Is My Baby Sleeping Too Much?

Most parents worry about their child not getting enough sleep, but have you ever wondered if your baby is sleeping too much? That might sound crazy, but it’s actually something to consider.

It might feel like it’s been a lifetime since you’ve had enough sleep, so the idea that your child is getting too much probably sounds crazy to you. But it’s actually possible!

While most of the time there’s no such thing as too much sleep, sometimes the culprit of a bad night’s sleep is too much sleep during the day. 

Too Much Day Time Sleep

Listen, 90% of the time there’s no such thing as too much day time sleep for your baby. Sleep is good, and each child needs a unique amount.

However, if the last nap of the day ends too close to bedtime, that’s problematic.

All you do then is open the baby’s door, gently rub their back, maybe turn on a gentle light so that they can wake up on their own. After all, don’t wake a sleep baby, right? It’s Parenting 101.

But sometimes you have to help them wake up on their own so that all of you can sleep well at night. Just follow your instinct here and help them wake up, and the next day try to move nap a bit earlier.

What If It’s Not Too Much Sleep?

What if your child sleeps well at night and still a lot during the day? Is the problem too much sleep?

This is when you talk to your pediatrician. Chances are the problem isn’t too much sleep; rather, too much sleep is a symptom of an underlying issue.

One mom asked about this and learned her son was anemic; the only clue was fatigue and longer naps than expected. So if your child is sleeping a lot but not resting well, you definitely want to follow up and make sure there’s nothing else that is an issue.

Day Time Sleep Helps Night Time Sleep

Overtired children don’t sleep well at night or go to bed calmly. Day time sleep actually makes for a smoother bedtime routine and better night of rest in almost every case.

When people tell you to pull a daytime nap out of your schedule for a longer night’s rest, just ignore them. You know a secret they don’t: daytime sleep almost always helps nighttime sleep.