod off is so important. When they naturally rouse a little between cycles – as we all do – finding themselves in the same familiar spot they fell asleep in helps them learn to string those sleep cycles together on their own.
How to Get Your Newborn to Sleep in the Crib
1. Start With a Soothing Bedtime Routine
Even young newborns benefit from a consistent, calming pre-sleep routine. This might include:
- A warm bath
- Gentle massage
- Quiet singing or lullabies
- Final feeding
- Dimmed lights
Keep the routine relatively short (15-20 minutes) and perform it in the same order each night. This conditions your baby to understand that sleep is coming.
2. Create Comforting Crib Connections
Help your little one associate their cot with warmth and security by building positive sleep associations:
- Rather than only placing them in the cot when it's time to sleep, introduce brief, pleasant moments there during awake times.
- Many parents find that placing a recently worn item of their clothing nearby (safely out of reach) provides comforting familiarity through scent.
- Introducing consistent sound cues - whether from a white noise machine or gentle shushing - when placing them in the cot can become powerful sleep triggers that reassure your baby they're in a safe, familiar environment.
3. The Art of the Cot Transfer
Let's be honest, the "cot transfer" is a rite of passage every parent knows well—that heart-in-mouth moment of lowering a sleeping baby without them waking. This method often does the trick:
- First, get the timing right. Cuddle your baby until they're drowsy and heavy-lidded, but not completely gone.
- Wait for the deep sleep signs. Look for that lovely, limp-limbed floppiness and a steady, even breathing pattern.
- Lower them down with care. Go slowly, and make sure their bum touches the mattress first, before you gently rest their head down.
- Don't pull away too fast. Keep your hands resting on them for a moment once they're down—that little bit of continued contact is reassuring.
- If they grizzle or stir. Don't scoop them straight back up. Try a bit of gentle patting or some soft shushing first; often, they'll settle back down on their own.
4. Handling Those Night Wakings
When your little one stirs in the small hours, a calm and consistent approach helps everyone settle back more easily:
- Keep the atmosphere sleepy: Use very dim lighting and limit conversation or interaction
- Meet their needs quietly: Feed or change your baby in a calm, soothing manner
- Stick to the cot: Resist bringing them into your bed to maintain that positive cot association
- Return them drowsy: When possible, place them back in the cot while they're still sleepy but aware, so they learn to settle themselves
Product Spotlight: Creating the Perfect Sleep Space
Getting the sleep environment right can make all the difference in helping your newborn settle in their cot. Bebebus offers some thoughtfully designed solutions that address exactly what keeps parents awake at night (besides the baby, that is!).
The BeBeBus Polar Nursing Baby Crib comes with these clever features:
- Adjustable height settings that line up perfectly with adult beds for those easier nighttime feeds and check-ins
- Breathable mesh sides for better air circulation and the ability to peek at your little one without disturbing them
- Gentle rocking function to soothe your baby with calming motion
- Convertible design that adapts as your child grows from newborn to toddler
The BeBeBus Standard Crib delivers practical elegance with:
- Non-toxic, hypoallergenic materials for complete peace of mind
- Adjustable mattress heights - higher when they're tiny for easy access, lower when they start standing for safety
- Generous sleeping space that gives your growing baby plenty of room to stretch out
- Sustainable wood construction built to last through the active toddler years
Best Overall Baby Crib
BeBeBus Wish+ Crib
$559
- Non-toxic, hypoallergenic materials for complete peace of mind
- Adjustable mattress heights - higher when they're tiny for easy access, lower when they start standing for safety
- Generous sleeping space that gives your growing baby plenty of room to stretch out
- Sustainable wood construction built to last through the active toddler years
