Seeking Advice Regarding My 2 Week Old and Sleep

As long as you wake her every 4 hrs. in the day to eat and talk to her...Let her sleep as long as she wants to. You are doing the right thing by keeping it dark and quiet at night when she wakes to eat. Do not talk much to her at night. Stimulation should be in the day time.
Good Luck
S.

Hi A.,
I went through the exact same thing with my daughter when she was that young. The good news is that the eventually come out of it on their own. The bad news is that it may take a couple of months.

I know with me it was that when I was pregnant with her, she was most active from 8 p.m. on. It stands to reason that she kept that routine once she was born. I hate to say that you just have to ride it out. Good luck...

Hi A.
I know this might sound strange but flip her in the crib swith the position of her head and feet.It worked for me seven years ago with my daughter. Good luck and hopefully rets full nights
D. D

Babies are not born with a biological clock. They are on a 24 hour day - they do not know the difference between night and day. That does not come until later - somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks! Good luck, and congrats on your new baby!

we sat next to the sunniest window in the house during the day so the sunshine will reset her internal clock. Our Dr. told us that this was the only way their internal clock could be reset. Good luck.

A.,
I would recommend getting something that produces white noise at night. It could be the hussle and bussle during the day is actually acting as white noise for your daughter which encourages her to sleep during the day. My mother bought we a bear that makes the sound of the mother's heartbeat and I think it helped with my son. You can buy them at Toys R Us. I think I would also try my best to keep her up more during the day by trying to interact with her more. But it could be that she's too young to really keep her engaged during the day. Hopefully you'll find something that works. Good luck.

My pediatrician once told me that new babies suffer from jet lag. They are used to being rocked all day long while in the belly and are active at night. Then all of a sudden we expect them to miracously change things around. So...it will take some time. But as long as you continue keeping things light and interesting during the day and don't interact with her at night (no lights on while nursing...even changing) and she will adjust in no time.

Good luck and congratulations!!

H. Z. (SAHM 5, 4, and 14 month old boys)

Of course like you said she is very young. She will sleep most of the time anyway. The only thing I can think of is to make sure you wake her fully to eat during the day, dont let her sleep through feedings during the day. She will eventually get use to day and night, it takes time.

Hi A. Change her position in her bed Put her head opposite of what you are currently doing. This worked for my daughter and granddaughter who was the same way.

A.

Newborns have their days and nights mixed up for a good reason...when they were in the womb, we'd essentially rock them to sleep all day as we moved around. At night when we lay down, they'd wake up. Right? That's the way my little one was anyway.

When they're first born and home from the hospital, they have jet lag... They'll get over it. You're already doing the right thing by keeping the house bright and active during the day. The babe will catch on eventually.

As for helping them get to sleep? I actually found that my swing was the magical ingredient. Swaddle tightly, swing on high, and have some good loud white noise on...it simulates their experience in the womb!
Good luck!!

My 3 1/2 year old was exactly the same. Even in the womb she was more active at night than in the day time. What I did with her as well as my 8 month old twins was put her on a daytime schedule. I read it in a book but I don't know the name of it. It went similar to this....wake up every 2 1/2 - 3 hrs during the day to feed, so I usually started at 7am so eating times would be 7, 10, 1, 4, 7 & 10. I would have to feed at nightime also but it slowly got longer in the night and my twins were sleeping through the night by 2 3/4 months old. It was hard to keep the structure during the day so times would have to be altered but I tried to stick to the 2 1/2 - 3 hours feedings. By waking them during the day they are more apt to sleep at night. Good luck with whatever you do!!!

S.

Hi there!

I have a 6.5 month old and he used to do the same thing. What I learned was that the light and noise overstimulates them so they go to sleep. When they are that little, they actually sleep in the noise and wake in the quiet!! Try turning on a light and a TV or radio for noise. I would also stick the bassinet in the bathroom and run the water! not eco-friendly or wallet friendly, but mommy needed rest!

p.s. My nurse told me the above...then I tried it at home. Babies do not differentiate between day and night until they are a few months old, so trying the whole wind-down thing at 2 weeks, may be premature:-)

Hi A.! I agree with others, that two weeks is so young still, and your baby will definitely get more regulated as the weeks go on. This is that tiring, somewhat thankless time when you have to feed on demand and you don't always know what the baby's sleep patterns will be, since there aren't set patterns! With both my girls, I found that when I thought they were in a routine (as newborns), it would change so quickly that I had to adjust to their new routine once again! It WILL get better, though, around 6 weeks, if not sooner. I remember my 6-week checkup time being a turning point not only for me, but both my kids. They also start smiling and responding more to you around 6 - 8 weeks as well, so things get better all around. I read once that the first three months of the baby's life are like the "fourth trimester" for you... that helped me just go with the flow more and let things happen. Before you know it, your baby will be more predictable. Keep doing what you are doing, and try to keep her awake a little more during the day if at all possible (not always possible with a baby so young, but maybe in a couple of weeks). Good luck and hang in there!

I went through this as well. We were told it is because while in-utero the baby is lulled to sleep as we keep moving throughout the day. In the evening while we are trying to sleep that is when the baby becomes active. This all rang true for me. We used one of those vibrating/massaging chairs to help her sleep in the evening and by 5 or 6 weeks old she had adjusted to her days and nights.

This happened to me with our son. Was your little one born at night? That's what the issue with us was, he was born when he should have been sleeping and it took about 3 weeks or so until his body adjusted to the normal day/night routine. The nursing specialist at the hospital said it might happen and it did. Give her another week or so and it may straighten itself out. You are doing all the right things. I took my son outside alot since he was born in June and that seemed to help him too. Good luck.

My daughter was the same way! Over time, probably by twelve weeks she will straighten herself out. In the meantime, keep it bright and noisy during the day and dim and peaceful at night. When she wakes during the day try to stimulate her with attention as much as possible. Congratulations!!

My daughter was the same way! Commotion during the day is probably actually helping her sleep, since that is what she was used to in the womb. Make sure you wake her up to eat during the day (easier said than done, I know - undressing helps, as can putting a drop or two of milk on her lips) and keep lights off at night when she wakes up. You might try a white noise machine at night too, since the silence at night can keep babies awake because they are used to the (rather noisy) womb. Even running a fan can help.

There isn't much you can do at 2 wks old but try to keep her up as much as possible when she wakes during the day. Talk to her, play little games w/ her, tickle her toes. She will get more of a regular shcedule as she gets older.

My daughter had the same problem. We tried everything, but nothing really worked. She just switched on her own after about a month. Luckily she was our first child so I could sleep during the day. It must be so hard with a 3 yr old to take care of. My daughter is now 29 months and I have a 5 month old who sleeps (thank goodness!). The only advice I have is to just hang in there and it will resolve itself. Good luck!

Your baby is 2 weeks old, every kid is differnt, mine didn't sleep through the night until 7 months! You are excpeting way to much to think your daughter will do anything but sleep when she needs (whether day or night) for at LEAST 4 months, probably more. As you know with your older one, it changes and gets better over the first year.
Of course then there is teething, nightmares, sickness,switch from crib to bed, readjustment after vacation and vivistors to your house..... then puberty..... that's parenthood for ya!?

Your baby is still very young and it is expected that in the first couple weeks she will be adjusting to life outside the womb. What she has been doing is typical for her age. No two babies are exactly alike and usually siblings tend to be very different from each other as babies. What you can start to do now is get her into a routine where she eats every 3 hrs during the day. If she is sleeping when it is time to eat, wake her. If you allow her to sleep during tghe day as if it is night time, the longer this pattern will continue. If you need help with this, there are agencies out there with qualified caregivers that will come in and help. If you have one overnight, this will allow you to get the sleep you need as well. Congratulations on your new baby, and best of luck!

Hi A.. Babies were inside the womb for 9 months surrounded by a LOT OF NOISES (try to listen to someone's belly). That's silence which keeps them startled because it is totally unnatural for them. Try not to surround her with too much silence in the night, and maybe you can keep it more quite in the day. In the night you can use humidifier, fan, baby music (that sounds a bit like broken radio), or a radio which is not tuned, baby monitor radio receiver which is on the wrong switch position, so it makes a shhhhhhhhhhhhh noise low volume...

She is so young and may need some extra sleep, but I started undressing my daughter early evening to make her wake up, eat and kept her up as much as possible. We put her down later, knowing she was probably exhausted. Eventually she changed her night/day pattern. So, try undressing her, baths, feedings, light music, anything that stirs her from her slumber to keep her more awake during the day and see if that helps. Good luck!

This may sound foolish to you, and some will say that old wives tales don't work but it does work! I have done it to my children, my grandchildren and to children of my friends and it works. So try this. Lets say that at 8 o'clock your baby will have a bottle and will go down for the evening. Before giving the baby that bottle, you and your husband or whoever should sit indian style in the middle of your bed facing each other. Summer sault her forward one time and than do the same thing backwards twice. If you give her the bottle after that she should be all set and sleep except for a possible 2o'clock feeding. It really does work. Give it a try and let me know if it makes a difference.

I had the same issue. The way we solved it was to have my son sleep during the day in a very dark room and then at night keep the light on.
That night he slept better and has slept great with a nightlight ever since.

Good luck.

Hi A.,
I would suggest waking your baby up for feedings during the day. Also, it would be good to take her outside during the day. I would go out once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I would go for a walk in the stroller or carry her. Having the light on our eyelids, even when they are closed is supposed to help us become regulated. It may just take some time as well! Good Luck!

this is an old wives tail but i tried it with my fourth child and it seemed to work crzy but flip her around clock wise one completely circle K.

Hi A. -

You are doing exactly what you are supposed to do. Loud and bright during the day and quiet and dark at night. It just takes some time for your baby to adjust - usually four to six weeks of age they start to learn.

I have never had this problem for more than a night or two, but I have a really strange remedy that several people have told me about, and they swear by it!! I don't know how this could possibly do anything, but they said with their children who had days and nights backwards, they held them in the air and turned them around counterclockwise until they were right side up again. Is this crazy? Has anyone else heard of this? Who knows though, it might do something, and it certainly can't hurt. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

Hi A., my brother had the same problem and what he and his wife did was to wake the baby during the day and play for as long as you can, about 30 minutes; put the baby down and if goes to sleep let it sleep awhile, but wake over again and again consistently. This will help to tire the little out and promote better sleep during the night.

Mine, thank God, was awake all day, but slept through the night her second week home. I just couldn't get anything done like cleaning. I guess I had it best though.

Good luck.