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How Babies Sleep: A Science-Based Guide to the First 365 Days and Nights
From a pioneering infant sleep researcher, this book is a salvation for parents of newborns trying to maintain a nighttime routine.
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, 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. Feel confident in a strategy that works for you and your family!
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, 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. Feel confident in a strategy that works for you and your family!
336 pages, Hardcover
Published May 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
June 6, 2025
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!
July 19, 2025
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.
July 8, 2025
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.
Extremely reassuring and makes complete intuitive sense.
Thank you for writing this.
May 16, 2026
Every new parent, pediatrician, nurse, doula, IBCLC or anyone else that cares for newborns should be required to read this book! Phenomenal explanation of how newborn’s brains work!
August 17, 2025
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.
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.
August 19, 2026
I wish I had read this before I had my baby, but reading this felt very reassuring. This book has super useful, scientifically backed information and tips about infant sleep that helps to cut out the noise out there about this topic on the internet and social media. Written more like a popular science book than a parental help book, but still very accessible and intuitive without feeling pushy. I loved the anthropological and historial exploration of how Western sleep practises developed and how this might not be aligned with what an infant needs biologically or evolutionarily, as well as the in-depth exploration about the varying risk factors for SIDS and how infant and maternal care will benefit from more nuance around this. Will be recommending this to all my expecting and future expecting friends!
March 4, 2026
Should be a requirement for all new parents—helps with sleep expectations in the first year of life. Has helped me tremendously.
June 11, 2026
Learning about the biology of baby sleep, and, it turns out, breastfeeding, was fascinating and helpful to contextualize what I was experiencing with a newborn. Knowing that there’s more melatonin in my breast milk at night - so helpful!! I’m privileged to already have a good sleeper of a baby, but this book helped me think through how we executed our evenings/bedtime, and it was helpful for reminding me (continually) that baby sleep changes throughout the first year so I shouldn’t get too frustrated if things are worse sometimes.
While I really enjoyed the biology aspect, the anthropological approach to sleep did not resonate with me whatsoever. Just because cosleeping is something humans have done for generations, and is very common in many countries, anthropological findings are not sufficient justification for me. While this information was accompanied by a chapter on infant death risks, I found the supporting data lacking key comparisons - namely, the author only cited death statistics from countries like Canada, UK, and the US, but then justified cosleeping with anthropological examples from countries like Japan without presenting corresponding data on infant deaths. This was a major weakness/gap for me. While I remain supportive of safe cosleeping as a choice that families can make, I felt like this book did a poor job of robust, non-biased evidence despite the amount of time spent discussing it.
That being said, the more parenting books I read, the more I realize that anthropological approaches are not something I trust/identify with/find useful - and maybe that’s due to my own lack of education/knowledge in that field of study. They just seem very at risk of bias, or at least more so than other approaches.
While I really enjoyed the biology aspect, the anthropological approach to sleep did not resonate with me whatsoever. Just because cosleeping is something humans have done for generations, and is very common in many countries, anthropological findings are not sufficient justification for me. While this information was accompanied by a chapter on infant death risks, I found the supporting data lacking key comparisons - namely, the author only cited death statistics from countries like Canada, UK, and the US, but then justified cosleeping with anthropological examples from countries like Japan without presenting corresponding data on infant deaths. This was a major weakness/gap for me. While I remain supportive of safe cosleeping as a choice that families can make, I felt like this book did a poor job of robust, non-biased evidence despite the amount of time spent discussing it.
That being said, the more parenting books I read, the more I realize that anthropological approaches are not something I trust/identify with/find useful - and maybe that’s due to my own lack of education/knowledge in that field of study. They just seem very at risk of bias, or at least more so than other approaches.
October 23, 2025
This is a fascinating book... which seems long overdue... by an eminent (at least as far as I am concerned) researcher who moved into the field from primatology. The agenda is science and how babies *are*, not how we would like them to be.
But Helen Ball is also a mother, albeit one who seems to have been remarkably resistant to a lot of the pressures on new mothers (despite academia being notoriously unsupportive to mothers). Partly perhaps due to her intercontinental move (a good way to demonstrate the variations in practice which are about culture rather than biology) combined with her scientific and enquiring mind. She seems remarkably firm, whilst also being compassionate, understanding that the challenge is to meet the needs of babies when so much of the modern world pushes the other way, in the process squashing the real needs of parents, particularly mothers. She talks wryly about the differences between her babies.
But Helen Ball is also a mother, albeit one who seems to have been remarkably resistant to a lot of the pressures on new mothers (despite academia being notoriously unsupportive to mothers). Partly perhaps due to her intercontinental move (a good way to demonstrate the variations in practice which are about culture rather than biology) combined with her scientific and enquiring mind. She seems remarkably firm, whilst also being compassionate, understanding that the challenge is to meet the needs of babies when so much of the modern world pushes the other way, in the process squashing the real needs of parents, particularly mothers. She talks wryly about the differences between her babies.
June 3, 2026
I started listening to this book, hoping to get some advice on how to improve my baby's naps. While there's definitely some practical advice in the book, I feel like it more so aimed to normalize infant sleep.
I wouldn't say it felt pushy but it definitely seemed to underline the benefits for bedsharing and keeping baby close , especially for breastfeeding, which felt double, as bedsharing is very frowned upon by medical professionals where I am from (Belgium).
As nighttime sleep isn't too big of an issue for us (and baby refusing or struggling with naps is), I don't necessarily feel like I had much to take away from this book, other than that my baby's behavior is perfectly normal.
I wouldn't say it felt pushy but it definitely seemed to underline the benefits for bedsharing and keeping baby close , especially for breastfeeding, which felt double, as bedsharing is very frowned upon by medical professionals where I am from (Belgium).
As nighttime sleep isn't too big of an issue for us (and baby refusing or struggling with naps is), I don't necessarily feel like I had much to take away from this book, other than that my baby's behavior is perfectly normal.
February 15, 2026
J’aurais vraiment aimé faire cette lecture avant l’arrivée de bébé! Ça m’aurait sauvé beaucoup de préoccupations et de stress inutiles causés par tous les commentaires de l’entourage sur le sommeil de bébé. Le livre m’a permis de revoir mes attentes (et de comprendre d’où elles provenaient) en plus de me valider dans mes interventions.
April 15, 2026
I did like all that I learned in this book, but I got tired of thinking and hyper fixating on baby sleep issues when they simply just get better with time. I needed a book on this topic to have helpful ways for me to improve my situation, not just let me know that yes baby sleep SUCKS and here’s why.
March 20, 2026
3.5 stars
If you’re someone who needs some assurance about baby sleep and that it doesn’t need to be this crazy stressful thing, this book is really good and I really liked it. If you love sleep training, don’t read this book.
If you’re someone who needs some assurance about baby sleep and that it doesn’t need to be this crazy stressful thing, this book is really good and I really liked it. If you love sleep training, don’t read this book.
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February 2, 2026I enjoyed reading this, and I especially liked the way the author presented different topics / research. It didn’t feel like she was trying to push any particular methods on parents, but instead was presenting the findings of research and allowing you to come to your own conclusions.
I did appreciate how she expressed that it can be beneficial to try out various approaches for sleep because some things will work for certain parents and babies, but also you gotta be flexible because what works one day may not work the next.
I also feel like she stressed the importance of understanding that what’s “normal” for baby sleep can vary so much and there really aren’t set timelines, because truly every baby is going to be so different. It takes off a lot of pressure that you might feel from being on social media or even just from talking to other moms about how their baby was sleeping x amount of hours by x age. If you have too high of expectations or compare yourself/your baby to others, it will likely only end in frustration.
It was also nice that she sprinkled in some of her personal experiences as a mother, because that’s always cool to hear about too! But yeah overall would recommend reading this if you’re pregnant or have a newborn or if you’re just intrigued by baby sleep research.
I did appreciate how she expressed that it can be beneficial to try out various approaches for sleep because some things will work for certain parents and babies, but also you gotta be flexible because what works one day may not work the next.
I also feel like she stressed the importance of understanding that what’s “normal” for baby sleep can vary so much and there really aren’t set timelines, because truly every baby is going to be so different. It takes off a lot of pressure that you might feel from being on social media or even just from talking to other moms about how their baby was sleeping x amount of hours by x age. If you have too high of expectations or compare yourself/your baby to others, it will likely only end in frustration.
It was also nice that she sprinkled in some of her personal experiences as a mother, because that’s always cool to hear about too! But yeah overall would recommend reading this if you’re pregnant or have a newborn or if you’re just intrigued by baby sleep research.
August 6, 2026
This book deserves all of the flowers.
For starters, it’s fascinating. It explores baby sleep from multiple academic perspectives and there is so much densely packed into it. Secondly, Ball does data and statistics so well. I don’t think I’ve ever been more confident that what an author is presenting to me is well researched and factual. And finally, it cuts through all the noise, confusion, and nonsense that surrounds this topic which left me feeling confident and encouraged. I wish I would have read this before my baby was born!
For starters, it’s fascinating. It explores baby sleep from multiple academic perspectives and there is so much densely packed into it. Secondly, Ball does data and statistics so well. I don’t think I’ve ever been more confident that what an author is presenting to me is well researched and factual. And finally, it cuts through all the noise, confusion, and nonsense that surrounds this topic which left me feeling confident and encouraged. I wish I would have read this before my baby was born!
October 6, 2026
I found How Babies Sleep most helpful in reframing how I think about baby sleep: babies aren’t sleeping “badly,” they’re just sleeping like babies. The biological and anthropological context is interesting. I did find the book less unbiased than it claims, particularly in its preference for breastfeeding and bed-sharing.
February 2, 2026
Heel fijn boek! Goede uitgebreide uitleg over de biologie van slaap en ook mega handige praktische tips. Ook heel fijn dat ze uitlegt hoe je vooral moet doen wat voor jou werkt, en dat er geen one size fits all benadering is
April 15, 2026
Amazing book!!! So much valuable and interesting information about the biology of baby sleep, and what to actually expect in the first year of raising a child, their realistic needs and why they behave the way they do. Instead of seeing this as a problem with the baby, understanding why they are the way they are and focusing on strategies for parents to meet their own needs instead of putting the burden on babies to sleep in a way that is desirable to parents.
June 18, 2026
Exactly what I was looking for: science backed but not boring, and most importantly it challenged and changed my attitude towards baby sleep completely. I hope I’ll go into this new journey with a more realistic view and compassion towards our little one.
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October 14, 2025Really interesting!
January 6, 2026
By far the best book I've read about baby sleep, helped me come into terms with my baby's ever-changing sleep patterns 🤹🏻♀️
March 12, 2026
This is what I get for taking book recs from Instagram
April 3, 2026
first half 4, second half 3
July 20, 2026
I’ll probably never shut up about this book!
August 30, 2025
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
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
September 13, 2026
Forskningstung. Vissa stycken var intressanta men generellt inte så välskriven disposition vilket gjorde boken rörig tyvärr.
July 21, 2025
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.
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.
January 14, 2026
Took me 4 months to slowly chip away at this 😅 who knew that reading a book about infant sleep while 2/3 of your own children are sleeping terribly could be so triggering.
This book is an amazing resource that I know I will continue to refer back to time and time again, both as a mum and a clinician providing sleep support to families. The content and research inside of this book was so validating. It confirms what we all instinctually know about our babies as mothers. 250 pages of permission to no longer adhere to the sleep guidelines dictated by old men, with no research backing them up. An important reminder that us and our babies aren’t broken, the rest of the world is. I wish every parent and carer of infants/young children could read this. Honestly the only sleep advice anyone could ever need - burn everything else!
This book is an amazing resource that I know I will continue to refer back to time and time again, both as a mum and a clinician providing sleep support to families. The content and research inside of this book was so validating. It confirms what we all instinctually know about our babies as mothers. 250 pages of permission to no longer adhere to the sleep guidelines dictated by old men, with no research backing them up. An important reminder that us and our babies aren’t broken, the rest of the world is. I wish every parent and carer of infants/young children could read this. Honestly the only sleep advice anyone could ever need - burn everything else!
January 18, 2026
Really glad for the science based summary but very weighted in western (UK specific) studies. Very guilt trippy about ever leaving your baby alone to sleep, even for a nap!?! E.g. basically implies never leave your baby alone like upstairs in a bassinet while you get other things done. Which like, I do contact naps like 90% of the time, but this advice feels a little unhinged and a quick way to induce PPA about putting your baby down.
Glad to hear evidence based info on co-sleeping. The last chapter contains the most helpful info, it’s basically an FAQ section that finally answers your questions in a straightforward way.
Would definitely recommend this to all new moms with a caveat that it’s perfectly fine to put your baby down and leave the room sometimes when you need to!
Glad to hear evidence based info on co-sleeping. The last chapter contains the most helpful info, it’s basically an FAQ section that finally answers your questions in a straightforward way.
Would definitely recommend this to all new moms with a caveat that it’s perfectly fine to put your baby down and leave the room sometimes when you need to!
July 18, 2026
First and Foremost. This is NOT A BOOK ABOUT HOW TO GET YOUR BABY TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. That is an important caveat and critical to enjoying this book.
Books about sleep really do approach everything from the intrinsic need to work in a capitalist and western system where we work during the day and sleep at night. That's how most of the world works and that's how sleep training is usually geared toward. This book was a refreshing change, instead of just focusing on how to do it, it's a great approach to the nature of babies themselves and how they sleep. The saddest thing for me is that "cry it out" doesn't help babies self-soothe, it just stops them from crying about it.
The book just feels a little long. The chapters kind of blend into each other.
Books about sleep really do approach everything from the intrinsic need to work in a capitalist and western system where we work during the day and sleep at night. That's how most of the world works and that's how sleep training is usually geared toward. This book was a refreshing change, instead of just focusing on how to do it, it's a great approach to the nature of babies themselves and how they sleep. The saddest thing for me is that "cry it out" doesn't help babies self-soothe, it just stops them from crying about it.
The book just feels a little long. The chapters kind of blend into each other.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews