I remember this happening with both my babies. They would sleep so well in the day and then just when I settled in to bed for the night, they were wide awake! Oh man, my heart would sink as I desperately tried to keep my eyes open and tried my best to settle this very wakeful baby.
In the early weeks it is quite common for your little one to have their days and nights switched up. This is due to an immature circadian rhythm and they have not yet developed a consistent sleep-wake cycle. If your little one is sleeping all day and up to party all night, then this is what you are dealing with.
But don’t worry, here are my top tips for day-night confusion which should help get things the right way round real quick:
- Wake at a regular time every morning, for example 7am. This gets them into a rhythm and a relatively predictable bedtime.
- Offer full feeds during the day (every 2.5-3 hours) which will result in a fuller tummy and longer stretches overnight.
- Wake your baby if they have been sleeping longer than 2-3 hours, this ensures that we fit in the day’s feeds and that we don’t offer too much sleep in the day. A baby will only sleep a certain amount of hours in a 24 hour period!
- Expose your baby to plenty of sunlight in the day, this is the biggest differentiating factor between night and day.
- At bedtime keep lights dim and make sure to limit light and interaction during waking and feeds overnight, this will indicate to your baby that it is not daytime and time to play.
It’s important to remember that every baby is different and it may take some time for your little one to get the hang of this new rhythm. By following the above mentioned tips and being patient with your little one, this will improve in time.
If you need more help to establish a newborn feeding and sleep routine, check out my Newborn Settling and Sleep Guide.
You got this Mama!
