Sleep Schedule for Newborn (0-3 months old)

'SBR' most commonly refers to a routine like 'Sleep, Bottle/Eat, Play, Repeat' (or Eat, Play, Sleep). It's a method designed to help babies differentiate between feeding and sleep, encouraging them to fall asleep independently for naps. Instead of feeding to sleep, you aim to feed them when they wake, engage them in some awake/play time, and then put them down for a nap when sleepy cues appear, breaking the feed-to-sleep association.

You can start introducing the concept of SBR (or 'Eat, Play, Sleep') as early as a few weeks old. While newborns have very short awake windows and can often fall asleep anywhere, establishing this order helps build healthy sleep habits over time. The routine becomes more distinguishable and impactful as your baby gets a little older (e.g., 6-8 weeks and beyond) and their awake windows begin to lengthen.

Start by observing your baby's wake windows and sleepy cues. The cycle looks like this: 1. **Eat:** When your baby wakes from a nap, offer a full feeding. 2. **Play:** After feeding, engage in some age-appropriate awake time (tummy time, looking at toys, cuddling). Keep an eye on the clock for typical wake windows for their age. 3. **Sleep:** Before your baby becomes overtired (look for yawning, rubbing eyes, staring), start your nap routine (swaddle, dim lights, white noise) and put them down drowsy but awake for their nap. Then, the 'Repeat' begins when they wake from that nap.

It's important to remember that SBR is a flexible routine, not a rigid schedule. Babies aren't clocks, and their needs can vary daily. If your baby has a short nap, don't fret; just treat it as a wake-up and move to the 'Eat' part of the cycle sooner. If they miss a nap, try to offer the next feeding earlier and aim for the subsequent nap sooner. Focus on consistency with the 'Eat, Play, Sleep' *order* and observing sleepy cues, rather than strict timing. Some days will be better than others, and that's perfectly normal.

The core 'Eat, Play, Sleep' concept remains, but the 'Play' (awake) window will gradually lengthen significantly as your baby gets older. As their sleep needs evolve, the number of sleep cycles will decrease. For example, a newborn might have 5-6 short cycles, while a 6-month-old might have 3 longer cycles, and a toddler might have just one long nap. The routine adapts by extending the awake time between feeds and naps, eventually leading to fewer, longer naps until they consolidate into one nap, and eventually no daytime naps.