Day and Night Confusion for Babies: A problem many of us parents face is the difficulties of day and night confusion for babies. It can be a nightmare for you, the baby, and honestly, everyone in the household.
Your sweet baby was able to live in your dark womb for nine months, enjoying peace and quiet. Then they come out, and it can wreak havoc on their sleeping patterns. There are some tips and tricks you can try to help get your baby situated and sleep when she is supposed to.
What Is Day And Night Confusion For Babies?
If you’re reading this and wondering what in the world day and night confusion for babies is, then you are one of the lucky ones! Basically, day and night confusion is precisely how it sounds. Instead of your baby sleeping at night, she decided to catch most of her zzz’s during the day.
That is fine when you are trying to work on a project, clean the house, or catching up on your shows. But when nighttime comes around, your baby wants to stay awake and check out the world around her. That means you have to change your sleep schedule, too, and if you work during the day.
Tips To Help With Day And Night Confusion
For most newborns, day and night confusion doesn’t last a long time. Once you get them acclimated to life outside of the womb and on a routine, they will flourish. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to give you some peace.
Related: The Best Newborn Sleep Schedule
Brighten Your Home During The Day
If you happen to prefer your home dark, make some adjustments, so the baby knows it’s daylight. Open the curtains, so the sunshine is proudly peeking through the windows. Turn on lights, use lamps, whatever you need to do to make your home bright and cheery during the day.
Be Loud During The Day
When it’s daytime, get used to running the vacuum. Let the other kids get a little loud and noisy. Listen to music that has a fast beat. It’s important not to keep the home so quiet during the day that your baby wants to go to sleep all day.
Note: If you notice your baby is becoming overstimulated during the day from noises, you can certainly back off. We all know an overstimulated baby means a very unhappy baby, and no one wants that.
Spend a lot of your day talking to her about what you are doing. Read her some books or just talk about nothing. Not only will this help her realize it’s time to be awake, but she will also love the sound of your voice too.
Get Out Of The House During The Day
This is a great time to put your baby in a stroller and go for a walk together. When the sun is shining, it just feels good for both of you. Plus, you can get in a few extra steps, and your child will start getting used to the daylight hours.
Don’t Let Your Baby Sleep All Day
I know you may have heard the expression, “Never wake a sleeping baby.” Well, sleep is great for their development, and it’s important to always allow naps. However, your goal is for her to sleep at night, and this is one way that can help.
Let her sleep for around 2 ½ – 3 hours at a time. Then slowly try to wake her. I find that the fastest way to wake a sleeping baby is by changing their diapers. But you can also try lightly touching her face, running your fingers through her hair, holding her upright, or talking to her.
While you may worry that waking your baby isn’t a good idea, this is a fantastic way to make her realize that day time is for being awake.
Start An Evening Routine
This is one of the most essential steps for your baby to start to understand bedtime. Do the same things every day when it’s time to sleep. For example, give them a warm bath, rub lavender-scented lotion on her skin, wrap her in a swaddle blanket, or begin singing her lullabies. Getting into a routine is something that your baby will crave as she grows. Methods and systems help your child know what to expect and what their roles are too.
Quiet Down At Night
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you should limit sounds around the house when it nears bedtime. Teach the other kids in the house to be quiet during this time too. Put on some soft and relaxing music or add a noise machine to the nursery. These will be good indicators for your baby to go to sleep. After the routine is in place and the house is quiet, your baby will be much more likely to doze off.
These tips have helped me over the years, so I am sure that if you stick to it, many of them will help you too. While day and night confusion for babies can be frustrating and tiresome, they don’t last for too long.
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