Sleep can be pretty elusive during the early days and weeks home with a new baby. One solution that allows many parents and caregivers to get a little more rest is by taking alternating shifts at night. Let’s take a closer look at how some families implement a night shift system with a newborn and what that schedule could look like. 

What Is a Night Shift System With a Newborn?

During those first weeks at home, some families decide to establish a night shift system in order to more easily manage baby care. With this system, caregivers rotate duties, like nighttime feedings and diaper changes. While this system won’t work for all families, it can allow households in which there are multiple caregivers who have comparable schedules to get more rest and allow the non-birthing parent to have additional chances to connect with the baby. Getting additional sleep is also a major benefit for parents who may be at high risk for or currently experiencing postpartum depression.

Nighttime caregivers don’t necessarily have to be parents either. Some households have extended family members or close friends willing to take turns in the rotation. This is especially helpful for single parents or households with a parent who works overnight. If you can afford it, employing a night nurse may be another option.

You’ll probably need to do a little experimentation to work out a schedule that fits your family and works with how you’re feeding your baby. Here are a few examples of night shift timetables to help you start brainstorming, along with a few pointers for navigating the night shift system successfully.

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Examples of Newborn Night Shift Schedules

Bear in mind that there’s not just one way to run a nighttime schedule with a newborn – what works well for one family might not work out for another. The way you structure shifts will differ based on how you’re feeding your baby and on the individual preferences and needs of the caregivers. Your schedule will also change as your baby grows and begins to sleep more or eat less at night. 

There will probably be quite a bit of variation in how a schedule like this plays out in real life. For instance, these sample timetables presume the baby is eating about every three to four hours for about an hour at a time. It may also take more or less time for the baby and caregiver to fall back to sleep. Use these examples as a springboard for thought as you begin to experiment with a timetable that works best for your own family.

Example night shift schedule for a formula-fed newborn

Families who use formula exclusively have the most versatility when it comes to creating a night shift system. Caregivers are able to participate equally in overnight care duties, allowing each person to sleep for longer periods of time. A sample schedule for a formula-fed baby might look something like this:

• 7:00 P.M.: Caregiver A feeds the baby a bottle of formula. 
• 8:00 P.M.: Both caregivers go to sleep.
• 10:00 P.M.: Caregiver B feeds the baby a bottle of formula.
• 11:00 P.M.: Caregiver B goes to sleep.
• 1:00 A.M.: Caregiver A feeds the baby a bottle of formula.
• 2:00 A.M.: Caregiver A goes to sleep.
• 4:00 A.M.: Caregiver B feeds the baby a bottle of formula.
• 5:00 A.M.: Caregiver B goes to sleep.
• 7:00 A.M.: Caregiver A feeds the baby a bottle of formula. 

Example night shift schedule for a combination-fed newborn

Alternating between formula and breast milk is known as combination feeding or mixed feeding. This method may offer nursing mothers the opportunity to get some extra rest since they’re not responsible for every nighttime feeding. If you’re planning to try combination feeding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cautions that giving your baby formula can cause your baby to breastfeed less. They advise not starting ​​combination feeding until you are breastfeeding regularly and well. If you are thinking about giving your baby infant formula, talk to your baby's doctor first. Your pediatrician can help you choose the best time to introduce infant formula and which infant formula is best for your baby. 

It’s also worth noting that longer periods of uninterrupted sleep could increase the chances of breast engorgement, especially in the early days and weeks while breastfeeding is still being established. Some nursing parents will wake up and pump instead, which is a bit faster than nursing and allows them to go right back to sleep (particularly if their partner is handling baby care and pump cleaning duties).

• 7:00 P.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby.
• 8:00 P.M.: Caregiver A goes to sleep.
• 10:00 P.M.: Caregiver B feeds the baby a bottle of formula or previously expressed breast milk.
• 11:00 P.M.: Caregiver B parent goes to sleep.
• 1:00 A.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby.
• 2:00 A.M.: Caregiver A goes to sleep.
• 4:00 A.M.: Caregiver B feeds the baby a bottle of formula or previously expressed breast milk.
• 5:00 A.M.: Caregiver B parent goes to sleep.
• 7:00 A.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby. 

Example night shift schedule for a family who is exclusively pumping 

Pumping allows both caregivers the chance to feed and bond with the baby. That said, the nursing parent will still probably need to pump overnight in order to preserve her milk supply. 

• 7:00 P.M.: Caregiver A feeds baby a bottle of previously expressed breast milk. 
• 8:00 P.M.: Caregiver A goes to sleep.
• 10:00 P.M.: Caregiver A pumps (and goes back to sleep afterward) while Caregiver B feeds baby a bottle of previously expressed breast milk (and cleans the pump).
• 11:00 P.M.: Caregiver B goes to sleep.
• 1:00 A.M.: Caregiver A wakes up and pumps, then feeds the baby a bottle.
• 2:00 A.M.: Caregiver A goes to bed.
• 4:00 A.M.: Caregiver A pumps (and goes back to sleep afterward) while Caregiver B feeds baby a bottle of previously expressed breast milk (and cleans the pump).
• 5:00 A.M.: Caregiver B goes to sleep.
• 7:00 A.M.: Caregiver A wakes up and pumps, then feeds the baby a bottle.

Example night shift schedule for a family who is exclusively nursing 

Parents who are exclusively nursing will need to waken for every feeding. However, they can still get more rest if the other caregiver assumes responsibility for the other non-feeding tasks, like changing diapers and soothing the baby back to sleep. 

• 7:00 P.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby.
• 8:00 P.M.: Caregiver A goes to sleep.
• 10:00 P.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby.
• 10:30 P.M.: Caregiver A goes back to sleep, while Caregiver B changes diapers and soothes baby to sleep.
• 11:00 P.M.: Caregiver B goes back to sleep.
• 1:00 A.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby.
• 1:30 A.M.: Caregiver A goes back to sleep, while Caregiver B changes diapers and soothes baby to sleep.
• 2:00 A.M.: Caregiver B goes back to sleep.
• 4:00 A.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby.
• 4:30 A.M.: Caregiver A goes back to sleep, while Caregiver B changes diapers and soothes baby to sleep.
• 5:00 A.M.: Caregiver B goes back to sleep.
• 7:00 A.M.: Caregiver A nurses the baby.

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Tips for Managing a Night Shift System

Alternating baby care at night can be a bit of an adjustment. Here’s how to get through it and help everyone get more rest.

• Plan the timetable in advance so that you’re both on board about whose turn it is.
• Keep the schedule somewhat flexible. Babies have their own agenda and won’t care what you’ve already got planned. Be prepared for some variations in the routine.
• Try to go to sleep when your baby does. For nursing parents, it’s especially important to try to snooze as soon as your baby is done breastfeeding in order to maximize sleep time.
• Try sleeping in different rooms to allow the off-duty parent to get a quieter, uninterrupted rest.

An effective night shift system can help everyone get a little more rest during this exhausting time of newborn development. Together, you can venture into nighttime duties with a plan that hopefully gives both of you a bit more sleep.