Infant Growth Spurt and Sleeping

T.-

I feel your pain hun! It takes a while to get those sleep cycles regulated. The best thing you and your baby can do is get out in the early morning sun without sunglasses. The early morning light will help her start to regulate her production of melatonin and seratonin in her brain. These hormones help regulate her circadian rythmns, and yours. Try to get at least 20 minutes minimum of morning sun.

Do you have her sleep in the room with you? If not, I would recommend this- especially till her sleep cycles are more regulated. You can just use a play yard, or a bed called a "side sleeper". It's a special mini crib that butts up to your side of the bed so you have easy access to her all night and don't have to get out of bed to feed her. Sleeping with or near her with also help her regulate her sleep rythmns. She was in you for 9+ months depending on your limbic system to help regulate hers. She still needs you as she's developing. =D

A great book to check out- healthy sleep habits, happy child.

Best of luck and if you can't sleep when she sleeps- at least lay down and practice some relaxation techniques. Warm blankets on my feet work for me. Also- the body naturally relaxes when there is about a 5" change in temperature. That's why we get drowsy so quick in the rising heat of summer- The change in temperature signals our brain that it's time to rest.

*I know swaddling is super popular- but I never swaddled either of my girls. I did what I mentioned above and their sleep schedules have been solid. The morning sun is incredibly important. When the girls had a difficult time unwinding to sleep for whatever reasons- wrap your little one up in a warm (not hot) blanket, and gently rock her in your arms. It is baby cryptonite! =D

We are natural creatures, and we depend on nature to help us regulate our bodies.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but usually they start to get their days and nights mixed up. It sounds like that is what she is transitioning into. Good Luck

Your daughter is still pretty new.
The older she gets, the more she may want to eat and be alert.
Try getting her used to being awake more during the day, not to the point of exhausting her, but trying to get daytime and nightime flipped around.
My kids didn't really sleep during the day which was a weird concept for me because I thought new babies slept all the time. Not mine! But, from the time they were newborns, they slept well at night, waking only once to nurse and then going back to sleep.
New babies are hard to figure out and get a good schedule in place but you can certainly work on it. When my babies woke to nurse, I put them in bed with me so I could drift off a little too and then put them back in their cribs. It worked very well. At least for me.
I know it's hard to sleep when your baby sleeps, but that really is a good plan. Otherwise, you will get way too worn down. I know there are many things to do, but rest is so important and especially in the first month or so, to recharge your batteries, allow yourself to nap when they nap.
Just keep in mind that babies who sleep all day will likely be awake all night and they get flip flopped with their schedules.
I was so glad my kids were "day" kids and did their sleeping at night.
You will find what works.
And, as your baby grows even more, the sleep patterns may change so for now....get the rest you can when you can.

Congratuations on your baby!

Its up to you, but you can try Unisom. It is non habit forming and when I take 2 tablets, I still don't sleep hard enough not to hear my 19 month old, but I sleep better. I know everyone is different and you certainly don't want to not be able to wake up if she is crying, but you can try 1 tablet and see if that helps.

Another things is to put on some soothing and relaxing music. Try and find some CD's and listen to them. This may also help get your daughter back to sleep.

Have you tried taking her into an area, where she is not stimulated? Take her into a room with the light off (or, at least a room that's not very bright.) with soft music or white noise. White noise worked great for my son. Do you swaddle her, when it's time to sleep? My son would stay awake for hours, if he wasn't swaddled during the first few months. We had a really hard time with him staying awake forever, until we swaddled him and took him away from stimulation. Good luck!!