3 mth old sleeping A LOT

[suddenlyamama]

Hi there,
I don't know the first thing about babies so this question might be stupid and honestly I hope it is not cause for concern.

About two weeks ago dd started sleeping a lot. This was at 12 weeks old. Before this she was colicky and was dealing with reflux etc.
She NEVER napped. Maybe brief jaunts while in the MOby, but that's it.
She would however sleep 4-5 hour stretches at night. Nurse, and then sleep another 3-4.

Now she is very pleasant for the most part, but she has started napping a lot. Like every two hours or so she takes a one hour nap and sometimes in the middle of the day she will take a 2-3 hour nap. Yesterday, 3 hours had gone by and she still wasn't awake. I was sort of worried so I woke her up and fed her.
(I mean the girl didn't rest for a whole 12 weeks)
The only thing I could come up with is that she has started teething. We can see a nasty little thing coming in and out. One day the tooth is poking out, the next it is completely disappeared.
Is extra sleeping normal for a teething baby? Oh and she is still maintaining sleep pattern of 4-5 hour stretches at night.
She is a ball of mysteries this one.
thanks mamas,
-nervous nell

[P.J.]

Wow, lucky you!!

I think it's totally normal. Babies that age can only stay awake for 1-3 hour stretches of time before they need another nap. My son is 5 months old and he can only go maximum 4 hours, but it's usually more like 2-3 hours awake at a time. But he only sleeps for 1/2 hour when he naps. Man how I wish he'd take just once a day even a one hour nap. Consider yourself lucky!

That said, I suppose the sudden change might worry me too. My baby was colicky too and it does go away around 12 weeks, so it could be your baby's catching up now. Still, it really doesn't sound suspicious to me. If you're really concerned, call your pediatrician.

[FloridaBorn]

growth spurt?

[Katwoman]

Both my babies were really sick when they were new with reflux. Once the reflux was under control they slept MUCH better. If I were you I would caulk it up to her feeling better which is allowing her to sleep better.

I also think growth spurt is a possibility.

The other thing to remember is that around the three month mark their neurological system develops. This allows them to "do" things they couldn't before. Perhaps now that her neurological system has made the jump to the next level she feels better, more settled.

[Knitting Mama]

My 7 month old still can't stay awake more than probably 3 hours (unless we're doing something really exciting ), so I really wouldn't worry!!