How many hours a day are newborns awake?

[Csara]

I've read that newborns sleep about 18 hours a day. What do they do the other 6 hours??? I ask b/c mine seems to always be sleeping. If he's not eating, he may keep his eyes open for a few minutes, but otherwise he's sleeping. Is that normal?

[Deana]

that is a lot how Ella was the first 10-14 days (or so... I can't remember how long). Her awake time was really spent eating, getting changed, hangin' around (either happy or fussy).

[KeelyKay]

I don't remember G being awake much at all the first few weeks. Around 4-5 weeks it's like a switch flipped and he started staying awake for a good 30 minutes after each nap... just flirting and checking things out. Before that, he was exactly like D described E.

[HeavenLeigh]

E slept most of the time for the first couple weeks, he was very alert when he was awake and would focus on something close to him and stare at it....but the majority of time he was eating, crying, or being changed while awake.

[Csara]

It's funny how quickly you forget....it's only been a little over 3 years and I can't remember so many little details of how Jax was. lol
Anyway, glad to hear that everyone's babies seem similar as far sleeping in the first week or so.

[jessilee82]

I was asking all my more recent mother friends and calling my mom and asking the ped. It had only been five years but suddenly it seemed my infant was sleepier than the others, didn't eat as much as he should, burped too much, ect..

My son was a 'sleepy baby' he could barely stay awake for feedings the first about two weeks, then he'd stay awake longer and just look around, or stare at me with an expression that said "are you ok? cause those cooing sounds can't be normal"

[B'sgirl]

Abbie was only awake 2 or 3 hours a day for the first two weeks. She was a little jaundiced, but mostly just tired. She was like Jessilee's son. She could hardly stay awake to eat. When she finally started waking up she was content to just look around and lay there. You just may have been blessed with a calm, easy baby. You deserve it!

[Margarita]

Yup, they pretty much sleep all the time at first. And yes, you do forget so many things! I was exactly the same.

[Csara]

Originally Posted by B'sgirl

You just may have been blessed with a calm, easy baby. You deserve it!

Oh how I hope so!!!

Jett is the same way as many of you have said...he can barely stay awake for feedings. When his eyes are open, he really is mostly content to just look around. It is definitely a different experience than what I had with Jax. I do remember him being very intense from the very beginning........which he still is.

[nicolef888]

J hardly slept at all. I had heard that babies spend most of their days/nights sleeping in the few few weeks and surprise....my son hardly slept. He was so alert and awke that he was turning over (from his back to his front at 2 weeks-our Pedi had to see it with his own eyes to believe it). Isaa sleep a lot during the first few weeks (I was very relieved!)