Day versus Night: Tips to help your baby learn the difference

The best sleeping environment for all of us to sleep in (baby included)  is “cave like” darkness. This helps surpress awake hormones from being released (adrenaline and cortisol) and to help encourage the sleepy hormone – melatonin to be released.

The end goal is to have your baby sleep in well lit environments by day and then in a dark room by night.

To help your little one differentiate night from day, follow these simple steps:

Initiate a night time routine

1. Bath your baby every night. If you are concerned about their skin, there are wonderful products out there and you do not need to use soap every night. It is the experience of getting in water every night that is so different from everything else you do during the day. A bath need not be long and drawn out,  two to five minutes for a newborn is sufficient.
2. After the bath, do the rest of your loving bedtime routine in the room where your newborn or infant is sleeping – that way they will associate it with “sleepy time” It should last a total of 30 to 45 minutes including time to feed.
3. After you have your baby dressed and swaddled (newborns) or in their sleep sack, sit down and give your last feed – nurse or bottle in the room where they are sleeping. Keep the lights on so they do not fall asleep.
4. Finish your loving routine with a book and a lullaby and then place your baby into the bassinet or crib – drowsy if a newborn, wide awake for infants.
5. If your newborn or infant wakes up during the night, give them a few minutes to self soothe. If they don’t, then do all your night time feeds in the room where they are sleeping. Do not change diapers or take them out of their swaddles or sleep sacks unless you smell a dirty nappy. Keep the lights off for the feeds but make sure they do not fall asleep on the breast or the bottle.

During the day

1. When morning time arrives, make it a big deal! Turn on the lights, open the curtains, and say “good morning!”
2. Take your baby out of his swaddle or sleep sack and change his nappy.
3. Change your baby’s scenery and nurse him in a well lit and bright environment.
4. Focus on feed, play, sleep by day and always feed outside the room where your baby sleeps at night.
5. Implement a nap routine.
6. Use the swaddle and sleep sack by day too for naps as these are positive sleep association tools.

About the Author: Good Night is a child and baby sleep consultancy that specialises in helping parents with children who struggle to sleep soundly. For more information, visit: www.goodnightbaby.co.za

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