Is my baby sleeping too much?

[ER1992]

Im a first time mum so unsure what is right and wrong. My 3 week old is formula fed and is having 3-4oz about every 4 hours. He only seems to wake up when he wants feeding and for nappy changes other than this he is mostly asleep. He is occasionally awake for a couple of hours in the mornings so this is when we make the most of interacting with him etc. Is he sleeping to much or is his about right for a 3 week old? At what age do they start to be more awake and alert?

Totally normal, they start becoming more away around 6 weeks.

That's what mine was like too (breast-fed, for what it's worth, since you seemed to be suggesting his food might be making him sleepy)! In general the babies I knew that were awake a lot at 3 weeks weren't happy about it - they were often refluxy or had some other reason they were struggling to sleep. So I think we were both lucky - sleepy babies are contented babies, normally! I think it was about 6-8 weeks that I noticed he was awake a lot more - he's now 15 weeks and only sleeps about 2 or 3 hours in daytime. If you really think he seems worryingly drowsy - if he doesn't seem alert when he is awake - then talk to GP/health visitor (or call 111 if he suddenly seems hard to rouse) but I think it's normal and fine for newborns to do nothing but eat, poo and sleep!

Enjoy it while it last OP; totally normal.

Totally normal. My second was like this, exclusively breast fed. It was then that I understood why people say "sleeping like a baby". My first hardly slept in the first few weeks, cried all the time and hated being put down (she was very colicky) so I had no idea that it's totally normal for newborns to sleep almost all of the time! Enjoy it while it lasts. and congratulations on your baby.

Thank you this has made me feel better and not so worried. He's definitely alert and loves having a look about when he is awake. It was the people saying 'is he always asleep like this' when they were coming to visit him which started to make me worry

I think people forget really quickly what tiny tiny babies are like because it's such a short period - I got that (and some other daft questions - 'is he smiling yet' at 9 days!), including from my brother, who said 'he sleeps an awful lot, doesn't he?'. My mum then reminded him that it took her four visits before she even saw his son with his eyes open, but I think he forgot that now his son is an energetic toddler!

I had one like that. I was worried too, and the midwife said as long as he was alert when he was awake it was normal. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Enjoy it whilst it lasts!