Newborns should get 14 to 17 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period, says the National Sleep Foundation. Some newborns may sleep up to 18 to 19 hours a day. Newborns wake every couple of hours to eat. Breastfed babies feed often, about 8 to 12 times a day. Bottle-fed babies tend to feed less often, about every 3 to 4 hours. Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed.