We all want our babies to sleep – but can you have too much of a good thing when it comes to baby sleep? We’ve written before about babies sleeping too much, but what if your baby suddenly starts sleeping more than usual? What if you’re seeing marathon naps, later-than-usual morning wake-up times, and/or finding that you need to bump up to an earlier bedtime?
This can make many parents worry.
So what’s behind this sudden onset of sleepiness? Why is your baby sleeping so much? We’re sharing 3 common reasons. Keep reading for details!
3 Reasons Your Baby Is Sleeping More Than Usual
If your baby suddenly starts seeming extra-sleepy, it’s likely that one of the following three reasons is to blame:
1. Your baby is extra sleepy due to a growth spurt. Growth spurts are typically the number-one reason a baby or toddler suddenly starts taking extra-long naps and sleeping later in the morning. This is especially true for newborns. Lots of parents find that in the first few months of their newborns’ lives, their babies go through a number of sleepy spells where they seem to sleep around the clock!
To learn more, read this article about baby’s growth spurts and sleep.
2. Your baby is super sleepy due to a bout of teething. Teething – it’s high on the list of most parents’ least favorite things! So many clients have told us that just when it seems like sleep is going well, a new tooth begins to pop through. Bam – everything falls apart! Now, while it’s true that teething can lead to increased night waking and shortened naps, a particularly nasty bout of teething can work almost like a bad cold virus. This too can cause your baby to need more sleep than usual. Some parents find that their babies even run low-grade fevers and are especially mucus-y during teething too. All of these factors can make baby feel lousy and extra sleepy.
To learn more, read this article about baby teething and sleep.
3. Your baby is extra sleepy due to illness. Similar to teething, illness often causes your baby to feel lousy and extra sleepy. Yes, she may also wake more than usual at night, and wake early from naps too. However, your baby will likely need more total sleep throughout the day when she’s sick. Her body will need lots of extra rest as it works to fight off the illness.
To learn more, read this article about how illness affects your baby’s sleep.
Baby Sleeping More Than Usual: Rule Out Medical Concerns!
While the three reasons listed above tend to be the most common causes of extra sleepiness, it’s important to rule out any medical concerns that could be causing lethargy and more-than-average sleep. For instance, sleep apnea can affect children, and can cause a baby or toddler to seem extra-sleepy. If you have concerns about your child’s tiredness, see your healthcare provider.
Engage Your Baby While Awake
Are you concerned that because your baby is sleeping more that he or she won’t be learning enough new skills? Engage your little one while he or she is awake! Consider more one on one play time and toys that are educational. Here are a few of our favorites:
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Hi. My 2 month old has been sleeping more than usual for the past two days. I’ve had to wake her to eat and then she goes right back to sleep. Everyone else in the house is sick so I’m wondering if she just doesn’t feel that well, but she hasn’t been fussy or anything.
Hi @Ally – Thanks for writing to us, and congrats on your new baby! It sure sounds like a good possibility that your little girl may be feeling unwell like the rest of the family. A call in to her doctor, or a quick visit would be our recommendations, just to be sure!
Good luck and we hope that those germs leave your house quickly!
My almost 5 month old sleeps through the night, 10+ hours. I’ve just transitioned her from her swing to crib for naps. In her swing her naps varied from 40 minutes to 2 hours. Now that she naps in her crib, her naps are only 40 minutes each time. If I choose to hold her just so she can get more sleep she’ll sleep more than one hour. How can I get her to take longer naps in her crib??
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! I’m sorry to hear your daughter’s having trouble with longer naps in the crib. It’s pretty common at this age for babies to have trouble linking their sleep cycles together during naps by themselves. We have an article on what causes short naps here that I hope will help: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/short-baby-naps-explained/
Some babies improve their naps by themselves, and some benefit from sleep coaching. I hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any questions!
My two month old daughter seems to be sleeping a lot more than usual now. She still wiggles and wakes up about every four hours at night to feed and then will pass back out. However, she cries out and wiggles a ton in her sleep and seems like she is having a nightmare or something. Is this all normal?
Hi Lexi,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! It is totally normal for very young babies to move a lot in their sleep. I know it can look off-putting, but it’s just because their nervous systems aren’t completely developed yet, and they spend a lot more time in REM sleep than adults and older children. Stanford Health has a good article on this here: https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=newborn-sleep-patterns-90-P02632&sa=U&ei=58e3VM6CIIr5yATNnIGwAg&ved=0CG8QFjAT&usg=AFQjCNFvyKhlh5_8yFZvCBirEv-fTY56pQ
But please do check with your pediatrician if you have any concerns at all! I hope this helps 🙂
My little one is crying uncontrollably and won’t stop no matter what I do I have tried everything but no luck.little one will just fall asleep tired from crying. Little one will not feed properly little one looks hungry but won’t feed and just cries more and is sleeping alot more. Little one is just over 3months and has been doing this for 5days now.
Hi Manii,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! I’m sorry to hear your baby is crying so much. If they’re having trouble eating and are not behaving normally, please do check in with a pediatrician. Any number of medical issues can cause pain and excessive crying, and we would want to make sure your baby is getting enough to eat. Good luck!
Hi I have a 16 month old and she has been sleeping pretty much all day and night for the past two days. She’s only been awake like 5 hours a day. She’ll wake up and like an hour later she’s ready to sleep again. I know she’s teething but is it normal for this much sleep
@Harlee Rappisi, I’m sorry to hear you’re concerned about your daughter. I am not a medical professional but it does sound like it’s likely she’s fighting something so I’d be sure to give her doctor a call, and to keep an eye on her dirty diapers to make sure she’s not getting dehydrated from so much sleeping. I suppose it could be teething related, or maybe there’s another bug she’s trying to fight off. 🙁 Poor thing. I hope things get back to normal soon!
my 10 months old has been sleeping more than usual since today,no fever but he’s it been eating well for weeks now….he has 6 teeth already ,i dont know if he is cutting a new one,should i take him in to be checked?
Hi @Princess, thanks for writing to us. There are lots of developmental milestones that kids go through that will cause them to sleep more so at this point I personally wouldn’t cause for any alarm. You may have just gotten a longer nap today. 🙂 Of course if you are concerned I’m sure you could call his doctor to speak with a nurse and they can let you know if they think you should come in or not. Hope this helps!
My 6weeks old baby is always sleeping nowadays am afraid he’s not feeding well.Is there anything to worry about?
Hi @Ummie, thanks for writing to us and congratulations on your new baby boy! My son was also extremely tired around that age, and since he was my second born (my first was way more alert) it kind of freaked me out too, so I totally get where you are coming from. The thing to keep in mind is there is SO MUCH going on developmentally with these little guys which means they do need a ton of sleep. If you’re concerned he is not feeding well, I would suggest taking him in to his doctor to make sure his weight gain is appropriate. If you are breastfeeding you may consider doing a “weighed feed” with a lactation consultant as well which will let you know how much he is getting in a feeding (this was a huge stress reliever for me). Formula is a little easier to see since you know exactly what he’s consuming. And keeping track of the amount of wet and dirty diapers is a good indicator too.
I know being a new mom can be totally crazy, so hang in there! It’s the greatest and hardest thing you’ll ever do. We also have a free guide with tips for new parents that I’m sure you’ll find helpful if you’d like to download it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/
I hope this helps!
I gave my 11 months old baby mafloquine as a preventive doses of malaria cause we wanna go to our tropical country after giving second quarter of this med his face become swollen and he feels more sleepy than usual I am worried about it
Hello @Saika – Thank you for visiting us! I am sorry that your baby may be experiencing some side effects from his malaria vaccine! Please follow up with your baby’s doctor right away if you have any concerns about the swelling in his face or if his sleep has changed! We wish you all the best!
My 2 year old had two front teeth that need to be capped. Today she has literally slept all day and been fussy, not eating,running low grade fever. What should I do? Should I be worried? This is the first time since she was 6 months old to sleep this much.
Oh also I can’t get her in until Valentine’s day to get her teeth fixed 🙁
Hi @Amanda King, thank you for writing to us. I am so sorry you’re worried about your daughter! Honestly since I am not a medical professional or dentist, I don’t feel qualified to answer. I think if it were me I would reach out to them and ask if the need to have her teeth capped could be playing into this, or if she’s just got a little bug she’s working through. I’m so sorry I can’t give you a clear answer!
Hi my son is 1year and 6 month old now and he suffered from vomiting and diarrhea for 3 days. We went to a pediatrician, did some lab test. Now that all seems to be ok,I find his sleeping habits a bit odd because he tends to sleep too much now. Hope you can give me a bit of information
Hi Farrah,
Thank you for your comment! I’m sorry to hear your son was sick, but I hope he is on the mend now! It is pretty normal for a baby who was significantly sick to need more sleep for 3-4 days after the illness ends, to aid recovery and make up for lost sleep. If sleepiness continues past that time, or you notice any other symptoms, I would encourage you to check in with your pediatrician again just to make sure there aren’t any complications from the original illness. I hope this helps!