Sleepy Baby: When to Worry and What to Watch For

When to worry about a sleepy baby?

Well, babies may want to sleep a lot. It’s standard for babies to sleep a lot right after birth. However, there’s a limit to even for newborns. Excessive levels of sleepiness often cause concerns.

In this blog post, we have explored what a sleepy baby looks like. We have also discussed potential cues of sleepiness that may contain some causes of concern.

So, if you are also concerned about your baby’s health, then continue to read this blog.

Understanding Baby Sleeping Patterns

Before we know which sleeping pattern is unhealthy for your baby, it’s essential to know what their sleeping pattern looks like.

Your little one has a unique sleep pattern that varies significantly compared to adults and others. On average, they need 14 to 17 hours of sleep within 24 hours of a day. However, some children would take around 18 to 19 hours of sleep. However, they don’t sleep at a stretch after the first few months of their birth.

They would sleep in short cycles and have shorter periods of wakefulness in between. These wake cycles are driven by their hunger. So, when they are awake, they are generally hungry.  Initially, the newborn will sleep for four to five hours and have a short wake time.

But, as time moves and they are a few months older, they shift to a specific sleeping pattern. They have more steady sleeping patterns shortly after.

So, How Much Sleep Do Newborns Need?

The newborn sleeps throughout the day and the night. But they often wake up between one to three hours for Feeding. The shorter wake times for Feeding are characterized by their hunger cues. Since they have small stomachs and little eating potential, they wake up frequently within a few hours to feed. Your baby will sleep for around four to six hours a day to eat.

Newborn Sleep: Key Points to Consider

So, if you are wondering if your baby is sleeping more than normal, then here are a few things to know –

• Total sleep duration: 14-17 hours per day
• Sleep cycles: Short bursts of sleep, usually 20-50 minutes long
• Feeding schedule: wakes up frequently to feed. They stay awake for two to three hours a day if they are breastfed. Bottle-fed babies often stay awake for three to four hours a day.
• Important consideration: However, if your infant is too sleepy and would love to sleep at a stretch, it’s best to keep waking them up to feed after three to four hours of a single sleep cycle. Make sure that they are getting enough nutrients by feeding them on time.

Sleep States in Newborns

Newborns would experience two different types of sleep states –

• Active Sleep (REM): this is the lightest stage of sleep, where your baby moves around and makes noise during sleep. REM sleep is essential for your baby’s brain development. 
• Quiet Sleep (Non-REM): This is a deeper stage of sleep where babies don’t usually wake up easily. It’s a restful stage where sleep is relaxing for your baby.

Each complete sleep cycle lasts for around 40 minutes. Babies wake up for a brief moment after the completion of each sleep cycle and go back to sleep again.

Sleepy Baby When to Signs of Concern for a Sleepy Baby

It’s normal for your baby to feel sleepy and act drowsy all the time when they are only a month old. But, there are some sleep signs that parents need to be vigilant about.

Difficulty Waking the Baby: typically, the baby should wake up during the feeding time. However, if it feels challenging to wake him up, they may seem excessively lethargic.

Poor Feeding: it’s time to be concerned if your baby has poor eating habits due to excessive sleepiness. If they are unable to latch properly because of sleepiness, then consult with a paediatrician.

Changes in skin colour: if you see any bluish tint around their lips or their face, then seek medical consultation immediately.

Unresponsiveness: when your baby doesn’t respond when you try to engage them, then it’s best to seek medical help as well. 

Fever or other illness symptoms: Aside from the other signs, if your baby shows the signs of fever and other illness symptoms, then some medical issue might be responsible.

Additional Signs of Sleepiness in Babies

In addition to those signs, parents should also look for other specific red flags identified by sleep specialists. Check if your baby shows the following signs aside from looking extremely sleepy –

• Mouth breathing or snoring
• Gasping or pauses in breath
• Screaming when waking
• Obvious discomfort or pain
• Taking a long time to settle back down

Consult a paediatrician if you see any of those symptoms in your baby.

Possible Causes of Excessive Sleepiness

So, if you have a sleepy baby, should you worry? If yes, when? You must consider the excessive level of sleepiness in your baby. Babies may have extreme levels of sleepiness due to different reasons.

Understanding these reasons can help parents determine what’s a normal level of sleep for their little ones.

Infections: if your baby is suffering from any viral bacterial infection, it can lead to an increased level of fatigue, making your baby sleep for longer hours.

Metabolic disorders: some babies have rare metabolic disorders causing a lack of energy, leading to deep sleep.

Neurological issues: Problems related to brain development can manifest as lethargy.

Prematurity: premature infants usually have a different sleeping pattern and would often close monitoring.

Jaundice: Jaundice may cause an increased level of drowsiness. It requires medical evaluation before you are sure that the baby has jaundice.

When you see a sudden change in your baby’s behavior, it’s best to communicate the same with your baby’s healthcare provider.

Before you are ready to solve issues like when to worry and what to do, talk to the healthcare provider about the signs you are seeing in the baby. In most cases, the baby isn’t extremely sleepy and is showing typical signs of having a healthy, long sleep.

What Parents Can Do?

So, what to do as a parent when the baby is highly sleepy? First, ensure that your little one is receiving enough sleep and care.

Following are some steps you can utilize to see what you can do as a parent –

Establish a routine: build a routine to check and analyze your baby’s sleeping pattern regularly.

Monitor feeding schedules: ensure your baby is eating adequately and regularly. Ensure to wake your baby up within three to four hours every day to help them gain weight. 

Keep track of your Diaper Changes: if your baby’s diapers are wet and dirty regularly, change and clean them properly.

Create a conducive sleeping environment: A quiet, dark room can help promote better sleep quality for your baby.

Your baby should feel alright unless they are having any alarming symptoms of sleep disturbances. If there are ongoing symptoms of your baby having sleeping issues, consider regular health checkups. Discuss the problems with your paediatrician for further help.

Prevention and Monitoring Tips

If you want to prevent potential issues related to excessive sleepiness in newborns, follow the tips given below –

Use a baby monitor: This allows parents to keep an eye on their baby’s sleeping patterns without entering the room frequently.

Keep Record: to monitor your baby’s sleeping patterns, document their feeding times, diaper changes, and their sleep duration.

Educate yourself about normal development: it’s important to know about your baby’s developmental phase and know what’s a regular sleeping pattern and what’s not. This helps you set realistic expectations about their sleep cycles.

Additionally…

Even when you know the best sleeping habits for your baby, keep your eyes open for changes. Notice if any developmental changes are causing changes in their sleep pattern or if it’s something that requires medical attention.

It’s common for your baby’s sleeping pattern to change with their constant development throughout their early infanthood. Let us know if this article was helpful. Thank you for reading.

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