Alert baby

[Hazzy135]

Hi,

I've recently posted about my 12 week old and sleeping troubles.

However I'm wondering if anyone else has a baby similar to mine?

He's so alert, so nosey and loves looking around. In a sling he pops his head to the side and doesn't relax because he wants to see what's going on.
Although this is great and I feel like he's learning so much about the world it also means he does not want or find it easy to go or stay asleep whether it's on me, in a pram or in a sling, cuddles or rocking it's all a massive effort and he's not really getting enough sleep.

Not looking for advice because I've already had a thread about that. Just wondering if anyone else has a baby similar?

I might add that he's 12 weeks now but has been like this pretty much since being brand new! He was hardly ever squishy and cuddly and sleepy. I think it lasted a week if that...
Would love to hear about your babies!

Yes my boy was exactly the same and now at 13 months is an incredibly energetic toddler.
He also used to get ridiculously overstimulated by lights, tv etc and I'd have to go sit with him in a dark room to calm him down.
I go into town with him in his pram and look at all the chill babies just staring into space and my boy is leaning forward and twisting about looking at everything taking it all in.
If he is awake then he is moving lol

Yes! He's so overstimulated by anything. We've even had to take away Ewan the dream sleep because he just tries to grab its ear (he's well into hitting touching, holding and grabbing at the minute!) if there is any slither of light he focuses on it.

I feel like he's going to be always on the go as soon as he can be!

Yep, I think we might have talked on your other thread! My daughter is 13 weeks now and just loves looking at anything and everything. Especially people around us, but also tree branches - she can't get enough of the patterns, she's totally mesmerized!

She actually starts to cry if there's nothing interesting to look at - she seems to want constant interaction and new information. She loves new people and grins at them. It's lovely, but completely knackering! Can't believe some of the chilled babies from our NCT group.

Incidentally, she has become a much happier little thing now she can hold her head up and look around. I think she was really frustrated before when she had to rely on us moving her. And she can probably see more detail around her now too.

He honestly came out craning his neck to look around 😂. He's fascinated by everything. Sometimes when we're trying to rock him to sleep he stares at the light and it stops him from closing his eyes so we block his view/ turn it off and then he cries! He is also very determined already!

My DS was the same and now he's 15 months he hasn't changed at all, he is into everything! He never stops and he's a total terror but so inquisitive

I had one of those. He very much wanted dark, peace and quiet to sleep

DD got "she's very alert" from about day 3. She requires pitch black and jumbo jet-level white noise and tranquilliser darts and a butterfly net to sleep

He needs dark peace and quiet to sleep too but even the it's a challenge at the minute. He's been awake for 10 hours today not for lack of trying! And now is still resisting bed time over and over Zzzzz

Yep. We always struggled with naps and was happy to pack them in just before 3. Naps had to be in the dark, quiet, etc.
Does now mean the child travels easy, stays up late easily at weddings, parties, etc.

I just had to watch the clock. If I waited TIL he looked tired that would be a long time coming and would also mean he was massively overtired. Into his cot/cave after 90 minutes and he’d just go to sleep

All of mine have been alert from the get go to the point midwives etc have all commented on it. But they are also very cuddly babies when they're sleepy and could/can sleep on me for hours. With my newborn I work on not getting her overstimulated as she needs her daytime naps to have a good night time sleep.

Yes our 10wk old is alert, just the same. Getting him to sleep or nap or otherwise close his eyes is difficult, all he wants is stimulation and he'll get it from a pin dropping or a tiny crack of light in the curtains.
It's truly exhausting and I spend a lot of time wondering how to survive.
He was awake 4 hours before sleeping tonight, hugely overtired but fighting it every step.
Good luck.

Tonight he has decided to only sleep in 20 minute sessions and acts thoroughly offended when I try and give him a cuddle instead of feeding him when he wakes. Obviously he's not hungry if he fed 20 minutes ago and 20 minutes before that etc.
Repeating to myself it's just a phase.... I hope!

Yes, this is my DS. We couldn’t even use his pram after the first few weeks. He’s incredibly alert and inquisitive. He’s also quite rough and tumble! He rolled early and at 5 months Nappy changes are painful as he is never still. It’s been mentioned to me several times how he is very strong. He is showing the signs of crawling too. We always said he’s a baby who hates being a baby. I am worried about toddler life!

It's a sign of intelligence, your babies will grow up to be doctors, lawyers and academics

Was he full term or overdue? DD was exactly like that - big baby born at 42 weeks. She could hold her head up right from the start and her sleepy stage was only the night she was born - from night two she was awake. She had reflux as well as being alert so hated being put down flat on her back.

She was an absolute delight though, she was my first baby so I just held her upright all the time. She hit every single preschool milestone early - rolled at 11 weeks (after that putting her down to sleep was easier, but she got about by rolling around the floor), walked securely and a lot at 9 months, talking in proper 4+ word sentences, counting and knew her letters from singing fridge magnets
before 18 months, picked up her second language easily when we moved abroad and was eagerly translating for me at 3 (a skill her siblings born in the country never mastered). She wasn't a difficult child at all, in fact very easy as her communication skills were so good.

The advantages wore off pretty much by school age I'd say, and I do put them down to being a big strong post term baby - she was very ready for the world!

Her brothers were born at 38 weeks and the difference caused by 4 weeks less gestation was very obvious in the early months.

You can't tell any difference now they're all pre teens and teens though!

He was full term. Born exactly on his due date. I have a few friends who have babies that were overdue though and they're definitely nowhere near as alert (nosey). They're all sleepy and cuddly.

He craned his neck as soon as he was born. We took him for a newborn shoot at 13 days old and the photographer was amazed when he lifted his head and turned the other way to face away from the camera.

Last night my partner was trying to get him to sleep and he started crying hard every time he turned his face away from the landing light!

He's a lovely happy baby when he's happy but when he's tired he's a right old grump! He's so social. Loves songs, smiles, is very vocal and can copy sounds that you make.
If only he was clever enough to figure out that sleep would make him less grumpy!