Baby never sleeps more than 3 hours at a time!?

Question

My son is 7 weeks old and he is breastfed exclusively. I know he's getting enough to eat because he's gained about 5 pounds since birth, and is about 2 lbs away from doubling his birthweight. He never sleeps for more than 3 hours though! Car rides, walks, even at night it's difficult for him to sleep even 3 hours sometimes. I knew I wasn';t going to get sleep as a new mom but could there be a problem that he has such poor sleep habits? He has some symptoms of reflux and difficulty sleeping is one of them but at almost 2 months did anyone else's baby NEVER sleep more than 3 hours?

Answer 1

it is normal, but try to keep him awake for a while after feedings to make sure his food settles and he "might" sleep a little longer.

Answer 2

breastfed babies have different sleeping habits.. they wake up to eat more often..

read this article

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/sleep/b...

Answer 3

My son who now is almost 5 months and is and always has been exclusively breastfed, did not sleeping though the night until a few weeks ago. For 3 almost 4 months he woke up every 2 hours 2 eat!! 2 hours!! However, it is perfectly normal because their tummy is so small they can't hold a lot of milk in their tummies. In addition, breast milk breaks down and digest a lot fast than formula. I heard that you can add just a tad bit if cereal to your milk, either in a bottle or by spoon right before bed to get them to sleep longer. However, I go to a breastfeeding clinic and I have asked numerous questions about giving cereal to a baby and they offered some interesting thoughts. One, babies will get into their own natural pattern of sleep as they grow, by giving them cereal you're making their tummies stretch bigger than what it needs to be a such a younger age, leading to a early chance at obesity. Also, by letting your baby sleep for longer than what their body may want it to, you are increasing the chances of SIDS because if your baby is in a deep sleep from that full tummy then they may  not wake up if they are choking or what have you. In addition, by introducing cereal early, your are setting them up to be a carb junky. These are some things for you think about, but this not the bible, so do as your heart leads you! However, your baby is in the normal category for sleeping for a breastfed baby.  Girl, also on a positive note about your baby~at least your darlin' is waking you up, so you don't wake up with soaked sheets, and clothes due to being soooo full of milk with no one to feed. I wake my baby up in the middle of the night just so I can feed him...lol Good luck!

Answer 4

Ummmm...sorry but most babies don't sleep more than three hours at a time.  He will sleep through the night soon enough...

Answer 5

He's still a newborn, and many newborns still need to eat every 2-3 hours around the clock.  This isn't 'poor sleeping habits' -- it's a baby who has a tiny tummy and is eating a perfect food that is digested and absorbed very rapidly.

Be patient. He WILL sleep longer when he's able to do so.  

Answer 6

he could be going through a growth spurt that is making him wake up because he is hungry...he probably eats when he wakes up right?

Remember his stomach is very small so he can only fill up so much at one time and then he's hungry again...if it is a growth spurt then he should be through it in a week or two...my daughter has been breastfed for 14 mos now (exclusively in the beginning, now she eats regular food too) and there were periods when she wanted to eat every 45 minutes...the nice thing about breastfeeding is that you don't have to worry about them getting too much because the composition of the milk makes them feel full...

as for the reflux it could be something you are eating or drinking...apple juice, orange juice, dairy etc...could all be a problem..

when i was a baby i projectile vomited everywhere and the doctor said i had colic and gastroentinitis and a bunch of other c**p...eventually my mom figured out it was the acid in apple juice that she was drinking...the doctor only asked her what she ate...so after 8 months of dealing and worrying about a vomiting baby she figured it out on her own and i was fine...

with my daughter she kept throwing up too and i had to look up all the possible food causes that could be making her sick...sure enough it was dairy and for the first year i couldn't eat any dairy, but she grew out of it as most babies do...

make a list of what you eat every day and then try eliminatng something for a few days and see if it helps...try dairy first and then you can look at some other things on the list..

hoep this helps,, good luck and congrats on the new baby

Answer 7

it's difficult for the parents, but that's very typical sleep behavior for a baby.  it will get better as he gets older.

Answer 8

Oh absolutely.  This is normal and it will pass!

Difficulty sleeping isn't really a symptom of reflux, it's a symptom of BABY :)

If he has any other symptoms, such as frequent hiccups, arching his back while nursing, and crying for seemingly no reason, then you'll want to check with the doctor on whether he might have reflux.  

Simply sleeping like a newborn is not a cause for concern.  Some are lucky and their babies begin sleeping in longer stretches at this age, you're just not one of the lucky ones (and neither was I, with either of my two kids-who were also exclusively breastfed).

And in case you were wondering since many moms have (correctly) pointed out that breastmilk digests faster, switching to formula does NOT mean he will sleep longer.  Formula fed infants don't necessarily sleep for longer periods.  Yes, it takes longer to digest, but it's also harder to digest, which can make the baby very uncomfortable, making sleep even more difficult.

This will pass, don't worry, and enjoy it while you can.  I just dropped my youngest off for her first day of Kindergarten :(

Answer 9

Well my daughter woke up sometimes over 10 times a night but after I switched her to formula she would wake 2-3 times and eventually at 7 months she started sleeping the night. I think its normal but if you have concerns you should ask your doctor.  

Answer 10

It's because her tummy is so tiny it can't hold enough for her to last any longer then 3 hours. It's normal... My son did that (only- it was four hour intervals) until he was four and a half months old. Good luck to you..  

Answer 11

Unfortunately, that's completely normal. It'll get better eventually!

Answer 12

Normal!  

Brestfed babies tend to get up more too, because it digests quicker.  And tummys are smaller so it doesnt hold that fullness as long as it does for us.

My 1st daughter was 4 months before she made it more than 4 hours.  My other daughter was, (haha) 16 months old before she made it more than 4 hours (she only got up once, but still!)  My son is 4 weeks today and still gets up every 2-3 hours to eat.

Answer 13

its normal...my girl didn't sleep staright through the night until 3 months old...i don't remember how often she woke up but it was alot