Enough Sleep?

I have been having major sleep issues with darling Joey since the end of December when he was cutting his first tooth. I read the other day that at his age babies should still be sleeping about 16 out of 24 hours.
I worked out that Joey only averages 9 hours out of 24!! (3 hours during the day usually and about 6 at night - not in one go) He is happy most of the time and although he looks tired it doesn't seem to bother him. He just won't sleep. Should I be worried or are some of your kiddies like this too? I am sooooooo tired, i sometimes don't think I can go on like this much longer!!

I read a book which saisd that after you get bubs up, have a feed and change, and after an hour, put them back to sleep. We more or less did that with Jake. he's get up around7-8am, and we'd put him down again at about 9-9:30am. He didn't look tired at this point, but ended up going to sleep, after 10-20 mins of crying. We'd also give him another nap at about 1pm, and another at about 4pm. He wouldn't sleep very long in these naps - about an hour really. But after a while he moved into having two naps - of about two hours,(about 11 months), and now he has a three hour nap after morning tea - at about 11. It took a long time to get him into that though. I stayed home most wekends for about a month, so that he would be in the rountine. We had the problem that day-care didn't have a separate sleep room, so he wouldn't sleep during the day. We moved his bedtime much earlier to 6:30pm. He now goes to bed at 7pm. he lies in his bed, and waves goodnight. no crying usually. Wakes up around 6:30am. bed again at 11, wakes up around 2-2:30.

hope this is some help. Sometimes they get really overtired and they look alert. I would get a few sleep books from the librbary as crying through is a good idea, but it is also reassuring to have an "expert" telling you that you are doing the right thing.

this sounds weird, but have you tried putting him to bed earlier...around 6-6:30pm?
Also, if he sleeps with you (I did it too -and Jake sleeps okay now, so it's nothing you've done wrong!), maybe you wake him up - i know we did with jake. We moved him to another room and it worked.
Lewis ended up putting his foot down with the sleepnig with us thing. After Jake went to sleep, Lewis put him back in his bed - everytime.

I don't remember Hannah waking as much as Joey but I got to my wits end after Hannah getting into bad sleeping patterns following teething and then being sick. I implemented my new dictatorial regime called "Operation Hard Woman" (following "Operation take the Power Back") and it was hell. I basically had to re-teach Hannah her sleeping patterns.

Following lots of screaming, and me learning to sleep through it all... she finally got the drift. Unfortunately it only lasts until the next time she cottons on that I'll go get her if she wakes so at the moment she is back to waking at least once during the night. In fact... I'm feeling inspired to start another Operation.

Try calling Plunket for some support with the sleep thing or get out some books (if you haven't already) and try everything you can.

Best of luck Ana! If you ever need me for anything, even as someone to get up to Joey in the night, I'm happy to do that for ya. Much easier to deal with midnight screaming when it's not your own kid!