How long does your baby sleep for?

[Now we're 3]

Thanks Jas

Its the sleep amount on the table that it confusing me. The 16-17 hrs as he won't be getting that. And doesn't seem to be interested in getting it nor appears to be an overtired baby. Maybe I am completely missing the signs but he is generally happy very rarely cries. Only if I don't get my act in gear quickly enough once he has decided he wants to be fed! His eyes are wide open and looking around some times I'll continue to hold him and rock gently talking to him, other times I put in his rocker and other times I'll put him to bed - if I do that I hear him talking away to himself. When he does sleep however is at night after feeds in the later evening and middle of night he will go to sleep then.

My feeds normally take approx 1 hr (am topping up as well as offering breast - has been some issues) and aiming for 7+ per day. So if I take 7 x 1 = 7 and then take that from 24 that leave 17. If I then add in some awake time plus settling time I am way under the 16-17 hrs.

Now the advice that I've received regarding when he starts demand feeding properly is that feeds of 8-12 per day will be common which will reduce down the time available to sleep even further! At the moment he wakes for some feeds and then I have to wake him for others.

Can you see my confusion?

[Miss E]

Congratulations Meadsie, sounds like you are doing a fantastic job and have a very happy, healthy little man.

I wouldn't get too caught up in what the books/experts say you should and shouldn't be doing, instead I'd focus on what your little man is telling you. By the sounds of things he's getting all the sleep he needs and simply wanting to soak up the world around him. All babies are different and need different amounts of sleep, the averages are just averages and you will always have babies at either end of the spectrum.

I know when my DS was 6 weeks I started keeping a record of his sleeps to see how much he slept in a 24 hour period and it always seemed to averages out to about 13 hours a day. I asked our paed about it and he said not to worry, it was a bit below the average, but he was doing well so it wasn't anything to get too concerned about.

You'll probably find that over the next month or so he may start to feed a lot, lot faster too. My DS used to take at least 45 minutes, but now at 4 months both sides are pretty much over and done with within 15 mins.