BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

DD just fell asleep after keeping us up since 3am. I say let her sleep. She is only 17 days old. Plus...it is near impossible to "wake" her up when she doesn't want to be up. DH thinks we should spend all of our time trying to keep her awake, but I keep telling him that she is too young to try and "schedule" and that she will eventually learn the whole day/night thing (she has already gotten better with it, but last night was just a bad night). Who is right? I would like to prove to DH that we should just let her sleep but maybe I'm wrong?

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

You are right! Let her sleep and eat as needed. She is too young to try to schedule. You can however start differentiating between night and day by not turning lights on during those night feedings and keeping contact to a mininmum. She will soon start to understand that nightime is for sleeping and daytime for playing.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

You should DEFINITELY let your DD sleep when she wants to sleep!! As a newborn they should sleep throughout the day without a set schedule. In a 24 hour period, newborn babies generally sleep for 16 to 18 hours, and this happens at regular intervals during the day and night.

Here's a little guide from the Huggies website...
The following is a guide as to how much sleep your baby should be having:

Newborn
Number of sleeps per day 4
Average time up during the day between sleeps 1 hour
Time it may take to settle 15 minutes

Newborns will be asleep 16 to 18 hours per day.
Will sleep for 1 to 3 hours at a time.
Anything less than 1 hour is called a catnap or a power nap.
It is expected for baby to wake overnight for a feed.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

Let her sleep!! In hte beginning, my kids slept 20 hours a day! They'll start getting on a schedule more towards 8-12 weeks.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

you are right....do not try to keep her up, newborns need to sleep...she will eventually get it straight....hang in there

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

Let her sleep! At her age that's all she will want to do.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

Absoultely let her sleep. Newborns need 16-20 hours of sleep a day. Over the next weeks you'll notice she'll start to stay up a little longer. We didn't have DD on a schedule until 2 months.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

OMG let her sleep-

An overtired baby (one that is awoken against there will) will sleep so much worse than a well rested child...

My DC is gonna be 2- and to this day, if he hasnt gotten enough sleep during the day, he will sleep restless at night!

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

I agree wiyth everyone and trust me a tired baby who wants to sleep and cant or wont is far worse than what you are dealing with now

DD is 9 weeks today and I am now starting to feel we have a nice system

hang in there

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

you cant keep a baby awake thats tired even if you tried. Trust your instincts and hang in there.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

LET HER SLEEP!! You'll have plenty of time when she gets older to have her awake. I WISH some days my kids would just sleep-lololol!!!!!

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

Why do men think that way? My DH said the same thing.

Let her sleep when she wants to. She needs it. An overtired baby is much harder to get asleep than a baby who got her naps in.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

let her sleep

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

I haven't BTDT for long ... but we let her sleep when she wants. When she wakes we suffer the Wrath of Alex but that's ok, as long as we've had some peace in between!

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

Get a frying pan and hit your DH over the head with it!

Maybe it will knock some sense into him...

Message edited 7/8/2007 12:56:35 PM.

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

Tell DH that she isn't a little adult and her needs are very different and that he should read a book before giving you a hard time -- You are absolutely right, she needs to sleep during the day!

Re: BTDT Moms - DH thinks we shouldn't let newborn sleep during day...

My DH thinks the same thing. But i let DS sleep when he wants too.