Is it normal for a 2 month old to only sleep 40 min in 8 hours?

Question

My son is not sleeping and I have no idea what to do. My 19 month old always slept well and at this point she is sleeping more than my son. Last night she slept 12 hours and had a 2 hour nap this afternoon. My son has only slept a total of about 9 hours in the last 24 and it is only in short spurts. this is not normal right? I was told the newborns usually sleep at least 14 hours a day but average about 16 so what the heck is up? He dosn't seem sick and he gets mad when we try to get him to sleep. HELP PLEASE.

He eats A LOT about 4 ounces every two hours (which to me is a lot becasue my daughter NEVER ate that much). I was finally able to get him to sleep at 3:55 pm it is 4:35 pm now and he is awake again. He dosent sleep at night either. He never sleeps and it is killing me. I am suviving on No Doz.

Answer 1

I was having the same problem. My son (now 4 months) never seemed to want to sleep. He is so inquisitive of his surroundings! He was so overtired and it was hard to put him to sleep. I have been trying this routine to help him sleep better. Up two hours, down two hours. Once he wakes up...after two hours put him down for a nap. It took 2.5 days and now he will nap without protesting. Of course it won't always be two hours...but you get the idea.

At the first sign of him being tired (rubs his eyes) put him down. Turn down the lights. Try white noise. I have this lil blanket...it is half toy/half blanket...its a puppy but the body is basically a soft blanket he can hold onto (and I mean very small blanket). I only give it to him at naptime/bedtime. It is soft and keeps him calm.

Try putting him down 15 mins before the two hour mark. He may not show signs yet but its better to put them down before he is really tired...then its a fight (for my son) to put him down.

I recently got The No Cry Sleep Solution (elizabeth pantley) and Happiest Baby on the Block..as recommended by a friend who claimed her daughter cried all night and now sleeps 12hrs at night.

You can gently rub their head to relax them (with him in the crib) and say shhh...(white noise type sound).

2 days later he was napping frequently and bedtime (used to be a 5 hour battle...now takes about 30 mins). I'm still working on it. Each day will be different.

The longest he sleeps is 5 hours but i'm happy if he naps for 2hours. It was the battle to put him to sleep that was the worst.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

It's not unusual for a baby that young to start sleeping through the night (6hrs +) especially if he is getting all the food he needs through the day - which he obviously is else he would wake up. Newborns will eat little and often until their tummies grow a bit. At a month you can start to stretch the times between the smaller feeds by gradually trying to get him to take a bit more at each feed - and eventually go 2-3 hours (4 if bottle fed) - this will change during growth spurts. A good way to determine if he's getting enough at each feed is to half his age in weeks - ie 4 weeks = 2 oz So he is definitely getting enough. As long as he is gaining weight and is alert and content then do not worry - babies make their own schedule and will soon let you know if they need anything. Not many new babies sleep so much in one go so be thankful and make the most of it!

Answer 3

my son is 8 months and was never a great sleeper, he would sometimes be awake all day, if your son seems happy and not grizzly i wouldnt stress, alot of mums i know have this problem around this age, he will eventually start sleeping better and longer, my son started about 6 months to have proper naps and sleep at night
my daughter wa sthe same as yours slept like a log from day 1
hang in there it will get better

Answer 4

How are his eating habits? My daughter was the same way. come to find out she needed surgery because she was failing to thrive. She couldn't get enough to eat so she was always awake and eating (it would take me all afternoon to get in 4 ounces.) She is now a happy and healthy 2 year old. Good luck!

Answer 5

Your newborn is just realizing that he wants to take in all that is around him. There are so many things for him to see and do. He is going to a bright boy!! As far as sleeping, try giving him a warm bath and then sitting in a quiet, darkened room. A nightlight won't hurt, but not a lot of light. Let him paly in the bath as long as he wants. ONE little drop of Lavender oil in the bath won't hurt him either, and it has a calming effect.

Answer 6

I know my boys went through spurts when they were in a growth spurt the slept a lot otherwise they were very active. Did you have him on a schedule and then he all of a sudden changed? If so contact your pediatrician

Answer 7

First few months can be really hard. I know its a no-no, but I always put my 3 babies on their tummies to sleep. They hated to sleep on their backs, and just would not sleep. Once I put them on their tummies, they slept well, and so did I!! Note: I did wait till they could hold their head well, and turn their heads from side to side without falling on their lil noses.

Answer 8

At two months my daughter sleeping schedule changed all around she stayed up almost all day and thankfully slept just about all night.

Answer 9

play hard with him, have tons of tummy time, imitate walking, just play with him and he'll burn himself to sleep, some days your little one will want to stay awake but will sleep at night just let him stay awake, try doing one activity for at least 30 minutes, (sitting watching TV, tummy time, playing with raddlers, changing clothes, singing time, reading a book) also try taking him for a walk or a drive.

Answer 10

If you're worried speak to your pediatrician. My advice is if the baby is healthy, don't worry about it. Babies have widely diverse sleeping patterns. Don't try to force him to sleep -- he obviously is the kind of baby who goes to sleep when he's good and ready. Honestly, parents (especially moms) drive themselves crazy about things that they need not worry about!