How much sleep should a 5 week old have in the daytime?

[Jam77]

Yes it's me again, new mum, have found mumsnet and now keep asking advice from you guys!!! I just wondered how much daytime sleep other peoples babies have/had?? People are telling me if my DD stayed awake more in the day she would sleep more at night.....but shre just wants to sleep after her feeds in the day. Just wondered if this is normal as friends babies stay awake all day and sleep lot's at night.

[marytee]

How much? loads and loads. Guessing if you read lots of 'sleep books' they would give different numbers, but basically i think the answer is that baby should still be asleep for a lot of the day, with periods of alertness in between the naps. Sleeping in babies is almost like a skill - the more they do it the better they get! This has been my experience anyway. Keeping babies awake just makes them overstimulated and difficult to settle - lots of tears for no benefit.

HTH, remember babies were made to nap so that mums can put their feet up, go on mumsnet and eat chocolate biscuits

[Jam77]

Hi marytee - I make you right - I love DS's naps - especially her morning one that allows me to watch the jeremy kyle show lol! But she can be a bit of a mre at night - mind you I think you are right as the last 3 nights she has been better at going back to sleep after a night feed - maybe she is starting to settle into a good sleeping pattern.

[franca70]

the more they do it the better they get, this is my mantra too. however, the amount of time varies from child to child. ds never slept for more than 45 mins at a time (he was always crying!!!!!).dd slept all the time, for three hours in a row. your dd is still tiny, and I don't think that the rule about staying more awake during the day etc. applies yet. I think that at this stage the more she sleeps, the better.

[Jam77]

thanks....makes sense - still learning and so many people tell me so many different things!!

[mamijacacalys]

My DD did not settle into a good night-time sleeping pattern until about 12 wks.

From the start I established an evening routine - bath, feed, bed etc always at approx the same time and night feeds were always done with minimum fuss (back down straight away rather than lots of singing or other stimulation to get her off as I learned to my cost with DS!)and using a nightlight rather than a normal lamp.

She is now 14 wks and sleeps approx 630-630, with "dream feeds" at around 1 and 5.

Neither of mine have ever slept a lot in the day - only means of getting them off mainly taking them in car, white noise or fisher price swing thing. Day naps usually only 30-45 min max every 2 or 3 hrs or so. Don't mind this as long as they sleep at night!

But all babies are different - yours is still very young at 5 wks and I'm sure you'll get more sleep at night eventually.

Another tip I read on here recently was that you should try and get as much sunlight exposure during the day - lots of walks etc, to help them distinguish night from day.

[Tattie100]

Hi, Jam77 - i am also new to Mumsnet - wish I'd been on to it when mine (20 mths) was 5 weeks. I spent way too much time worrying about what different books said and what other babies were doing when ds was newborn. Babies need to eat, sleep and cry(with a bit of stimulation thrown in), but with an emphasis on sleep. DS woke every 3-4 hours day or night for at least 2 months - though i can barely remember it now as I existed in a sort of sleepless haze. I agree with mamijacacalys - fresh air and going for a walk at least once a day did seem to help both DS (and me) as did a night time routine and eventually he fell into a nightime pattern with sleep. Don't be too hard on yourself, 5 weeks is still very young and also, in my recollection, us "new" Mums can be weirdly competitive about these things - don't believe everything you hear!

[franca70]

agree with tattie, there's always a friend whose baby is sleeping 12 hrs in a row at 3 weeks....

[Jam77]

lol at franca and tattie...its so true, there is always someone that has a baby doing so much better than yours.... poor DD is really having problems with constipation at the moment and so the routine she seemed to be falling into has gone out the window as the pain keeps on waking her. I hate feeling so helpless - just wish I could make her feel better
She was taking cooled boiled water - now she thinks it's yucky!

[franca70]

I do symphatise with the constipation. both my kids had the same problem. It make them really unconfortable. try to massage her belly, though I can't remember in which direction. or move her little legs in some sort of a bycicle movement.

[Jam77]

Thanks Franca - I will try that. She was going fine, but in the last week she has been having a hard time. I gave her water before, she took it okand it seemed to do the trick, but now she refuses....hopefully it will get better, how long before your little ones consipation improved?

[franca70]

are you bf or bottlefeeding? I was told that when you are bfing they can go for a few days without a poo with no probs. but I noticed that this made both dc unconfortable, esp ds, who was the one that didn't sleep well and had lots of colics (or whatever it was he had lots of gas in his tummy and cried before each fart, sorry it's gross, but don't know how to put it). anyway, he started to feel better when he was 3 months. then once weaning was established he didn't suffer of constipations as much, apart from the first few days when I introduced meat in his diet. keep trying with cool boiled water. good luck!

[Jam77]

Franca that is so weird!! DD does exactly that, cries before a fart!! do we know why they do that?? I would of thought it would be a relief? DD was breast now bottle - sorry to be gross but after I last posted she had the biggest poo ever! but it was fantastic (picture me grinning away telling her what a clever girl she was, DH looking at me oddly getting soooo excited over a poo!!) she had a much more settled night bless her. Any tips on the best time to try the water???

[franca70]

well jam77 I think your dh has to get used to it, as you'll discuss poo for at least the next three years!
don't know really when's the best time for the water, perhaps in between feeds? I'm not a big expert of formula feeding, as I switched when dc were around 9 months and already weaned, do ask your HV about formula and constipation (I thought that on average formula fed babies were a bit more "regular" poowise?), she might have good tips.
yes, farts and babies are still a mistery to me.

[Jam77]

Thanks Franca...sorry only just replied - been a manic day today....will speak to HV. lol re discussing poo for 3 years! I make you right about that

[Mercy]

Hello, Jam!

At 5 weeks babies do tend to sleep a lot and often don't get into a routine until around 12 weeks - if you are lucky! Unfortunately dd (my first) didn't do this until she was 5 months old whereas ds (my 2nd) was in a routine of sorts by about 12 weeks. You just have to go with the flow I'm afraid, especially for the first few months!

As for the constipation. Both of mine were bottle fed from very young (10 days and 1 month respectively) and neither had constipation and neither did I give them water - except during very hot weather or if they had vomiting/diarrhoea. I would have a word with your HV or GP tbh.

Good luck! (and you just get used the permanent tiredness btw!)

[Jam77]

Hi Mercy! Thanks for that, and lol at the tiredness, very true, am already starting to adjust to feeling like a zombie! It doesn't help that it's still dark at 6.30 now the days are drawing in, still feels like the middle of the night have to log off now but will be back tomorrow (when DD takes a nap hopefully!!)

[Mercy]

Jam, have a good sleep if you can.

Totally sympathise re the darker nights, I'm still thrown by it!

[alibobble]

Someone posted a link to some website that small babies need 5 hours day sleep and 10 hours "night" sleep. No idea whether this is true and hey who's baby is average!? My dd has always seemed to need less sleep during the day but did make effort to keep her awake abit. She could stay awake about 1 hour after a feed and then just crashed! (tho didn't seem to go thro over tired phase that she dos now oddly) I always tried to make night feeds and day feeds different. Day feeds amd time was chattering and playing (as much as one can with a 5 week old!) and night feeds were low light and no real talking to speak of apart from sshh sshh type comforting noises. She seemed to cotton onto this quite soon. But like I say every baby's different. Was well concerned to make sure dd knew difference between day and night as DH didn't sleep thro till he was 5 months old! Things will get better. I remember the creeping death tiredness at about 5/6 weeks when the euphoria has worn off, people assume you know what you're doing and the night feeds are starting to seem like the worst thing in th world! the only up side is that you no longer think you'll break them when you cahnge a sleep suit!

[Jam77]

So true alibobble...those 2 am feeds that were so lovely at 2 weeks are now starting to lose their lustre!!!! lol. DD has been better over the last few days, let's hope it lasts - have been doing what you said and making a difference between day and night feeds and also taking DD out for a walk everyday.

[lesley1417]

hi .go with the flow. encourage daytime awakeness,but if tired-let her sleep.discourage nightime awakeness.i did this and generally my 15 week old now sleeps 7-7 with a dream feed at 11pm.now i can't get him to nap well during day!!! when he was your dds age i spent ages dicouraging all those daytime sleeps-now id do anything for a couple of hours-he's so grumpy during the day!

[alibobble]

lol you must have read my mind! dd noe down to 2 1/2 hours between 7am-7.30pm. She's not appreciating my mums netting at this moment so best get off!

[Jam77]

It is a double edge sword - I love the daytime naps because it gives me time in the day to do things and relax a bit - but also want DD to sleep well at night - I'm just trying to get that balance right!! wish me luck

[Bafreem]

At this age, and from experience, LET SLEEPING BABES LIE! do not disturb! recharch your own batteries while the little darling is doing same. Eventually your little angle will fall into family ways, what's the rush? forget housework and everything else, ENJOY YOUR BABY.
Regards
Mother of six

[curlew]

I think when she's so little it might help to change your routine to match hers - sleep when she sleeps during the day for example. Then you don't feel quite so much like a limp lettuce leaf and you'll have the energy to edge towards a routine that suits you better when she's a bit older.

BTW, my ds had a real constipation problem as soon as I started to give him the occasional botttle of formula (at about 8 months) What helped was a teaspoon of orange juice in a little water. I don't know whether it would be OK to try this on someone as young as your dd though - maybe ask your HV? The other thing I did was add an extra oz of water to every second bottle. Once again, maybe not for your LO, but worth remembering for when she's older, if the problem remains.

[Bafreem]

Hi all{smile},
I've a very bright 4 yr old, just started reception class in a (well researched) state primary. She is coming home bored and dissafected due to pace & content of day's lesson structure.
We will struggle financially to send her private, although this seems to be the only option.
Anyone else out there with similar probs?
(I'm in Cheshire)
Why does Gov. throw so much at under-achieving (no disrespect) yet not support kids with talents/high IQ from low funded families?
Any helpful advice welcomed