Question
What to do about my newborn’s excessive sleepiness?
Answer
Newborns start showing signs of excessive sleepiness around three days after birth, not crying or fussing, and even remaining asleep when touched or stimulated. They may exhibit expressions while sleeping and flail their arms and legs, but they eat and drink very little and are hard to wake up. The underdeveloped nervous system of newborns leads to irregular sleep patterns. Normally, newborns can sleep for 16 to 20 hours a day. If the baby sleeps for a long time, appears to have poor alertness upon waking, falls asleep again quickly, and also shows a decrease in appetite and a significant decrease in urine output, it may indicate excessive sleepiness. When excessive sleepiness occurs, it is important to consider whether feeding is insufficient, leading to hypoglycemia and poor response. Additionally, it is necessary to consider whether there are infectious diseases such as sepsis or bacterial meningitis, and it is important to seek medical attention promptly.