Day/Night Confusion — How to Help Set Your Baby’s Internal Clock

If your baby sleeps soundly all day but wants to stay up all night… you’re not imagining things. This is called day/night confusion, and it’s a totally normal phase in the early newborn weeks.

Why It Happens

In the womb, babies sleep in total darkness and don’t learn day from night. After birth, it takes time to develop a circadian rhythm (their internal sleep clock).

Signs of Day/Night Confusion

• Long daytime naps

• Wide awake and alert at night

• Frequent night feeds

• Very short wake windows during the day

What Helps

• Expose your baby to light during wake windows

• Keep nighttime calm—dim lights, soft voices, no stimulation

• Use white noise and swaddling to soothe

• Avoid overly long naps during the day (no more than 2–2.5 hours at a time)
  

With consistency, most babies naturally shift to a more balanced rhythm within 1–2 weeks.

Want Help Navigating It?

Inside my Baby’s Sleep Essentials eBook, I walk you through the first 6 months of baby’s sleep, including how to gently reset your baby’s clock, setting up a good, solid foundation for healthy long term sleep habits and more. I also offer 1:1 support for families who want real-time guidance.