What Is Normal?

I'm so glad that you asked this. My son is 3 1/2 months old and he has the exact same sleep habits!

You are SO lucky to have a full night's sleep at 4 months!! :) My two didn't sleep quite that long at night, but took longer naps. The catnapping is just a normal pattern. Lots of kids do it.

For the holding thing -- my son wanted to held constantly also. When my daughter was born, my son was older and on the go all the time, so I got an infant sling (I don't like the carriers) - I LOVED my sling. I could 'hold' her with the sling and one hand and get so much done with the other (like, keep up with my son). She liked the movement too, and slept better in the sling than anywhere else. Might want to try a sling for that 'productive' snuggle time.

I can't really say very much about the sleep issues - my 7 month old daughter has a different sleep schedule every week. But I can tell you that she requires undivided attention 24 hours a day. If I sit her down and try to get something else done, she just screams and waits for me to come pick her back up.

Sounds like you are doing a great job! I was so over protective with my son that he did not sleep for more than 2 hours at a time until he was 4 years old. I think I am still catching up on rest. During the day my little one wanted to be held all the time also, I bought a "johnny jump up" and it saved my sanity. He loved bouncing in it and I could get work done around the house. He loved music also, so I would turn up Elvis or the Beach Boys and he would bounce around while I got laundry done and the house cleaned. Be greatful for the rest at night but remember you can let him watch the educational videos on TV or listen to music while you get some things done. My Mom told me "No baby has ever died from crying or not being held" if you need to get something done.

My son took very short naps too. It was not until he was closer to 6 or 7 months that his naps got longer. Dropping a nap also helped. What you are describing sounds normal to me(as normal as normal can be).

Perhaps the catnaps during the day are what's making him sleep through the night at such a young age? I couldn't get mine to sleep through the night until about 7 months. He's 1 now.
When they are so young and not able to sit up, they do require a lot of attention and stimulation. I suggest a cradle swing(http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=226507...) or a playmat to entertain him while you try to do dishes or laundry. The cradle swing will also help him take longer naps if he falls asleep in it. Babies sleep better with movement than with stillness when they are under 6 months.
Another good idea is the sling. You can put him in the body sling and hold him without using your arms so that you can get things done.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=226678...

That is wonderful that he sleeps through the night! Also, it can be normal for babies to catnap, especially at that age - he is still young. My baby started sleeping longer naps at around 6 months old. As long as he isn't cranky and obviously still tired after those catnaps, it is fine.

Yes, babies do need lots of holding during the day. Mine is 7 months old now (this is my 4th), and I have to hold him most of the day. They need that security. Enjoy it now, because in a few months, he'll be on the move and won't have time to stop and enjoy being held by you. Then, you'll miss those days - I know I did with my older ones!

T., you are a lucky mama. I have a son who is almost 5 months old too. My son takes catnaps also sometimes as short as 20 minutes which makes it hard to do things. He gets up 1-2 times per night. And yes, I feel I have to hold him all the time however in the last couple of weeks he is entertaining himself for longer periods in the boucy seat, playmat, or jumper seat. Good luck!

I wouldn't worry about his napping, as long as he is sleeping well during the night. At 4 months, you're still having to do a lot of hands-on, and every baby is different in that aspect. Some love to be held all the time, some will contend with a little snuggling, but they want sweet freedom after a minute or two. When he gets his "reach & grasp" down really well, you may find he will play alone for a minute or two if you put him under one of those baby gyms (not sure what you call those--they have little toys dangling from a plastic frame) and be sure to rotate the toys every few days to keep his interest. Trust me, he'll be off to kindergarten soon enough, and you'll SOOOO miss those days you couldn't put him down. It's very hard now, but try to cherish these times, and don't worry about the housework too much. Try to get help--yes, it is OK to ask!!!! Best of luck--

My baby girl who is going on 5 months now does the exact same thing! "catnaps" throughout the day. I am thankful for the sleeping thru the night though and She is the same with wanting to be held alot too during the day. Huh... I am looking forward to your responses too.....

Sounds pretty normal to me. The only thing I would recommend is trying to extend those nap times (maybe only 2 or 3 naps too). The 30 to 45 minute mark is an automatic wake up time for babies as well as adults, it's learning to stay asleep after that period.

Maybe trying to keep them in the crib and patting him back to sleep may be an option. Either way at least you're doing well on the night time. ;)

C.

You're lucky!! My 9 month old still won't sleep through the night... and will only take 30 -45 min naps once or twice a day IF I'm lucky.

Wow! Congrats on the fact that your baby is sleeping through the night - that is so great! I have b/g twins who are almost five moths old, and my daughter is similar to your son at night, but my son still wants one night feeding and he often wants to wake up at 5:30 am, so you are lucky! As for the naps, I found that putting my babies on a schedule has increase their napping time and has made me more aware of their tired cues. They used to catnap just like your son, and now they usually sleep 2 hours for at least one of their naps. The others are between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. My schedule looks like this:
7:00 wake up and feed, play until nap
8:30 nap (hopefully they sleep at least one hour)
10:00 feed, play until nap
11:30 nap (this would be about 11:00 if they woke up from the morning nap early)
1:00 feed, play until nap
2:30 nap
4:00 feed
This is where it gets a little tricky, because after their 7:00 feed, they go down for the night. So, I usually put them down for a catnap at about 5:30, just for 15-20 minutes so that they can make it through the feeding without falling asleep, and so that they aren't so crabby that they make their Dad and I crazy!
I hope that helps! It took about a month to get them to go down in their crib and to sleep for longer periods, so you just have to be patient. But I'm definitely a believer in the fact that babies need their sleep! Mine can't stay awake for more than about 2 hours max at a time before they become unmanageable, and before I started on a schedule, I thought they were just kind of grouchy at times - now I know that they were just tired and I wasn't cued into their signals. Sorry for the long post! By the way, I love the name "Harrison." Take care, H.

Hi T.!
Sounds normal to me, like you said, all babies are different, don't forget this! My little girl went through many different sleeping phases (a lot, a little, off and on, through the night, not through the night...). If your pediatrician is not worried I don't think you should be either. Also, my daughter required constant attention and holding as an infant, she is now almost 2 and doing fine. She does well at daycare (she is learnig sharing and other social skills as well as how to be without mom and dad) and plays like crazy at home. She still likes alot of attention and for Mommy to play with her but she is getting better at playing alone. Too soon they will want nothing to do with us so we should enjoy it while we can.

The sleeping sounds normal...if that what he requires (& he's not crazy tired during the day), then it should be fine.

Yes, babies require that kind of attention. Just give up now trying to do a lot of stuff. :) Not trying to be mean...I had to do the same. Life is thrown upside down when they come along, & we sorta have to adjust our expectations. I suggest getting a bouncer, playmat (several), a swing, etc. You can bring those into the room that you're working in while he is being entertained between those breaks of holding him. My husband griped about how much money we spent on that extra stuff, but it helped my son not become dependent on me for his entertainment!

T.,

As for the sleep, you are right that every child is different. My son slept for 2-3 hours at a time day or night, and did not sleep through the night until he was about 15 months old. My daughter on the other hand did exactly what you are describing your son doing. She would take 2-3 catnaps during the day and then sleep all night from about 9-10pm til 6-7am. She first started doing that at about 1month old. I woke from a dead sleep at 6am thinking something was terribly wrong. I looked into her bassinet and she was sleeping so peacefully. What a relief.

As far as him needing undivided attention, he may need that. When my son was awake, I had to be right there or he would scream to no end. My daughter often would entertain her self. Again every child is different. Hope this helps. And enjoy your restful nights.

J.

You are lucky indeed to get a full night of rest with a 4-month old. My son is 14 months old and doesn't sleep through the night. As for the naps, I wouldn't worry. My son was also a cat napper. He now takes one long nap during the day.
As for him wanting undivided attention all day, I think that's normal. Some babies need more attention than others. Just enjoy the cuddle time. He will grow out of it before you know it, and you will be nostalgic for those days.

You are lucky to have a child sleep the entire night especially and infant. Besides if he is taking cat naps throughout the day it still adds up to several hours of sleep he is getting during the day as well. My daughters used to take 2 naps daily and it would last from 1-3 hours for each nap. Also when my children were babies they would crash at 7 am and be up by 6am, every child is different but ask your doctor if you aren't comfortable with his sleep patterns.
Kathy

Hi T.,

I think it's hard to say what is normal for any one baby. However, I think it's probably better for the baby to get longer and fewer naps in during the day. I am a big fan of the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. He discusses sleep during the various stages of infants and newborns. I think at four months, in general, a baby takes a morning nap, and afternoon nap, and an evening cat nap. Although, my 2nd son gave up the third nap around 3/4 months.

Good luck! C.

It's so great that Harrison sleeps through the night. Good job!! I would say the only thing is to try to make hime take only 2 to 3 naps a day and make them longer. Cat naps are not really beneficial for young children, because they need to fall in to a deep sleep(a.k.a R.E.M. sleep) to actually let their little bodies & minds get true rest. Anything less than 45 minutes just doesn't give them enough time to progress into REM sleep, so they might actually wake up even crankier than if they didn't even get a nap. If you have the time, give him a little snack for energy and take him outside or some place active & fun. It will help to make him last longer between naps and when it is time for nap, the fun activities should help him sleep longer. Good Luck!!