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Anyone help? Sleep for a baby?

8 replies

pebbles2004pebbles · 17/11/2004 15:17

Anyone help.. how much sleep should a 16 week old baby have during the day and then at night?
Mine doesnt want to sleep full stop today!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
sweetkitty · 19/11/2004 14:42

I don't know but would like to know what everyone else's views.

My DD (17 weeks) day is like this:

sleeps through 11.30-7am, dreamfeed at 7am then 2 hour sleep until 9ish (I know I should be grateful), has about 45mins to an hour at about 1am, then maybe 2 short naps of 30mins to an hour all afternoon/evening until 11pm.

I would say all in all she gets about 13 hours sleep a day, I don't think this is enough but she hardly ever cries unless very tired she's often lying giggling at 11pm when I'm knackered.

pebbles2004pebbles · 19/11/2004 15:11

I know what you mean - unfortunately my little dd likes to sleep all evening and be awake all night... what naps should she have during the day and how long? She slept for 2 1/2 hours at lunch time - is that too much? Should I have woken her up?

OP posts:
libb · 19/11/2004 15:53

oh, was hoping you were selling it for a moment!

sweetkitty · 19/11/2004 19:30

she's under her playgym kicking and laughing away that will be her until 11 tonight at least!

Catbert · 19/11/2004 19:47

I'm not sure whether it helps, but possibly trying to enforce a routine at this stage would be helpful all round, if difficult to get going at the start.

Bath at around 6, quiet time getting ready is dim room, nice feed, into bed by 7pm. This is where you will probably have trouble, CC, PU/PD whatever method, but get them used to going to bed in the evenings at this time. I don't think 17 weeks is too young to expect this.

Still do your 11pm feed, and wake / dream feed as necc. Deal with nighttime wakings as you do.

If not awake by 7.30am, try rousing them by opening the crutains. Get them fed.

As to daytime sleeps - my two were difficult daytime sleepers. I managed better with DD2 working on the principal that babies need to sleep every two hours of awake time. Watching closely for those sleepy signs around 1.5 hours or 2 after waking, and as soon as you see rubbing eyes, yawns, etc - take to bed, feed, dummy, rock - whatever helps. No sleeping after 4.30 / 5pm means they should be ready for bed at 7pm.

I know it sounds easier in principal than practice, but if you persevere, you get your evenings back, and hopefully a better rested baby in the long term.

Catbert · 19/11/2004 19:48

Jeez - do I sound like GF? Hope not!

sweetkitty · 20/11/2004 00:07

To be honest and this sounds really awful but I quite like the fact she doesn't get up to 9am I'm a terrible morning person and if I was getting up at 6.30-7am I would wander about like a zombie for 2 hours. I was well known at work for no functioning until at least 10.30am.

hunkermunker · 20/11/2004 00:31

I wondered this when DS was about this age - I was reading all sorts of things about them going to bed at 7pm and staying put til 7am and wondering why he was still wide awake at 10pm.

However, as he's got more active (rolling, sitting, etc), he's been more tired earlier. I'd agree with a bedtime routine though - if you think of going to bed as the beginning of your baby's day, you can often get them back on track again for the next day.

I'm not a GF advocate, btw! I just think it's nice for babies to know what's coming next at bedtime, since you're leaving them on their own for a while. It's nice that they know what to expect.

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