How Babies Sleep: A Science-Based Guide to the First 365 Days and Nights

by Helen L. Ball

How babies sleep is both exceedingly simple and excruciatingly complex. It is simple because it is based on a few straightforward biological principles that affect all babies the world over. It is complex because we have made it so.

Over the past century and a half, we have tried to manipulate baby sleep to fit with the rapidly changing nature of adult lives. The mismatch we have created with our babies’ biology is framed as ‘baby sleep problems’, and infants are often ‘treated’ using behavioural and clinical interventions. But it is not baby sleep that needs fixing – only our understanding of it.

In How Babies Sleep, pioneering and award-winning infant sleep researcher Professor Helen Ball brings together cutting-edge science, anthropological insight and practical advice to provide parents with everything they need to help them confidently – and sanely – navigate the first 365 night-times with a new baby. It will teach you how to harmonise your needs with those of your infant, and empower you to reject approaches that make you uncomfortable and experiment with strategies that work for you and your family.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Health

336 pages, Hardcover

Published May 27, 2025

Reviews

[Marisa Gaudet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should literally be a mandated read for all new parents! As a postpartum doula, I see that my clients are mostly taken aback and have a hard time adjusting when they don’t know what infant sleep is biologically supposed to look like. This book lays it all out without fear. I will be recommending to all my clients from here on out!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when I heard that the wonderful Prof Helen Ball was writing a book about infant sleep for parents! Her research work and advocacy have been pivotal for my PhD in infant sleep, and now that I have a baby of my own, this book landed for me in the most reassuring way. This is the one book I would want every parent or parent-to-be to read about infant sleep.

[Jennie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already listened to this twice as a first time parent of a 3 month old.
Extremely reassuring and makes complete intuitive sense.
Thank you for writing this.

[Sarah Sailer]

Really interesting!

[Yvette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This evidence-based guide challenges common myths about infant sleep and explains how and why babies sleep the way they do. Professor Helen Ball combines research from anthropology, biology, and parenting to offer realistic expectations and respectful support for families.

Why It’s Included:

It affirms natural infant sleep behaviours and encourages parents to trust their instincts rather than follow rigid routines. The book supports responsive parenting and safe co-sleeping, aligning closely with our sleep philosophy.

Who It’s For:

Highly recommended for expectant and new parents, as well as professionals supporting families with infant sleep concerns.

“Anticipating this book from the first announcement it was being written, reading it was everything I had hoped it would be. Professor Helen Ball draws upong all the very latest in infant sleep research to create the definitive guide for parents and those supporting them”

— Yvette O'Dowd

[Carla Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you, like I did when I found this book, are desperately searching for answers for your baby’s sleep problems: PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. Before you spend your hard-earned money on a sleep consultant’s foolproof guide or invest in products that promise to be the solution to all your sleep troubles - READ THIS BOOK!!!
I genuinely cannot give enough praise to Prof Helen Ball for the incredible guide she has produced in this book.
If her intention was to help new parents understand their babies’ sleep and feel calmer and more reassured about the challenges they may face - then she has certainly accomplished that goal with this reader!
I found the entire book incredibly insightful. It is based entirely on science but is written in an easy-to-understand, matter-of-fact way. There are no guarantees, promises, or promotions of what works and what doesn’t. Rather, Prof Ball offers what evidence sleep science and research cases have found to be true, and the reassurance that you as parent should do what works best for YOU.
I learned so much about baby biology as well as how society has shaped how we view and handle baby sleep matters.
I have come out the other end of this book feeling like I can tackle any sleep-related issue I may face for the next several months/years of my baby’s life.
Thank you so much, Prof Ball. This was quite literally a life-changing read. I will never stop recommending this to other parents.

[Elizabeth Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Method: 🎧
Loved this. Made me feel much better at times that I needed to know I wasn’t doing anything wrong, and kept me company in the middle of the night for the bits that were going wrong anyway.

[Sky Sun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for all new parents!!! A science-based, balanced and anthropological view on infant sleep. What the book has taught me: trust your instincts, trust your babies, manage your expectations, internet is not that helpful only anxiety inducing, and it will all get better.

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Grand Central Publishing @grandcentralpub and Helen L. Ball @basis_babysleepinfosource for this free book!
“How Babies Sleep: A Science-Based Guide to the First 365 Days and Nights ” by Helen L. Ball ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Science-based Child Development.

Baby sleep doesn’t need fixing—only our understanding of it! Infant sleep is terribly misunderstood, with parents and professionals trying to manipulate babies’ sleep to fit adult lives. Unfortunately, this creates a problem with babies’ biology commonly called ‘baby sleep problems’, which leads to infants being ‘treated’ using behavioural and clinical interventions. Instead, let’s harmonize our needs with those of our babies, and reject approaches that make us and babies uncomfortable. Safe, healthy infant sleep is critical to brain development and lifelong health.

Author Ball has written a science-based, empathetic book for parents of newborns who are trying to maintain a sleep routine. Her book combines cutting-edge science, anthropological insight, and practical advice. She describes the evolutionary reasons for how babies sleep, how cultural context influences our perceptions of baby sleep and professional advice, and clearly shows how families can understand their children’s individual sleep patterns and requirements, relax, and enjoy their babies who then receive the rest they need.

Dr. Ball is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre. She pioneered the translation of academic research on infant sleep into evidence for use by parents and healthcare staff via BASIS – the Baby Sleep Information Source website. Durham University was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Ball’s research and outreach on parent-infant sleep. It’s clear, it’s hopeful, it’s a comforting survival guide, and it’s 5 stars from me 📚👩🏼‍🦳#babysleep #helenlball #howbabiessleep

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a baby boy who is just over two months old and this book was perfect for us (I actually wish I had read it before I had him). I really thought I would sleep train him because I am so obsessed with sleep and knew I would just want to get as much of it as possible in new parenthood. However, we have ended up doing almost all contact naps and co-sleeping (safely!) for about half the night and I can say that I feel pretty good. We, of course, will see lots of changes to his and our sleep throughout this first year but right now this works for us and this book really supported parents finding that. I loved that it is science and research backed (especially all the stuff about how sleep trained babies and parents only tend to get a negligible amount of sleep more than those who do not sleep train—if any difference does exist). I love knowing that our human biology makes babies want to sleep near us and find it cruel to imagine stamping out the innate desire to cry. I loved learning about how sleep regressions are not based in science and that things like snoos or sound machines are really not necessary. Babies really just need us, as calm adults (I also loved learning about how they pick up on our stress) and that we may just need extra support if the lack of sleep is too hard.

Side note: I also thought it was fascinating that historically (before the advent of electric light), humans slept in two sleep chunks, waking up in the middle of the night to read, chat quietly, etc, I find this really comforting when I’m up in the night.

[BethReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST-READ for new and expecting parents!!

The scientific and anthropological reality that is explored here is that babies’ sleep is not broken. Frequent wake ups are totally natural and we as a post-industrialised society are trying to force babies unnaturally to our modern sleeping patterns, which is bonkers and likely going to end in stress for everyone.

This book reassures parents that every baby is different, and to manage expectations regarding their sleep. Your baby isn’t broken, and the sleep trainers who tell you they are stand to gain a lot of money from vulnerable, tired parents (because although natural, sleep disruption is almost inevitable. Just roll with it).

Another key takeaway was that we were supposed to raise babies with constant community support, which Western society has removed. I found this hugely reassuring because I sometimes doubted myself for finding it often such an exhausting journey, but now it all makes sense.

A really grounded, logical, big-hearted read.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, Reassuring and Empowering.

This complete science-based book is not your typical parenting book but all new/expecting mother should read it.

It is NOT gonna tell you do this or do that but in a world where everyone has an opinion and "well meaning advice" its easy to lose yourself and what feels right in your gut (biologically) and this book liberates you from outside noise with factual data and all over the world cultural ways to mind our children. Reminding mother about was is "normal".

It's a truly wonderful read which gave me back confidence in the responsive approach I have with my little one and provided me with science fact to back it up if Opinions get a bit too loud.

I would highly highly recommend it to anyone around me either expecting/new mama or anyone working with new mama / mama to be.
Best read!

[Friendly Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real insight into how babies sleep - and maybe a bit of a let down in the sense that there isn’t a one size fits all and debunking sleep “training”. Instead it encourages looking for sleep cues for each individual child and take it as it may, being aware that their various development stages leads to sleep fluctuations. Basically take what you can get and try to ride out the storm

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book before investing in a popular infant sleep course and attempting the popular tactics of today (I wasted a lot of time and heartbreak on drowsy but awake!)

The biological aspects of infant sleep are never talked about, only how to “fix” baby sleep, so I appreciated this paradigm shift.

Also one of the few places where I’ve rest about co-sleeping from a western view.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on baby sleep I've read. It's actually got helpful advice in the back, and spend the front part pretty much explaining why they'll give this advice.

It's also the only baby-related literature I've read that would've helped me realize my oldest's sleep was not normal and he had someone going on (turned out to be severe obstructive sleep apnea).

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting and reassuring. This gave me the confidence to follow my instincts when it comes to my baby’s sleep needs and routine. It makes so much more sense to think about sleep in the context of how human sleep has evolved and its purpose.

[Leanne Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

The spoiler is - most of them don't very well! But if like me you'd like to understand why, and have science based pointers as to how to coexist with your baby, this is fantastic!

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is compassionate, practical, and does an amazing job of explaining the science. A perfect antidote to all the confusing information about infant sleep on the internet

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I’d read this book earlier.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice meta analysis of infant sleep studies. I appreciated her critique of methodologies as well as tying in the cultural sleep practices of the uk.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book! I’ll be recommending to all my friends!

[Tania Ruseva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Брилянтно четиво, което в детайли и на достъпен език обяснява, защо бебетата спят по начина, по който го правят. Как влияе менажирането на съня на бебето, мястото, на което спи, честотата и видът на контакта с родителите нощем. В книгата са включени както последните изследвания в областта, така и обзор на по-стара литература, изследвания и неактуални практики. Чудесна както за родители, така и за специалисти, работещи с майките и бебетата им.