when did you try to get your newborn to stay more awake during the day?

LIAngel

Meaning when or how did you make them realize the difference between night and day?  Like I said, mine is one week old (ticker is wrong) and he sleeps and sleeps and sleeps during the day.   For the past 3 nights he gets up at 3am for a bottle and is up for couple of hours wide awake.  During the day he sort of is awake but not WIDE awake.   We keep him downstairs with us during the day and go about our day.  We are not tip-toeing around.  TV is on,  phone rings,  DH vacuumed even.  DS didn't even stir.   For the past 2 days I''ll bring him upstairs with me and we'll do tummy time.  I know he is soooo new, but I just want him to wake up more during the day, so he can sleep at night. 

Oh and I know 2 hours of being up is nothing to most people, but I just don't want him to get his days and nights screwed up.  I figured I'd try to nip that in the bud.

BoxTer

In the early days, you just kind of have to let them sleep when they sleep. There's not much you can do about it beyond what you're doing. You're doing everything right as far as not being quiet during the day, keeping the lights on, etc. and then at night you make it dark, quiet, etc. but it does take them some time to catch on. It will happen but he's SO young that you just have to let him do what he's going to do and he will gradually adjust. GL!

JGirl2005

yeah I think you are doing the right thing - keeping it light.   My baby is older than yours and he stills ometimes gets days/nights confused - like last night.  He slept too long in the afternoon and then he was awake most of the night.  Sounds like you have a baby who sleeps well at night.  I'm up every 2-3 hrs.

tina623

I would just let him sleep right now.  He needs it.  My girls had days and nights mixed up but the old they got they "unmixed".  I would just do 5-10 minutes of tummy time, singing, readying..anything at every bottle/feeding and then let him sleep if he wants. 

Here's some advice I was given.  Do all the activities during the day.  At night, whisper, don't turn on lights that aren't needed and no playing/singing etc.  Just feed, diaper (if you need to) and hold/rock or put back in bed. 

Good luck.

laura&dan05

I have the same problem and like the pp's mentioned I think it's just to early for them to know the difference.  There are times after the 2 or 3 am feeding when she's just wide awake.  We do the same things you mentioned.  During the day we sing, play, have tummy time, and read to her when she's awake.  We go on with our normal day not whispering or keeping things quiet.  The house is light with blinds open.  At night we keep things dark and when she gets up to feed I just use night lights and I talk to her in a low voice. 

 

choco_lab

Do you swaddle him?  I find that my DS will sleep great if he's swaddled up after I feed him in the night.  Either the Swaddle Me or the Miracle Blanket have been awesome!