Naps During the Day

My daughter is 6 months old and she was exactly like that...I worried about it but the doctor told me there was nothing wrong with it...The one thing I liked about it was that she was pretty well on a set schedule through out the day and then she would sleep all night...So, don't worry about it that much enless he really starts to lose weight dramatically!!

-C.

J., I had the same problem with my son who is now 11 years old. The dr.'s said some babies are sleepers, and mine was not. I would put him in the swing, on the washer and dryer (while running), drive him in the car and nothing worked. He would be up before dawn until late at night. If he got 15 minutes nap that was alot. I even tried the cereal to fill his stomach, and all that did was make him a fat sleepless baby.

Now at 11 he sleeps but from 10:30pm to 6:30am. I never get to sleep in. Funny thing though, my 2 child, she would sleep 13 to 14 hours straight. I worried about that and the dr (not the same peditrician as my sons) said, "Maam be lucky cause you have a sleeper. Nothing to worry about, just check her breathing and she'll be fine. Now 4 years later and she is great.

Good luck finding the information you need.

Personally I think that you shouldn't mess with it. If you are at home and it isn't conflicting with anything let him do what he wants. If he is tired he will sleep. My daughter(who is almost 2) was similar and has always been very attentive and fully of energy and joy! Why do we always want to make things just right you know?;)

At 3 weeks not really sure, I started kind of losely getting mine into one around 3 months...at almost a year, we had it down.....so maybe start trying and take it slow ...eventually you'll get there and good luck

Hi J.
It sounds as though your son is pulling all his sleep in one shift. If you'd rather he take a nap mid-day to give you a break, try to wake him up earlier in the morning.. like around 8am. This way, a few hours later, he will need to make up that 1.5 hr sleep he missed. Babies will not sleep more than what their body requires.. so you just need to shift things around. Also - at 3 weeks, he's still so young that his patterns will probably change on their own.
Good luck!
Adla

At 3 weeks, I have found that there's not much of a "schedule" however at that age they really should be sleeping for 14-16 hours a day. Does he not fall asleep when he eats? You might try using a baby sling so that you don't have to hold him non-stop yet he can sleep with the comfort of having mommy right next to him. My daughter had colic when she was younger, and she did NOT like to nap unless I was holding her, or she was in a swing...

I'd also recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child" it really helped me with establishing a routine with my two children when they were a bit older.

Good luck!

How is he sleeping at night? If he's sleeping well at night, I wouldn't worry much about being awake all day. I have one that was never much of a napper too, and know it can be frustrating as it makes it hard to get much done. To establish there is a specific rest time during the day, we had quiet time built into our schedule. Have soft music or white noise playing and have him in a swing or in his bassinet / crib.

What does your doctor say about him not being up to birth weight? Unless he's just teeny tiny, I wouldn't worry much about that either.

As far as setting a routine, I pretty much had mine on a schedule from day one. But you have to realize that the schedule has to be very loose at three weeks of age. Little one is still figuring out this great big world.

I have a 9 year old. When he was a baby, I could not get him on a schedule until after 3 months or so. The nurses told me he would sleep most of the time - YEAH RIGHT!! All he wanted to do was play. As far as being underweight - you might want to ask the doc about that. If he is eating enough, his sleep pattern should not interfere with that. My lil one only slept for two hours at a time, but he ate like a little piggy all day. He is very healthy and happy now. I did not use the Ferber method because I did not agree with it. He has turned out to be a very polite little boy that is able to be empathetic (hard to find in boys at his age). Your doc is the best place to go with any issue like this, though.

J.,
Wow, what a situation. That is a long time for such a small baby to be awake. Does his doctor know that he is awake that long? Does he get fussy every two to three hours to eat? Does he sleep at night?
Not reaching birth weight by three weeks does not seem healthy, but discussing this with your doctor is very important.
M.

Newborns tend to have their day and night mixed up. I would rather have him up during this time then awake in the middle of the night. Does he sleep all night? Also keep in mind that after they get out of your womb they tend to drop in weight.It's just a matter of them getting used to the outside world. All they do at this time is eat, sleep, and poop...not really a routine. Now is the time to just let him be himself and enjoy your time with him. When he gets older you can start a routine with him. He has a routine even now. The staying up the mid part of the day is his routine. Just make sure that he's fed and dry and that's all you can do right. I am a go-with-the-flow mommy. Whatever works for you. There are some books out there but I didn't read any that had to do with routine or scheduling.

Hang in there! I know it is mega rough at first. I think it is a little early to get him on a schedule. It will be about 2 months (6-8 weeks) before they start to settle into even a LITTLE bit of a routine. By 3 months you will vaguely remember those early tought times. NOW, that is 6-8 weeks from their DUE date, not BIRTH date....so if your son was 2 weeks early, then it will be 8-10 weeks until he gets even a little settled into a routine. You can try to start getting him into a routine and napping better, but don't expect much until he is somewhat ready. I would try dimming his room as much as possible (or at least making conditions JUST like they are at night-time). Just keep trying new things. Also, swings are great "tools" to get them to sleep when they need to but don't want to. It isn't wonderful to get them used to sleeping in a swing, but as long as they are sleeping in their crib (or bed of some sort) at some point in the day/night...you will be fine. They will make the transition fine later. Also, I have heard many moms use the car seat as well, as a sleeping tool. GOOD LUCK!

Is he sleeping through the night? Is he eating every 2-3 hours? Are you nursing or is he on formula? Lots of people might recommend rice, but I found it upset their tummy at such a young age.
To answer your questions: yes, it is too early to expect your child to be on a routine, but NO it is not too early to start introducing a routine. Simple cues like playing with him only during daytimes and keeping lights low/off when taking care of him during night feedings will help him understand. Also, a very predictable series of steps before bedtime such as bath, book, bed, etc. will help him realize what he is supposed to do. If he is getting 18 or so hours of sleep a day, it really doesn't matter too much (to him anyway) what time of day that sleep is happening. If you want him to nap more in the day, try having him nap with some white noise like the washing machine or dishwasher running. You will be getting yourself into a whole mess of trouble if you start having him sleep in a swing or carseat as those are tough habits to break. My oldest loved to nap in a bassinet with the "Price is Right" on in the background, but my youngest needs a large fan on high to do the trick properly. Keep trying different things and good luck! :)A.

J. it is never too early to begin structure for your son. By 4 weeks old my son was sleeping in his crib, as well as sleeping through the night. He is 14 months old now and continues to sleep though the night, on top of taking 2 naps during the day. From day one his bedtime has been 7 and he wakes at 8. He had the same eating schedule since he was born as well. The only difference is the foods that he eats and not having to eat as much or as often, but he still eats at the same times.

Structure is one of the best things you can provide your child. It aids in the development of a calmer and well behaved manner and an easier adjustment to new things. If you want to succeed, remain organized and committed. After a while every step will become more natural verses a “process”. It’s still early and this is a great time to start for your little bundle of joy. My advice would be to do the same routine every time. Even if you are not a home, come as close to your regular routine as possible. You’d be amazed at how even the smallest detail applied means everything. But I guarantee you’ll be happier in the long run. Your initial results may or may not be effortless; it all depends on the child. Nevertheless don’t get up!

I continually get applauded for the behavior of my son and I know for a fact is the parenting skills that I started from day one. I’m sure being a trained and certified nanny who practiced for almost a decade before I became a full time mommy didn’t hurt either! Please let me know if I could be of assistance to you in any way okay. Good luck!

hey J.,

I have mixed feelings about establishing the routine at that age. I didn't start with my 1st son until he was 5 weeks old and he took to it with in 2 weeks. I started my second son at 2 weeks and he still isn't in the pattern. His feeding times are established but like your son he likes to stay up for extended periods of time. We're still working on it. I don't know if you are planning to let your child self soothe but neither of my children were able to do this until they were 6 weeks old. It won't hurt to try establishing a routine. Either he will take to it or he wont.

J.,

I would talk to the your Doctor about ways to shift your babies sleep pattern. I believe babies should sleep approx 16 hours a day at this age.. I know mine did, to the point I wondered if he was ever going to wake up!! lol .. I do know that they change sleep patterns so I wouldnt be to concerned, what they do one week quickly changes the next!!

Also mention to your doctor you need ideas for putting some weight on your child.. he or she may suggest more feedings or other options.

Good luck to you!!

J.