Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Maternal (Expert Forum)
Odd Sleeping Habits of Newborn
Patient medical question and answer from The Maternal and Child Health Forum. Health topic area and articles about newborn care
Odd Sleeping Habits of Newborn
by Pamela__0, Apr 01, 1998 12:00AM
Good Morning,
First, thank you SO much for having this forum!! New parents (like me) have so many questions and can't always get our pediatricians to respond them.
My daughter is 4 months old. She is normal weight and height, but her sleeping habits seem a bit odd in comparison to my friends children. My daughter doesn't awaken until 9AM most days and then will remain awake until 10PM. She is happy and active, but will not take a nap during the day. I've tried rocking her for an hour in the afternoon, hoping she'll fall asleep. The rocking certainly makes ME tired, but my daughter is wide awake!
Is this something I should be concerned about?
Again, thank you so much for your help.
Pamela
=======================================================================
Dear Pamela,
Sleep patterns vary among infants, and active infants require less sleep than placid children. Generally, by 3-4 months of age most infants have developed a nightime sleeping pattern which lasts 9-10 hours. The total daily sleep is about 15 hours. It sounds like your baby is sleeping a little under 12 hours per night. You also indicate that she is happy and alert and normal for her weight and height. Every baby, and person as we grow, establishes their own unique sleep pattern. As long as your infant is healthy and happy and has a productive night sleep which supports her growth there is no need for concern. One final important note is that there is increasing information that the best position to sleep an infant if on their back. Research has found that babies who sleep on their backs are at lesser risk for SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) so a national campaign called "Back to Sleep" is being promoted. So here is to restful nights for all in your household. If you are in need of further assistance or would like an appointment with any of our Pediatricians you can contact us at (313) 876-3121. Best wishes, I hope you find this information helpful. rn-dh
This material is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered a formal medical evaluation. If you have specific questions, please comment your primary physician.
hfhs.rn-dh
*keywords: newborn care, sleeping
