The Newborn Sleep Playbook: What's Inside
The Newborn Sleep Playbook is a 46-page, 13-chapter guide for the first 12 weeks, delivered as a PDF with a companion web app, a printables PDF and seven bonus guides. Here is what each part contains, so you can decide whether it is what you are looking for. It is educational and does not replace advice from your pediatrician.
The approach
Plain language, short sections and a calm tone for tired parents. It is built around a few ideas: newborns are not trying to manipulate you, you cannot spoil a newborn by holding or comforting them, there is no single right schedule and comparing your baby to a friend's baby is a fast road to feeling bad. It does not use "cry it out," and nothing in it promises specific sleep results. It starts with a 10-minute plan for tonight.
The Playbook, chapter by chapter
| Chapter | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Start here | How to use the guide, a 10-minute plan for tonight and ground rules |
| What's normal in weeks 0 to 12 | Typical sleep, active vs. quiet sleep, noisy sleepers, the startle reflex |
| Safe sleep first | The AAP 2022 recommendations, the ABCs and a safe sleep checklist |
| Wake windows by week | A week-by-week chart of commonly cited ranges and three simple rules |
| Sleepy cues vs. overtired cues | Early and late signs and what to do for each |
| Your soothing toolkit | Contact, swaddling safely, sound, motion, sucking and a quick soothing chart |
| Teaching independent sleep, gently | Drowsy but awake, the pause and the calming ladder |
| A flexible daily rhythm | Eat, play, sleep and sample rhythms for weeks 0 to 4, 5 to 8 and 9 to 12 |
| Naps | Contact naps, catnaps and naps on the move, with safety notes |
| Nights | Working toward longer stretches, the dream feed and a night waking routine |
| Troubleshooting common worries | Witching hour, gas, reflux and spit-up, growth spurts, twins and parent shifts |
| Taking care of you | Protecting your sleep, baby blues vs. something more and a weekly self-check |
| When to call your pediatrician, plus your 7-day starter plan | Warning signs and one small step a day |
Sources cited include the AAP 2022 safe sleep recommendations, NICHD Safe to Sleep, HealthyChildren.org, the CDC, the NHS and Postpartum Support International.
The web app
Included with the Playbook is a web app, the Newborn Sleep Toolkit, with seven tools:
- A wake-window timer
- A sleep, feed and diaper tracker
- Soothing sounds (white, pink and brown noise and a shush) with a volume warning and timer
- A What's normal? search
- A safe sleep check
- A bedtime routine builder
- A research and places section
The printables
The Newborn Sleep Printables PDF has the fridge-ready pages: a wake windows chart, a 7-day starter plan, sleepy vs. overtired cues, a calm-down ladder, a safe sleep checklist, a what-to-do-tonight page, a bedtime routine checklist, a daily rhythm planner, a contact list and six bedtime routine cards. See the wake windows chart for a preview of one page.
The seven bonus guides
- 101 Newborn Sleep Answers: What's Normal? A quick reference of short answers.
- Bedtime & Soothing Cards (24 cards). Cut-out cards.
- Partner Night-Shift Planner. Shift models, a weekly planner and a fridge sheet. See newborn nights with a partner.
- Safe Sleep Nursery Setup Guide. See the safe sleep checklist.
- Fussy Weeks & Growth Spurts Calendar. A week-by-week table and a 12-week tracker.
- The Grandparent & Helper Handbook. Rules and routines for other caregivers.
- Tired Parent Recovery Planner. Rest and recovery.
What is not included
To be clear about what you get for $37.00:
- Some extras are sold separately and are not part of the main product: a Feed, Nap & Diaper Log, a First 2 Weeks Checklist, a 3–4 Month Sleep Playbook and a 5–12 Month Nap & Routine Playbook, each with its own price.
- It is not medical advice, a diagnosis tool or a replacement for your pediatrician.
- It does not promise a result, such as a baby who sleeps through the night.
- It does not provide one-on-one coaching.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It suits you if you are expecting or have a baby up to about 12 weeks and want a calm, plain-language reference and a few simple tools. It may not suit you if your baby is already several months old, if you are looking for a sleep training method, or if you want personalized coaching. See a sleep consultant vs. a sleep guide to compare.
Read a few guides first
You can read the guides on this site to get a sense of the style, such as newborn wake windows by week. They are written to be useful on their own.