my baby sleeping too much?

[a mum]

My baby is 9 month old and can easily sleep over 15 hours a day. His sleep pattern is
- between 8-9 wake up
- go back to sleep after finishing breakfast, usually within an hour,
- 9.30-11.30 (can sleep pass 12 sometimes) for morning nap
- 12.30-1.30 lunch
- 2-3 ish afternoon nap at 2 and till 3 ish.
- He may or may not need a short nap (usually 5.45 to 6.45) before dinner
- 7 dinner
- 9.30 go to bed

I wonder if he sleeps too much! I want to sign him up for regular playgroup but just dont know how to fit it in. If he doesn't sleep enough, he won't eat well.

 

[carang]

it sounds to me like he's over fed. when you eat too much, all you want to do is sleep it off. a 9 month old should not sleep so much! he should be very active, crawling around, exploring his surroundings, not sleeping it all away.

i would take him to the doctor and talk about the combination of problems you are having.

good luck!

 

[Bear Lau]

Personally I think 15 hours for a 9 months old baby is not a lot. My girl is turing 2 yo next month and she still have 13-14 hours sleep a day. She goes to sleep at around 7-7:30 and wake up anytime around 6:30-7:30 and then 12-2pm for afternoon nap.

If I remember it right when my LO was 9 months she also slept around 15 - 16 hrs per day. She slept 12-13 hrs at night and she had to took a morning nap for 45mins to an hr at around 9 and min. 2hrs afternoon nap at 12ish.

If I have to comment the sleeping pattern for a mon's baby, I will say try to make the short nap and the afternoon nap into one longer afternoon nap and shorting the morning nap (2 hr for morning nap really seems a bit too long since he only wake up a couple hrs earlier) so it will be much better for the use of his time.

But to be honest it also depends on different baby. I also have another 6 months old boy, but he only need 14-15 hrs per day. So every baby's needs is different.

 

[a mum]

Hi Bear Lau,
thank you for your suggestion. Any advice how you can combine the afternoon naps and shorten the morning nap?

 

[Bear Lau]

You could try to make some noise at the time you want him to wake up or if he use pacifier take it away, but remenber have to be very soft sound otherwise he will be really scare and have difficulty to goes to sleep. It will take around 7-10 days for him to get into a habbit.

I would think if he has shorten the morning nap, then he willl have to take a longer afternoon nap. For my friends baby have similar sleeping pattern, the normal pattern would be:
1. wake up at 8-9.
2. Take a 45 - 1 hr nap at around 10ish.
3. take a 2 hrs nap at any time between 2-3pm.
4. then he should be able to go to bed at around 9ish.

Although this is not the ideal sleeping pattern for him to go to playgroup but you could find some of them actually starts at around noon time and finished at 1:30. Hopefully when he give up the morning nap, he will be able to attend the playgroups starts at around 10:30 too ( My girl give it up when she was around 14 months)

Good Luck and hope this could help.

 

[a mum]

so I should delay the time he starts his morning nap and cut it down a bit. And pretty much keep his afternoon nap. Shall give it a try and thank you for your advice.

 

[pooch]

my son has always been a great sleeper too and still sleeps 12 hours at night and 2.5 during the day. i say enjoy it while you can ;-)
we found it difficult to organise playgroups or anything in the morning until he was 18 months old but i did as someone else suggested and tried to drop the afternoon nap before he was 1.
good luck

 

[Neha]

as some said above enjoy as long as u can. Our son has never a great sleeper. He gets everyday at 6 and ready to play. he is 16 months old. Since he 14 month sold he dropped yes second nap. he sleeps at about 11.00 and gets up between 13-14.00 and then sleeps straight at 20.00. When he was about 9 months old. he used to get up at 6.00 and then sleep at between 9-10.00 and get up at 11-12.00 and sleep again at 14 for a hour or 2. Ye sit is true it was difficult to do any playdates in the morning but we had 2 playdates in the afternoon after 16.00 which was great. I would suggest u can ask your doctor but if he is active and gaining weight and height normally nothing to worry. Best of luck

 

[a mum]

great to know to see there are other mums out there with the same experience. Thank you for all your advice. Will check with the dr.

 

[mscheerful]

ya. 15 hours is really normal for a 9 months old. My son sleeps this much even now at almost 13 months. at 9 months, he wakes up at 6.30am, nap from 9-11am, wakes up play and lunch, nap again from 2.30-4pm, play and dinner and sleep at 7pm -6.30am. Now he wakes up at around 7am, nap from 11.30-2pm and go to bed at 7.30pm.