One of the things both parents need to be prepared for are the sleepless nights! These are most certainly a given for the majority of parents for at least 6 months and could go onto 3 years in some cases. When a newborn baby is born there is no established sleeping pattern and time and effort from you they will learn the difference between Day and Night. One of the most amazing things about newborns is the amount of time they spend sleeping – on average in the first couple of weeks this can be a outstanding 16-18 hours a day.