Newborn Days and Nights mixed up---when does it end, and can i help?

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

My 3 week old definitely has her days and nights mixed up---she's sleepy all day, taking naps in her bassinet or in bed with me (when i can actually lay down to get a nap in myself! ) but regardless of what time I put her down in the evening, she is up at 10pm until 2am, those times exactly. Then she wakes up at 4ish and 6ish to nurse and sleeps (sort of) in between those hours.

Is there anything that I can be doing to help her adjust? I know it's not right to try to schedule her for my convenience, but seriously, those "witching hours" are making me a little crazy...the good thing is she isn't colicky or too fusy during that time (just a little), just wide awake and ready to party.

Any advice is much appreciated...

[readytobedone]

Originally Posted by BarefootPregnant

My 3 week old definitely has her days and nights mixed up---she's sleepy all day, taking naps in her bassinet or in bed with me (when i can actually lay down to get a nap in myself! ) but regardless of what time I put her down in the evening, she is up at 10pm until 2am, those times exactly. Then she wakes up at 4ish and 6ish to nurse and sleeps (sort of) in between those hours.

Is there anything that I can be doing to help her adjust? I know it's not right to try to schedule her for my convenience, but seriously, those "witching hours" are making me a little crazy...the good thing is she isn't colicky or too fusy during that time (just a little), just wide awake and ready to party.

Any advice is much appreciated...

this is what i did, and it did seem to work within a few days.

i woke DD up during the day every 2.5 hours to nurse--never let her sleep longer than that at one stretch. that extra waking during the day seemed to help her save up some sleep for nighttime.

i also made sure to keep the lights low at night and not give her too much stimulation--just change, feed, and back to sleep. whereas during the day i took her out on the porch each morning for some sunlight, to kind of teach her it was daytime, and i also had her nap in the livingroom (in her bouncer--she loved it) instead of in the bedroom.

i also encouraged her to clusterfeed in the evening by offering a lot during that time. she nursed continuously from 5-9 pm lots of nights and would then go to bed for 5 hours before waking to feed.

hope some of these tips help! it gets a lot better once they realize night and day are different

congrats on your new little one!!!

[georgiegirl1974]

The key is to make day and night different. She will be up and active during the night for a while since she is still so young. During the day, make sure it is bright inside and have lots of activity going on. Try to get outside and out of the house if possible. When DD would nap during the day, I never tried to make it dark or super quiet, so that she would know the difference between napping and nighttime sleep. I wouldn't let her sleep more than 3 hours in a row during the day. At night, keep the lights would be low and be quiet and boring. I hope that she makes the transition soon.

I wanted to add that DD was usually awake for 1.5 hours in the middle of the night for the first two months or so. She also went to bed really late (like 10 or 11) and would wake up early (like 6AM). She was very colicky though.

[devilish_fetish]

I'm 9 weeks pregnant with twins and this is something I've been a little worried about. My dh works overnights 4 days a week, so 4 days a week I'm on and overnight schedule and the other 3 a regular schedule so we have time to spend together. Will dh's overnight schedule negatively affect our babies' sleep once they arrive? Soon he'll have an opportunity to work 3-11. Would switching to that now be beneficial? I don't know if the opportunity will be there still closer to when the twins are born. Sorry to hijack. TIA

[Susuhound]

She'e not really 'mixed up' she is doing exactly what babies have done for millenia. This is normal and healthy behaviour (and what more can we ask form our babies?)
Now I said normal and healthy, but I didn't say you weren't allowed to be frustrated and exhausted by this. The bright side is your baby doesn't need help to change, she will do it, maybe you 'can' make it happen quicker, although I suspect you will never know whether what you did actually helped or whether she changed by herself despite you.
This occurs because babies know your breasts need to be stimulated a lot more at night than in the day for the first few weeks so your supply is established properly. it will pass, and in the meantime you need to take care of yourself, accept every offer ofhelp you can, request help when necessar, and sleep with the baby during the day to recharge your batteries. Sometime in the first couple/few weeks babies just seem to 'get it' with regards to night and day. Apparently babies who cosleep adjust quicker than lone-sleeping babies.
Good luck.

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

thank you all...i guess patience is the key...