Don’t they look so peaceful and cute when they sleep?
Scenario: Your baby went down for their afternoon nap around 3:00pm and has been sleeping for about 2 hours. It’s getting close to dinner time and your baby is still sound asleep.
If you wake your baby turn to page 3
If you let your baby sleep turn to page 5
(haha remember those books? I use to love those books any who … )
I really struggle with this question …
On one side I think you should never wake a baby up … because well; they probably need it. Usually if a baby sleeps they are tired, going through a growth spurt or fighting a little bug. So waking them up may interrupt that and their little bodies work best when they are sleeping.
On the other side I think you should wake a baby up … because well; you don’t want them sleeping too much. They may get their nights and days confused or end up staying up all night long.
So what do you do? My pediatrician, well not mine his said to only let him sleep 1-2 hours but that was at his 2 month appointment. He’s almost 4 months now and WAY more active. So I think he may actually need his sleep, even if it is 3 or 4 hours.
I mean come on … if you bounced like this wouldn’t you be exhausted?
Would you wake a sleeping baby?
Why or Why not?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
He is soooooo cute! I loved it when you started talking to him and he instantly smiled
). But I think you learn how to “read” your baby and mostly I think when a baby sleeps, it needs the time out. As I said, tough question and there probably is no right answer to it. (btw, my brother still needs a lot of sleep today 
)
I think that´s a really tough question and it totally depends. I remember my brother sleeping ALL THE TIME as a baby, and my mum had to wake him up, because he had to be fed, and he was really hungry (but even more tired
I agree, I feel like all babies are different and some babies need more sleep then others. I appreciate your comment
Definitely think the answer here is DEPENDS. I am a big fan of keeping my baby (same age as yours) on a schedule so if he is going to be super duper out of whack I’ll usually wake him up, but otherwise I let him sleep! I’ve found that he is in such a routine he almost always wakes up by the time to eat anyway!
Oh I’m struggling with this too! Hailey is sleeping 2-5 hours at a time, and on the 5 hour stretches, my boobs get huge, but I don’t know whether to wake her to feed her or not. The doc says to feed every 3 hours until she is back to birth weight, but she’s already there, so I choose sleep for the most part instead of waking
I think I was told to wake him up for the first 2 weeks and then at night he could sleep however long he wanted. But he always woke up to feed … sounds like you might have a good little sleeper on your hands
I have had 3 babies and I have learned to never wake a sleeping baby. Babies won’t starve to death if they sleep longer than you think they should. If they are sleeping a long time, they need that sleep. They will wake when they are hungry and have gotten the rest their body needs. I always had my babies on great schedules, but they do change as the baby grows. What’s good for a 2 month old may not work for a 4-6 month old. They tweek their schedule, and you have to go with it and adjust a little. But still keep them on a schedule. Don’t get too worried if the baby sleeps “too long”. Odds are they are going through a growth spurt. If you get too full and feel the need to feed, pump a little to relieve the pressure. (I nursed 2 of mine.) The most important lesson my husband and I learned early on was , while a schedule is definitely important, don;t make it so strict you get tied down by it. Allow for a little wiggle room. You’ll be happier, and so will the baby.
I agree completely. My Ped says other wise, that if they sleep too much during the day they won’t sleep at night. And honestly, no matter how much he sleeps during the day; he always ends up sleeping at night. I’m slowly learning that basically regardless of what anyone says you just need to figure out what works with your family. There is no wrong or right reason and I’m learning to go with the flow. Thanks for the advice Steph!
You’re welcome! Being a new Mom can definitely be an adjustment, especially with everyone giving you their 2 cents worth, and all the books and their advice. It can be overwhelming! But you’re doing a great job and your little one is adorable!