Baby not even close to recommended sleep

[Yesitisnoitsnot]

Sleeps 2-3 hours a day at the most and then maybe 8-9 hours at night (not all at once)

I’m exhausted - any tips?

How old is baby?

How old is your baby?

Sorry that would help! 12 weeks!

That "recomended" amount is an average.
Some babies sleep more. Some (like mine and yours) sleep less.
Do what you can to get sufficient sleep for you, and stop worrying. If baby is happy and growing and developing it's the right amount of sleep for them.
My none sleeping child is now doing well at secondary, and is still sleeping under the recommended amount. It's just the way he is.
It's knackering!

That sounds normal to me, OP (sorry!) have you tried the dark room trick?

Seems so exhausted though ... I can generally get half an hour in the morning which is fine but then needs to be in car or sling for afternoon nap. Then complete meltdowns every evening due to being tired!

But I’m relieved it’s normal - keep seeing things saying they should be sleeping 6 hours in the day and feeling bad! And that they should only have 2 hours of awake time and mine easily managed 6!

Oh 12 weeks is still very little ... I know it’s hard, but do try not to worry too much about what you read about what the baby ‘should’ be doing. I have been in your shoes quite recently (DS2 is 8 months now) and I obsessed over online sleep guides. He always seemed overtired and yet would not sleep! In the end he just started sleeping more, and I’ve no idea why really. But I really sympathise with the lack of sleep at night, and the lack of time during the day.

If baby is exhausted, it might be worth trying more sleep. If you did a car or sling attempt in the middle of that 6 hrs awake block, what would happen?
Are the evening meltdowns a 5pm witching hour?? When you want to be cooking, and baby is fed up with the day? Those carry on for quite a while, I'm afraid!
It's hazy in the mists of sleep deprivation and time, but I seem to remember aiming for a bed nap and a snooze for me for first nap, then walking him for the next nap, then cosleeping and a 35 min snooze for me the next time. He also didnt like sleeping for more than 40 mins at night but that wasnt cosleeping with DH in bed too......

My wee one has also never needed as much sleep as the guidelines say, and stays awake for longer at a time. Part of it may just be how he/she is, but it sounds like maybe a little more sleep would help – not sleeping and happy is one thing, not sleeping and wailing is another! Mine certainly had some days around around that age where she attempted to go without naps entirely. It was not a good idea.

Can you try slipping in a third nap? Go for a conveniently timed walk with the pram or sling? Bouncer (if it's one that's safe for naps or baby can be transferred once asleep)? Mine would also sometimes fall asleep under her play gym when she 'wasn't tired'. I did also feed to sleep if necessary – at times getting her to nap so the rest of the day wasn't a disaster was the most important thing.

Mine never slept anywhere near what was recommended. Nearly age 14 now and he has just never needed as much sleep as the average person, his dad was the same, would bounce out of bed at 5am just because he’d had enough sleep and was ready to start the day!

I also remember worrying about it when he was a baby though, and being envious of other mums who got plenty of chance to sleep compared to me!

8-9 hours at night is good!! keep going mumma your on the right track