My 2 mos. old daughter is in the sleep schedule of not going to sleep until midnight and then she awakes at 2am and won't fall back asleep until 4am and then is up again at 7am. She takes a nap in the late morning for about 2 hours and another nap in the afternoon for about 2-3 hours and is up all evening. I'm a new mom and I'm not sure if I should be letting her sleep this much in the daytime. I am returning to work soon and need ideas of how to get both of us to sleep more at night.
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Aw, bless your heart. Really, it's ok to let your little one sleep as much as she wants to at that age. In 24 hours, they are supposed to sleep 14-16 hours of it. It seems like a lot... but it takes awhile to get their schedule down. She'll fall into her own routine soon enough. But now you know why people tell new mom's to get used to not sleeping. =0)
BTW- My daughter was 3 mo before she slept for 4 or 5 hours at a time at night. And that, I was told by her Dr, is what constitutes sleeping "through the night". I know it doesn't seem like much, and it's frustrating... but it will get better.
What I did with my son (now two and a half months) was start a kind of schedule when he was two weeks old. I began giving him a warm bath at night to soothe him, but before he received his bath, we would play until he began yawning (I usually started tummy time around 6pm or so, and he was in his bath by 7:30, done eating by 8:30 and asleep by 9). Eventually, he learned to completely relax and now he sleeps through the night. So I say instead of keeping your child awake during the day, tire them out in the evening, and then help them relax with a bath. I got that advice from my mom, and it has worked to my advantage. Good luck!
2 months old is still fairly new to the world and their sleep patterns aren't developed yet. I think she's doing just fine with her daytime naps. They sleep a lot at this age. When my daughter was 2 months old, she took 3 naps during the day, often times 3 hours each. Frequent waking throughout the night at 2 months old is also very common. It's very hard to establish a sleep routine at 2 months old but you could slowly try to practice. Don't expect much though. 2 months old is still very young to have a predictable sleep pattern.
My son is 3 mos and I've found that if I can keep him awake more during the day and let him take shorter "cat naps" of less than an hour, that he will sleep all night for me. I just went back to work and he also stays awake at daycare more because there is more stimulation and other babies/people to "play" and interact with (i.e. watch) so he is really sleeping well at night for me now--he sleeps about 11-12 hours straight (7 or 8pm to 7am). No, he is not cranky during the day at all--I do let him sleep when he needs it, but I've found that you can coax him into taking the longer sleep at night rather than during the day by playing and talking to him more. I was also able to get my older daughter to sleep this same kind of schedule when she was a baby by keeping her more awake during the day--now that she is 3, it's another story...good luck!
A.,
If you are breastfeeding, then your daughter is very normal. Infants are generally night feeders and your milk supply is highest from 2-6 am. She will breastfeed 6-10 times/day and you should feed her on demand.
When you are feeding her at night, don't be afraid to fall asleep while you breastfeed - it is normal and what your body should be doing due to the hormones that are released while you breastfeed - they have a calming effect.
L. Kandell, MS, RD, IBCLC/RLC
Registered Dietitian/Pediatric Specialist
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant/Registered
AFFILIATED NUTRITION CONSULTANTS, LLC
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
###-###-####
What they said! Also, at night, try to keep the stimulation as minimal as possible. Keep the lights off, put her in a baby carrier or sling - we used the Bjorn - and walk around with her w/o talking to her except possibly shusshing. I wouldn't try to keep her up during the day b/c she needs her sleep! She'll slowly adjust! :)
For at least the first 2 months, there is really no sleep "schedule". They sleep A LOT! My 4 months old sleeps up to 15 or 16 hours in a 24 hour period still. Usually closer to 13 or 14 hours which I've read is quite normal. Is your little one sleeping in her own room yet? If not, that may help but every little one is different.
Hope this helps!
I agree with Melissa M's advice. That's what we did and it really helped us! At 6 weeks old, my DD was sleeping at least 6 and more often 8 hours through the night. By 3 months old, she was going 8-10 hours through the night with no problems, occasionally she'd wake up for 1 midnight feeding though during growth spurts. But at that age, sleeping 4 hours, eating, and then going back to sleep for another 4-6 hours was really nice!
Is she sleeping in a crib or a bassinet? My sons did not like sleeping in a crib at that age. For the most part, they slept with me until they were about 3-4 months old. After that, sleeping with us would wake them up more than let them sleep, so I put them in a bassinet. If that didn't work, I put them in their car carrier on the floor of the bedroom. Sometimes that big crib is just too big and wide open for a little baby. They are used to the cramped quarters of your tummy and just need to have something smaller in order to feel safe. It's kind of the same as concept as swaddling...speaking of, some babies at that age still like to be swaddled and might sleep better like that.
Good luck! I'm still nursing 1-2 times a night, and I can't wait for a full 6-8 hours of sleep, too!
"Sleep Begets Sleep"
Supposedly the more a baby sleeps during the day (though not more than 3 hours at a time), the more she will sleep at night. This is because babies need a lot of sleep and if they arent' getting it, they get overtired and then actually have More trouble sleeping at night. I've read this in several books and had friends verify it. I said 'supposedly' only because i'm a first time mom, so i feel like i'm trying to figure everything out myself. But it seems to be true. Also, if you dont' like to let your baby cry himself to sleep, read the "No Cry Sleep Solution". It has helped my baby sleep well at night. ALso, don't expect your baby to 'sleep thru the night' at this age - that's really the exception rather than the rule and the definition of 'sleepign thru the night' is actually only 5hrs at a stretch!
Hi A. My baby is turnong 3 months on Sunday and she is barley getting on a pattern now. I tryed every thing. And you know they sleep when they want theres not much you can do. Im kinda going threw the same thing and it's not fun! Just make her comfortable. As warm as you can get her bottle and maybe once in awhile some tylanol a humitafire has worked too. But I wouldn't make it too quite or 1 noise will wake her.We put lalabies on for at nite and childrens songs on in the day so she knows when to sleep and when to play. the $1 store is a good place to get the CD's. Good Luck A. PS also a bath will help at bed time.
