Newborn staying awake for hours at a time.

[Froggy93]

Are wake windows just nonsense?

I know the advice says newborns are supposedly meant to be getting 14-18 hours of sleep a day bit I don't think my 3 week old has ever gotten that much. And the idea that she should be ready to sleep after 90 minutes awake is laughable.

I'm driving myself crazy trying to follow the windows because I do feel like she gets overtired but, at the moment, she doesn't even like contact napping or being in the sling.

Am I better off just giving in to the chaos and taking it hour by hour? It's becoming hard not to feel like I'm somehow failing because my baby doesn't follow the guidelines.

Babies couldn’t give two stuffs about guidelines. At 3 weeks old they do not have the cognitive ability to follow a routine or form any habits or do anything that isn’t ruled by instinct.

Best advice I’ve ever seen is watch the baby and not the clock (or wake windows). Follow your babies lead and everything gets easier.

I have 3 children, none of them have followed wake windows. One stopped napping at 18 months old…

Ignore these guidelines and take cues from your dc. I had one that slept nearly all the time and one that didn’t sleep for hours, probably only 14/15 hours max as a newborn. BTW as adults they are still like that, the sleepy one who naps anywhere and the night owl who doesn’t need much sleep!

I remember thinking it didn't seem like my baby was getting 6 hours in 24, never mind 16! Even at that age. Tiny sleeps, unpredictable and not when convenient, only when feeding or when the the car was moving or in the pram - no chance of a sleepy transfer or letting me have a reprieve. I couldn't believe how unlike the books she was in that respect! You have my sympathy.

She's generally a great baby but I think I'm making her more irate trying to get her to rest when she doesn't want to... although to be fair, for the last couple of days I haven't had a clue what she wants to do. 😂

My DS hardly slept as a newborn! He’s 22 months now and sleeps like a log hang in there!

Probably very intelligent and doesn't want to miss anything.

Just follow his lead and do your best. You'll get there and just when you think you have it all sussed things will change. That's babies for you.

Fun times!