What to do with my babys bad sleeping habits?
I need help!

by Rhiannon Smith
(Australia)

Hello my name is Rhiannon and i have a month old baby girl called Josie. I'm having trouble with her getting to sleep at nights, it gets to about 1am and she is wide awake until about 6am, she then sleeps all day and I can't keep her awake because I can't keep myself awake.

I read all of your tips and I'm willing to try them but I don't know what times I should put her down for, or if she should sleep in her own room at this stage? I would like to put her down for bed about 8pm, is that a good time? or should it be later. please get back to me!! I'm really lost at the moment and getting really stressed with no sleep.

Thank You.

Reply from New Baby & Beyond

Hi Rhiannon

Firstly being a Mother can be hard work, especially when you're getting very little sleep. I know a lot of women who have at some stage been in your position, and it does get better.

OK a newborn to 3 month old will sleep around 16 to 19 hours a day, probably taking half of this sleep in the day and half at night. Your baby doesn't yet know the difference between daytime and nighttime, to her, any time is a good time to interact with 'Mom'!

Your baby is too young to sleep through the night at the minute as she will need a feed, but you can start to teach her that night time isn't a big interaction time. So when she wakes at 1am try to be as boring as possible for her, don't make a big fuss over her feed, keep the lighting as low as possible, and don't change her nappy unless its really necessary. As soon as she is done with her feed, gently wind her and settle her back down.

Personally I wouldn't take her out of your bedroom until she is 6 months old.

Do you have a close relative or a friend that could look after Josie for you for a few hours during the day while you get some much needed sleep. Your babysitter could interact with your little one and keep her awake and amused for you. A few days of this could have your baby sleeping longer during the night, letting you get some well deserved sleep at night too.

Young babies will sleep during day, they may take 2 longish naps or even 4 or 5 slightly shorter naps, but they could add up to around 8 hours. As your baby gets older she should start to stay awake longer in the day, and sleep longer at night. So by the time Josie is 3 months she may be down to napping during the day for only around 6 hours.

Start a bedtime routine for your baby too, a warm bath followed by a feed and a story (no baby is ever too young for a story!, they will love hearing mums voice and watching your facial expressions) 8 o clock is a good time to settle your baby to bed, or whatever time suits you best. But do try and stick to a bedtime routine, babies will thrive on routine and as they get older they will have a good routine to stick too.

I know at the minute it feels like this phase will never end, but many women will tell you that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I wish you the very best, do try and enlist the help of a relative or friend, it will make things a lot easier for you. Oh by the way, Josie is absolutely beautiful, you must be a very proud mum ;)

Kind regards
Julie
New baby & beyond