3 Month Old Sleeping....

Thank your lucky stars you have a sleeper. I have a 3 months old daughter (Jan 20th) that sleeps well at night....8 hours (10-6)....then gets up to nurse and goes right back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. But after that there ar no real set naps. She falls in and out of sleep several times a day but if i put her in her bassinet during the day it lasts about 15 minutes. I am lucky she sleeps so much at night and in the mornign but the rest of the day is hard.....i have a 2 year old too. She did the exact same thing and my 3 months old....so it is obviously something I am doing or not doing right..oh well. I don't think there is anything to worry about. My sister in law slept her first 6 months away. They had to wake her for feedings......must be nice. He will naturally start sleeping less. When they sleep they are growing so maybe he wants to be a football player by the time he is 2 hahahahaha. I wouldn't worry to much about it though

Sounds like you are all doing great :). It's much easier to fall asleep rocking safe and secure in someone's arms, so that sounds normal to me! I would say that he is also right on target with naps. Some babies need more sleep than others, however, 3 naps is pretty typical at that age.

I totally agree about not using cry-it-out. It may be a fast solution, but many fast solutions are not the best. No one is sure what the long-term effects are, and to me, it's not worth taking the chance. Here is a great article about it: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070700.asp. Here are a few more: http://www.sleepnet.com/infant3/messages/534.html ; I highly recommend reading The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantly. It's full of awesome, effective, gentle ways to help your child sleep better. The Sleep Book by Dr. Sears is also great, as is his website, www.askdrsears.com. He has a sleep link full of awesome articles and resources.

I just found a really interesting interview:
http://www.talaris.org/flash/interview.htm

Ok no need to call your ped just swaddle your baby nice and snug... like in your arms... Keeping babies arms tight to chest or body.. this will simulate mom,,, also roll a blanket for the cradle and put inside the cradle against the side, so you can lay baby on his side with face away from blanket. this will feel warm like your body... I have 4 girls and this worked for them... and they all nap with out a fuss and bedtime is a breeze until they are about 4.. good luck..

What you describe above sounds exactly the same as what my now 7 month old did. She would take 3-4 'naps' a day and get up twice a night. At 7 months she is taking 2 naps a day and getting up once at night. She usually sleeps between 15 an 17 hours a day at 7 months old! She just likes to sleep which is the same way I am. Some people just require more sleep.

I agree that if you are really concerned, check with your ped. But sounds normal to me! Gradually in the next couple months your baby should move down to 2 naps and be able to be up for longer stretches but I don't remember that starting until around 4 months. I'm not a "cry-it-out" mom and I also don't believe in co-sleeping. I read the book "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and I use her method which is a combination of different recommended sleep techniques. A great book with really practical advice from someone who is not a dr but just knows babies!!

Good Luck!!

I wouldn't be too worried at this point. As long as he has good periods when he is awake and actively playing, he's probably just sleeping to grow. All babies do things differently and I learned that it can be tiresome to compare your child to the "normal" babies in books or whatnot. My first son hardly ever slept. At 3 months, I was concerned that he spent too much time fussing and only slept about 10 hrs in a 24 hr period, but his pediatrician reassured us that he was growing and developing well. He's a happy and healthy 2 yr old now and he still doesn't require much sleep. I guess it's just the way he is. My 9 month old has been the complete opposite-- he sleeps well through the night, actually takes naps, and will fall asleep even if he's awake when I put him in his crib!

As far as your son waking twice every night to eat, that sounds pretty typical for his age. Both of my sons would awake during the night to nurse when they were going through growth spurts. I don't particularly care for the crying it out method either, though I have tried it. What worked for me instead was when my sons woke during the night, I would do everything quietly and with only the nightlight so as not to stimulate them too much. I would also only shush or hum to them instead of talking. It seemed to help them go back to sleep more easily if I kept things nice and calm. You could also try swaddling him since you mentioned that he prefers to fall asleep being held.

Trust your mommy instincts. If your son is still sleeping a lot in a few more weeks and you're still worrying, it might be worth inquiring with your pediatrician if nothing else just for peace of mind. I hope this helps! =)

S.,
Welcome back to AZ, congratulations on your baby boy! And wow!! Another one on the way already?!?! I bet you didn't see that one coming...LOL Congratulations!!

Your baby is 3 months old, which is a growth spurt age. Babies will sleep more during a growth spurt. Also, you mentioned 15 hours being a max on sleeping. I have never heard of a maximum amount of sleep. Babies sleep a lot!! Just not usually when we want them to.

Assuming that your baby is growing well, and is alert when awake, pooping and peeing as much as he should - he sounds like a really easy baby!!! Count your blessings!!

His pattern sounds normal and healthy to me. My daughter was much the same way. She is 7 now and still easy as pie. My son was a different story. Your next may not be so easy...

There is a body of research that suggests that because of the human head size, our babies are born about 9 months early. Some experts say that babies need an extra 9 months of gestation, but on the outside - in arms. It is both healthy and okay to hold your baby all the time! You might want to consider a baby sling. If you google baby sling, you will find a whole lot of options. I always loved the Maya Wrap.

At this age, I think it is too much to expect to be able to put him down awake. I might expect to be able to do that when he is like 15 - 18 months old.

Read some great books like these:

Attatchment Parenting Book by Dr. William Sears
Nighttime Parenting by Dr. William Sears
Let the Baby Drive: Navigating the Road of New Motherhood
Lu Hanessian
The Baby Sleep Book by Dr. William Sears

Enjoy your baby!!:o)

I think he sounds perfectly on schedule to me! I wish my babies ever slept like that! Both of my boys wanted to be put to sleep that way. My 10mo still does. If you are really concerned call your ped. He may just require more sleep than most and if that's the case, he always will. My older son still sleeps an hour more than most 3yo, it's kinda nice except when he hasn't had enough!

S. -
Im not an expert but I have a 3mo old and and a 4yr old and your son's sleep pattern sounds fine! In fact you should stop and enjoy it now. My 3 mo old wont let me lay him down awake either. He sleeps, wakes up to eat and play and then is back down again. Two weeks ago he was like clock work on that schedule. Last week he was awake most of the day with a 5 hour nap in the middle of the day. I still am getting up to feed at night. Although I found if I cluster feed him an hour before he goes to sleep, he sleeps longer at night. Your little guy might be growing or just be a child who needs more sleep. I worried when my oldest son was little because he slept more than most kids, but I wish Id enjoyed it more. He would sleep 12 hrs at night and the take 3-5 hour naps. Now I miss that! : )
Hope this helps.
K.