Is My Baby Sleeping Too Much?

NO!!! :) I know it can be worrisome and kind of frustrating when they are always sleeping, but they need it! I had relatives who, literally, didn't see my babies eyes for months b/c everytime they visited she was asleep. Eventually she will start staying awake longer and playing more, but just enjoy it while it lasts. It's always nice to cuddle a sleeping baby!

depends on the age. newborns can sleep a whole lot, according to books I Read. if you have concerns I would discuss with her pediatrician. there was a book I read once that gave average amts of sleep needed by age but I can't recall the name

anyway if it's older baby it might be issue but when you are LUCKY you get a new baby that sleeps a lot and it's perfectly ok.

S., my advice, quit reading those books! If you want real information in a timely manner, call her doctors office. But with that being said, NO sleeping is not bad for her. I think my son (2nd baby) pretty much slept the whole first 3 months of his life. Dont try to keep her awake, they need their sleep, and in a couple months when shes very alert your going to think of all that time you had on your hands while she slept all the time. The only thing I will say is, when my son was asleep when it was time for a feeding, I would let him sleep for a little bit, but I wouldnt let him go an hour over his feeding time. I would wake him up, feed him, change him and then he would fall back asleep. For my daughter in the middle of the night, I had to set an alarm to feed her because she wouldnt wake up on her own, but thats only when they are really little, after awhile, my doctor just told me to let her sleep. They really arent lying when they say all newborns do is eat, sleep, poop, and pee. Its true. I felt like I didnt even know my son until he was like 3 months old, it seemed like he finally woke up and realized their was a world around him. She fine, dont torture her by trying to keep her awake. If shes gaining weight and growing like shes supposed to, then congratualtions, you have a very healthy baby. Take advantage of this time now, because in a couple months you will be very busy because she will want you all the time! =)

S., All babies are different...yours happens to be a good sleeper ( you are so blessed) these things can change, so enjoy it for now = )
I always stand by the old adage...never wake a sleeping baby.
I have had 3 babies of my own, one good sleeper in the bunch, and I too was worried when he slept like a champ...but as long as your baby eats well, is gaining weight on target, has moments of wakefulness...enjoy every blissful sleeping second, teething may come along any day and you will be wishing for those moments = )
Lots of luck!
B.

S., You didn't mention how old your little one is, newborns up to about 3 or 4 months sleep A LOT. Some sleep more than others, there will be Moms out there that are very jealous! First and foremost, you are her mother and you know what is best. There are no MUST HAVES or MUST DOS, it is up to you and your child. It sounds like you are doing a great job!

M.

You didn't say how old your little one is but I am guessing she is still pretty new. Most babies sleep pretty much all the time as new borns. You will start to see a bigger difference between awake times and sleep times as she gets older but in the beginning, she will mostly sleep. I have to agree, throw the books out the window at least until she is older. Follow your instincts as a mom. You know your baby best and no book can ever tell you what is right in your specific situation. Sounds like you are doing everything right so stop second guessing yourself.

Good Morning S., Your baby is an infant, but you didn't say how old she is. Babies do sleep alot, so it seems reasonable the amount of time she does sleep.
All of our Gr kids had at least 2 naps per day. Zane now 17 mo's just recently stopped having what his moma called his 30 min. Power nap at 5:15. He would get so fussy and if she let him sleep about 20 minutes he was good to go until bedtime at 7.
All of our gr children slept in the mornings around 9-10, for an hour or so, up for lunch and play time, down again around 2 when they were very little.
With Zane and Corbin 4, they both get up by 7, have breakfast, play until 11:30, have lunch then down for a nap at 12:30-1 pm. Corbin is up usually around 3, Zane sleeps til around 4. Mom gets them at 5. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee then I am done in for the day...lol I also take my gr kids everywhere I go, whether Dr. appts,to vet or groomers, shopping etc. If they nap in the car it's fine. I have done this will all of my gr kids and with our own son's. They all at one time or another also just laid down on the floor or couch and fell asleep. Even slept in baby swings. What is good for you is also ok with your little ones. You can't always wait until someone comes home to take care of children when you have errands to do. I even take the boys with me when I have to take my father in law to his VA dr's appts. The men and women at the VA love seeing them.

God Bless you and your little angel girl
K. Nana of 5

Hello S.,

Like all the moms said, I would not worry at all how much your baby is sleeping right now. Take advantage of it, cuz it won't last forever!! My son is almost three and I wished he'd take longer naps!!

All babies need sleep. Some more than others. It sounds like your lil angel is a good sleeper. That's great!

I really don't think an infant can sleep too much. Unlike us, infants "know" when they need sleep or when they're done eating. Most adults over-indulge in eating and lack in sleep. Listen to your baby, she'll tell you what she wants!

Congratulations on your precious little girl!! ls

Somtimes that sounds like a wonderful life... :)
no worries

S.,
First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS on your little Angel. As a "semi" new Mom, I can understand your concern. I think I called the doctor's office twice a day when mine was just a newborn!! I'm sure your mind will be more at ease if you spoke to the pediatrician (although, it's always good to ask for advice from other Moms!).
The biggest piece of advice I can offer to you is to tell yourself "as long as she's eating and growing like she should be, then she's a healthy baby". If she's not meeting her developmental milestones, then it's time to worry. She will be awake more once she's a little more alert and is stimulated by more things.
I, like the other Mom's, recommend throwing the "what to expect" books out the window. If you are going to read a book, I highly recommend "Your Baby's First Year: Week by Week". It gives milestones for your baby and also gives developmental "games" to play with your baby. You can preview the book at the website I've attached below.

Good luck!

http://books.google.com/books?id=_n_fvfSgYacC&dq=Baby...

All children are different, but if your child is healthy, let her sleep. My daughter slept what seemed to be on average 22 hours a day until she was about 12 weeks old and went to day care (then she didn't sleep much in the day but for one nap -- too much to look at). It was great to have a sleeper after my son who never seemed to sleep. I had so much more energy, less stresss (and I believe more breast milk as well as I didn't have to supplement with her). Now my son is almost 9 and still often takes long naps, and my daughter (the original sleeper) is six and if she gets a nap it is usually shorter than her brother's. They seem to have reversed rolls from when they were babies.

Congratulations and good luck!

D.

Never wake a sleeping baby. That is what I go by anyway! :)

Hi! You didn't mention how old your baby was - but I am assuming very young, as you said you go back to work in 6 weeks. I have heard that it is normal for babies to stay awake for about 2 hours when they are very young. It sounds like that is a very normal sleep/wake cycle for a little one. This may not be a very popular thing to say, but I do want to say it. Please try not to go against your own gut instinct to follow what a book says. So many 'professionals' will say that a baby has to be in his/her own room/crib; has to be on a routine. My son did get into a routine based on his own sleeping and eating needs as time went on. As you said, your daycare provider will most likely have a routine that your child will have to be on in order for things to work there. It sounds like you are a great new mom - just go with what works best for you and your precious baby!

Babies really vary in how much sleep they need. Some need a lot, some not so much. As long as she's healthy and happy, don't worry about it! Enjoy it while it lasts, and try to get some rest of your own.

Here's a chart from BabyCenter.com that has some loose "guidelines" for baby sleep: http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-chil...

Hi,
Check out the chart at the website http://www.slumbersounds.com/baby-sleep-patterns-info.htm Newborns sleep from 16 to 20 hours per day.

My son slept almost non-stop as an infant. After my daughter, who was awake constantly, it was wonderful! I would put my son on the couch to sleep during the day (before he could roll over), that way he was around me all the time and his 2 year old sister could talk to him and give him little kisses. Worked out great, and he stopped sleeping so much eventually. You should cherish those sleeping moments while you have them--they won't last forever.

Is she a new baby? If so, they sleep a LOT! If she is older, it might be good to ask your doctor. Chances are, though, everything is normal. They will usually only sleep as much as they need. It takes lots of sleep and food to learn all the new things babies have to learn! Good luck!

Based on another post from you, it sounds like your daughter is 10 weeks old. She is still VERY young and knows when she needs to sleep. Let her sleep when she needs to. I know lots of books say by 8 weeks they need to be on a schedule, and I made myself crazy for a week when my baby didn't "do" the Babywise thing. When I put the books away and realized my son was happy, eating well, growing, etc. my life was much happier! It took until he was about 3 - 3 1/2 months before we were on a "schedule" (more of a routine than exact times for things). Just for comparison, my baby book shows that at 3 months he took 3-4 naps during the day and slept 11-12 hours at night with one feeding overnight. Not so different from your little one, and now at 22 months he is a GREAT sleeper, loves his nap, never resists (knock on wood). Best of luck!

I was always told to let a sleeping baby lie...and so I did. And he was much happier to be around after the sleep he needed. I wouldn't worry about her sleeping too much. Obviously she needs it! Just enjoy the time you have to do other things, but it won't last!

I don't have time to read all the above, but just wanted to say that your baby is perfectly normal! That stuff about cribs and routines is outdated. Till 6 mos, what she wants is what she needs.

Some articles on co-sleeping:
http://www.naturalchild.org/articles/sleeping.html

enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!! TRUST ME!!!!!!!! my 4 week old cries most of the day and does not want to sleep, i am lucky to maybe sleep a couple hours a day.

i had a couple thoughts, but i don't see an age listed so it would depend on that. first, i would not wake her or try to keep her awake. if you're concerned about how much sleep she's getting, call her pediatrician or look on some web sites ("web md" or "what to expect" are good ones)...the issue is how many hours total she is sleeping. that's what you want to look at.

the S. thought i had was, it sounds like you're really busy on a daily basis, and i'm sorry but i do not think that it's good for an infant to be drug all over town during the days. i don't know about "must put in crib", but i firmly believe in "the routine". the more predictable her routine is, the happier she'll be. she'll sleep better, which may mean she needs LESS sleep. make sense? maybe try to plan your errands for a time you know she'll be awake. the same time every day would be good for her. routine is really important.

the last thing i thought was, you're new at this. she's new at this. you need to find a routine that works for both of you, and it may take a few weeks. again i don't know how old she is, but for me, it was at least 4-5 months before i felt like i really "knew" what i was doing with my son - i'm pretty timid, especially in public, so it took me awhile to gain confidence in that area. and each phase they go through brings new things - that first year i felt like every few weeks i was getting to know my son over again. it's an amazing time but it can be overwhelming. there's a LOT we don't know the first time! don't be too hard on yourself, just do what works for you. any questions feel free to ask. good luck, you're doing fine :)

Sounds like you are tuning in to her and that's key. Books are nice, doctors can try to advise; although, expecting them to tell you how to best parent is slightly laughable. You are breastfeeding, wearing your baby and getting to know her - what works for her /you.......all the "should do" is propaganda :) Obviously, there are practices that are unsafe but that is not the case here. Your daycare provider should be able to do the same. HER routine is uniquely hers. If she is happy sleeping, eating, playing on her schedule - it's perfect. That's what makes happy mommas & babies. I have 5 of my own, ranging from 14 yrs. to 7 mos. I also have done inhome daycare for 8 years now. My breastfed, worn babies are strong, secure and healthy even in the face of strong germs that come through our home. I have seen the health difference in the breastfed babies vs. manufactured food. I encourage you to exclusively breastfeed for as long as you can; the health benefits for the two of you are unmatched! Sleep is also a great component to good health. With those in place, you are on your way to optimal development <3 Enjoy!!

Hi S.! Congrats on the new baby! My advise is to let her sleep as much as she wants at this age and enjoy it while it lasts! I remember being concerned about the same thing when I brought my daughter home, but infants should sleep more than they're awake. You will start to notice her wanting to stay awake for longer periods of time as she gets older. I am a huge supporter of getting babies on a schedule, but don't push it on her if she's not ready. I don't know how old your little one is, but I think I start "trying" to get mine on a bit of a routine around 4-6 wks, but didn't really make a big deal about it until a week or so before I went back to work so she would get used to it. Good luck! Just remember everything will work out, enjoy this time while you have it. :-)