Suddenly sleeping a lot?

[Anonymous]

I know I should just appreciate this, but DS is suddenly sleeping rather long periods. I think we exhausted him with new people/places during the power outage, and for the first time, he slept through the night. He's 12 weeks old and gets all breast milk but in bottles (EPing).

He's now usually sleeping 5-7 hours at night, but then he wakes up, has 4 oz, and often goes back to sleep. I expected him to be ravenous with the nighttime feed, but nope. Last night he slept 5 hours, woke up and ate, then was up for a little while and went back to sleep for 3 more hours. He woke up crying pretty hard, which is fairly unusual for him (although I might just not have heard him fast enough because I was in the other room). He ate another 4 oz and went right back to sleep. Usually if I don't hold him, he'll wake up again, but I put him down, and he's asleep again!

I read it's normal to get 15 hours of sleep at this age. He's usually around that total - less some days, more others. But this worries me a little. If he keeps this up, he's on track to sleep 10 hours this morning, and he always sleeps several in the afternoon, so it seems likely to be more than 15 today. Is this normal? Should I just chill out and appreciate it, or could something be wrong?

[Anonymous]

I meant ravenous withOUT the nighttime feed

[Cloud]

Might be a growth spurt? I don't think there is anything wrong but I have no medical experience. I'm just a mom of a couple kids who love sleeping!

My kids regularly slept 12 hours at night (7am-7pm with a bottle sometime between 2 and 5 am), a 1-2 hour nap in the morning and a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon.

So... enjoy it! If you are very concerned you could always ask your physician.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is the same way (just turned 3 months, breastmilk in bottles only, usually only sleeps 5-7 hours per night with one night waking, etc) and last night she slept 9 hours straight without a night feeding! Some days she sleeps more, some days she sleeps less. I wouldn't worry about it and just enjoy the extra sleep.

[Anonymous]

Kids always sleep and eat more when they are gearing up for a growth spurt.

Mine would do what your dc is doing, and then suddenly one day they would be dramatically bigger somewhere on their bodies, seemingly out of the blue. They would also hit some milestones when this sleep/eat pattern happened.

[Anonymous]

My 12 week old is sleeping a lot more now too, OP, maybe more than yourS, and I just attributed it to growth spurt. Nothing else seems wrong. He sleeps through the night from 8-6:30am, wakes to eat and goes back to sleep til 9 or 10am. And takes a 2-3 hour nap in the late afternoon. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth...

[Anonymous]

enjoy it, please. (coming from a woman who has the bad luck of have two not so great sleepers until they reach age three!)

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I will definitely appreciate it and stop worrying.

[Anonymous]

My DS sleeps 11.5 hours at night and takes 3 naps that are usually 1.5-2 hours each. He is 4 months old and has had this sleep pattern since he was 2 months old. 15 hours is the average amount of sleep babies need - some babies need more/some need less. I have never questioned the amount he sleeps. I figure he sleeps that much because he needs it and I am just thankful for every day that he does. Stop worrying!!!!

[Anonymous]

I got super worried when my terrible sleeper went through a heavy sleep stage. Then I was so sorry I didn't take advantage and sleep more myself.