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Sleep

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Original poster

Do babies naturally learn the difference between day and night?

29 replies

Scottishbump85 · 21/02/2022 07:31

My LO is nearly 4 weeks old and obviously still doesn’t know the difference between day and night, so she sleeps A LOT during the day, peacefully, sometimes for you to 4 hours at a time. Night time is a different story, we are lucky to get 3 hours undisturbed and she’s so noisy also lol. She doesn’t always settle well after her middle of the night feed either so can take an age for us to get back to sleep.

I guess I’m looking for assurance that she will eventually recognise that night time is for sleeping?! Or are there things I need to do to teach her? I already keep the room dark when feeding and don’t engage with her etc.

I know they say everything is temporary, but I’m so longing for more sleep!

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LoHD · 21/02/2022 07:55

Hello
Yes they do about 6 weeks! 😃

Original poster

Scottishbump85 · 21/02/2022 08:36

Good to know! Thank you! Trying not to wish away these newborn days, but man I’m tired 😂

OP posts:

ComDummings · 21/02/2022 08:37

They get there in the end, some take longer than others. You’re doing the right things by making the night feeds quiet and darker than daytime feeds so keep doing what you’re doing!

FudgeSundae · 21/02/2022 08:38

Hahahaha no. You have to teach them. Make it bright and noisy in the day and dark and quiet at night. Their circadian rhythms will adapt but it’s normal for babies to be born with them the wrong way round.

thingymaboob · 21/02/2022 09:07

My LO is 3 weeks and it's definitely the wrong way round. Wide awake 00:00-03:00 hours. Then sleeps 1 hour, feed for 1 hour then has 2 hours sleep, then I feed and my husband takes her in sling whilst I sleep for 2 hours. God knows how I will cope when he goes back to work on Thursday!

WoMandalorian · 21/02/2022 09:10

I used to interrupt naps in the day that lasted too long. Don't need to do that with subsequent children as the older ones interrupt the naps for me 😅

Thesearmsofmine · 21/02/2022 09:11

During the day make sure the room is light and bright and there is background noise even when they sleep. Then at night do the opposite, quiet, low voice(I wouldn’t say don’t engage though). It takes time but they usually get there in the rend.

thingymaboob · 21/02/2022 09:11

@Scottishbump85 when you say she's noisy, what sort of noises does she make? I only ask as mine makes weird cooing, grunty noises like a small dinosaur (i imagine)

AlternativePerspective · 21/02/2022 09:18

I am visually impaired and have 0 light perception. Because of that, when I got up in the night with DS there were no lights,so I got him up in the dark, fed and changed him, and put him back to bed, so he never had the opportunity to be wide awake. He slept through from 9 weeks, but even before that he only ever woke once. And although obviously every baby is different, I do believe that the fact he was never fed/changed with anything but darkness at night made a difference.

Original poster

Scottishbump85 · 21/02/2022 10:06

[quote thingymaboob]@Scottishbump85 when you say she's noisy, what sort of noises does she make? I only ask as mine makes weird cooing, grunty noises like a small dinosaur (i imagine)[/quote]
Grunts and groans really! Sometimes it sounds like she’s about to cry but then stops!

OP posts:

thingymaboob · 21/02/2022 10:15

@Scottishbump85 that's exactly what mine is like. Grunts and groans and the beginnings of a cry but never comes to anything

thingymaboob · 21/02/2022 10:16

@AlternativePerspective sounds like a good technique for getting them use to day and night

Original poster

Scottishbump85 · 21/02/2022 10:28

@thingymaboob

Man! That is rough! Hoping things start to improve for you soon x

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Original poster

Scottishbump85 · 21/02/2022 10:29

@WoMandalorian

I used to interrupt naps in the day that lasted too long. Don't need to do that with subsequent children as the older ones interrupt the naps for me 😅

Did that make a difference and how did you interrupt them napping? Our one can sleep through anything when she’s properly out and won’t stir! 😂

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CrimbleCrumble1 · 21/02/2022 10:31

My third DC seemed to have day and night the wrong way around but it seemed to sort itself out when he was seven weeks old.

Yahyahs22 · 21/02/2022 10:35

Actually, they learn it in the womb around 32 weeks gestation.

BendingSpoons · 21/02/2022 10:38

I was told the best thing to do is take them out for a walk each morning (weather permitting!) so they are exposed to natural sunlight.

bedheadedzombie · 21/02/2022 10:41

It will gradually get better. Try to change with low light, or a night light. First change, then feed. Yes they pee when they feed but the other way around wakes them up! If you can sleep during the day, fo so. Waking up feels hellish but it still helps longterm if you can sleep somewhat extra. Don't try famcy cooking, I highly recommemd Rukmini Iyers roasting tin cookbook. I prepare the tin way in advance when I have time (so morning or lunchtime, and atore it in the fridge till it needs to go in the oven. No more prepping food while baby cries.

stormstormgoaway · 21/02/2022 10:42

Not sure exactly how the process works, but I did everything to reinforce and encourage it by taking them out in the daylight and keeping lights low at night.

Don't expect them to sleep through the night any time soon, but you can expect night time to be about quiet feeding and cuddles, and daytime for play.

Good luck, everything is a phase!

Franca123 · 21/02/2022 10:45

Nudge them in the right direction. I think Gina Ford says don't let them sleep after 5ish so that they're nice and tired for bedtime. She also says wake them at 7am. This way you're gently putting marks in the day that'll guide them in the right direction. Mine never struggled with day and night. I know Gina Ford is very unfashionable but I swear by it. My friends have mainly got terrible sleep problems and we've never struggled at all. My youngest started Gina Ford from around 1 week old.

TulipsGarden · 21/02/2022 10:46

Take them out for a walk (or two) a day as soon as you're physically able. And keep whatever they sleep in during the day next to a window if you can, so they get the daylight and naturally start to learn the difference.

Mine had jaundice so we got him outside a lot and kept him by the window, and he seemed to settle to night and day very quickly.

Original poster

Scottishbump85 · 22/03/2022 20:35

Just to update here, LO is now nearly 8 weeks old and is sleeping much better at night! She is sometimes sleeping up to 7 hours! Amazing how quickly they change!

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thingymaboob · 23/03/2022 00:28

@Scottishbump85

Just to update here, LO is now nearly 8 weeks old and is sleeping much better at night! She is sometimes sleeping up to 7 hours! Amazing how quickly they change!

Oh my god that's amazing. Mines 7 weeks and we are struggling with a lingering cold so nowhere near that amount. I'm so happy for you and not jealous at all 😜

Original poster

Scottishbump85 · 23/03/2022 07:53

Well, ironically after posting this, we had a really bad night! She also has a cold and was coughing all night and is really full of mucus! Bah! X

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thingymaboob · 23/03/2022 09:59

@Scottishbump85

Well, ironically after posting this, we had a really bad night! She also has a cold and was coughing all night and is really full of mucus! Bah! X

It's the worst. We have been congested for 3 weeks!

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