Day vs. night confusion: how to help your newborn sleep better at night

Bringing home a newborn is a beautiful but exhausting experience – especially when your little one seems to have their days and nights completely mixed up. If your baby sleeps peacefully during the day but parties all night, they may have day vs. night confusion.

But don’t worry! This is super common. Your baby has spent months in the womb, where it was always dark, and they slept whenever they wanted. Now, they need to adjust to the rhythms of the outside world. The good news? There are gentle ways to help your baby recognise the difference between day and night. Here’s how:

1. Let the daylight in

Expose your baby to plenty of natural daylight during the day. Open the curtains, take them outside for fresh air or sit by a window. Sunlight helps regulate your baby’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), making it easier for them to recognise daytime.

2. Keep daytime naps bright and noisy

It’s tempting to create a quiet, dark environment for daytime naps, but newborns actually sleep well with background noise. Let them nap in natural light with normal household sounds – this helps reinforce that daytime is for activity and night-time is for deep sleep.

3. Make nights dark and calm

In contrast, keep night-time dark and quiet. Use dim lighting for night feeds and nappy changes and avoid bright lamps or screens. Keep interactions calm and soothing to signal that night-time is for sleep, not playtime.

4. Start a gentle bedtime routine

Even newborns can benefit from a short, calming bedtime routine. This could include a warm bath, gentle massage, feeding and white noise. A consistent routine helps your baby recognise that it’s time for sleep.

5. Limit long naps during the day

If your baby is taking super-long naps (over 2 or 3 hours) during the day, it might be affecting their sleep at night. Try gently waking them for a feed and some awake time to prevent them from sleeping too much during the day and being wide awake at night.

6. Offer full feeds during the day

Make sure your baby is getting full feeds during the day to help reduce the need for extra night-time feedings. A well-fed baby during the day is more likely to have longer stretches of sleep at night.

7. Be Patient – it’s temporary!

Day-night confusion usually resolves itself by 4-6 weeks, as your baby naturally adjusts to the world. Be patient and focus on gentle consistency rather than quick fixes.

Final thoughts

Day vs. night confusion is tough, but it won’t last forever. By exposing your baby to daylight, keeping nights calm, and encouraging a gentle routine, you can help them transition into a more predictable sleep pattern.