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In the first 4-6 weeks DD was extremely sleepy. As in we had to wake her for almost every feeding. She was born at 36w3d though, which I think was part of it. Between 4-6 weeks she did start waking up more and more though.

I'm sure your doctor is on top of it, but just watch to see if there's jaundice? It makes them extremely sleepy and not eating enough because of sleeping/snoozing on the job makes it worse.

My babies have always been good sleepers, but with my third, I was a little concerned that she was too tired. She never woke up more than once during the night ( ever ) and would sleep all day. By about 6 weeks she was sleeping 14 hours at night, awake for just over an hour, sleeping for 2 hours awake for just over an hour, asleep for 3 hours then awake to feed for bed. That was her routine for months, with the awake times very slowly sneaking to be a bit longer. I asked my dr, who said she was on the high end of normal for awake times, and if she didn't start having longer awake stretches within a month, to bring her back in. It was a very slow process, but by about 5.5 months, she was more normal. She's 7 months now and and sleeps 12 hours at night, usually a 1-2 hr nap in the am and then a 2-3 hr nap in the afternoon.
Some babies are just sleepy babies. I haven't been around in a while, so I don't know how newborn you're talking, but as long as they're awake enough to eat, and having the proper amount of wet diapers, it should be ok. Congrats on the new baby

Yeah I just ask because both mine had it and my friends been going in and out of the hospital plus biliblanket at home for like 2 weeks over it.

My first not sleepy at all, my second very sleepy the first week and a half or two weeks. It freaked me out too! He would wake in the night but never stay awake long.

Both of my boys were SO sleepy--like basically sleeping 20 hours a day. They were both full term, not jaundiced, big babies (over 8 lbs). They'd wake up to nurse every 3-4 hours but fall back asleep right after.

@matador84: whoa, that's a big 38 weeker! You could always double check his bili levels to be safe, and let him nap by a window in the sunshine...but if he's pooping/peeing/eating normally I'd just enjoy the sleepiness and newborn snuggles while they last!

DS1 was over 10 pounds at birth and hardly slept as a newborn. He took 20 catnaps and then would be up for a while. DS2 and DD were more typical newborns who slept a lot. They were 7 pounds and 5 pounds, respectively.
All woke up to eat about every 2.5 hours.
I think it just depends on the baby!

@matador84: I’m having this with this one too. My first was smaller and took longer to gain weight. This one is much bigger and growing like a weed but sleeps amazingly. My midwife said enjoy it and as long as she’s gaining and has lots of diapers we’re good. She seems happy and content.

My first never slept, even at just hours old his eyes were open and he was alert. My 2nd was born nearly 3 weeks early and she slept a ton the first few weeks. I would have to undress her and shake her leg and tickle her feet to try to wake her up to nurse. She didn’t have any jaundice problems and the ped wasn’t too concerned about how little she was eating. I think she was an extremely efficient nurser from the get-go, unlike my 1st, and her diaper output was fine, despite only nursing for a few minutes at a time.

2 Full term: both jaundiced due to blood type incompatiblities but both cleared by doctors to go home. Both very sleepy and I would wake every 2.5-3 hours during the day to make sure they ate. I was never worried and by about 6 weeks, they started being able to be awake a little longer, but wanting to go back to sleep shortly afterward still!