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Days and nights mixed up. Suggestions?

PurrCrasherPurrCrasher member
in Multiples

My son and daughter are doing so well, especially considering their rough start in life a whopping 10 days ago (which seems like an eternity and a split second all at once). It's become pretty clear, however, that they have their days and nights horribly mixed up. They're up every hour or so at night and want to sleep all day long. Any suggestions on how to get them back on the right track? Sleeping during the day is fine for now but when I go back to work that just won't cut it. Thanks in advance, ladies!

While I'm at it, thanks for all the kind words and support regarding our harrowing birth experience. We are so, SO blessed that everything turned out the way it did and I mean it when I say that this board is what taught me how to watch for signs and symptoms of distress. I'd buy you all wine and chocolate if I could. I feel like the people on this board (along with my amazing husband) saved my babies lives and I'll be grateful for the rest of my life.


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Re: Days and nights mixed up. Suggestions?

  • LucyRicardo3LucyRicardo3 member

    I'm so glad y'all are doing well!!

    Do you own a white noise machine? It has been a lifesaver! Crank that thing up at night. All three of my girls are addicted to it. I had to buy two more when the twins were born, since my oldest wouldn't give hers up and I realized how much I needed one in my room, too.

    When we brought the twins home, the NICU nurses also recommended it since the babies typically get used to the nurseryhospital noises at night (and womb sounds) that help them sleep longer periods of time. 

    Congrats, again!

     


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  • PurrCrasherPurrCrasher member
    Why didn't I think of that? Haha, what a great idea! My daughter had to use a billi-blanket since coming home from the hospital and it gently vibrated the bassinet and made a white noise sound and the day vs. night problems have gotten worse since we were able to get rid of it. I'll try that tonight. Fingers crossed!
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  • leapgirl8leapgirl8 member

    I don't think they are really mixed up - it's just the way babies are when they are that young. I read something about how they are more alert at night to ensure that their nutritional needs are met when they are still very young and need around-the-clock snacks. You're up during the day looking out for them so they don't need to be on all the time. Now, who knows if that is true. There is a lot of conflicting info about baby brains out there. But it's something that should naturally correct itself over time. A white noise machine would probably help them along.

    I do not recommend what my mother did on the advice of her pediatrician, which was to give my brother a sedative one evening to ensure he slept all night and was wide awake in the morning. Oh 70s pediatricians, you crack me up. 

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  • MrsLntMrsLnt member
    Not sure if you're doing any sort of feeding schedule, but, I'd wake every 3 hours to eat during the day. Make day sleep different from night sleep. Daytime, keep things bright and noisy and nighttime is dark and boring and all business. 
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  • masked_rose86masked_rose86
    Our pediatrician had us wake them every 2 hours to eat during the day. By day 6 home from the hospital at least we were getting 2-3 hour stretches of sleep. By 4-6 weeks it got even better. Now sleep is back to being crappy. That's life I guess....it all goes in cycles.
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  • futuremrs.huntfuturemrs.hunt member
    I agree with PP don't really think their days nights are mixed up, just think they are newborns. I'm no expert, my boys ate just a month old, but I can say they were awake A LOT at night in the first couple of weeks they slept mist of the day during those weeks as well. At 4 weeks, I started cluster feeding in the evenings now they only wake once at 2 am again at 6 am but they still sleep a lot of the daytime hours too. I agree with getting a white noise machine as well it definitely works for us as well!
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  • mrsmac08mrsmac08 member

    imageMrsLnt:
    Not sure if you're doing any sort of feeding schedule, but, I'd wake every 3 hours to eat during the day. Make day sleep different from night sleep. Daytime, keep things bright and noisy and nighttime is dark and boring and all business. 

     I agree with this. We did an Eat, Wake, Sleep routine. During the day, we fed the babies about every 2.5 hours (3 later on), and we would wake them up if we needed to. We also had a bedtime routine at a set time and a desired waketime. It helped them to get into a routine. We also made things bright for daytime sleep and didn't try to limit noise at all. Also during the night, we would just feed, change, and right back to bed.

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