Many people wonder whether it’s good if the infant sleeps more than usual? How many hours do babies sleep? Worry about this is understandable because sleep for infants is especially important in both physical and mental development.
If you are one of the parents who are worrying about your baby’s sleeping problems, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to get more details.
How many hours a day do 3-month-old babies sleep?
- Three-month-old babies have an average sleep time of 10-16 hours per day.
- Most babies will sleep 2 to 3 short naps in the daytime, 2 to 4 hours each.
- Some babies at this stage can sleep for 6-8 hours. However, the average is still 4-6 hours per night.
Sleep characteristics of 3 months old baby
- Infants sleep a lot, but the schedule is quite erratic, which will make you sleep deprived and tired.
- The baby will sleep longer at night, wakes up in the middle of the night to feed or be cuddled.
- The sleeping time of each child is different, each day and each time are also different (but the schedule will be more stable, predictable compared to the previous months).
- Babies are easy to sleep but easy to wake up (mainly because of hunger).
Why do newborns sleep much?
- Newborn babies are not adapted yet to the outside world so still sleep as much as in the womb.
- Infants sleep much, so nervous systems and other parts grow more.
- The baby is still growing up during sleep. The brain still secretes many growth hormones while the baby sleeps.
- Newborns sleep more, sleep well, are happier, more active and grow up faster.
- The child’s immune system is strengthened and healed when he/she sleeps.
However, the sleep of infants is also quite erratic, and sometimes children sleep too much compared to normal, the common reasons are they’re in the stage of development, teething or getting sick.
Is it good if the baby’s sleeping a lot more than usual?
Newborns have difficulty falling asleep, sleeping less, or waking up is a common practice, so most mothers want their baby to sleep more. However, something too much is not good.
- Sleeping too much does not make the baby grows better.
- Infants sleeping more often interact less with their parents, even when they are awake.
- Babies who sleep more often tend to eat less, thus slowly gaining weight.
- Children sleeping too much have manifestations: difficulty in waking, inactivity, not breastfeeding, …
- Sleeping too much, being indifferent to everything, or having a sleep apnea can be a sign of worry.
What to do when babies are sleeping a lot and eating less?
1. Normal Case
If the newborn sleeps a lot and still has normal weight, you do not need to worry too much. Sometimes there are times when the baby sleeps more than normal; some children have trouble waking up.
Therefore, you have always to wake your baby to feed. Here are some tips that you can apply:
- Diaper removal: A little coolness will make your baby open his or her eyes and wake up.
- Wipe baby bum: coolness will stimulate the skin, help your baby wake up.
- Massage with a moist towel: Use a moist towel to wipe the baby gently, you can also use directly by hand. Skin contact usually stimulates the baby to wake up quickly.
- Talking and playing with your baby: During play, you should play with your baby to both help children awake while learning new skills.
- Check the nutrition: Some mother’s foods or baby food may contain sedatives, you need to pay more attention.
2. Abnormal Case
In these case below, you should have your child see a doctor for proper counseling and treatment.
- Your baby is over six months old but still be sleeping like a newborn.
- Children sleep a lot, hard to wake up and refuse to eat for a long time.
- Sleeping too much, combined with a fever.
Conclusion
There are many factors that affect the sleep of newborns. Newborn babies who sleep a lot can be due to the innate temperament of each child or by external factors. You need to distinguish the cause and the worrying signs.
Hopefully, the above information will help you solve the question “What to do if the 3 months old baby sleeps a lot?” and have ways to help take care of sleep for the baby.
If you have anything to ask, just leave your comments, I’ll be willing to help you. Thank you for reading this post and see you next time!
