Am I putting my baby to sleep too much?

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

So this might seem like a strange question but here goes. My baby is 7w 3d. She has almost no A time. Unless you count BF'ing. Here is our day today...

E-7 (30-45 MIN)
A- 7:45 (JUST DIAPER CHANGE ETC.)
S- 8 (AT THIS POINT SHE IS SOOOO TIRED, SO READY TO GO BACK TO SLEEP)

E-10
A-10:45
S-11:10 (AGAIN - PUT HER DOWN - RIGHT TO SLEEP)

E-1:15 (25-30 MINS)
A-ALMOST NONE
S-1:50 (AGAIN - PUT HER DOWN, PUT HERSELF TO SLEEP FAIRLY QUICKLY)

E-4:15 (FALLING ASLEEP DURING HER AFTER MEAL BURP)
A-KEEP HER UP FOR 5 MINTUES TO HANG WITH DH (YAWNING)
S-PUT HER IN CRIB AT 4:50 (SHE WAS BASICALLY HANGING OUT...NOT CRYING...JUST TALKING TO HERSELF) I wasn't planning on doing this catnap in the first place cause she slept for 6 hours already but she was so tired I had to lay her down.

This is the point where I start to feel bad. She is sitting there in the dark and I am missing A time with her cause I am soooooo super-conscious of her tired signs (Side note- before I started EASY about a week ago - she was cranky all the time and had a poor disposition because I was winging it and didn't know her signs and how much sleep she really needed. It got to the point where i was really upset and frustrated and she was miserable most of the time. Since I started EASY...life has been much better for the both of us). Therefore, I am so aware of her tired signs...I hate to think that prior to this I made her cranky because I kept her awake to hang out.

So - long story short (too late) she has almost no A time now except BF'ing and her bath at night. She hasn't smiled all week really cause she isn't awake long enough to. But she also really doesn't cry anymore either.

This is how the rest of the day has gone....

I got upset that she was playing in the dark by herself so I took her out of the crib 15 minutes after I put her in....but then after 5 minutes the yawning started again. So - resume the day:

5:15 - back in the crib
5:25 - asleep
6:15 - wake her up for bottle with dad (which she really didn't take very well...that is another story)
6:30 - bath
7:00 - try again with dad on the bottle (she wasn't having it) so I BF for 30 minutes
7:30 - bed
7:45 - pretty much asleep (and has been for the last hour)

So - Is she really that tired? Am I letting her sleep too much? Yesterday was similar except that she went to bed at 7:30 - 8:30 and then couldn't get back to sleep 10:30. My dreamfeed turned into an awake feed.

Anyway - sorry for the LONG scenario here but any thought anyone might have would be great.

I want to do what is BEST for her but I also don't want to push off A time that I could be having with my peanut.

Thanks! Jessica

[rob1lu2]

Hi Jessica!

It's such a fine line, isn't it?

I would say two things.

1) She may be catching up on sleep that she missed for the first six weeks and three days she was alive before you found EASY. Also, before my girls were 3 months old they slept ALL THE TIME. Enjoy it now because once she wakes up, you'll know it.

2) If she starts waking at night and having crib parties and demanding your attention, then you'll know she slept too much during the day. Tracy says it's common at this age for them to sleep a lot during the day - and to sometimes only tolerate a feed and a change as their A time. Remember part of their A time at this age is their E time - so if it's taking you 30 minutes to feed her, that counts as part of her A time.

Here's a link you might find interesting:

babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=85134.0

Lu

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

I actually let her sleep all the time until she had a bad time b/t weeks 4.5 and 6 with some reflux...so maybe she is catching up on those weeks...which is also the timeframe that I had no idea what I was doing.

Also - I was just reading in BW that better day sleep means better night sleep. Tonight is our 7th doing EASY...so we were all playing catch up...but today she slept 2 hours at all three naps and a 45 minute catnap...and tonight when we put her in bed at 7:30 - not a single shh/pat or PU/PD. She just went to bed. Unbelievable! Still sleeping 4 hours later....

Maybe after 7 days...we finally got her where she needed to be as far as sleep during the day and now going to bed at night is also easier for her because she has caught up and is no longer OT.

My little love bug!

Last questions...."crib parties..." if she was sitting there in the dark hanging out...she would cry if she wanted to come out right? I don't want to miss any developmental time.

Thanks for the help Lu!

[suevcameron]

Hiya - I have been doing the baby whisperer for 3 weeks - my little on is 8weeks old and I feel like he sleeps all the time!! However when he is awake he's really happy (even if it is just when I bf and 15 mins of activity!!!) and he's just started sleeping from 7pm til 7am without a dreamfeed, although will sometimes wake up around 5/6. I was worried that so much day sleep would affect his nights, but they've just got better and better. Plus I'm so much more rested - feel quite guilting telling my exhausted friends with little ones the same age!!
I guess babies this young are not meant to be awake as much as we would expect (or want) and they just need a lot of sleep.
Sounds like your doing a fab job!!

[rob1lu2]

Yes, little babies sleep all the time. If you look at the link you'll see that from 1-3 months old they sleep anywhere from 15-18 hours! If they sleep on the long end of that, that's only 6 hours a day that they are awake!!! It used to take my girls about 45-60 minutes to finish eating, so you can imagine, their "A" time was spent eating, plus they used a lot of calories eating.

A crib party is when they wake - usually in the middle of the night, but can be during a nap - and they babble and coo to themselves. Hopefully at this point, when your LO is waking, you are not rushing into her. You are giving her a chance to wake up and get her bearings and then you go in and greet her. Sometimes crib parties can last up to an hour. It's really hard in the middle of the night to listen to b/c you're kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop - thinking she is eventually going to start crying. But if you have a good foundation of not rushing in as soon as she wakes up, she will usually fall back asleep. It's no big deal, and you shouldn't make a big deal out of them. It's actually great b/c it means she feels comfortable in her crib and it means that she can put herself back to sleep - two very important things you want her to be able to do!

Also, I would say, enjoy it now. Many LOs sleep goes crazy between 4-6 months. It's not necessarily going to happen to you. But sometimes they stop being able to take long naps, and they start to have NWing or EWings when they previously didn't. It has to do with them being able to stay awake for longer periods of time, and getting the A time correct. It's a developmental thing. So, I'm not trying to get ahead of you, I'm just mentioning it! One of my girls had NO problem when she hit the 4-6 month bananas thing. My other girl did - and we had short naps and NWings. Depends on the LO! Sleep when they sleep. I didn't do this and paid for it. Talk about OT!. As suevcameron says - it's nice for you to feel rested too. It helps with your confidence level and helps you deal with anything that might come up.

I agree with suevcameron! You're doing a fab job!

Lu

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

Hi suevcameron! Thanks to both of you. I think that based on yesterday you are both right.

She had three naps yesterday -all 2 hours. Then a catnap for 45 minutes.

I put her to bed at 7:30 and she slept until 3:15 to eat (no dream feed). 8 hours is her longest ever and 3:15 is her typical feeding time so I thought that was great! This time may be habitual for her but I will deal with that in a week or so. After that though... I really didn't know what was going on cause she woke up again after her 3:15 feeding around 5:00. MY DH checked on her and said she was sucking on his arm so she wanted to eat. I had to remind him that she just wanted to pacify. (men!) So - he gave her a pacifier (we never used one before)...and it calmed her on and off for an hour or so. So I am not sure if that was a crib party or if she was trying to wake up for the day at 5:00. She just kind of fussed a bit for the next hour...not really crying though. At 6:15 (three hours from her last feeding) I fed her and then put her back to sleep for a morning nap. I decided to count that 6:15 as her awake time. (usually it is more like 7ish)

Anyway - I think that more sleep is much better for her. She actually had about 10-15 extra minutes of A this morning so my DH and I took advantage (we basically watched her poop for 10 minutes) but we enjoyed it all the same. I am going to just keep reading her cues and if she yawns I have to assume she isn't lying to me. My mother said that I was never awake when I was a baby. DNA!!

Thanks again for the messages. Things have been great around here lately. I love this forum and all the mommies. I hope I can assist others as well!

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

PS - I don't rush in. She has a crazy long mantra and fuss periods....I let her get it out. Except when it is time for her next feeding. I don't let her fall back asleep for too long. I still have her eating approximately three hours but I use my judgement also. If she needs some sleep ...I let her have it.

PPS - my ticker isn't working. what's up with that?

[fifibobandmore]

My DS#2 had a similar routine to your LO at 7 weeks except he would bf a lot more dueing his awake time as I let him BF on demand when he was younger and within reason I still do. I believe that at a young age they need there sleep as while they are sleeping they are processing what htye have done and seen dueing there awake time.  You are looking for the right tiredness clues too so as long as you see them then I would said she is not getting too much. When she gets older the naps will get longer but she will drop a nap because fo this and will enjoy activity time more

[norahsmommy]

hi.  i've been reading all of your posts about sleep amounts.  sounds like you might have textbook babies.  hmmmmm.  my lo is 3 months old and has always been more awake/alert.  she's always needed help getting to sleep (ie cut off as much stimulation as possible, dark room or cover her in car seat).  
the longest she's slept at night is 6 hours and she struggles to nap, too.  (if we get 1hr 15m to 1 hr 30 m we're doing well.  i'm told she might be OT.  she's stuggling w/reflux stuff, and a big growth spurt which seems to complicate the issue.  (ie waking up in the middle of nap and spitting up).  
i tried trying to put her down early and seemed to fight w/her all the way thru her nap and it just didn't seem to work.
she's on a 3 hour EASY starting at 7am.
any suggestions/thoughts?  i just don't know how to get her to sleep anymore.  i stress about it quite a bit as is.....
thanks.

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

I am not expert by any means but the reflux thing can really be a problem. My LO has it also and for 4 days (when we didn't know what was wrong) we LITERALLY could not lie her down. She was so upset and screaming and whining during eating. We make sure to elevate anything she sleeps in and we also now have her on Xantac...

I was really uneasy about meds at such a young age...but a week later and she is a different baby. So happy and not sick at all anymore. She was very cranky and not getting sleep during her reflux and only now (been on EASY for a week) is she catching up on her sleep and feeling much better. This period of 10 days during her reflux was pretty bad and that might be why she is sleeping so much now. She is finally feeling better.

Good luck and try not to stress. They sense that. If you have to cheat just to get your LO some extra hours...go for a long stroller ride outside or in the car. I find the outdoor to be amazing!

[norahsmommy]

yes, she is calmed by stroller rides but hasn't been falling asleep like she used to. 
as far as the reflux, i cut out dairy and soy (for the most part) and it makes a big difference and i've been using an herbal aid for the tummy aches.  i haven't yet talked to a dr. 
i'm glad your lo is so much better!  it makes such a difference!  good job! 

[fifibobandmore]

My DD had reflux and still suffers with it if she eats certain foods. She was diagnosed with it at 3 weeks when she was hospitalived with it and was prescribed something called infant gaviscon which I still have in the house just to be on the safe side of a reflux attack. I had to get her a special mattress which was on an angle and you straped them into it. I can not remember what the mattress was called was the meds are safe for young babies.

[rob1lu2]

Jessica

Sounds like things are going super well! Congrats!

PM me about the ticker if you are still having issues.

Norahsmommy-do you have a thread going about your LOs sleep times? Would you like to start one? Let us know!

Lu

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

Thanks Lu. Things are going well. I totally over think everything but at the moment I have nothing else to do. 

Yeah - my ticker won't change dates...I can get it on there - it just doesn't ever have her get older....weird.

[rob1lu2]

Jessica,

Weird about the ticker. Sounds like a problem with Lilypie.

You have nothing else to do than overthink things? Come over to my house! I've got plenty for you to do!

Lu