Newborn sleeping routines can be the most bewildering thing for the new parents. They usually term it as zombie-like days since babies simply had a weird routine to wake up at night. As the baby gets used to the life outside his mother’s womb, they find it troublesome to adjust to the new daily routine. So, the question is can babies sleep too much? Read below to know more about their sleeping pattern.
How Much Sleep Does The Newborn Need?
If you see the baby sleeping all day, do not be worried. Yes, many babies party all night and sleep all day. You will get used to it. These little night owls sleep for longer duration in the daytime, however, saving more energy to alert parent during the night hours.
The baby, in the comfort of the womb, has been sleeping all the time. They had the right amount of warmth and care to be not bothered. Thus, the newborn sleeping a lot should not put you under any astonishment. In an average, babies sleep for 16 to 18 hours each day and the only time they wake up are the short breaks to eat and feel dry again! The newborns have a very small stomach, so once they pee/ poop, they feel hungry sooner than you think. A lot many times, they fall asleep even before their tiny stomach is full. As a result, they wake up frequently to eat. But, if your toddler sleeps too much, there are ways you can wake them up to feed.
What To Do If You See The Baby Sleeping Too Long Without A Break.
This rarely happens, but if your baby literally never wakes up, not even to eat, there could be no reason to be anxious. Your baby is just sleeping too much, which is good for him. In the first few weeks, you might have to wake your newborn every 2-3 hours to feed. This is a common practice that a mom has to follow and once the baby is done filling his stomach, goes back to sleep again immediately after. This is pretty normal and there is nothing to worry.
If this continues for longer, then you might just want to get your baby checked for any medical issues causing him to sleep all the time. Jaundice, infections, or any medical procedures can make your baby sleepier than the usual. A check-up with the pediatrician will do right. A baby needs to get enough weight and that happens only with regular feeding.
Some Tips To Regularize Baby’s Sleep.
- Take your baby for a stroll during the daytime and expose him to the natural light.
- Develop a routine which includes bath, massage, and nursing every day.
- You can as well try to remove the extra layer of clothing so that the baby feels less comfortable and wakes up. Let them know it is the feeding time.
- Too much stimulation during the day can make your baby tired and sleepy all night even if they are hungry.
- Try to monitor their REM sleep stages; you should be able to wake them up easily as compared to when they move into the Non-REM sleep cycle.
Read the article to know about REM cycles in babies.
When the baby is about 7-10 days old, they start having growth spurts and probably the baby might start to eat and sleep more than usual. Having good sleep increases the baby’s growth.
In general, a baby who does not sleep enough will be cranky and be whining all day. Or, maybe they are hyper and it gets hard to soothe them. And if the baby sleeps properly, this won’t be the problem. For the baby to set a routine of its own, it takes about 6 odd months at the least. If your baby is gaining the right weight yet sleeping too much, just relax. Enjoy it while it lasts.
