Newborn Sleep Tips
A real question from a new mum in Ewingsdale Byron Bay, NSW Australia
“I’m looking for tips to get my newborn sleeping better. He’s 3 weeks old and seems to fight sleep, even when he’s tired. The only way I can get him to nap is by wearing him in a carrier.
At night, I can’t get him to stay down in his bassinet. If he wakes after a feed, the only way to settle him is back in the carrier.
I’m exhausted.
I’ve been trying to keep his awake time to about an hour, but he often fights sleep and stays awake longer. I’m feeding on demand, but sometimes he gets fussy at the breast and pulls away.
I’d love any tips to help him sleep in the bassinet at night, for longer stretches, and to nap during the day without being held.”
My response
It’s early days, mama. You’re doing a really good job.
At this stage, newborn sleep isn’t about strict routines or getting everything perfect. It’s about feeding well, supporting weight gain, and gently introducing patterns that will later become more predictable.
A lot of what you’re describing is very common — especially the need for contact, the difficulty transferring to the bassinet, and the short stretches of sleep.
But there are a few key things that will make a noticeable difference.
What time should a newborn go to bed?
One of the biggest misconceptions is bedtime.
Newborns don’t have an early bedtime like older babies.
At around three weeks, bedtime is usually closer to 9:30–10:30pm. From there, it gradually shifts earlier over the coming weeks, often landing around 6:30–7:30pm by 12–16 weeks.
Trying to force an early bedtime too soon can actually make things harder.
Why your baby is fighting sleep
Even when newborns look tired, they can still struggle to fall asleep.
This is usually because they become overtired quite quickly, or because they rely on feeding or movement to settle. Their sleep cycles are also still developing, which makes it harder for them to stay asleep once they get there.
This is why you can feel like you’re doing everything right, but it’s still not working.
Why your baby won’t stay in the bassinet
Most newborns prefer to be held.
They’ve spent months in constant contact, so the transition to sleeping alone can feel like a big shift.
The change in temperature, the loss of movement, and the lighter stages of sleep all contribute to them waking when you put them down.
This doesn’t mean you’ve created a bad habit — it’s simply where your baby is developmentally.
How to start getting longer stretches at night
At this age, sleep is closely linked to feeding.
The focus should be on getting as many calories in as possible during the day. This helps your baby naturally begin to extend sleep overnight.
It’s not realistic to expect long stretches yet, but you can begin building toward a four-hour stretch, and then gradually extend from there.
How to handle naps during the day
For now, it’s okay if naps are happening on you.
Contact naps are very normal in the newborn stage, and they don’t need to be eliminated straight away.
What you can start doing is gently introducing the bassinet at bedtime first, rather than trying to change everything at once.
A simple way to start transitioning to the bassinet
Once your baby is asleep, give it about ten minutes before transferring them.
Make sure the bassinet is warm before placing them down, so the temperature change isn’t as noticeable.
These small adjustments can make a big difference over time.
Helping your baby tell day from night
Newborns aren’t born with a body clock.
To support this, expose your baby to natural light in the morning, take them outside during the day, and keep the evenings calm and dim.
This helps their rhythm develop and supports longer night sleep over time.
Why this can feel like it’s not improving
If your baby is only sleeping when held, waking every time you put them down, feeding constantly overnight, and fighting sleep despite being tired, it can feel like nothing is changing.
And for many families, it doesn’t — because the way sleep is being supported stays the same.
If this is exactly what’s happening for you
If you’re reading this and thinking this sounds exactly like your baby, or that you’re doing everything and still not seeing progress, or simply that you’re exhausted, you’re not alone.
Can you get sleep help with your newborn overnight?
Yes — and most parents don’t realise this is an option.
This is not a night nanny.
This is overnight, in-home newborn sleep support, where I work directly with your baby throughout the night to improve sleep, reduce constant waking, and help your baby settle in a way that leads to longer stretches.
So you can sleep while it’s done for you.
When should you get help?
With newborns, you’ll often be told to just do whatever works and worry about sleep later.
In my experience, that’s not always helpful.
By 4–10 weeks, patterns are already forming — especially around feeding to sleep, contact settling, and frequent waking overnight.
If your baby isn’t starting to move toward longer stretches, or is becoming more dependent on being held or fed to stay asleep, it’s much easier to address this early than to wait.
Need Overnight Newborn Support in Byron Bay?
Raquel Tara provides in-home overnight newborn support and night nanny care throughout Byron Bay and Ballina Shire, allowing exhausted parents to properly rest while their baby is cared for overnight.
Unlike her interstate FIFO bookings which are often secured several weeks in advance, Byron Bay and Ballina families can often access priority overnight support with significantly shorter lead times between scheduled travel periods.
In many cases, local overnight bookings are available with less than 24 hours notice.
Two-night overnight respite bookings are primarily reserved for Byron Bay and Ballina Shire families only.
This allows local exhausted parents to access immediate overnight help during particularly difficult stages including:
• newborn exhaustion
• cluster feeding periods
• recovery after birth
• unsettled newborn behaviour
• sleep deprivation
• partner burnout
Night nanny support is provided directly in your home overnight while parents sleep.
Raquel manages overnight settling, feeding support, bottle preparation, resettling and overnight newborn care throughout the night.
For breastfeeding mothers, baby can be brought in for feeds and then resettled back to sleep afterwards — meaning mothers generally only wake for feeding itself while all other overnight wakes are handled by Raquel.
Families outside the Byron Bay and Ballina region generally require a minimum 5-night FIFO/DIDO overnight respite booking plus travel costs.
Work with Australia’s Leading Baby Sleep Consultant
Raquel Tara is a highly experienced newborn care specialist & overnight baby sleep coach with
25+ years experience working with parents and their babies.
Raquel has helped elite athletes, celebrities, doctors, teachers and coaches both in Australia and abroad, and she can help you too!
Raquel Tara
Mothercraft Night Nanny & Baby Sleep Consultant
Sydney's Original Celebrity Sleep Nanny visits families throughout Australia and coaches babies to sleep through the night — so their parents can get the rest they deserve! Raquel has helped elite athletes, celebrities, doctors, teachers, and coaches both-in Australia and abroad for 20+ years, and she can help you too!
