My Newborn Sleeps Too Much
The short answer
Newborns normally sleep 14-17 hours per day, and some healthy newborns sleep even more. However, in the first few weeks of life, it is important that your baby wakes to feed at least every 2-3 hours. A newborn who consistently sleeps through feedings and is not gaining weight appropriately may need to be evaluated by your pediatrician.
Parents everywhere have the same worry. You are doing the right thing by looking into it.
By Age
What to expect by age
0-2 weeks
In the first two weeks, many newborns are very sleepy, especially if the birth was long or difficult, or if there is mild jaundice. It is important to wake your baby every 2-3 hours to feed until they have regained their birth weight (typically by 10-14 days of age). Once your baby is gaining weight well and your pediatrician gives the green light, you can generally let them sleep in longer stretches.
2-6 weeks
Your newborn should be becoming more alert during some wake periods by now. While 16-17 hours of sleep per day is still normal, you should see at least a few periods of alertness where your baby is interested in looking at faces, feeding actively, and making eye contact. If your baby remains excessively sleepy with no alert periods, mention this to your pediatrician.
6-12 weeks
By this age, most babies begin to develop longer awake windows (60-90 minutes) and show more social engagement during alert periods. Total sleep is typically 14-16 hours. If your baby is sleeping significantly more than this and seems disinterested in feeding or interacting, it is worth discussing with your doctor. However, many babies at this age still sleep a lot and are perfectly healthy.
3-6 months
As the circadian rhythm matures, daytime alertness increases and nighttime sleep consolidates. Total sleep averages 12-16 hours. A baby who is suddenly sleeping much more than usual at this age - especially if they were previously more alert - may be fighting an illness, recovering from vaccinations, or going through a growth spurt. Temporary increases in sleep around these events are normal.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your newborn sleeps 14-17 hours per day but wakes regularly to feed and has adequate wet and dirty diapers
- Your baby is gaining weight on track at pediatrician visits
- Your baby has alert periods where they are interested in faces and feeding actively
- Increased sleepiness follows vaccinations, a growth spurt, or a minor illness and resolves within a day or two
- Your newborn is consistently sleeping through feeding times and needs to be woken for every feed beyond the first two weeks
- Your baby has very few alert periods and seems disinterested in feeding even when awake
- Weight gain has slowed or your baby is not producing enough wet diapers (fewer than 6 per day after day 5)
- Your newborn is very difficult to rouse, floppy, or limp when picked up, with poor feeding and a weak cry
- Excessive sleepiness is accompanied by fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), vomiting, or a change in skin color
Sources
Related Resources
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, reach out to your pediatrician.
Worrying about your baby means you care. That is a good thing.
Related Sleep Concerns
How Long Should Baby Be Awake Between Naps?
The ideal awake time between naps (called a "wake window") increases as your baby grows. Newborns may only handle 45-90 minutes awake, while toddlers can manage 4-6 hours. Getting wake windows right is one of the most effective ways to improve nap quality, because both too-short and too-long wake times lead to poor sleep.
Is a Bath Before Bed Really Necessary?
A nightly bath is not medically necessary and some babies with sensitive skin do better with less frequent bathing. However, a warm bath can be a powerful sleep cue because the subsequent body temperature drop triggers melatonin production. If you include a bath, keep it calm and warm rather than stimulating.
How Long Should the Bedtime Routine Be?
An ideal bedtime routine for babies and toddlers is 20-30 minutes. Shorter routines may not give enough time to wind down, while routines longer than 45 minutes can become a stalling tactic. Consistency in the routine order matters more than exact length.
Is My Baby's Bedtime Too Early?
For most babies over 3 months, bedtime between 6:00-8:00 PM is appropriate. A bedtime that is too early can cause early morning wakings (before 6 AM) or long periods of wakefulness in the middle of the night. However, during nap transitions or on days when naps were short, an earlier-than-usual bedtime helps prevent overtiredness.
Is My Baby's Bedtime Too Late?
For babies over 3-4 months, consistently going to bed after 8:30-9:00 PM may result in overtiredness, which paradoxically makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Cortisol rises when babies are overtired, leading to more night wakings and early mornings. Moving bedtime earlier, even by 15-30 minutes, often improves overnight sleep quality.
Baby Only Napping 30 Minutes
Short naps of 30-45 minutes are extremely common in babies under 6 months. Your baby is waking at the end of a single sleep cycle and has not yet learned to link cycles together during the day. This is developmentally normal and typically improves on its own between 5-7 months as the brain matures.