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Sleep - how much is to much?

How much should a 4 mth old baby be sleeping?

Niamh as no set pattern to her sleeps. Sometimes she has lots of little sleeps in the day and other days she will have 1 or 2 really long sleeps.

I am worried in case she is having too much sleep and sometimes sleeping because she is bored.

thanks

Replies

  • I'm going on what I've read in The Baby Whisperer, and she suggests that at 4 months, lo should be having 1-2 hours in the morning, same in the afternoon, and a 45 minute nap before bed. She also suggests writing down nap times and lengths over a couple of days, as you are likely to see a pattern emerge, even when you don't think there is one.

    We're having trouble trying to get our lo to nap for longer than 40minutes at a time during the day at the moment. Fortunately, it's not affecting her night-time sleeping too much at the moment, but apparently good day time sleeping sets the stage for good night time sleeping. Sometimes, they do sleep longer when they're having a growth spurt too. I'm sure that she would cry & let you know if she's bored, rather than sleep. Hth xx
  • Double post!

    [Modified by: honeyPops on June 02, 2010 03:25 PM]



    [Modified by: honeyPops on June 02, 2010 03:26 PM]

  • Triple post! What's going on?!

    [Modified by: honeyPops on June 02, 2010 03:27 PM]

  • I agree babies sleep when they need to, my lo at 7 months has almost the same pattern she did when she was 4 months except the naps are shorter.

    She wakes 8am
    naps at 10am (40 minutes)
    nap at 12pm (30 minues)
    nap at 2pm (1hr)
    nap at 4pm (20 minutes)
    nap at 6pm (20 minutes)

    bed at 8pm and sleeps all night.
  • I too was worried that my LO slept so much because she was bored as she slept less if we're out at someone elses house. Turns out she's just a nosey minx who then gets over tired and grumpy because she didn't have as much sleep!
    My LO is also 4 months and still sleeps a lot most days. HV told me average babies sleep 14-16 hours a day, but of course every baby is different. So long as she sleeps well at night too, I wouldn't worry about her daytime naps.
    I'm told if she were bored she'd cry at me and not fall asleep. So I'm not taking it so personally anymore!
    xxx
  • Oh and my other concern about LO sleeping so much is that I couldn't interact with her much and therefore help her development, but the HV also told me not to worry about that because babies have much more REM sleep than adults, like 50% or something. So even when she's sleeping she's dreaming and being stimulated.
    She may have made this up to make me feel better, but it worked so thought I'd share that too!
    xxx
  • hiya love,
    im currently looking for my nap book from then wen i find it i will let u know for sure bt i think G had 4 naps all about 30mins/1hr long at that stage, i have written everything down since birth (u know me anal annie) and it does help with noticing little patterns,u may not think there is one but there will be one forming.
    I started my "routine" of sleep frombedtime so in bed by 7/7.30 and in the moring morning so he was usually up at 6.30ish and back asleep 9ish in the morning,i quickly noticed he needed sleep avery 2.5ish hrs.
    Also just to add, is she sleeping through? as if she is she is getting the right amount of sleep, im sure its about 14/15hrs of sleep in 24hrs at 4 months.
    Dont worry about it love, seriously G slept non stop until 5 months, i used to look at everyones baby playing and looking about and id be like, when will this boy wake up and do something!
    U know what he is like today!!!image
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