3 wk old asleep during the day, awake at night. Help!

[Schulte]

My 3 1/2 wk old has got her daytime and nighttime confused - she'll sleep pretty much all day then be wide awake at night. I've tried everything to wake her up / keep her awake during the day but she even sleeps through nappy changes and baths. I do all the obvious things - feed her regularly during the day, take her out into the daylight, am noisy around her, then keep things very quiet and dark at night and put her straight back in her cot after nighttime feeds - yet things seem to get worse every night rather than better. ANY ideas on how to help her to adjust her body clock and how to wake her up during the day?

First if all Schulte you are doing everything right. Some young babies do take a few weeks before they can tell night from day esp if they were early. I think my twins took about 10 weeks. All I can say is that continue doing what you are doing. Wake her up for feeds. Keep her more stimulated during the day etc...After she has regained her birth weight then try to plan a rough routine for yourself and her during the day esp when you see signs that she can differentiate between day and night. They all do sooner or later.

our dd1 did this til about 7-8 weeks then it started to get slowly better. she is hte best sleeper i know and has been since abot 10 weeks. just hang in there. it is a (v v v v tough) phase and it will pass.

Sorry Schultes, no suggestions here, but bumping

bump

Am afraid to say, that's how it goes sometimes. DD took a while to sort out her day and night but until then there's nothing you can do about it. Isn't it something to do with the development of melatonin which regulates our body clocks? I remember scouring the internet for information on the exact day I could expect this to happen! If it's at all possible just go with the flow and try to sleep during the day even if everything else goes to pot.

It will right itself soon, promise

Bump again!

Pretty much the only thing that reliably wakes H is nappy changes. I can't believe she sleeps through these!

My DS did this, we just went with the flow and slept when he did and his body clock automatically adjusted.

I would just try to make sure that the room is very dark at night and don't shut curtains etc during the day when she is asleep.

dd1 was just like this, i agree with what others have said in that by about 7-8 weeks my dd1 had just grown out of it.

however in the meantime could you try getting her a babygym with lots of flashing lights and music to try and occupy her a bit during the day? this is what the health visitor recommended we try with dd1 and it did help a bit.

also, if she just stays awake for about an hour between each feed then this should make her more tired at night.

but tbh this is pretty much normal behaviour for a 3 week old and it can be very very difficult to try and keep them awake when they want to sleep can't it! you have my sympathy but this will soon pass

Thanks everyone! Am sitting here crying... It's all the more frustrating as DD1 was so good from day one. A few more weeks... this too shall pass...

Schulte, be comforted that there's nothing you can do as it's not your doing. It won't last.

Oh Schultes - this too shall pass - come on over to post-natal, we'll cheer you up!

Here we are!!!

My dd was born 3 weeks early and was like this too - she's my second. Yep, keep feeding her regularly and she will get the hang of it.

I would strip her down and give her a warmish bath in the sink between feeds sometimes and then keep her nappy off for a kick around (particularly now the days are a wee bit warmer than January !!) but even if she had 10 minutes it that gradually stretched to 20 and then 30 mins and eventually she got the hang of day and night but she's still little. 16 weeks on and she sleeps well from 7 -7 with a late feed in beteween it so have hope !!!!>...