6.5 week old only sleeping for 8 hours a day cumulatively

[ayjayjay]

My EBF DD 6.5 week old only sleeps for 8 hours a day this doesn't seem like anywhere near enough for someone her age.

Currently she sleeps from 10pm to 3am then naps for two hours about 10am then again for one hour in the afternoon around 4ish.

When she wakes in the night at 3am she will fall asleep at my breast or in my arms but will be wide awake if put back into her crib. She has only started this recently previously she would wake at 3am then feed for 20mins and go straight back to sleep until 5 am then wake again and fall asleep after a feed until 7am.

Surely only 8 hours sleep a day is not healthy for her? Does anyone elses baby sleep this little? Is there anything I can try to get her to go back to sleep after her nighttime feed?

n.b. I can't co-sleep because my partner smokes.

Congratulations on the birth of your little torture device!!
My DD didn't sleep much either - I fed every two hours and she dozed for 20 mins of that time....

I couldn't co-sleep either and I wished I had kicked DP out of the bed and had DD in with me.. so musical beds might be an idea?

I'm sorry not to have more advice - we started supplementary feeding at 3am - one 3 ounce bottle of formula would knock her out for three hours.. then I'd feed and she'd doze in my arms from 6am till 11am.

It's tough when they don't behave like the books say, but she'll sleep when she wants -don't worry about her: just make sure you are getting enough sleep.

My Dp used to take the 11pm till 6am session with her and I'd try and sleep through the crying...

I'll be thinking of you and your wide awake babe!!

Thanks for the response zazen. I am very tempted to chuck DH out of the bedroom and co-sleep but our spare room is now the nursery and theres unfortunately no room in there any more and he won't fit in the cotbed :)

Swaddled DD to within an inch of her life last night and she managed to sleep from 10pm-5am, lets hope it wasn't a fluke!

If not I've been seriously considering a bottle of formula for night feeds so might give that a try next.

I remember climbing into the cot with DD anything to get her to sleep... wow, brings it all back.

I was blessed with friends who all had the textbook babies as well... so hard when you have an alert angel!!!

My 6yo DD sleeps very soundly now if that's any help to you... she started sleeping through at about 18 months.

I got a sleeping bag for DD as she used to wake if the sheet came off and she'd kick like mad with it on... I was always afraid of swaddling in case DD got too hot.

Good luck!!