Is it normal to have a 5 week old baby wide awake all day?

Julie - posted on 03/04/2013

I guess I am not feeling so lost I have a 6 week old she stays up late during the day she has one good morning nap and that's it she just starting sleeping longer at night, Do you still wake your baby to feed or let them sleep? She seems happy but not sure she is getting the amount of milk she needs

Angel - posted on 11/10/2012

Thank God someone had the exact same question.

Britney - posted on 02/20/2010

my son is 7 weeks old and slept tons at first (because of jaundice we found out later) but now he's pretty much awake all day so i think its fine that your 5 week old baby is awake all day.

Alice - posted on 02/20/2010

This is how my 4 week old is, only he does not sleep well through the night.

Kim - posted on 02/16/2010

Hi Rachael



At around four weeks a baby's sleep cycle becomes more mature, and they start to wake up fully after 45 or even 30 minutes. You can actually set your clock by them! I followed Gina Ford's rountines with all my babies (Maya is my third, born on 9th January) and she explains all about the baby's sleep cycles in her Contented Baby book. Even if you're not a routine kind of person, the information she gives I found to be invaluable. Maya generally gets up between 7 and 7.30am with the rest of us, and has a 45 minute nap in her cot at around 9 or 9.15am. I then put her back to bed at about 11.30am or 12pm for a 2 1/2 hour nap. In the early days she would've slept the whole time no problem. But as soon as she hit 4 weeks she started waking herself up fully after 45 minutes (as did both of my older boys). Unfortunately, the only way to teach them to sleep longer is to allow them to resettle themselves. I usually allow about 30 minutes before I would go in and offer a small breast feed before putting them back in their cots to sleep again.



Two suggestions I would have for you to encourage Jacob to sleep longer would be putting him in his cot for at least one nap each day, and making sure that the room is pitch black. If you do an internet search for Easy Blinds, they attach around your window with velcro and block out every single shaft of light. He should have a much more restful sleep away from the light and noise of the house. Just remember not to let him sleep more than 4 to 4 1/2 hours from he gets up til he goes to bed (assuming he gets up around 7/7.30am and goes to bed between 6.30/7.30pm) and he will continue to sleep well at night. Reduce this time by about 30 mins every two weeks, from six weeks of age.



I hope this helps with your 5 week old baby who is awake all day!

Kim

Sarah - posted on 02/14/2010

Your 5 week old baby is awake all day because he's just not a sleeper.. I have a son who is 4 in april and he never slept from the age of 3 weeks always lookin around at things and shoppin was the best one instead of sleeping he'd b nosey lol.. He still hardly sleeps now and is on medication just so he sleeps through the night not that he does.. I also have a 4 week old daughter and fingers crossed she isnt like her brother well not at the moment anyway she sleeps most of the time just waking for her feeds every 3 hrs.

Shannon - posted on 02/14/2010

My little girl, 4 weeks old, is exactly the same. Has great 8-9 hour sleeps at night followed by a quick 1-2 hour breast feed in bed in the morning then another 4-5 hour sleep and then is awake for the majority of the day.



Somtimes it becomes stressful especially in the evenings when Im trying to have dinner etc because it seems that all she wants to do is eat but other times she's content.

NIcole - posted on 02/13/2010

My guy is 4 weeks old and he loves to look around during the day! He takes short 30-40 min naps and also sleeps very well at night. I guess you having a 5 week old baby awake all day is better than having him not sleeping at night!

Britney - posted on 02/20/2010

my son is 7 weeks old and slept tons at first (because of jaundice we found out later) but now he's pretty much awake all day so i think its fine that your 5 week old baby is awake all day.

Kim - posted on 02/16/2010

Hi Rachael



At around four weeks a baby's sleep cycle becomes more mature, and they start to wake up fully after 45 or even 30 minutes. You can actually set your clock by them! I followed Gina Ford's rountines with all my babies (Maya is my third, born on 9th January) and she explains all about the baby's sleep cycles in her Contented Baby book. Even if you're not a routine kind of person, the information she gives I found to be invaluable. Maya generally gets up between 7 and 7.30am with the rest of us, and has a 45 minute nap in her cot at around 9 or 9.15am. I then put her back to bed at about 11.30am or 12pm for a 2 1/2 hour nap. In the early days she would've slept the whole time no problem. But as soon as she hit 4 weeks she started waking herself up fully after 45 minutes (as did both of my older boys). Unfortunately, the only way to teach them to sleep longer is to allow them to resettle themselves. I usually allow about 30 minutes before I would go in and offer a small breast feed before putting them back in their cots to sleep again.



Two suggestions I would have for you to encourage Jacob to sleep longer would be putting him in his cot for at least one nap each day, and making sure that the room is pitch black. If you do an internet search for Easy Blinds, they attach around your window with velcro and block out every single shaft of light. He should have a much more restful sleep away from the light and noise of the house. Just remember not to let him sleep more than 4 to 4 1/2 hours from he gets up til he goes to bed (assuming he gets up around 7/7.30am and goes to bed between 6.30/7.30pm) and he will continue to sleep well at night. Reduce this time by about 30 mins every two weeks, from six weeks of age.



I hope this helps with your 5 week old baby who is awake all day!

Kim

Sarah - posted on 02/14/2010

Your 5 week old baby is awake all day because he's just not a sleeper.. I have a son who is 4 in april and he never slept from the age of 3 weeks always lookin around at things and shoppin was the best one instead of sleeping he'd b nosey lol.. He still hardly sleeps now and is on medication just so he sleeps through the night not that he does.. I also have a 4 week old daughter and fingers crossed she isnt like her brother well not at the moment anyway she sleeps most of the time just waking for her feeds every 3 hrs.

Shannon - posted on 02/14/2010

My little girl, 4 weeks old, is exactly the same. Has great 8-9 hour sleeps at night followed by a quick 1-2 hour breast feed in bed in the morning then another 4-5 hour sleep and then is awake for the majority of the day.



Somtimes it becomes stressful especially in the evenings when Im trying to have dinner etc because it seems that all she wants to do is eat but other times she's content.

NIcole - posted on 02/13/2010

My guy is 4 weeks old and he loves to look around during the day! He takes short 30-40 min naps and also sleeps very well at night. I guess you having a 5 week old baby awake all day is better than having him not sleeping at night!