Tackling Newborn Day and Night Confusion
While in the womb, babies have no concept of night and day. This is what paves the way to day and night confusion in newborns. In fact, pregnant mums often observe their baby's heightened activity at night when they're trying to sleep, and decreased activity during the day, likely influenced by the soothing motion of mum's daily movements.
After birth, babies have elevated levels of maternal melatonin, making them extra sleepy in their first days to weeks. While they will feed in regular intervals around the clock, waking equally in the night and day for feeds, they experience minimal alert or awake time between these feeds.
But as the initial weeks pass, you'll notice a gradual increase in their alertness, resembling a 'waking up' phase, and these periods of wakefulness will not always align naturally with daytime. It's not uncommon to find them wide awake in the middle of the night and unusually sleepy during the day, which can be exhausting for new parents!
Thankfully, you can guide them in learning their day from night with a few simple steps.
Eliminating Newborn Day and Night Confusion
Below you will see the top tips to help reduce day and night confusion in newborns, and get them accustomed to more consistent sleep schedules.
Tip #1
During the early weeks, prioritize naps in brightly lit rooms with natural sunlight, and maintain a well-lit environment throughout the day. Exposing them to sunlight, especially in the morning, helps to synchronize their body clock with the rise and fall of the sun.
Tip #2
Embrace daytime noise. Many new parents believe they should keep the house quiet, but daytime hours should be filled with sounds, activity, and social interaction. This doesn’t require a parade of visitors; it can simply be mum or dad chatting, smiling, and engaging with the baby.
Tip #3
If feeding intervals are stretching too far apart during the day, wake them from naps to ensure feeds occur at least every 3 hours initially. Babies regulate their calorie intake well, and missed feeds during the day can lead to more frequent waking at night to compensate.
Tip #4
Prepare them for nighttime sleep by dimming the lights an hour before bedtime and keeping all lights off during overnight sleep times. During night feeds, maintain a low-key atmosphere with dim lighting and minimal noise and activity. Avoid leaving the TV on, as the blue light emitted by screens can disrupt a baby's body clock, similar to midday sun exposure.
Tip #5
After those first few weeks, it's key to start following wake windows that match your baby's age. This way, they get enough awake time during the day between naps, which helps them settle into a regular sleep routine at night.
How Long Do Newborns Have Their Days and Nights Confused?
Newborns typically experience day and night confusion for the first few weeks of life. As their circadian rhythms mature and they become accustomed to day-night patterns, you'll notice improvements. By around 6 weeks of age, most babies start settling into more predictable sleep patterns, often leading to some longer nighttime stretches.
Author Bio:
Written by Melissa, an internationally certified infant and toddler sleep consultant and founder of Baby Sleep Code. Baby Sleep Code offers virtual one-on-one sleep consulting packages and downloadable educational resources like their Newborn Sleep Guide. Their services are 5-star reviewed and have often been described as “Life Changing.