After birth, it takes some time for your child to learn the difference between day and night. For us adults, it is normal to be awake during the day and to sleep at night. This is different in babies: First, they sleep much more than adults and second, they sleep during the day and at night. In between, they wake up again and again for short periods – even at night. During these waking periods, your child might be hungry or simply wants to know that their mom or dad is still there and wants to cuddle with them for a while. This is completely normal.

At the beginning, your baby needs your help to fall asleep or go back to sleep. For example, you can hold him or her in your arms or sing to your baby. Later, he or she will learn to fall asleep more independently and needs less and less help from you. When this happens is different for every baby.

Some babies are real “marmots” and sleep a lot, while others need less sleep. You can tell whether your child is sleeping enough by how satisfied and attentive they are when they are awake. For example, if the baby whines a lot during the day, it may be an indicator that he or she is not getting enough sleep.