Need help/opinions please (LO's sleeping patterns)

Dani11 · February 2010

So LO is 1 weeks old today. Her sleep schedule is completely messed up. She only sleeps well during the day. At night she doesn't get into a deep enough sleep to even put her into her bassinet. (we tried the crib, but she likes her pnp bassinet the best.) She just wakes up when I lye her down. Most of the night she is awake "feeding" which is mainly her just using my boob as a paci I think. (which I don't mind right now because I guess it will increase my supply.) But how do I switch it around. I would like for her to sleep at night so I can actually sleep in bed and not the recliner. Everyone says to keep her up during the day, but I feel she is too young to be doing that.

So any advice? Has anyone else been through this? TIA!

FinallyWed! · February 2010

Do everything you can to keep her up during the day. Go for walks in the cold, give her baths, feed her every 2-3 hours.

april22ky · February 2010

I'd like to hear the responses on this. My LO is almost 3 weeks and she seems to have this sleeping pattern too. She sleeps good all day long and then gets up around 9pm and is up until 2am. She isn't all that fussy because she's well fed and changed, but she just won't fall asleep. I tried to put her in her crib last night and she just laid there looking at her mobile until I left the room, then she started crying. I finally swaddled her and put her in her pnp (where she's been sleeping since we brought her home). She finally fell asleep, but this seems to be the nightly routine, and I would love to get her on a better schedule. Last night I attempted to keep her up from 5pm on and she still stayed up until 2am...so that didn't help too much.

Mrs. Erin · February 2010

My DD had nights and days mixed up for the first week or two. I didn't want to keep her up during the day either... but I would wake her every 2 hours to feed and change her. Eventually she straightened it out on her own, so just hang in there! It WILL get better!

Maine333 · February 2010

This never really happened with my LO but I have read that babies that get afternoon light sleep better at night. I would make sure you get out for a walk. We live in a really cold climate so when it is over 15 or 20 degrees, I take him out on the deck at the sunniest/warmest point in the afternoon and walk him around for about 15 minutes (or more if it is warm enough). If it is too cold, I make sure we look out the window a bunch and try to do his tummy time in some sunlight from the window. If your house is really dark, some extra light might help.

My LO wants to sleep from about 5:00 in the evening on so we try to keep him awake from about 7 until 8:30 and I know how hard it is! I just do a lot of my "baby maintenance" at the time and try to gently keep him awake without getting him upset.

Anna&Matt · February 2010

How often do you nurse during the day? We do every 2 hours and he will sleep from midnight to nine am or so with only one wakeup around five. If you aren't already I would try that.

beckypooh03@yahoo.com · February 2010

During the day keep it lit up in the house and don't worry about keeping the noise down! At night make it very dark and no noise! Also no playing or talking to LO in the middle of the night! That way she understands that it's not the time for that! Might take a few weeks but my DS got the hang of it! GL!

Jerseygirl16 · February 2010

Mrs. Erin:
My DD had nights and days mixed up for the first week or two. I didn't want to keep her up during the day either... but I would wake her every 2 hours to feed and change her. Eventually she straightened it out on her own, so just hang in there! It WILL get better!

This. It is totally normal. It takes babies a bit to get their days and nights straight but eventually they do. Hang in there... I know it is tiring!

mwalliser · February 2010

first of all... your LO is ONLY 1 week old!! Don't expect too much at this point. LO's grow when they sleep... they need a lot of it in the very beginning. It's good for them.

Something that you can do from the very beginning that (I believe) will make a difference as they get older is to start a routine. Do what you can to help LO learn the difference between night and day... personally, I made sure that I dressed my DD's in real clothes each morning and then in the evening around the same time they'd get a bath then we'd then settle down and get them relaxed with their bottle and put them to sleep. At first, it didn't seem to matter... but after a few weeks it seemed to help.

Personally... I believe that a routine is key in getting your child in good habits with sleep. Decide what works best for you... modify as needed and good luck!

Kingston54 · February 2010

I agree with others that it will just take some time. Since she's only a week old, I think you'll just have to be patient. You can try to keep her up during the day but at one week old she'll pretty much sleep when she wants. To get her to sleep at night you might want to try the 5s's.

whitward87 · February 2010

Stimulate and talk to her during the day, sing to her, do tummy time around 2 weeks. My LO just got the whole, "oh I sleep at night" thing, but hey LO is only 1 week old, give her and yourself a break, it gets easier!

JenLHamby · February 2010

As PPs recommended during the day keep the lights on, make noise, turn the TV on a little louder than what you listen to at night. When you start winding down, turn the lights off and turn the TV on a lower volume. Also try to get in a routine before you put her down for what you would like to be her bedtime. Like my LO's routine (since we don't give her a bath nightly) is that I get a wash cloth and wipe her down good (or a bath depending on the night), change her into her gown, give her vitamins, change her diaper, and give her a bottle. She usually falls asleep at the end of the bottle. HTH!

amber&patrick · February 2010

I second the advice that several pp's mentioned -- wake LO to feed every 2-3 hours. I got that advice from Babywise, which is a controversial book, but the advice is sound. Waking them every few hours to feed during the day will help them adjust their days and nights.

ibis · February 2010

I've never had much luck with keeping LO awake if he wants to sleep, but during the day I try to interact with him when he is awake and alert. At night I just nurse, change diapers, shut the lights back off, and try to get him right back to sleep. No talking or playing.

Christmasbaby18 · February 2010

I agree with all the PPs. A bedtime routine really helped us. I try to keep my lo up for at least an hour b4 starting the routine. Her Tiny Love mat is really helpful with that...and it gives me time to get the kitchen cleaned up and everything. GL

ameslah · February 2010

Dani11:

So LO is 1 weeks old today. Her sleep schedule is completely messed up. She only sleeps well during the day. At night she doesn't get into a deep enough sleep to even put her into her bassinet. (we tried the crib, but she likes her pnp bassinet the best.) She just wakes up when I lye her down. Most of the night she is awake "feeding" which is mainly her just using my boob as a paci I think. (which I don't mind right now because I guess it will increase my supply.) But how do I switch it around. I would like for her to sleep at night so I can actually sleep in bed and not the recliner. Everyone says to keep her up during the day, but I feel she is too young to be doing that.

So any advice? Has anyone else been through this? TIA!

OMG, me too. I may have found an answer for us. Swaddling again and a hat along with dark room, quiet and I don't talk to her much at night. I hope it works. One night and counting.

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