How much sleep does a 3 month old need during the day?

[Laurodactyl]

My son has never been much of a daytime sleeper. Even in the very beginning he would only take one nap during the day and sleep for maybe an hour...two if I was lucky. He also didn't sleep well at night either (luckily he is a much better night sleeper now).

But he still usually has just one nap per day for 1 to 2 hours. He sleeps a lot at night (12 to 14 hours...w/wakings of course). I swaddle him tightly and put white noise on at night. I've thought about doing this during the day as well to get him to sleep, but am not sure how much he needs during the day and don't want to push him to sleep too much and not get the stimulus/interaction he needs during the day.

So, how much sleep does he need in the daytime? 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours....I am clueless on this front. And how many naps? Is one ok, or should it be more?

I really need more time to myself if possible, because I am trying to go back to work halftime....but Milo keeps me occupied most of the time!

Thanks for any input on this!

[mkksmom]

I think it depends on the child, but I find it's best when I put my LO down after 90 minutes to 2 hours of awake time. She only naps for 30-60 minutes and takes about 3 or 4 naps.

[rzberrymom]

Have you tried getting him to nap in a carrier (wrap, mei tai, Ergo, etc.)? My 3 month old will nap for 30 minutes if I put her down to sleep, but she'll nap for 3-4 hours if I have her in a wrap.

[Pookietooth]

How on earth do you keep your baby in a wrap for 3 to 4 hours? Do you use the bathroom with her on? Does she sleep if you sit still? Mine won't sleep in a wrap at all though (or even be awake in it without screaming her head off) so I don't know why I ask, except that I do sometimes get her to sleep in a ring sling -- not more than 20 minutes at a time and only if I'm not talking or eating or peeing.

[rzberrymom]

Originally Posted by Pookietooth

How on earth do you keep your baby in a wrap for 3 to 4 hours? Do you use the bathroom with her on? Does she sleep if you sit still? Mine won't sleep in a wrap at all though (or even be awake in it without screaming her head off) so I don't know why I ask, except that I do sometimes get her to sleep in a ring sling -- not more than 20 minutes at a time and only if I'm not talking or eating or peeing.

We go for a walk, do chores around the house, hang out with the preschooler at the park, go to the grocery store. If she's in a deep sleep, then I can sit down at the table, but my life is so active with my older kiddo that I don't normally have a lot of time to sit around. : (and I'm able to pee with her in it)

[Pookietooth]

wow you must live in a very walkable area, we have to drive everywhere.

[rzberrymom]

Originally Posted by Pookietooth

wow you must live in a very walkable area, we have to drive everywhere.

Yeah, we try our best not to spend our lives in a car, even if it means simplifying our lives and just walking around the block, looking for birds in the trees, saying hello to neighbors. My kiddos seem to be satisfied with that for now.

[silybum]

As I understand it, the rule of thumb for sleep for a 3mo is: 10 hours at night, a total of 5 hours during the day (which can be split up into 3 naps) for a total of 15 hours.

Of course, this varies by the child, just as it does for us grown-ups.

[Pookietooth]

Originally Posted by silybum

As I understand it, the rule of thumb for sleep for a 3mo is: 10 hours at night, a total of 5 hours during the day (which can be split up into 3 naps) for a total of 15 hours.

Of course, this varies by the child, just as it does for us grown-ups.

Hm, well, dd sometimes sleeps as long as 12 or 13 hours per night although sometimes it's more like 9. Her naps are rarely longer than 45 minutes though so there is no way she's getting 5 hours worth of naps. Yesterday it was more like 90 minutes!

[Pookietooth]

Originally Posted by rzberrymom

Yeah, we try our best not to spend our lives in a car, even if it means simplifying our lives and just walking around the block, looking for birds in the trees, saying hello to neighbors. My kiddos seem to be satisfied with that for now.

We live in an area that is mostly businesses (other than our apartment complex and one other, along with a tiny subdivision of oversized homes on tiny lots), and most people in our apartments are not home much. Also, ds really doesn't like to walk anywhere (and frankly, in our neighborhood, neither do I since it's either highway or businesses all around). Sunday I got him to walk with me with the baby in the stroller so she could get some sleep, and he said he never wants to do that again! It was only a 20 minute walk but it was by a road that is a state highway and tends to be rather noisy. He has some sensory issues (as does dd apparently) and can't stand the traffic noise, not to mention the boring scenery along the way. The only "park" near us is a small one with a playground, a few bushes and a couple of benches. It has a very sterile feel to it as does the whole development it's in (I hate new developments, they're so plain).

[silybum]

Well it sounds like sometimes you are right in the zone: 12 or 13 hours at night is great! And with 90m of naps, she sounds like she is getting what she needs. Have you tried getting in an extra nap or 2 on the days she sleeps less?

[rzberrymom]

Originally Posted by Pookietooth

We live in an area that is mostly businesses (other than our apartment complex and one other, along with a tiny subdivision of oversized homes on tiny lots), and most people in our apartments are not home much. Also, ds really doesn't like to walk anywhere (and frankly, in our neighborhood, neither do I since it's either highway or businesses all around). Sunday I got him to walk with me with the baby in the stroller so she could get some sleep, and he said he never wants to do that again! It was only a 20 minute walk but it was by a road that is a state highway and tends to be rather noisy. He has some sensory issues (as does dd apparently) and can't stand the traffic noise, not to mention the boring scenery along the way. The only "park" near us is a small one with a playground, a few bushes and a couple of benches. It has a very sterile feel to it as does the whole development it's in (I hate new developments, they're so plain).

This is TOTALLY off topic from what the OP was asking and so I probably shouldn't even be posting this, but you could always drive elsewhere and then go for a walk. We do this too, especially if we're already out and about.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by mkksmom

I think it depends on the child, but I find it's best when I put my LO down after 90 minutes to 2 hours of awake time. She only naps for 30-60 minutes and takes about 3 or 4 naps.

This is exactly what we do, and my LO was born one week before the OPs. I had been trying to track his patterns, and then I read somewhere (I think referencing the No Cry Nap Solution?) that babies this age are usually ready for a nap after about two hours of awake time, and it clicked with us. I'd say an average nap is about 45 minutes, sometimes longer. He especially seems to need a quick cat-nap in the evenings, as he has A LOT of trouble going down for the night if he has been up for too long.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Laurodactyl

I swaddle him tightly and put white noise on at night. I've thought about doing this during the day as well to get him to sleep, but am not sure how much he needs during the day and don't want to push him to sleep too much and not get the stimulus/interaction he needs during the day.

We swaddle DS at night and use white noise, too. I was also reluctant to use that routine for naps, but the only way I've been able to get him to nap is by holding him with his head on my shoulder, which is sweet and all... but I'd like to be able to put him down for a nap! So I just started swaddling him and putting him down for a nap once a day - I swaddle, rock for 5-10 minutes and then put him down, and he'll sleep on his own for 45 minutes. I asked the ped about swaddling at this age, and he just said to do whatever works for DS - as long as he's not swaddled all day and gets lots of stimulation and opportunity to move around while he's awake, it's fine. Also, I read about the double swaddle here on MDC (there's a youtube video) and I like using that, since it leaves his legs free.

HTH!

[beebalmmama]

Ds is also just about 3 months. He's sleeping 12 hours at night, of course waking anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours to nurse. Daytime he takes a couple of "cat naps" of about 15 to 20 minutes. He's so tired but he just won't stay down early in the day. I then can usually get him down for a 1.5 to 2 hour nap in the mid or sometimes late afternoon.

My first ds refused to stay down for more than 10 or 15 minutes at that age though. I wore him in a wrap for naps until about 5 months or so and occasionally he would sleep for a good length of time in a swing.