How much sleep during the day for a (nearly) 3 week old ??

[Naterjack]

How much daytime sleep do newborns need ??

Josh had started sleeping well in the night between 10pm-2am then having a feed before back to sleeo between 3am-7am but the past 3-4 days have been awful, he just wont get off to sleep and seems constantly hungry, but then only spends 5-10 minutes at the breast before falling to sleep again (but then cries when i try and put him down)

My MW says to try and keep him awake more during the day but i see that Gina Ford says that newborns shouldnt be awake for more than 2 hours at a time otherwise they get over tired and difficult to put down.

Right now, Josh is asleep in my arms, not a deep sleep though as keeps grunting, etc. But he will generally sleep 2-3 hours at a time before waking for a feed / change.

So, is there an ideal sleeping amount / time for little ones like Josh that will help him sleep longer at night ?

 

[aramintalovegrove]

Each baby is different hun

Mine will sleep all day one day and refuse a nap the next, My nephew only sleeps at night and a friends have very routined sleeps during the day.

Dont worry too much and I would disagree with there being one rule for all babies he is still very little but I would be inclined to go with what he decides each day. I have just started to set a routine for mine at 14 weeks as before it was impossible and her naps will be determined by her rather than me, as long as she has a good night routine Im trying to be flexible

 

[Sherlock]

I'd go with the flow personally.

Some babies are sleepers, others not. He's still so young its too early to really be thinking of a routine especially if you are breastfeeding. He needs to feed on demand atm and will have lots of little growth spurts and will become fussy and may feed more and sleep less/more.

Also if you are breastfeeding sleeping longer at night isn't something you should expect to happen anytime soon. Breast milk is more easily digested than formula hence BF babies needing to feed more often. I'd not expect longer sleeping at night till around 10-12 weeks as the gut matures. Even then LO may still wake for a feed or two, or even 3 overnight.

I'd let him go as he is and once your supply is fully in, around 6 weeks then you'll find things settle a bit (till the next growth spurt). But even on formula growth spurts still need extra or more in each feed.

My LO was feeding for up to 2 hours each feed, then going back on the boob an hour later. And from around 10 days old would only power nap about half an hour each day total. And he would then wake to feed at least 4-5 times a night then. I just slept when he did and co slept on occasion also. Helped lots.

 

[jills10uk]

As Sherlock says, babies go through growth spurts, my MW advised me that 2 weeks was one of the times i would want to give up BF as most babies go through a spurt, Joshua went through one at 2 weeks or so and it felt like he was constantly on the boob, but it should pass within a week at most and you should hopefully get your sleep again

 

[millylillyrose]

at 3 weeks india slept most of the day still. and well at night too. i dont think its fair to limit theire sleep at this stage as they're still so little.

you might want to try putting LO down for naps though, give you some free time and get LO used to sleeping alone.

 

[kalia]

For the first 3 months DD woke every 4 hours for food and that was pretty much it! She did have longer periods of awake bit by bit but I think she was at least 4 or 5 months old before she could go longer than 2 hours awake.

All babies are different though.

 

[Naterjack]

thanks guys, he usually sleeps / naps in the lounge with me during the day in his bouncer but yesterday i put him in his own room in the cot for a couple of his naps and wrote down the times - they seem to be 2 hours or so then an hour awake until evening when he's awake for longer

Good news is that he slept in his cot all night instead of in the basket next to our bed - we managed 8 hours last night (of course not unbroken but still.... i feel a lot better) and i really think its cause we werent disturbing each other