Does my baby sleep too much?

[Jessamaree]

My 11 and a half week old baby girl is such a good baby and Im starting to worry that she is too 'good'. The last 2 weeks Ive started a routine: 8.30am she wakes and I give her a feed (each feed is 180ml)we have talk time for 15min, bathtime follows ( I know most ppl usually include bathing as a night time activity, but I like it to be really interactive)then soon after shes back in bed by 10.30am (at the latest!). 11.30am I wake her for a feed. Her next feeds are at 2.30pm and 5.30pm and goes to bed for the night at 7pm. Her sleeping routine between 11.30am and 7pm is varied each day depending on what we are doing but she has, at the very least, three 45min naps. She will sleep from 7pm right through untill 8.30am, but I do dreamfeed her at 9.30pm and again at 3.30am. So that works out that she will have, minimum, just under 17hours sleep a day! Is this normal or am I letting her sleep too long??Its just, her tired signs are so easy to read and she gets grizzly quickly if I ignore them for long.I know it seems like a strange thing to have concerns about but Im worried that she should be awake longer to have more interaction with her new world!!

[MrsBexie]

At first my bub was sleeping 2-3hrs twice a day n going from 10-9am (with dreamfeed n 1 or 2 wake ups)
Babies sleep a lot! Is she alert while awake? I generally follow:
Wake up, feed, play (awake time) for 2 hrs, sleep and do it again. So bejng awake for 2hrs n sleeping for 45mins is fine!

Dont stress.

Sent from my iPhone so sorry for the spelling and punctuation!!

[RhiChiChi]

I don't think a baby can sleep too much! If that is what she needs - 17 hours a day then let her sleep! Like you said, you are reading her cues so stick with that

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Sounds like you have a great thing going, if she's feeding well, happy and alert and putting on weight then i say "if it's not broken don't fix it".
Keep up the great work, your obviously doing a wonderful job.

[berrme]

At around your DDs age my DS2 was sleeping from 9pm to 7am (no dream feeds) as well as 3 2-3 hour day sleeps. He was feeding well, growing like a weed and was happy and alert when awake. Don't worry when things are going nicely. Just don't be surprised if they don't stay so perfect. It wasn't all that long afterward that DS2 started getting teeth and night sleeps went out the window. It may not be the case for you... but enjoy it while it lasts!

[krystals]

Sounds like she's got the sleep thing all figured out!!! My DS was/is the same (although now he knows when he doesn't want to be in bed LOL). I found the dreamfeeds worked well for us too Enjoy, but be ready for the evil eyes from Mum's who don't have the same luxury!

[FabFiona]

I am one very jealous mummy!!!! I pray for my second to be a good sleeper.

As long as health and weight gains are good then there is no such thing as too much sleep.

[Jessamaree]

Thanks for the reassurance ladies, its really put my mind at ease. She is extremely alert when awake, ppl have always commented on that (even in her first few weeks) and she smiles lots, coos and 'talks' non stop so I guess Ill just keep making the most of it until the teething starts! Or any other issues that might pop up along the way.As a first time mum I find it can be quite daunting with all the vast (and different) information and opinions that everyone offers you! Aargh!! It just makes me doubt myself!!!
And berrme, I like that 'growing like a weed'. Made me laugh! My LO was in the 97th percentile for her weight last time she was weighed, so shes growing more like an elephant!! LOL

[buliej]

I could have written this post...in fact I did, back when my 5 month old was that age...and a similar post just recently. Same - sleeps a lot but is totally alert when awake and happy and talks etc. Accept that you are lucky and nothing is wrong! (I should take my own advice!) My DS still sleeps a lot! and I still worry about it - but other bellybellers and the MCHN have assured me that what I describe (which is similar to your baby) is normal.

[ShootingStar]

I dont think it is. My DD2 also 11 and a half weeks rough routine is.. wakes between 6.30-7am.. bottle.. awake/play.. back to sleep 8am.. awake around 9am.. awake/play.. bottle 10.30am.. sleeps from 11am - 2.30/3pm.. bottle.. awake/play.. sleeps 4.30pm-5.30pm.. awake/play.. bath 6pm then bottle.. play then sleep 7-7.30pm.. i wake her for a dream feed around 9.30pm then she is straight back to bed and sleeps through again until 6.30-7am the next morning.

I dont force her to sleep in any of those time periods, she has just adapted that routine herself and i go off her tired signs. The only 2 sleeps i put her in her bed and she is wrapped is her 11am-2.30/3pm and the through the night one. Otherwise she sleeps in her rocker or swing.