Excessive Sleeping in Newborns: Understanding Normal Limits and Appropriate Actions
Newborn babies are known for their extensive sleeping periods, often spending up to 14-17 hours a day in slumber. However, it's essential for parents to distinguish between normal sleep patterns and potential health concerns when their baby sleeps excessively.
One of the common reasons for a newborn sleeping a lot is growth spurts, during which the baby's body requires more rest to support development. Other common causes include normal newborn sleep patterns, recovery from birth, overstimulation, and overtiredness.
However, excessive sleep accompanied by poor feeding, lethargy, or irritability may indicate a problem. To differentiate normal sleep from potential health issues, parents should look for feeding and behaviour cues, observe for signs of distress or discomfort, monitor awake time and sleep quality, and check for changes in sleep patterns.
If a newborn is sleeping excessively but is hard to wake for feeds, shows poor muscle tone, is unusually irritable or lethargic, or displays any signs of illness, parents should consult a pediatrician. A pediatrician and nursing consultant can help ensure a baby is getting enough food and reassure people about breastfeeding or chestfeeding.
It is best to feed a newborn whenever they show hunger cues. By the age of 6 months, most babies sleep through the night. Most newborns sleep for around 8-9 hours during the day and 8 hours at night, waking up at least every 3 hours to feed.
If a baby seems very lethargic and unresponsive, has not retained their birth weight by 14 days, consistently gains less than 4-6 ounces per week after 6 weeks, produces fewer than four very wet diapers per day, does not seem calmer after eating, or does not show hunger cues like rooting, sucking, or sticking out their tongue, they may not be getting enough to eat.
Newborns usually sleep for only about 1-2 hours at a time. As newborns grow into infants, they begin to develop a more regular sleep schedule. A baby sleeping for longer than usual is not necessarily a cause for concern, but other symptoms should be monitored. When in doubt, contact a doctor.
Excess sleep in a newborn is not typically an emergency unless they also show signs of respiratory problems or other symptoms such as gasping for air, wheezing, loud breathing, flared nostrils, sinking skin around the ribs, fever, or possible exposure to a toxic substance.
The amount of sleep newborns get varies widely, with some sleeping as little as 11 hours per day and others up to 19 hours per day. A baby may sleep too much due to not getting enough to eat, which could lead to dehydration, weight loss, and failure to thrive. To wake a baby up to eat, try brushing the side of their cheek or gently wiggling their toes or stroking the bottoms of their feet.
A newborn who has jaundice may sleep too much and will have a yellow color to their skin and a yellow cast to the whites of their eyes. In such cases, it's crucial to consult a healthcare professional for appropriate treatment. By following these guidelines and seeking professional advice when necessary, parents can ensure their newborn's health and wellbeing.
- Ulcerative colitis and certain skin conditions like psoriatic arthritis, atopic dermatitis, and sleep disorders can be predictive of health concerns in children's health and wellbeing, requiring science-backed solutions for management.
- Ensuring a newborn's sleep and health-and-wellness involves understanding the difference between normal sleep patterns and potential health issues, especially when it comes to sleep irregularities related to colitis or COPD in infants.
- A baby's wellbeing depends on receiving adequate food and proper rest; hence, excessive sleeping in combination with poor feeding or lack of weight gain may signal a need to consult a doctor or a pediatrician.
- In cases of newborns having sleep difficulties, parents should monitor the baby's hunger cues, awake times, sleep quality, and overall behavior to recognize changes in their health status and seek help when necessary.
- Maintaining a consistent sleep-wake cycle is essential for a newborn's health, and though it may vary, long sleep periods could potentially be related to health issues like cancer, colitis, or other underlying conditions.
- A newborn's sleep patterns can be indicative of health issues, such as dehydration, weight loss, or failure to thrive, which are closely tied to their wellbeing and overall development.
- To wake a newborn who may be oversleeping due to health concerns, try gentle methods like stroking the bottoms of their feet or brushing their cheeks, but always prioritize addressing the underlying issues.
- Sleep issues in newborns that persist or worsen could potentially be symptoms of a health issue, such as sleep apnea or reflux, which may require further medical attention and a tailored solution for effective management.
- To promote a newborn's health and wellness, parents need to have a good understanding of their baby's normal sleep patterns and respond promptly to any irregularities, seeking advice from healthcare professionals when necessary.
