Dear Genevieve: My Baby Won’t Go to Sleep Until Midnight…
Dear Genevieve: My daughter is one month old and won’t go to sleep until midnight or 1am. She’ll sleep until 5am, but then go back to sleep until 10am. How can I change her sleep schedule so she’ll go to bed around 9 or 10 at night?
~Lisa
Hi Lisa,
The fact that your daughter is sleeping 5 hours at night means that she is getting a full night’s sleep, which often happens around 2-4 months. So this is actually great. 
However, part of the reason your baby may be going back to sleep in the morning is because putting a child to bed so late actually makes her more sleep-deprived and overtired. Putting her to bed earlier should help her become more well-rested overall, so you’re on the right track!
One way to make this adjustment is to put her to sleep 15-30 minutes earlier every couple of nights. This is a gradual way to get her on an earlier sleep schedule.
Something else you can do is help your baby sense the difference between daytime sleep and nighttime sleep. Daytime naps should be in a lit room where she can still hear usual daytime noises. Nighttime sleep should be dark and quiet. When you are putting your daughter to bed at night, choose calming routines/activities instead of those that stimulate. A warm bath, soft talking, gentle touch — all of these things can help soothe your daughter and help her relax for a deeper sleep.
A big part of making this change successful will also be to get your babysitter/nanny on board with you. Since she’s spending a decent amount of time with your daughter as well, the sitter should follow your routines to help keep things consistent. Tell her what time you’d like your daughter to go to bed each night and ask her to make the distinction between daytime and nighttime sleep.
Even with these adjustments, your daughter will probably still stir (frequently) during the night. This can just be a sign that she’s settling down, so there’s no need for your or the babysitter to rush in there immediately and fully wake her. Try to wait a few minutes before you go check it out.
Good luck!
~Genevieve
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February 22nd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
This is great advise. I have one month old twins and have the same problem.
Thanks:)
February 24th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Hello Lisa…I can understand the frustration related to your baby not sleeping on a similar schedule to yours. As a mother, I am all too familiar with the sleep deprivation one feels with a newborn and the longing to be able to sleep through the night myself. First, I agree with Genevieve, I think that you are fortunate to be able to sleep 5 hours with a one month old…at that age, that is ’sleeping through the night’. I also think that it depends a great deal on whether your are breastfeeding or formula feeding your baby as breasfed babies will wake more frequently. I also think that it is too early to try to get your little one on a regular sleep cycle. But there are things you can do to start to set the stage for this. That being said, I would recommend a book called “The Contented Little Baby” by Gina Ford. My sister gave me this book when our daughter was an infant. The book is a great guide to use in helping you to establish a more structured day (sleeping, eating, playing) for your child. Just as a note, the book is pretty regimented in the way it instructs you to do things, so I would recommend that you just use it as a guide. What I liked best about it is that it breaks things down in the early months to let you know what babies typically need related to sleeping and eating. Good Luck to you.
-An empathic parent
February 25th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
well im a babysitter 13
first you should let him go to sleep at say 8 or 9 then at the afternoon you should only let him take a short hour nap