napping too much?

Rochelle - posted on 10/24/2009

My daughter is only a few days older than your little guy. The amount of naps she takes varies from day to day and what goes on throughout the day seems to have alot to do with it. Has he always slept alot like this or is this something new. I've noticed that their sleeps patterns vary from time to time. According to the doctor usually when they seem to sleep alot it's because they are going through a growth spurt. With my older two boys they seemed to sleep alot more than she does, and I think that has a lot to do with why they will fall asleep in the middle of the day now, they get bored. If you're worried about his sleeping habits definitely ask your doctor. Always, always follow your instincts because you know him better than anyone else. If it seems odd to you, it can't possibly hurt to check. Every baby is different and have different needs but if something alarms you or worries you, ask the doctor, that's what they are there for.

J - posted on 10/20/2009

Amy, my philosophy has always been let the babes sleep when they want when they are under a year. Of course that works only if you are a SAHM. If you have daycare that's another issue.

I have always listened to my babies. When they are tired, I put them down. The only thing I would work on is the overnight times. As they get older, they will require less sleep. You should be able to go online and find a sleep schedule or approximate amount they need at every stage.
Anyway...at this point I wouldn't worry about keeping him up or doing one big nap. That comes later at age 18 months or so.

Rachel - posted on 10/20/2009

babies should get 14-16 hrs of sleep in a 24 hr. period. Each baby being different, of course. So as long as he's getting a good amount of sleep total he should be fine. If you're more concerned about his schedule pick a morning and afternoon time that he usually falls asleep during and "designate" that as his nap time. It may take a couple of days (and you'll probably have a fussy baby for those days), but if you only put him down at those times and don't let him sleep other times he should fall into a routine. Also if he was on a set schedule before teething is one of the things that can throw him off. Wait until the tooth comes in, then work at getting him back on track.

Carina - posted on 10/18/2009

I have been through lots of sleep training and research as my first child was a dreadful sleeper, and I can tell you now with my feb boy being my third boy, that they can never have too much sleep! It is so good for them, for their growth, health and for their brain to process what has been happening during their awake time. As on sleep dr put it "sleep breeds sleep" An over tired child will stay awake longer (and be a much crankier difficult child) whereas a child who get the naps he needs will be happy to go down more often and will have a happier disposition in general. Don't worry about the routine thing at this age they are usually beginning to cut down from three naps a day to two but shouldn't be cutting down to one nap till about 14 or 15 months. (from my experience and the research I have done.) One peadiatrician I researched says at this age they should only be awake about 5-6 hours everyday all up.

Jennifer - posted on 10/15/2009

my son was also born on feb 26th...we usually do 2 naps a day and they are usually 2 hours long. he doesn't normally go longer than 3 or 4 hours before he naps. usually 3 hours. and at night he sleeps for like 11 hours

Amy - posted on 10/14/2009

I too am in the same situation. I worried at first and bugged the doctor over and over about it but have come to the conclusion that all is well and we are just lucky. My Feb 13th girl sleeps from 6pm until 7am, back to sleep by 8am, up for another hour or two and on and on throughout the day. She is healthy, just a bit lazy ;)

Veronica - posted on 10/12/2009

let him sleep. my 7 month old still sleeps after 2 hours of being awake. he sleeps a total of 14 hours a day/night, usually 10 at night and 4 in naps throughout the day or 9 @ night with 5 in the daytime.

i figure he knows what he needs and is always very happy when he is awake.



I babysit another girl who doesn't like to nap as much, but I get her to sleep the same schedule as my son and she is very happy too.

Heather - posted on 09/14/2009

I don't know the exact amount of sleep they should get. I can tell you my daughter sleeps about 12 hours a night, naps in the morning for about a half hour, after lunch for about 2 or so and then after dinner for another half hour. I think it just depends on the baby.

Amber - posted on 09/14/2009

This sound kina like my Lola and she is just 6 days older than your LO. I'm always wondering and trying to figure out if she is normal. There is no way she could go to one nap a day.. She would literally fall asleep in action if I even tried. I think she is teething too. Its good to know I'm not alone.

Hope - posted on 09/10/2009

my daughter is 7 mths old and i tried the whole not letting her get but one long nap a day at about 1 to 3 she was so cranky at about 6 that she would throw fits for no reason so now we are back to at least 2 naps a day it works well shes not so cranky anymore and she sleeps about 9 hrs a night so we do pretty good if she wants to sleep i would let her as long as its not effecting bedtime sleep

Shelley - posted on 09/10/2009

Hi my son was born Feb 11 and he is my 10th baby. I am having the exact opposite to you where my son refuses to sleep if he does it is a 2min nap and that is it. The only sleep he has is the 10hour block at night. None of my other kids were like him at all so this is all new for me. At their ages it is quite normal for them to be sleeping that often. My son does get quite nasty if i held him to put him to sleep so i now just put him in his cot and he goes off to sleep by himself. Enjoy the piece while you have it i say lol. I still get a 3hr nap out of my 2yr old daughter every day. It really does depend on the child and his/her needs so there is nothing to worry about

Amy - posted on 09/10/2009

My daughter was born on Feb 13th. She wakes at 7am, naps at 8am, 11am, 2pm and goes to bed at 6pm. She will wake twice at night, breastfeed and fall back to sleep immediately. Her naps oftentimes last over an hour. I was so worried and kept taking her to the doctor but have finally accepted that she is fine and instead of stressing, I need to relax and nap too!! :)

Megan - posted on 09/02/2009

My daughter was born on Feb. 12 and does pretty much the same thing. She sleeps 10-12 hours a night then is up for only an hour before she is ready for another nap. She will nap for 2-3 hours and then stays up for an hour. This pattern continues until bed time!

Mychelle - posted on 09/01/2009

My daughter was born Feb. 2nd and she sleeps about 10-12 hours a night too and takes 2 naps a day usually about 1-3 a piece. I just tend to follow how she's feeling. She usually naps around the same time each day but that's just how she did it herself not a routine that I made. I think if you follow what you and your little man are feeling, things will work out the way they should for the both of you :) Hope this helps.

Jayna - posted on 09/01/2009

my son sleeps about 8-10 hours a night also. He sleeps about 30min-2hr nap in the early morning and then doesnt have another nap till around 3-4 when he sleeps 30min to an hour at the most. After that last nap he doesnt lay down again until his bed time. I used to be concerned also but I talked to my doctor and he said if he is tired he's tired, he just like's his sleep, as long as he is eating good and going to bathroom normal and I dont notice and problems such as fevers or sickness related things he is fine. When my son started teething he would wake up in the middle of the night for a teething ring a bottle then back to sleep. Hope that helps.

Amanda - posted on 08/31/2009

Well with my first son he took about 3 naps a day at this age. Now my youngest takes 2 naps a day. One about 9am for about an hour and the second around 11am for two hours and then his bedtime is between 6-8pm. He sleeps about 10 hours at night. Do you put him down whenever he's tired, or at the same time every day? He'll probably need 2 naps a day until he's a year old. My oldest didn't start taking one big nap a day until he was about 14 months old.

Missy - posted on 08/30/2009

My little guy was born on the 19th, and he take 2 45 min to 1.5 hour naps a day. I say let him sleep if he is tired, but I do read a lot that says that establishing a routine now, helps things as they grow. Since every baby is different, I would just do what works for your family.

Sandra - posted on 08/29/2009

It comes and goes for my daughter. Even with 8-10 hours of sleep at night she can nap most of the day and then again... sometimes not at all. It all depends on is she is in a growth spurt or not.

Kelly - posted on 08/27/2009

Hi there Amy, My little girl was born Feb 19th and seems to have a similar sleeping pattern to your wee man. I can practically set my watch by her timing! lol An hour after she starts her feed, she wants to sleep. She feeds quickly and plays hard, and therefore requires naps quickly too! She is sleeping for 12-13 hours at night and feeds four times a day therefore has 3 naps, sometimes as long as 3 hours! I know that she will let me know when she is ready to cut back on her sleeps and I truly think that if you listen to your baby and use your instinct, he will let you know too. Until then, enjoy the time you have when he is sleeping to catch up on everything you need to do, I know thats what I do. I hope this helps a little bit, Kelly

Kendall - posted on 08/27/2009

my daughter takes several naps a day and sleeps 10 to 12 hours at night sometimes there little cat naps sometimes they are an hour or so. the more you stimulate and play with your baby they will get tired and need naps more than others...i would just let him sleep when he is tired...hes a growing lil man :)

Teresa - posted on 08/27/2009

Yay! Someone with the same issue. My little boy is a week older than yours and is exactly the same. About 12 hours at night (usually), he'll be up just a hour or so before he goes back to bed for 1 hour to 2 hours. He'll only stay up a maximum of two hours at a time so ends up having 3 or four naps a day. Mostly one big sleep and two short ones. I have tried keeping him up longer but he just gets cranky. I was told if he is putting on 100grams a week then he is getting enough food. I think if he is happy and alert when he is awake and doing what he should when awake, then we just keep going until they decide they don't need as many naps. You'll need to decide how crucial the routine is to your lifestyle I think. If he has to be awake then you'll have to to do, but otherwise let him set the pace. Good luck.

Amanda - posted on 08/27/2009

The nurse at public health told me that Cora should be getting 3 naps a day at her age, usually morning after lunch and before or after supper. She also said that getting enough sleep is really good for brain developement. So I dont think you need to worry, he obviously needs alot of sleep.I would just follow his lead.

Connie - posted on 08/18/2009

My baby also needs her naps every 1 1/2-2 hours but you're lucky that your baby sleeps through the night! Sorry.. no help to offer just encouragement! Follow the baby's lead, they know what they need!

April - posted on 07/30/2009

At his age, he probably needs at least two naps a day and every baby is different, so he may need more or less. My Abby take two 2h naps a day. Enjoy the extra time!

Lacey - posted on 07/30/2009

mine wont sleep and if she does its for ten minutes and she is mean when it comes to sleeping she pulls hair and smacks. I was wondering the same thing is it time to try for just one nap a day. Sorry this doesnt help much.