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Is it possible to teach a 9 week old the difference between day and night?

4 replies

lurcherlover · 28/12/2010 12:38

DS is 9 weeks tomorrow and has been a good sleeper up until a week ago. He used to cluster feed (I'm breastfeeding) until midnight, then he'd be out like a light and sleep til 7am. Brilliant, or so I thought. In the last week his "bedtime" has become later and later so the past three nights he has been wide awake until 3am. He feeds - although at times I think he's just sucking for comfort (have tried a dummy and he spits it straight out) - falls asleep on me, then as soon as I put him in the cot he's wide awake, smiling and kicking his legs. I've tried warming the cot with a hot water bottle and it doesn't make any difference. If I leave him while he's wide awake he will play happily for up to 20 mins then start crying until I pick him up again. He only sleeps when he's ready, it seems, not when I want him to! Once he's asleep he will sleep til 8am or thereabouts, so he's only getting 5 hours or so at night at the moment. Is there any way I can bring his bedtime earlier? I don't see how I can get him to sleep if he's not ready, that's the problem. Or have I just got to ride this phase out as he's too young for anything else? I'm just concerned that his bedtime should be getting earlier by now, not later!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
amijee · 28/12/2010 16:57

Set up cues for a bedtime routine and then very gradually bring the time forward by 15 mins or so a day.

Also, always wake up at same time in morning so the day is more predictable.

good luck x

NellyTheElephant · 30/12/2010 20:25

How much is he sleeping during the day? If he's only getting 5 hrs at night I'm guessing he must be sleeping a fair bit in the day. I would suggest that between the hours of 7am and 7pm you wake him from naps about 1.5 - 2 hrs after he has gone down and try and make sure that you feed at least every 2.5 to 3 hrs. Make sure that he gets as much sunlight as you can manage in this horrible weather, go outside if you can or put his carrycot in the window so he gets daylight on his face and any exposed skin (there is a connection between daylight exposure and the hormone that regulates our body clocks). Prior to 3am (i.e. between 7pm and 3am what happens? Presumably you are not feeding for all of that time?

MinkyBorage · 30/12/2010 20:26

no

debka · 30/12/2010 20:29

yes- agree with nelly

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