What To Do With Newborn When Awake

Have An Early Bedtime

The best way to reset your newborns overtired cycle is to have an early bedtime. As in, really early.

If hes been awake for a long stretch, he needs to catch up on lost sleep. Rather than waiting until your regular bedtime to put him down for the night, start it much earlier so he can finally rest for the day.

If you normally put him down at 8pm, try 6:30pm or even 6pm. You can even avoid the infamous witching hours by putting him down during the time frame hes usually extra fussy.

Get tips on how to break the cycle of an overtired baby.

Excerpt The Newborns Happily Awake Span

How do you help your newborn to be happier, sleep better, and be more peaceful? By paying attention to how long she stays awake and making sure she isnt up too long.

The length of time that your baby is awake from one sleep period to the next will have a powerful impact on her temperament and behavior. It will also affect how easily your baby falls asleep and how well she sleeps, so it is a very important consideration.

Newborns shouldnt stay awake very long

The natural span of awake time is very, very short for a newborn baby and gradually increases over time. Newborns can only stay happily awake for forty-five minutes to an hour or two at the most. At about three months of age some babies still need a nap every hour or two, but some can be awake as long as three hours, if they are routinely sleeping well at night and getting good, long naps. By six months most babies can stay awake for two to three hours. However, most newborns good sleepers and frequent-wakers alike do best with short awake spans interspersed with plenty of naps.

I call this the happily awake span because your baby can stay awake longer, but typically if she does shell be unhappy fussing and crying and working herself up so much that its hard for her to fall asleep, yet hard for her to stay awake. Its an unpleasant situation for babies and their caregivers, too!

Long awake times can be detrimental to your newborn

Short awake periods = Happier baby

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What To Do During The Day

• Keep the room bright, with shades or curtains open.
• Don’t try to reduce normal household noises such as vacuuming, the dishwasher or telephone.
• If your baby is still asleep at feed time, wake him up and feed him.
• When he’s awake and alert, play with him during the day .
• Provide stimulation by talking to him and using direct eye contact.

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How Long Should Your Baby Be Awake

Newborn babies generally sleep a lot . However baby sleep is generally broken up into 7-8 naps varying in length from 15 minutes to 4-6 hours.

Most newborn babies cant stay awake very long Although it varies by baby, most newborns can stay awake no longer than 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Some may not be able to stay awake more than 30 minutes at a time. This is generally the maximum amount of time you want your baby to be awake at any point throughout the day.

So hypothetically this means that if your newborn baby wakes up from a nap at noon, she will need to go back down for another nap around 12:45. Assume she takes a 30-minute nap and then wakes up . Then she would be ready to take yet another nap at approximately 2:00 pm.

As babies get older their window of wakefulness gets longer, the naps generally get longer, and the number of naps they need gradually decreases and becomes more predictable.

How To Keep Your Light Sleeper From Waking Up All The Way

1. Dont rush in the moment you think your baby has awakened.

As noted above, babies experience frequent arousals, but that doesnt mean they are doomed to wake up all the way every few minutes. Babies often jerk, sigh, or vocalize during partial arousals. If you avoid stimulating them during these moments, they may go back to sleep on their own.

2. Tank up the baby before you go to sleep.

Whether you breastfeed or bottle-fed, try to give the baby an especially large meal before your own bedtime. This will encourage your baby to sleep longer. To learn more about this approach, see this Parenting Science guide to Dream feeding.

3. If you feed your baby formula, try to find one that includes DHA.

DHA is a fatty acid found in fish oil and other dietary sources. Its important for brain development, and may play a role in shaping sleep patterns as well.

In one study, children who consumed low levels of DHA had reduced amount of slow-wave sleep . In another study, pregnant women with higher blood levels of DHA gave birth to babies who spent more time in quiet sleep .

DHA is found in breast milk, so its plausible that boosting a nursing mothers DHA intake could improve a newborns sleep patterns. If you use formula, it seems like a good idea to find a baby formula that contains DHA.

4. Check out my article on baby sleep aids.

There youll find tips for improving newborn sleep, and avoiding practices that are either unhelpful or potentially hazardous.

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How Do You Figure Out How Long Your Baby Should Stay Awake

A few newborn babies will fall asleep after a certain amount of time no matter how hard you try to keep them awake. Some babies will give very good clues that they are tired so you can settle them down to sleep as soon as they look a little glazed over, rub their eyes, yawn, etc. Some will stay awake far longer than their bodes can handle. Youll know THIS is your baby if they stay awake for 1.5 hours or longer and then have a grand mal meltdown.Youll know youve figured out how long your baby should stay awake when she falls asleep really easily. If its a struggle to help her fall asleep youre either trying too soon, or youre trying too late.

As a general rule you should use the guidelines in the table below. I know youve been told all babies are different but in my experience almost ALL babies fall within these guidelines. Thus if your baby is vastly off the grid that Im suggesting here, you probably have an overtired baby on your hands.

When Should You Start Having Playtime With Your Newborn

From the first moment you hold your newborn you are engaging their senses. They peer up at your face, hear your voice, and feel the warmth of your skin. These simple connections are the very beginning of what can count as play in the early newborn days.

In the first month or so it may seem that your babys interests are mostly limited to eating, sleeping, and pooping. But you may also notice that they perk up and turn their head toward familiar voices or try to focus their eyes on a toy when you give it a rattle or squeak.

It may be hard to imagine, but by the second month they may be holding up their head when placed on their tummy to look around. And by the third month, youre likely to see consistent smiles and hear sounds that seem like their attempt to communicate with you.

While they arent able to tell you in words that theyre having a good time, youre likely to notice signs that your baby is ready for and interested in playtime each day. While they spend a lot of time sleeping youll start to see times when theyre awake and alert, but calm.

During these times when they are receptive to interaction you can start to engage in some simple games and activities.

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While Baby Is Awake: Leaving The House

With so much emphasis on consistency and the eat wake sleep cycle it can be hard to ever leave the house!

I have found that waking my baby a bit early from their morning nap is the best time to run any sort of errand.

I will pack a bottle and then wake the baby from their nap early and drive to the errand location.

Then I will feed the baby at the errand location, finish the errand and be home before their afternoon nap time.

Once your baby drops their evening cat nap they have a longer chunk of time in the afternoons which allows for going and doing things without worrying about missing a nap.

Its perfect for family outings, going out to dinner, and enjoying the outdoors in nice weather!

Even though consistency is so crucial when sleep training, flexibility is important and valuable too.

If you need to get out of the house go!

Having one or two short naps a week wont be detrimental to your sleep success!

It is also important to remember that the early days of sleep training wont last forever.

The amount of consistency a one week old needs will be much different than what they need at six weeks old.

A baby at eight months old will be much more flexible than they are at one month old .

The early days can be exhausting. They can be frustrating.

But they are WORTH it! So stick to what youre working hard towards and it will get easier and it will pay off faster than you think!

Fill Up During The Day

Offer your baby regular feeds during the day every 3 hours or less even if it means waking her up. Some babies will naturally do a 4 hour sleep stretch somewhere in a 24 hour period, just dont let her do it during the day!

You can gently wake your baby by picking her up, unswaddling her , or removing some of her clothing, stroking or tickling her arms and legs, or go straight to changing her diaper. Shell still need to feed during the night but hopefully shell start to stretch out her feeds when its dark

When thinking about the day you may realize that times between feedings were stretched out to accommodate a busier schedule, or that your baby was distracted and didnt ask for milk as often. This is one reason why newborns wake up at night.

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So When Do Babies Develop Mature Circadian Rhythms

Its normal for babies to take 12 weeks, or even longer.

Most infants take about 12 weeks to show day-night rhythms in the production of melatonin . Circadian changes in cortisol, a hormone that helps regulate alertness, may take even longer to emerge . And, overall, babies may take 3-5 months before they settle at nightmeaning that they sleep for more than 5 hours at a stretch .

Nevertheless, newborn sleep isnt completely divorced from the natural rhythms of the 24-hour day. Studies show that circadian rhythms begin developing in the first days after birth.

For example, German and Japanese studies have reported that newborns sleep more at night than they do during the day .

And scientific evidence suggests that even newborns are receptive to environmental cues about time. You can take advantage of this fact to help shape newborn sleep patterns.

What To Do If A Newborn Is Sleeping Too Much

Usually, a newborn who appears to be sleeping too much is just sleeping on an irregular schedule.

Nevertheless, health issues such as respiratory infections that are minor annoyances in older babies can be much more dangerous in newborns. So, anyone who is concerned about a babys sleeping schedule should consult a pediatrician.

Some strategies to try before calling the doctor include:

• feeding the baby every time they show hunger cues
• offering the baby the breast, the chest, or a bottle every 12 hours to ensure adequate food intake
• making sure that the baby is not too cold or too hot
• keeping a log of the babys sleep schedule for 12 days

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Help Your Newborn Fall Asleep

Dont make the mistake I did and assume that your baby will just fall asleep whenever shes tired. Many babies need our help to fall asleep, and will end up overtired without it.

To start, set up the right environment, from keeping the room dark to turning on white noise. Use the swing, baby wrap, swaddle, and pacifier to help her doze off. Rock her to a sleepy state before putting her down. If she wakes up crying, comfort her and put her back down drowsy.

At this age, its a balance of giving her an opportunity to fall asleep on her own, with helping her when shes struggling to do so. Down the line, you can consider sleep training, but for now, she likely still needs your help falling asleep.

Heres how to get an overtired newborn to sleep.

Learning Play And Your Newborn

Play is the main way that infants learn how to move, communicate, socialize, and understand their surroundings. During the first month of life, your baby will learn by interacting with you.

The first thing your baby will learn is to associate you with getting their needs met. So, the feel of your touch, the sound of your voice, and the sight of your face will begin to mean nourishment, warmth, and comfort.

Even at this young age, babies are ready to learn about the world around them. Your newborn loves to look your face. Newborns can recognize and respond to a parent’s voice by looking alert and becoming less active. Babies may try to find out where a sound is coming from by looking around.

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Change Of Clothes And Diapers

Newborns have a daily routine of eating sleeping and popping. That is why it becomes indispensable to change the cloths during the day time of the baby. It will provide a new and refreshing look at the baby. Clean and hygienic babies attract everyone. Changing materials that are clean and dirt-free is essential during day time because the newborn remains in the eyes of everyone.

Changing diapers and making the baby clean is an essential feature of growing up the baby. The baby requires milk feed almost every hour, and according to this, the popping routines moves. This activity of changing the clothes and diapers after every hour is time-consuming. As it is a routine of the baby, it never overcomes with tiredness to the mothers.

What Routines Can I Start With My Newborn

It helps to remain flexible with newborns. However, you might choose to start doing simple things with your baby in a similar order when it comes to sleeping, feeding and playing:

• when your baby wakes from a sleep, offer them a feed
• in the middle of, or at the end of the feed, change your baby’s nappy
• have cuddle, talk and play time
• settle your baby down to sleep

At night you may prefer to skip play time and simply try to settle them back to sleep.

You should do what you feel is best for you and your baby, but seek advice if you are not sure. Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to talk to a maternal child health nurse.

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Outdoor Activities To Do With Newborns

When itâs a beautiful warm day, why not spend some quality time with your baby during a walk or at the local park or playground. Remember that your newborn should not be exposed to direct sunlight, so you’ll need to find a shady spot to enjoy the outdoors. Thereâs plenty you can do together outside â here are just a few ideas:

• Go for a walk. Put your little one in a stroller or a baby carrier, making sure she is dressed appropriately for the temperature, and has the shade of the canopy and a wide brimmed hat if itâs sunny out. Getting outdoors can be stimulating for your baby, and also gets you moving. As your little one grows you can start pointing out all the things you see to your baby.

• Tummy time in the backyard or park. Lay a comfortable blanket down on a safe area â grass in your yard or in an area of the park free from anything like sharp stones â and give your baby a little tummy time outdoors.

• Read to your little one in the fresh air. Reading with your baby is a good activity no matter where you are, but when the weather is nice, grab a book and a picnic blanket and find a good place to settle down together for some story time.

• Play with bubbles. Blow some bubbles into the air and let your baby watch them. Babies love to watch bubbles, and itâs fun to do this outside on a nice day! Just remember to blow the bubbles away from your baby so the soapy water doesnât get in your newbornâs eyes or on her sensitive skin.

Create An Environment For Eating Not Sleeping

Babies should be fed at least every four hours, but some can go up to six. In order to keep your baby awake during feedings and prevent them from going into a deep sleep, here are some tips:

Light up the room. Take off their clothes and socks. Change up breastfeeding positions, burp them if needed, change diapers when necessary or desired anything that will make your baby comfortable as they are still getting used to you being with them all of the time. Play music in a variety of genres for an even more engaging environment! Sing while feeding or play with your little one.

whichever makes him happy! Stroke palms and soles gently along his arms & feet after coming back from work so he feels secure around you again without having been away too long . Finish by wetting a washcloth that has been lukewarm water before rubbing it on their face during feedings to keep cool air circulating near the mouth area where milk. Blow air on your baby’s cheeks or forehead to cool down after a bath, play music for them but don’t forget to sing along with it either you could also try playing together using toys in different ways so that they can explore new things.

Don’t be afraid to move – move your baby around and burp them to keep them awake. If your baby seems drowsy, remove the bottle or gently unlatch and reposition to wake the baby. You can also blow the air gently on your baby’s cheeks or forehead , stroke her bare feet, or change her diaper.

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