sleeping in the day

Julie - posted on 10/16/2009

I have actually read on multiple web sites that sleep during the day actually encourages sleep at night!! It's the theory that with newborns, "sleep brings sleep". I myself have found there doesn't seem to be any real pattern as to how much my son sleeps during the day and how much at night. I have had days where he sleeps all day, and does well at night. Then, I have had days where he is up all day, and terrible at night! Good luck:-)

Nichole - posted on 10/15/2009

When they are new born they won't have a pattern of sleep or feeding....pretty much feed on demand and sleep 19 to 20 hours a day. Make sure when it's time to wake in the morning for you that you open the curtains...I had my first at 18 and it does get easier..:) Just sleep when your baby sleeps and feed on demand. I don't really let my baby cry much but I put music and use a swing or chair if I need to do something.

Jonalyn - posted on 10/13/2009

Have you tried the happest baby on the block dvd system ? that worked for us

Alexandria - posted on 10/11/2009

My daughter is two months old and is a great sleeper. What I did and still do is make sure she is up for at least an hour after each feeding. If I needed to I would strip her down to her diaper so that she wasn't as warm and snuggly. I would bounce her around, talk to her, even blow lightly in her face to keep her up. Eventually she started a good sleep schedule. She now eats every three hours and out of those three hours she is awake for half and asleep for half. At night I put her down at 9:30 and she sleeps till 4:00 a.m. then I feed her and she sleeps again till 9:00 a.m.

Cami - posted on 10/11/2009

I was told that if you get them out during the day, the sunlight helps set their internal clock. Take her to Wal-mart or the grocery store if it's cold outside, or walk around the park or neighborhood. My son still stays up till 2 am but he sleeps till 10 or 11.

Beth - posted on 10/11/2009

I had the same problem and I took my grandmothers advise. I let her sleep no more than 2 hours at a time and then tried to keep her up for an hour and a half to two hours. I did everything from giving her a couple of baths a day to stripping her down and using a wet wash rag. I am happy to say she had her days and nights fixed in 3 days!! Good luck and keep us posted.

Cara - posted on 10/10/2009

She does most likely still have day and night confused, it starts to adjust by 6 weeks but by 3 months she should be fully adjusted. Lots of good advice already, and I will repeat that the more they sleep, the more they want to sleep. Keeping a baby up during the day just leads to an overly tired infant at night who cant self soothe or calm down. My little boy is 8 weeks and still sleeps most of the day. I do keep all the blinds open and lights on in the house, so he knows that daytime is for activites. When he is alert, I take full advantage of the time and do tummy time and play with him one on one. At night we start to wind down around 8 turning the lights off and such, then he eats, we take a bath (I use Johnsons Nighttime Bath, helps them fall asleep) and he usally stays down for about 6 hours. I know its frustrating now, but in the next few weeks you will see big changes in her!! Good luck!!

Melissa - posted on 10/06/2009

yep, very important to take her for 1 or 2 walks during the day in her buggy. They need it. Take advantage of good weather and sunshine especially. That will definitely help her start differentiating night and day.

Claire - posted on 10/05/2009

Also just to add, try black out blinds for sleep times, and put her in her cot for all naps and sleep times, or your bed/wherever you'd like her to sleep. then when its wake up times, open the blinds, unwrap her, and let her wake up naturally to get a bit more use to day and night x

Claire - posted on 10/05/2009

Try starting a proper bedtime routine, have a bath and bottle and then bed. Start the bath at 6, and aim to have her in bed by 7. Also, try and keep her awake during the day. Take har out, in lots of fresh air. When you're at home keep her in light layers, nt too wrapped up so she knows its not bed time, and encourage lots of play m,at time. You could also try cluster feeding in the evenings, to get her to sleep longer at night. It must be really hard for you, but in time she'll get there. Good luck :-)

Melissa - posted on 10/05/2009

5 weeks is still in the stage when it's normal to mix day and night, but she's just at the point where in my opinion it is ok to start a bedtime routine to show her when to sleep. My baby, our second child, is 7 weeks and I am now putting her in her crib after she breastfeeds at 9 or 10 pm. I take her to our room (her crib is there) and I rock her in my arms in the dark (I just leave on the hall light to let in a little bit). I cluck my tounge (that "click click" sound) and rock her for a few minutes and put her in the crib, then leave the room. She sometimes settles right down and sleeps for 5-6 hours before waking, and sometimes cries right away. My husband and I take turns going upstairs every 10 minutes or so to calm her, and eventually she goes to sleep (it is normal to make 5 or 6 trips upstairs to calm her). If you want to try this, it is important to be constant, and also to differentiate a cry that is "ok" from the stronger cries that may mean gas or pain (those cries should be attended to immediately). Don't give up if she cries for 20 minutes, as our first child could cry an hour before sleeping at first, just make sure to make those trips every 5-10 minutes to calm her (first just try putting placing your hands on her and rubbing her while you whisper, hum, etc, and if that doesn't work then pick her up for a couple of minutes to calm her). As long as you don't play with her and you make sure it is dark when you put her to bed, maybe just hum to her at most while you rock her, she will soon figure out the difference between day and night. What both my kids have shown me as that IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE HOW MUCH THEY SLEEP DURING THE DAY...at least not when they are this small. The rule now for me is "the more they sleep, the more they want to sleep.." so don't try to keep your 5 week old awake during the day as there is just no way to do that, and it barely makes any difference how much she'll sleep at night. That's just my experience. Ah, and make sure during the day she is in constant light (in the living room for example), in a different area from where she sleeps at night, maybe in a bassinet, and is able to hear the sounds of the house (talking, phone, door bell, washing machine, etc). Even if she is asleep this will help her to differentiate night and day. One more thing: Always use the same routine before putting her to bed, for example, by giving her a warm bath and putting on her pijamas (spelling?), then feeding her, then putting her to bed. Again, be constant, do the same thing every day and she'll figure it out. Don't worry honey this period will pass quickly.

Nicole - posted on 10/05/2009

I have the same problem! my son wakes up around 11 and stays awake until 4. He is my third child but the first one with this problem.

Amanda - posted on 10/04/2009

I try to keep my baby up in the day...once she cries with her eyes closed i just let her sleep. I know how you feel I have a hard time sleeping in the day.

Sarah - posted on 10/04/2009

Never give up try to get her to be aot during the day so she will be tired at night! thats what i had to do and it's been going good so far

Stephanie - posted on 10/03/2009

Make sure you wake her every 2-3 hours for feeding during the day. That way she starts to get the message that daytime is for wake and night for sleeping. It may take a while but she will figure it out.

Ashley - posted on 10/03/2009

She is 5 weeks. I do try to sleep during the day also but it gets difficult because there is so much to try and get done. She likes to sleep in bed with me but i dont want that to be a habit. So just try and put her to sleep then put her in her bed? Then if she cries leave her for half an hour? Its my first baby and im 18 all this is so new to me!!

Stephanie - posted on 10/03/2009

Hi Ashley,



How old is your daughter? She has taken the day for the night and the night for the day, so when she sleeps through the day try and get some sleep too. If she cries leave her to cry it wont do her any harm, I do this with my son but if it gets to half an hour then I go and pick him up to calm him down. I also find that he loves to sleep on me when I'm in the armchair and sometimes I fall asleep with him too. Try it, it might help.

Stephanie