My baby is 8 weeks old. She's been on a great schedule. She nurses 5 times during the day, and then sleeps the whole night. She's been doing this for a couple of weeks now. Even before that she would sleep all night most of the time. During the day, she usually has three good naps. Starting yesterday, though, she slept most of the day. I was afraid she was getting on a bad schedule and wasn't going to sleep all night, but she still slept all night. She woke up to nurse this morning, and slept through nursing and changing her diaper. I was hoping she would stay awake for a while, but she fell right back to sleep. I'm worried about her. I don't know if she's sick or why she is sleeping so much. Any thoughts?
2007-03-15 01:59:56 · 16 answers · asked by Julie 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I also worried that my son was sleeping to much, and by the sounds of things your baby is doing exactly what my son was doing, I worried until some body said that I should be grateful that he sleeps a lot. So that is my advice there is nothing wrong with your baby if she is sleeping well. Growth takes place while sleeping.
However do keep her awake while nursing.
Jade
2007-03-15 02:07:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone is giving you good advice, but you're a new Mum you just can't help but worry about your precious bundle. I know, you feel like you're walking in a mine field and it can be terrifying. I may be a Grandma now, but I haven't forgotten what it's like to be a new Mum.
I hope this helps calm your mind, I've taken the extract from:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sleep.html
The First 6 Months
There is no sleep formula for newborns because their internal clocks aren't fully developed yet. They generally sleep or drowse for 16 to 20 hours a day, divided about equally between night and day.
Newborns should be awakened every 3 to 4 hours until their weight gain is established, which typically happens within the first couple of weeks. After that, it's OK if a baby sleeps for longer periods of time. But don't get your slumber hopes up just yet — most infants won't snooze for extended periods of time because they get hungry.
2007-03-15 02:21:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
My daughter is 8 weeks old as well, and she sleeps a lot . Only really wakes up when she is really hungry. I thought it was weird in the beginning as my son was a lot more alert.
My daughter is sleeping all the time, but as time goes on, she is spending a little bit more time awake each day.
She was 4 weeks premmie and shes still little, so it can be expected that she would use her energy fast.
Don't worry, I'm sure your girl is fine :)
2007-03-15 02:09:35 · answer #3 · answered by Barkditch 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is still nursing, then she's probably okay. Sometimes when babies are growing a lot, they sleep a lot, because it's very taxing on their body.
When my daughter had a period of sleeping too much she was 3 days old and wouldn't wake up to nurse. The doc called it Sleepy Baby Syndrome and said it was because she hadn't realized she was not still in the womb.
Needless to say we removed the mommy bunny and mommy bear from her crib (they make womb sounds) and started giving her a lot of stimulus (running a nail down her instep) to aggravate her. It worked!
Needless to say, any concerns you have about your baby you should always address with your pediatrician.
2007-03-15 02:11:53 · answer #4 · answered by jhvnmt 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
After having two children my experience is that there is no such thing as a "schedule" with your children. (SMILE) Just when you think there is- it changes again. Remember that she going to go through different "growth spurts" over the next year. During those periods her appetite and sleep patterns will be different. If there was an illness involved- you would see other symptoms, and she probably would NOT be sleeping. Good Luck.
2007-03-15 02:07:09 · answer #5 · answered by Mommy of Two 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We had the same thing happen. At first we used to wake the baby up to feed every 3 hours. After he was over 10 lbs we let him sleep through the night. It is fine. You are lucky. Count your blessings. Things can change fast.
2007-03-15 02:15:08 · answer #6 · answered by Islander 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Babies go through growth spurts that makes them really tired. If she is generally well i.e not fractious, no temperature, eating well then i would imagine this is what is happening. When she is awake take note if she is alert and happy and doesnt seem to be in any pain (if she is in pain she will let you know) I bet next time she gets weighed she will have gained a lot.
2007-03-15 02:09:46 · answer #7 · answered by British*Bird 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
she's probably going thru a growth spurt. it's not unusual for babies to sleep a lot during that time. she'll wake up when she's hungry and then go right back to sleep. it takes a bunch of the energy in her little body to grow new cells and muscles and bones, so much so that eating and sleeping are her only priorities.
2007-03-15 02:10:22 · answer #8 · answered by danili 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like she's just tired. Usually if they are sick, there is a bit of restlessness, or crying, or fussiness. Just keep an eye on her, but sounds like she's fine. Some times they need more sleep than others. I'm mom of 3.
2007-03-15 02:04:10 · answer #9 · answered by Melanie A 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They grow when they are sleeping. She needs every bit of rest she can get. She knows when she is hungry. It's hard to guess how much sleep or food a baby needs but as long as she is healthy and thriving try not to worry.
2007-03-15 02:05:15 · answer #10 · answered by ecstaticdevine 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋