Baby with nights and days mixed up - how to switch?

[Fishpond]

DS will be 7 weeks old on Monday. He has been pretty sleepy since birth but now can stay awake for 2-2.5 hours at a time. Problem is, he has his days and nights mixed up!

We were doing well with 3 hour daily feeds and 4 hour nightly, but now over the last 3 days he has been awake from 8pm-11pm and then 3-7am off and on (if sleeping for part of that time it's super light sleep, very fidgety and grunty), then conking out and sleeping all day. I have to really stimulate him enough to get him to eat but he keeps his eyes closed and goes right back to sleep. The only thing that wakes him right up is taking a bath, but I can't give him a bath 4 times a day!

I've tried walking fingers up/down spine, undressing, taking outside, takin ginto shops, car rides (he hates his carseat!), music, dancing, singing, baby massage, nothing is working! Vicious cycle as he is so awake during the eves and early mornings he is too tired to stay up during the day so I can reverse it.

I don't think you can reverse as such. All I did with mine was to have definite day and night structure. Daytime was bright, noisy, tv in background, lots of talking to baby (even if eyes were closed and asleep!), shopping, the usual. Lots of talking to baby while feeding. Come 6-7pm ish whole thing changed - bath, feed, put to sleep upstairs in cot. Even if baby is awake I still put upstairs so they learn to fall asleep on their own. I put dc4 in his own room from 2 weeks old as he liked to chunter on all night! He was, as you describe, a fidgety grunty baby. He kept us awake and I think any any movement we made kept him awake. All feeds after that were silent, no talking, sometimes even no eye contact! Then back to daytime noise/talk again for 1st feed in the morning. They soon 'learned' day and night.
Hope this helps.

Agree with frazzled plus it's also worth remembering that as they get older they only get more and more stimulated with toys/books/anything daytimey so it does change, honest. DD was completely nocturnal at first. It was awful! x

Sounds pretty normal then! Yes I do all of those things already, carry on with day as normal and lots of talking, noise, bright lights in day, then silent and dark at night. Guess this too shall pass!

I had this nightmare will all 5 dc!!

What I did!

Morning time was 8am - up down stairs open curtains telly on, lots of noise and light!! Play time, get dressed bla bla.

Babies this age usually need sleep after being awake for about hour ns half so put little one down then.

At night time, time to chill dim lights keep playtime soft , nice warm bath in room with very low light nice cuddle and milk then straight down to bed!!! Night time feeds need to be very little noise or movement , pick baby up feed burp of needed then down!!

This worked for me perfectly :) hope this helps your little one will catch on I promise