3 Month Old Sleeping TOO MUCH???!

My baby loves to sleep, too, we are just lucky (honestly!). I was also worried about it, but like your son, DS is just happy when he is awake and obviously needs to sleep when he needs it. If you look at the Healthy Sleep Habits book, he has a graph showing the amount of sleep that babies of the same age have: it is probably a lot bigger than you would think!

E.

Hi J.,
I think it's great that you are worried he's sleeping TOO much. :) I HIGHLY recommend reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth to understand biological sleep rhythms and when they evolve. It sounds like your son is doing great. I would say that your son's bedtime is at the 8pm hour, not midnight, and treat the first night wake up as a feeding wake up and put him right back into bed after eating. Try to keep everything calm, quiet and dark. You will be amazed that he will go back to sleep easily. My daughter was VERY colicky for the first 8-9 weeks, but by 3 months she was going to bed by 7-7:30pm every night and waking up around 7am. She would wake up once to eat sometimes but went right back to sleep. Alot a babies at this age need to go back to sleep within 2 hours of wakefulness during the day. At around 3-4 months old, for most babies the morning nap develops at 9 to 10am per Dr. Weissbluth. Longer night sleep evolves first though, followed by longer naps during the day. Every baby's biological sleep rhythms mature at different rates, so watch for the "calm before the storm" to know when to get him back into bed during the day. During the first year the sleep rhythms are evolving/maturing so there is alot of change. It is in you and your son's best interest to protect his need for sleep. I think Dr. Weissbluth has the most experience in sleep and sleep disorders and wouldn't trust anyone else. The beginning of the book explains sleep rhythms and how syncing with them produces the best quality sleep. Skip it if you don't have time and go straight to the age appropriate section. While he states that the "cry it out" method produces the quickest results he isn't an "advocate" and states that "Babies and children learn to sleep when parents focus on timing, motionless sleep, and consistency in soothing style." I have found that to be true. Google him for his credentials, they are extensive. If you want to email me with questions I am ALWAYS willing to help. I see such a difference in my daughter when I compare her to other children her age that don't get the same quality of sleep. I am a believer!
Good luck and enjoy your little man!
L.

Hi J.,
As long as he checks out OK at the pediatrician, I would not worry about it (you might want to call the ped if you really want to know). Sounds like he is growing that little body of his. I had a similar concern with my daughter when she was about the same age. It's just how she was. Take advantage of it.
H.

My oldest daughter was the same way, and I too worried that she was sleeping too much. But, her pediatrician never seemed concerned by it. I remember one morning when she was probably 9-10 months she hadn't woken up and it was lunch time (she had gone to bed around 8 pm). I kept peeking in on her to make sure she was breathing. When she finally woke up she was in a great mood, and hungry, but otherwise great. She still took an 1-2 hour afternoon nap. Her regular schedule was wake up around 8-9 am, nap in afternoon from 1 or 2 until 5 pm, then bedtime at 8 pm. Unfortunately, my second child was the total opposite. She slept on average 9 -10 hours total a day, including naps. My daughter is 5 1/2 now, and is a very healthy, active and smart little girl. Her sister, 4, is also healthy, active and smart. They just require different amounts of sleep.
So, I think if your baby is otherwise healthy and thriving, he should be fine. Everyone has different sleep needs. Hope that helps.

If it's a consistent thing then it sounds like he's fine. I'd be worried if this was a major change all of a sudden.