Kavita Joshi Kavita Joshi Asked 5 months ago

Do premature babies sleep more?

My baby was born prematurely and seems to be sleeping a lot more than my older child did at the same age. Is this normal for premature babies? Do premature babies sleep more than full-term ones?

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8 answers

Sameer Alvi Sameer Alvi Joined Jan 2026 5 months ago
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While premature babies generally sleep more hours because their brains are still developing, you should not rely on internet theories. You must follow the exact sleep and feeding schedule given by your neonatologist. Any unusual lethargy or difficulty waking them for feeds must be reported to the doctor immediately.

Sandeep Sangwan Sandeep Sangwan Joined May 2026 5 months ago

Look, preemie babies need extra energy to grow, so they do sleep a lot. But you can't just let them sleep forever; they need to be woken up for feeds on time as per the doctor's instructions. Keep a close watch on their feeding intervals.

Jyoti Sharma Jyoti Sharma Joined Jan 2026 5 months ago

Yes, they sleep more because their central nervous system is still maturing. Just ensure they are getting enough milk and gaining weight as expected.

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Manju Warrier Manju Warrier Joined May 2026 5 months ago

My twins were born premature and they slept almost 18 to 20 hours a day initially. It is because their bodies are working extra hard to catch up on growth. Just make sure the room is comfortable and they are feeding regularly; they will slowly stay awake longer.

Sunita Deshmukh Sunita Deshmukh Joined Mar 2026 5 months ago

Yes, they do tend to sleep more, but you must be very careful. If the baby is too sleepy to wake up for feeds, or seems extremely floppy and unresponsive, please contact your pediatrician immediately. It is always better to get professional guidance for preemies.

Riya Sen Riya Sen Joined May 2026 5 months ago

Hey, don't stress too much about it! Preemie babies are just trying to complete their rest of the growth outside the womb, so they sleep a ton. Just keep following your doctor's feeding schedule and they will be fine!

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Shalini Nair Shalini Nair Joined Feb 2026 5 months ago

My son was born at 34 weeks and he slept almost the entire day, only waking up briefly to feed. It was quite different from my friend's full-term baby who was much more awake. I just followed our doctor's advice on when to wake him up for his milk.

Aditi Deshmukh Aditi Deshmukh Joined Jun 2026 4 months ago

Yeah yaar, they actually sleep a lot because they are still supposed to be growing inside the womb. My niece was born early and she would sleep through almost everything. But my sister had to wake her up every 2 hours to feed her, which was super exhausting.

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