6 Month Old That Doesn't Get Enough Sleep

Hi A.,

I have two books I'd like to suggest - "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" and "On Becoming Babywise." They are both excellent, easy to read resources that compliment eachother and might help answer your question. As a mom of 2, I have used these with both my daughters and have had great success. It's a common misnomer that breast fed babies can't sleep through the night, but my 7 week old is already and this actually isn't uncommon. My older daughter began sleeping through the night at 4 weeks. As far as the napping goes, you need to make sure she is eating well at each nursing session and not just snacking, then keep her up for about an hour and a half. She should then go down for a nap and sleep at least an hour. You should be nursing her every 4 hours and "tanking up" in the early evening, say at 5 and 7 or 6 and 8p. That means you're nursing more, closer together, to make sure her belly is really full. Then while she is still asleep, get her up around 10 or 11, don't change her diaper (unless she really needs it) and nurse her while she's sleeping. I know it sounds crazy, but it really does work. The babywhisperer explains it all in her book and will help you troubleshoot. I got my copy at a Barnes and Noble. Best of Luck to you both!

A. - I want to make sure I understand the situation. Are you saying that your baby sleeps for a total of 7-10 hours?

Every baby is different and their needs are different. I do agree that your baby seems to be getting less sleep than average babies. Here are a number of questions to consider before you can try to fix whatever might be an issue:
What does she do when she is awake - especially at night? Cry, Play, etc?
What time does she go to bed for the evening?
Is your bedtime routine consistent?
What is her disposition during the day too? Is she cranky, playful, etc.

I am sorry I am not more helpful but some of these questions are important to ask before understanding what may be going.

Maybe talk to your pediatrician. Or here some other resources for sleep related stuff:

Marc Weissbluth - Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child
Elizabeth Pantley - No Cry Sleep Solution for babies
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp

I know this is a little late...but just one more suggestion. When my daughter was the same age as yours, she went through a phase of 'powernapping' that was driving me crazy. My sister-in-law, whom I really look up to as far as child-rearing goes, told me that, no longer how long she sleeps, leave her in her crib for an 1 1/2 hours. She'll wake up cry, maybe play, whatever....leave her in there for the allotted 1 1/2 hours. In less than a week my daughter was taking naps that were 1 1/2+ hours. She just knew that she wasn't going to be getting out, so she naturally started sleeping longer.

Hi, my son, who is now 14, also didn't sleep the recommended hours, though he did get 8-9-hours at night, but we had a family bed, where the bed was next to the wall, and I was between my son and my husband. We all slept better that way for some time. I don't know if that would help or would be something you would be interested in, nor your husband, but thought it worth mentioning since you are nursing. They don't grow up to be overly attached- my son is almost too independent. He also took very short (1 to 2) naps during the day. I am a little concerned as 5-6 hours is not enough, in my opinion. You may want to try sleeping with your baby one night, just to see what happens. My son nursed several times at night, but it was something I hardly noticed as he was lying right next to me. I hope this helps and either way, best of luck!
L.

My baby was not a sleeper either.....I struggled with it for years and finally decided that all babies are different and she was healthy and fine and if she was tired she would sleep more.......she is now 4 years old and still doesnt sleep much! Oh and be prepared because my daughter also gave up naps completely around 2yrs old.......

Recommendations are just recommendations. If your daughter is not showing signs of being tired, e.g. fussiness and the like, then she might be fine with the sleep she is getting. I have a six month old son and he cat naps (30-45 min) several times during the day and sleeps about two 4 hour stretches at night, and he's breastfed exclusively. He's happy and very active when he is awake, and is healthy. So, watch your daughter for signs of being tired. For infants, 45 minutes is an ample sleep cycle, believe it or not. Stanford University sleep center has some informative articles about infant sleep cycles. But again, the recommendations are just that. If your baby is tired and not sleeping, then you might try a defined "slow down" routine, i.e. a sleep routine to work in a quiet time for a nap. My son sleeps longer after a warm bath with California Baby Calming Bubble Bath and an infant massage with lotion. He's relaxed, nurses and usually sleeps for a six-hour stretch thereafter. Of course, if you suspect something else, see your pediatrician.

My child did not sleep either. Not in the car, no naps, etc. I followed two books that made my life extremly better and made my child sleep soundly. The first book "Healthy sleep habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth" and "The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer by Harvey Karp". These books worked wonders for me!!!!

We are all different. Her body may not require that much sleep per day. They are usually averages anyway so maybe she is in the group that requires less where another child her age may require more. As long as she is growing properly, eating, wetting, pooping etc, she should be fine. Think about how little sleep we moms have to survive on? LOL
Enjoy your babies!I'm so glad that you get to stay home with them. What a blessing!

Take Care,
N. :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 13, 8 & 2 and married to my Mr. Wonderful for 15 yrs. I love to help other moms, who want to become SAHMs, reach that goal!

My son only ever got about 12hrs of sleep total when he was an infant and even now he gets 10-12. Not all babies will sleep that suggested 14hrs.
Your baby only sleeps 5hours at night??? Or do you mean she sleeps for 5hrs and then gets a feeding then sleeps again?

My daughter was the same way. I maybe got 3 20 minutes cat naps a day and maybe 5-6 hours a night. She is now 2 and still does not require much sleep. Good luck and sleep when you can!

Are you *sure* that is all she sleeps at night? That seems extremely short. My breastfed 6 month old goes down for the night around 11pm, wakes around 4am to nurse, and then sleeps until about 8am. I know for a fact she does not get another 5 hours worth of naps during the day. I don't even think about it though - she's happy and growing, so I'm sure she's sleeping as much as she needs.

She's probably fine! My 9-month-old son is the same way. He doesn't nap well, and won't sleep for as long as I'd like him to at night, but he's still the happiest baby I could ever wish for. I've read that some babies just don't seem to need as much sleep as others, and I guess our 2 babies fall into that category.

At 6 months old, babies no longer need to eat overnight, unless there are special needs (you should check with you pediatrician). Every baby has different sleep patterns/needs. My son sleeps more than most babies his age.

I used the methods of "The Baby Whisperer" to sleep train my son when he was 5 months old. He goes to bed btwn 7:30 and 8:00; wakes btwn 6 and 7 for a bottle; back to sleep until 9 or 10. He takes 2-3 naps a day (this first is 1 hour; the 2nd is 3 hours and the 3rd is 30 mins - 1 hour).

Books publish averages for infant needs. Your baby is not an average. I would look at whether or not you think she looks healthy and is hitting her milestones within an appropriate time frame. Some babies need more sleep than others.