nocturnal newborn

[adniladnil]

DD#2 is just five days old and seems to be nocturnal.

She's sleeping for up to four hours at a time during the day (most of the day actually, apart from feeding) and I'd be happy enough to let her sort the timing out in her own good time if it wasn't for 18 month old DD#1 who isn't nocturnal. Between them I'm not getting any sleep at all!

Does anyone have any ideas on how to gently encourage DD#2 to spend more daylight hours awake?:confused:

Thanks!

[jojo72]

Hi,
I had this problem with Xavier when he was born too. I found that in the daytime he would sleep and sleep and at night he would be awake either crying or just lying there staring at us.

My DP's Nan suggested to me that I take him outside during the day. I didn't matter that he fell asleep in the pram. It still taught him that it was daytime just being exposed to the natural daylight. This is supposed to be especially helpful for winter babies.

Also babies don't develop their own diurnal rhythm until they are a few weeks old. This means that their bodies don't really 'do' day or night yet.

On the advice of my MCHN I also made sure that he never went more than four hours without a breastfeed during the day. That was only time we would break the 'don't wake a sleeping baby' rule.

By the time he was 6 weeks old he was doing his 'long' sleep at night. Still usually didn't start it til 3am but better than sleeping from 6am- midday.

By 8 weeks he was sleeping 10-12 hours at night.

Now we're off to sleep school but that's a different story! I hope all this helps. Jo

[punkbaby]

as bubs is only really new as hard as it is with older children/toddlers, she will settle soon. some babies take weeks to settle in the evenings i know with ds he was awake all night and day but he did eventually slow down. Some do it almost over night it really depends on bubs.

The only thing i can suggest to make bubs realise its bed time is to give them a bedtime routine, nothing strict just something simple like a bath or a skin too skin contact moment where its done same time everyday so bubs realises or that quiet time laying with them etc, even reading your oldest a book with bubs there, make it relaxing for all of you.

As i said though its still really early for bubs its a whoe new world out here and they just have to work out whats what :) generally most newborns just sleep and eat (most not all :)) so i dont really think keeping them awake would be much help, follow bubs and they will soon form a pattern