how much should they be awake during the day?

Okay so my kiddos will be turning 6 weeks old tomorrow and I'm not sure what's "normal" and what's not. I know that what's normal for one kid isn't always normal for another but I'm just looking to hear what your kiddos did at this age.

DD will sleep for a couple of hours and wake up for a bottle and usually stay awake for up to an hour after her bottle unless she's just super pooped. But she's usually awake and alert for an hour or so a couple of times in the morning and again in the afternoon and she sleeps wonderfully at night, only waking up every 3 to 4 hours for a bottle and going right back to sleep.

DS, however, is never awake it seems. He will wake up SCREAMING. There is no transition from being asleep and going through a process to wake up and stretch, he wakes up mad and hungry. So we feed. The minute he's done with his bottle he goes back to sleep. If you try to keep him awake he just cries...or ignores you completely. Even at night he drinks his bottles and goes back to sleep. Collectively out of an entire 24 hour period we probably only see him awake and alert for an hour. Even when he's eating he usually has his eyes closed and is half asleep. And on the rare occasions we do catch him awake he just stares off into space like he's really not seeing anything.

Is this normal for a kiddo this age?

 

YES! I would say that at 6 weeks, the one who is up several hours a day is way ahead of the curve. All babies have different temperaments and this is shown in their sleep habits. I strongly recommend the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" as it explains a lot about sleep at different ages and also how understanding temperament can help prevent sleep problems later. Moms on this forum recommended it to me and it was the most helpful book I have read. Even though you are months from worrying about sleep training, I found that I got less frustrated when I knew why the babies were acting the way they were and when I could expect them to stop acting that way. The book is divided into sections related to age so you only have to read small parts at a time.

 

I did not read the above recommended book, but one of my boys were sleeping around the clock at that time. He is and has always been! the calmer of the two. Very laid back. He is still a very good sleeper. So I guess, it is normal at that age.

 

I had 1 who screamed all the time and 1 who slept A LOT which I needed as I needed to hold my screamer, so I think especially that young, lots and lots and lots of sleep is ok. As long as he is eating/peeping/pooping, I think you are good for a little while.

 

I know it's so hard not to compare them to each other, but I guess I should stop it. LOL

DD is the one who had the placental abruption and had a sac full of blood when she was born. So I guess I always expect her to be the one who is behind since she was oxygen deprived. But her brother is the one who needed breathing assistance in the NICU and who sleeps more and is just a little behind her.

Thanks ladies

 

They both sound pretty normal to me! Remember...they are technically "zero" right now, so compare them to typical full-term newborns for most things. And most newborns sleep pretty much all the time. Sleepy preemies will eventually "wake up" and be more alert....enjoy the sleep while he's doing it!

 

My girls are 8 weeks 1 day, adjusted age 2 weeks 5 days. I had the same worry as you. At first all my kiddos did was sleep and I was convinved that they were missing out on development because we weren't playing. In fact, I even tried to wake them up after eating for playtime as recommended in a book I read. (End result - frustrated mommy, cranky babies.) My cousin, who had a preemie singleton, came and stayed with me this weekend and she thought what I was doing was crazy. She told me to let them sleep and when they're ready to wake and play they will. She kindly reminded me that growing is hard work and a rested baby has a better disposition and has the energy needed to grow. Seemingly common sense, but to my new-mommy brain it was too simple. I am pleased to report, that just two days after following her advice and ceasing my pestering of my kiddos, both had a great wakeful period which the whole family enjoyed.

So, good luck. Hopefully your fun play times are just around the corner.