How do u get baby to sleep at night

[TraciG]

I think Sydney is mixed up with daytime & nightime, she went to sleep FINALLY at 2 am last night, the night before it was 3 am, she is 5 weeks old, what do I do ??????????

[mharling]

This is very common with young babies. One thing that helped us was trying to make more of a distinction between day and night. A bedtime routine could really help out there. There's really not a lot you can do and I don't recommend sleep training at such a young age. Eventually she will figure out that nighttime is for sleeping.

I know there were some previous threads on this that you could search for too. I remember that others had some ideas too, but I can't think of them right now.

Mary & Lane 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osnt.jsp?i=67b0de21b356c32425b2 - Halloween Pics!

[KGoes]

DD went through this at about the same age. I don't know that it was a mix up of days and nights as much as she just wasn't sleeping more than 3 hours at a stretch. What really helped us was establishing a bedtime routine. This is not a quick fix, but evolved over about a week or two - until the first time she slept through the night and my husband woke me up with "what's wrong with the baby?" thus negating the first time I had had six hours of sleep in a row in almost two months. But I digress. . .
Here's our routine: Bath; lotion with light massage (she has sensitve and dry skin); bottle of EBM from DH; bed. When she was not sleepy after the bottle we took turns walking her around in the dark. After a week or so, she'd be asleep before she finished her bottle. Now, she puts herself to sleep in her crib with no fussing once the lights go out even if she's not asleep when I put her down. The routine also helps a bunch when we are travelling, since she is ready to sleep at the end of it, no matter where.
You are doing a great job and there is light at the end of this newborn tunnel.
Kelley
DD born 7/03

[Momof3Labs]

Is she sleeping a lot during the day? If so, wake her more often during the day (every 2-2.5 hours) to eat. Then she'll start to move her longer period of sleep into the night.

Also, are you still giving her that formula bottle at night? Maybe it is bothering her tummy, and she'd do better nursing at bedtime. I'm not sure about this because I don't know what time you give that formula bottle, but some babies are sensitive to some formulas.

A bedtime routine helps, too!

[amp]

First, I agree that a bedtime routine will be a good thing, especially in the months to come. For now, it may help, or it may just be that she's still working out her days and nights. What time are you trying to put her down for the night? When my son was a month or two old, because he napped so much, we were not putting him down for the night until about 9pm and he would cry and cry and wouldn't go to sleep. I finally figured out that he needed to go to bed earlier, before he got overtired and couldn't fall asleep. After some experimentation, I figured out that he does best if he goes to bed around 7pm. This can be slightly flexible if needed, but it really works for him. He goes to be so much easier and with so much less fussing than if we keep him up too late. And again, in time Sydney will sort this out. Babies sleep so much that they don't really understand night and day for awhile.

[Melanie]

I remember those days...at first we just dealt w/ it, then we started changing his clothes in AM & PM instead of a sleeper all day, and turning lights down at night. Finally we resorted to the Blessed baby swing. =) He's still a night owl by comparison to some, but so are his parents by nature.

[new_mommy25]

DS did that around that age too. What did it for us was an evening bath, putting on his pj's and tightly swaddling him, and then nursing him in the side lying position in a dark room. (we leave the light in the closet on all night sort of like a nightlight). You know when you take a hot bath and then you lay down and sleep soundly? I think the warm bath followed by a full tummy and being cuddled is what did the trick for us. DS wears mostly wears a onesie during the day (we keep our house warm). He knows it is bedtime when we put his sleeper or gown on him.Now DS pretty much falls asleep automaticaly around 7:30 - 8 at night. I take him into the room, turn out the light, and put his pj's on when I see him getting drowsy. I then let him nurse as long as he wants until he falls asleep. I watch tv sofly while I nurse and it doesn't seem to bother him or affect his ability to fall asleep. We used to co-sleep exclusively but lately I've been putting him in his crib for the first stretch, and then bringing him into bed with me around 2 in the morning. I enjoy sprawling out but I also enjoy sleeping with DS in my arms and waking up to his smile. I no longer bathe him at night, I do it in the morning around 10 and he goes down for his nap after that. DH sometimes works late and he has strict instructions that he is only to cuddle with DS. If he plays with DS and gives him too much stimulation in the evening then he will be up much later and will be fussy which makes it very difficult to put him to bed.

[luvbeinmama]

DD did the same thing at that age. I'm sorry I don't remember if I actually did something that helped. But it did change. My mantra for the first year to year and a half of life is: If you don't like something, just wait it'll change soon; if you DO like something, wait, it'll change soon! That just to say, it will pass. Bedtime routines are great, but I think she will end up changing on her own even if you don't try to force it (or rather, gently guide her :)).

[TraciG]

Sydney's bedtime is 1:30, 2:00 or 3:00, we haven't even tried to put her in the pack N play early, I guess because I feel I have to feed her again soon, every 2 hours. I gave her a bath this afternoon, maybe i should start at nightime, I feel comfortable doing it myself,at first I didn't. Also she wears a onsie & a lot of times just sleeps in that if it isn't dirty by nightime. I am going to try the bath at night , a book & breasfeeding.

thanks again