9.5 Month Old Sleeping Too Much??

Sleeping through the night is a developmental milestone that children reach at varying ages.

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html

Just like you can't force a child to walk and talk before they're ready, you can't force a child to sleep through the night before they're ready. I really reccomend the Dr. Sears Sleep Book for more help.

Her sleep schedule looks normal to me. They drop a nap by a year old, and it's usually the morning one. I know it's a drag, but she'll snooze through the night when she's ready. The only thing I would recommend is putting her on a schedule, but it sounds like you have that covered.

Hang in there...there is light at the end of the tunnel :)

Here is a link:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-chil...

She sounds perfectly fine. I have 2 kids, and
you are lucky she is regular, and has a pattern already. And keep in mind, she IS sleeping consistently, already.

Go by HER cues.

Your baby is normal.... and she IS sleeping REALLY REALLY good at night. Her waking every 4-5 hours is nothing and she IS sleeping through the night.
Remember, babies do not sleep "all night" as in the adult connotation of it. A baby is considered sleeping through the night if they are sleeping at least 5-6 hours straight. Your baby IS doing that.

If a baby is tired, they will fall asleep. If naps/sleep is denied...then they get fussy and even more "hyper" because they are over-tired. If a baby sleeps/naps on their own.. then good.
EVENTUALLY, if you want to cut out 1 nap... then it should be done IN TIME. Not in 1 day. But also go by her cues... and even if you cut out one nap, there will be days when she WILL need an extra nap. So do so.
Right now, it seems she is still doing real well with her nap and sleep schedule. So, I would not mess it up too much or change it (suddenly) or she will have "real" sleep issues.

Your baby, does not have sleep problems. She is a GREAT sleeper and napper. You are very lucky!
I would let her be. Don't fix it if it ain't broken. She knows herself and sleeps well already.

My son, was like that too... REAL regular about naps and sleep. And at that same age, he was napping 3 times a day too. Then from about 1-2 years old, he napped twice a day. Then at 3 years old he still naps 1 time a day. That is what HE needed and I went by HIS cues. That is just how my son was. And I was so glad, because he sleeps and naps so well. BUT, yes, as with ALL babies/toddlers... he still woke during the night and especially during growth-spurts/developmental changes/when he hit milestones/teething etc. Which is normal. But, he was and still is a great sleeper. It was when he was about 2 years old, that he slept ALL night (as an adult would), and that is the normal natural continuum and tendency for kids.

Oh adding this: at 9 months, it was a growth-spurt age. So, she may just need extra feedings/nursings. She is growing, her intake needs are naturally increasing. Through the 1st year of life, per our Pediatrician, a baby needs still to be fed on demand.... since their growth is so rapid and they are hitting growth-spurts and developmental changes and brain wise too, and perhaps teething. And these things often are happening all at the SAME time... not just one at a time. So it tweaks the baby too. Normal though.
Sleep is not static with a baby. There will be phases... but I think your baby is very regular and sleeps well.

All the best,
Susan

She sounds PERFECT! Don't imagine problems where there are none. You should visit some families I know....they'd cry hearing that.

A baby can never sleep too much. Her immune system depends on the rest and good nutrition.

#1: Slept 12 hours at night, besides eating every 2 hours during that time, but he never woke up - he'd just latch on and stay asleep. Then he was awake for 2 hours and slept for 2 hours throughout the day. I thought this was normal, until I got....

#2: Slept for 3-5 hour spurts at night and took ONE nap from 1 month old...which was only 45 minutes long. I thought I was going to pull my hair out. Then.....

#3: Slept for 1-2 hours at night and only took 2 short naps each day. She refused to eat any solid food. I'd even be gone for 8 hours and she would not eat. She was on 95% breastmilk until she was 18 months.

Thank yor lucky starts and relish in the thought that you have a dream child...because the next one probably will not be so easy. It's all perspective.

Remember that 5 hours is considered sleeping through night. Not every child is going to go all the way through the night and you are going to hit A LOT of milestones and each time she does something new it's going to affect the way she sleeps. At that age a child needs 2 naps. Don't plan on going down to 1 until about 18 months or so. Let HER be your guide... we try to force our schedule on our little ones and it doesn't always work.

that seems like a pretty good sleep schedule. When my son was about that age (he is 2 now) he would take 3 naps a day. Now, he is up at 7am and takes a nap from 12:30-3:30 or sometimes even 4pm and then goes to bed for the night around 8-8:30pm. Maybe after her 2nd nap you could take her outside, or to the park or somewhere where she can run and play, that way she will sleep better for you at night? If it's too cold, maybe you could take her somewhere indoors. For us, just being out and about is tiring! But, I wouldn't take away one of the naps because then she might get over tired and then it will be harder for her to sleep at night. Good luck!

Your nap schedule is Perfect. I wouldn't eliminate a nap. Read "healthy sleep habits, happy child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. Very easy read. Can read only chapters on your childs age. You are right on track!!!!!

when she wakes up in the night, try your best not to go into her room. just let her work on getting back to sleep without your touch. give it a go for at least 3 days and see if that breaks her of the waking up habit.

Hi M.,

My genius of a day care provide switched my sons to one 2 hour nap in the afternoons when they hit that age. Nap started at 1pm ish and went to 2:30-3pm ish. That seemed to work out great for us, since I kept her schedule while the boys were home (although bedtime was 7:30).

Good luck!

Hi M. - my thinking is that if she goes back to sleep immediately after your touch, then it is likely she is waking up out of habit, and not because she sleeps too much during the day. You may have already read this in baby books - everyone wakes up to some degree in the middle of the night at the end of our sleep cycles. As adults, we just fall back to sleep without even noticing it. Babies have to learn to go back to sleep on their own. There are lots of books out there on how to teach them to do that.
My personal experience, by the way, is that two naps a day is not too many - my son is 14 months and still takes two naps. I've read that you should let your child "tell" you when she is ready to transition to a single nap (i.e., she won't take two), and not try to force it.
Good luck!

I wouldn't eliminate one of the naps. She needs her sleep. If she were waking and playing in the middle of the night that'd be different. She just needs to figure out how to go back to sleep without your touch. Good luck! :)

I would eliminate the morning nap :)

Ditto SH.

She sounds perfect. She's getting 12-14 hours of sleep a day (perfect), and lordy she's not "awake now!" and ready to be up for 3 hours when she wakes up in the middle of the night? Yay! A great sleeper!

I can almost guarantee you, the reason why she's waking up is one of two things: hungry or wet.

When my son was growing, he'd wake hungry. He was such a good sleeper, that I could actually wake him up to feed him, right before I went to bed, and that would see us through. (I'd also change him at that point). Of course , it took a few times of him waking up starving before I realized another growth spurt was upon us. (If I made the mistake of waking him up when he wasn't in a growth spurt, boy howdy... there went my night. learned that the hard way. Learning curve! :P)

If he wasn't in a growth spurt, he'd wake wet. Easy fix there... I just changed him as the last thing I did before I went to bed. Ditto the good sleeper bit. He might wake up a LITTLE, but he'd go right back to sleep. By the time he was a year old, he wouldn't even open his eyes... just pull one leg out of his jammies, then the other, then lift his bum... all with baby-angel-asleep-face and totally floppy upper body :)

Hi M.,

I wouldn't eliminate any naps. I would however, work to help her fall asleep on her own at bedtime. That way when she wakes during the night (as we all do) she will be able to put herself back to sleep.

I did this with my daughter when she was 9 months (15 months now). I have to admit, the first 4-5 days were rough, as we used the "cry it out method" at bedtime. But once she got the hang of putting herself to sleep, she was able to do so during the night as well.

Hi M.,
I believe at that age, my daughter took 2 naps as well. Maybe try putting her to bed later and see what happens. If you put her down to sleep that early because she is really tired, then TRY to keep her up. She should be sleeping for at least 6 hours straight in the night all the time.
If I remember correctly, my daughter took her first nap around 11:00 and then her second nap around 3:30. Than she went to bed about 8:00. 8:30 in the morning is way to early for a nap, especially if she only woke up an hour and a half earlier. Obviously, she is not getting enough sleep at night. If you email me, I can send you a wonderful book call "Sleep Sense Program", this book gave me the tools to change my families bad sleep habits. My email is ____@____.com (I can send it to anyone who might need it)Good luck to you!!!
M.

Dear M.,

This sounds like a dream child. Only needs touch to go back to sleep??!!! I would not change anything that is not broken.
The natural human sleep pattern...before the advent of electric lights, was to go to sleep when it got dark, and wake up at least once in the middle of the night (around 2:00 AM) and do something (talk, visit other family members) and sleep lightly thereafter. Not sleep eight or more straight hours-dead to the world. I know sleep drug companies would like us adults to believe that a solid block is natural for humans and so we need what they sell but it's just not true...why should we expect solid block sleeping from babes and kids???
It is easy to research this topic online...if you think it's just too strange a concept.

That sounds great. Our daughter is 14 months and is not far off from that schedule (she gets up about 1/2 hour earlier).

Our doc told us to let her fuss for a few nights and she should learn how to put herself back to sleep. She does really well it with now (until she looses her Paci).

Good luck!

Hi there. My guess is that it is a habit of hers. Especially because she doesn't really need anything and goes right back to sleep. It's not for everyone, but I spent a few nights letting him cry it out. It seems like torture but the rewards are a happier mama! Good luck!

She knows when she needs sleep or food. This sounds right to me. She needs rest when she is tired. Babies will even out on there own. Babies need sleep for there growth and health. I know I was so tired when my son was this age. It does get easier. Please let her make her own times for now.

I dont think so. My baby with the same age sleeps in the morning 3 hrs and in afternoon 3 hrs. In the nigth from 8 pm to 7 am.

She was waking up like your baby, and I let her cry it out. (1 nigth of cry) and now is excellent!

maybe is the best time to teach her to sleep

: )