he sleeps deeply all day long and will wake every hour during the night. I know he is quite young, but how do i help him regulate his sleeping patterns so we can all get at least a little more sleep then we have been?
My older kids never had this problem so I have no prior experience to fall back on with this one.
2007-07-06 14:51:38 · 15 answers · asked by ? 6 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
we don't expect him to sleep through the night, we don;t let him "cry it out" and we don;t have unrealistic expectations, I was asking what are some things we can do NOW that will help us help him as he gets a little older and reaches the age where he can start getting his sleep patterns regulated
I am perfectly aware that young babies mean little sleep. .
2007-07-06 15:00:39 · update #1
I know how you feel. My doctor actually explained it to me once. In the womb, babies sleep while we are moving and wake when we are still because of the movement rocking them to sleep. I just thought that was interesting!
Anyway, as others have said, keep him stimulated during the day as much as possible. Tummy time is great. I don't know when exactly doctors recommend 'tummy time' but we started out right away. It kept him up and active. We also tried to play a lot. Have your other two try to help him stay up. Kids are great at keeping babies occupied!
Most newborns don't sleep 20 hours as one person said. They only need [I believe] 18 hours of sleep. I'm crazy about routine so I'd start him on one now. I'm not talking a strict routine where you deprive him of food or over-feed him if he's not hungry but just with his sleeping habits. What type of person are you? I'm a morning person. Give him a bath in the morning after he wakes up for good. Stimulate him, give him tummy time, play with him, and then let him take a nap. Then when he wakes up again; take him outside with your other kids to the park. Have fun with it. Really, you just have to keep him up for six hours during the day so it should be relatively easy.
Also, since he sleeps so soundly during the day--why not wake him up to feed him every 3-4 hours? [If he doesn't on his own.] Keep him up for an hour or two after that.
I'm all out of suggestions! LOL! Sorry if it was repetitive. I hope you get some sleep soon. Best of Luck!
Here is an excerpt from the below website:
Begin to teach him the difference between day and night.
Some infants are night owls (something you may have gotten a hint of during pregnancy) and will be wide awake just when you want to hit the hay. For the first few days you won't be able to do much about this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him to distinguish night from day.
When he's alert and awake during the day, play with him as much as you can, keep the house and his room light and bright, and don't worry about minimizing regular daytime noises like the phone, radio, or dishwasher. If he tends to sleep through feedings, wake him up. At night, don't play with him at feeding time. Keep the lights and noise level low, and don't spend too much time talking to him. Before long he should begin to figure out that nighttime is for sleeping.
2007-07-06 16:33:51 · answer #1 · answered by .vato. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your son should be sleeping about 20 hours a day at this point. The baby has no concept of day time or night time. It will take a few weeks maybe months to naturally change his sleeping patterns. Two of my kids slept like that and were on the same track as I was by the time they were around 2 months.
2007-07-06 14:57:21 · answer #2 · answered by Shadow Of T 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your baby has got the time of day flip flopped. It's very common when they are tiny. He thinks its daytime at night and visa versa. One of my guys did the same thing. I know they sleep a lot when they're babies but try to keep him awake a bit more during the day. Talk to him, play with him, whatever you can think of to wear him out throughout the day and with time he will start sleeping a more normal schedule. At least that's what I did. Good luck and congrats on your new addition!
2007-07-06 15:09:38 · answer #3 · answered by yankeegirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Poor baby, he has his days and nights mixed up. Well, it won't be easy but you need to keep him awake more during the day. You'll need to keep him stimulated so he doesn't sleep all day and keep you up all night.
Be sure he is in a cool place, not warm and cozy. I know it will be difficult to "play" with him but you need to in order to get him regulated. Have a set time for him to have a nap during the morning and afternoon, but not too long. Then have a routine at night to go to bed; maybe a bath, feeding, changing, rocking and then down in his crib. Baby's like routines and it shouldn't be too long before he fits into yours.
I wish you and your family well.
2007-07-06 15:04:20 · answer #4 · answered by Sage 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our baby did the exact same thing. Our pediatrician recommended opening the curtains during the day, and playing upbeat music. Then in the evening dim the lights, and create a calm relaxing atmosphere. We tried this, but it really just took time for her to work it out on her own. I was a zombie for about a month, but she eventually caught on. She actually snapped out of it on our first trip to my parents house. Maybe the 2 hr. car trip and the change of enviroment helped. Good luck!
2007-07-06 16:10:58 · answer #5 · answered by Holly B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the same problem with my youngest daughter. She's now 26 years old. What we did was wake her up during the day, and play with her. We also fed her a little more before bedtime. With a 2 1/2 week old, the baby's schedule should be easily reset.
http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=177
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/FL/00118.html
These websites say the same thing as what we did with our daughter.
Good luck.
2007-07-06 14:58:19 · answer #6 · answered by Debra S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't let him sleep all day long. WAKE him up. Try to let him stay awake at least an hour before letting him nap again. Even though he is 21/2 wks. don't let him sleep all day.
2007-07-06 14:59:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it can't be helped much. the baby sleeps when he's good and ready. best thing is is to play with him during the day and try to keep him up, but you can't force it too hard. hopefully once he ages a little, he'll grow out of it. he is very young. if you complain now, you are screwed.
2007-07-06 17:55:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
do your best to keep him awake as mush as possible during the day open the windows and such make noise and everything to stimulate him
2007-07-06 14:57:35 · answer #9 · answered by Moo moo I'm a chicken 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe just wait a little if it isthat young thwen u might justwait o if ur really concerned... ask a doctor
2007-07-06 14:55:19 · answer #10 · answered by lip 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋