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On average, a newborn sleeps around 16 hours a day, according to Dr. Sahira Long, a pediatrician with Children's National Health System in Washington, DC. Newborns typically wake up to eat during the first few weeks, Long says. "For breastfed newborns," she says, "until nursing is well-established the longest they should be allowed to sleep is three hours." Parents should be concerned if their infant is extremely difficult to arouse for a diaper change or for feeding.
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