Baby sleep problems? That a baby won’t sleep can be frustrating. This may first be looked at as a norm, a regular disruption, often part of new parenthood. It is often not anything out of the ordinary, but on closer examination, when it persists, you discover there are underlying, grave reasons why the baby wouldn’t sleep. Don’t fret yet; pay attention to the insights we have here.
Why Is My Baby Not Sleeping?
Several mothers have experienced endless tossing and twisting, wondering why the incessant crying and alertness at night. What could be responsible?
Your Baby Has Absolutely No Idea What Time of the Day It Is
All babies have stayed in the uterus for about 7-9 months, where nobody marks morning, noon or night, so babies do not know. If babies sleep all through the day, they most likely may sleep less at night. So if you observe your baby is a little of a night animal, do not worry just yet. You can take these tips to help your baby find the rhythm here.
- Expose your baby to fresh air and sunlight. Wear protective clothing for the baby while doing this.
- This is really going to help. Tire them out to ensure they are awake for longer periods during the day. Health officials recommend playing with babies after food, so they don’t just drift off to sleep.
- Put off lights at night.
- Make certain you sheathe your baby every evening. They see this as a sleep time ritual and adjust to it.
- Place the baby’s cot near the window. By themselves, they can observe the changing differences between night and day.
Your sleep time will soon be back to normal if you patiently follow these steps.
Your Baby Is Not Feeling Well
When adults are feeling unwell, they feel exhausted and want to stay in bed throughout. Even doctors advise it. Now, while mere resting will do it for adults, babies are quite different. Any type of illness will unsettle babies and make them cry. The crying, in turn leading to a lack of sleep. Mums don’t have a clue what to do. When you are clueless like that, these suggestions can be life-saving.
- Fever? Check the baby’s temperature so you can safely rule out a fever. If it’s a fever, then you’ll know.
- If You Hear A Rumbling Of The Tummy: It could be gas or constipation.
- Hypersensitive: Your baby may be hypersensitive to some things that you are not aware of.
- Teething: If your baby is growing a new one, this will certainly keep them awake and uncomfortable.
- Restless Leg Syndrome? You might never have heard of this, but babies do have it. This is them kicking their legs endlessly like someone on a bicycle. They do this a lot at night.
- Common Cold: Your baby may have a common cold or other ailments.
If you observe that your baby is sick, the first thing to do is call the doctor. This is because the slightest issues with them can get severe due to their frailty.
Your Baby Want Some Good Old Attention
At times, we get engrossed in so many things – work, home management, family, and caring for the baby itself. After providing the baby with the basics, we tend to forget that they’re lovable creatures and want a piece of the action. When they cry at times, it’s for nothing but some attention. How can you tell this type of cry from the others? You’ll know when they kick their legs and get playful in the nights. You can put their crib in your room. So if you ever feel like sharing a cuddle or a peck, you won’t have to go far.
Your Baby Might Be Starving
Feed the little ones as many times as they want to be fed. Babies tend to eat a lot, but we don’t know. Give them enough because they need food to grow muscles and develop their bones. Should your baby show hunger pangs at night, do not deprive them. If they cry because of starvation, they will go back to sleep after being fed.
Some Other Minor Causes
Many “little” factors could be responsible for your baby staying awake at night. If you have tried out many other possible reasons and the baby is not sleeping still, it just might be that.
- There is too much excitement or stirring up in day time (from playing or other activities). This could be a possible reason for a sleepless night.
- The Baby’s diaper is wet and needs to be changed.
- There are loud noises from the neighborhood – train station, market, etc. It may take some time before the baby can adjust to its new environment.
- Babies don’t like to be by themselves. They may feel lonely, and the only way to protest is by crying and staying awake.
How Long Do The Restless Night Go On For?
Managing babies, especially in the first few months, can be exhausting. There seems to be no respite in sight, and mum finds themselves doing everything to fit into the baby’s sleep cycle and secretly wishing things to return to normal. To a large extent, this depends on your baby. Babies are different so are their needs. The restless night is transient. Give it a few weeks, and the baby will adjust.
How Can I Get My Baby To Sleep At Night?
At this point, you are armed with some information already but not everything. Here’s a couple of tricks to make them have a sound sleep.
Little Stimulation, Less Stirring
Don’t play too much with them when you wake them. You probably wake them for a diaper change or to feed them. Whatever it is, don’t stimulate them so much that sleep disappears from their eyes. You don’t want to turn bedtime to playtime, do you? Do what you will and get back to sleep.
If Your Baby Is Fussing Around At Night, Give It A Second
If your baby cries continuously every night, such that you’ve considered every reason and you found they only want attention, don’t rush to scoop them up. At this point, you should be instilling independence in them. Leave them alone for a while before you intervene.
Similarly, try to keep them awake for longer during the daytime. Stir them up with food, play, captivating views, etc. By evening, they are tired, and they want to sleep. Please give them a warm bath and tuck them in bed.
How Much Sleep Do Babies Need?
Having information about the amount of sleep a baby needs is very important. The quantity of sleep varies according to different stages of their growth. Here, take a look.
The First Few Months
Babies’ earliest months are so difficult to get into. Baby and Mom are just meeting and getting used to each other. It seems incredible, but it’s true. Babies at this stage need about 14-17 hours of sleep every day. If your baby slept all day, it’s highly probable that he’ll stay up for the better part of the night.
When They Reach the 5 Month Mark
Remember we said earlier that sweet mum’s sleepless nights wouldn’t last for long, which the baby will adjust. Yes! After a few months, the baby’s sleep time drops to 10-12 hours. Babies may likely sleep the night out at this stage.
When They Reach 1 Year
In one year, they need approximately 8-10 hours of sleep. You should ensure that nap time does not last too long. Otherwise, it bounces back to you at night. You know nap times aren’t supposed to belong. If it becomes unnecessarily long, then unavoidably, he’ll get sleepless at night.
When Should I Call The Doctor?
Nobody knows a child as much as the mother. So I’d say follow your instincts. If you have followed every step, tried every trick and your baby is still awake at night, then it’s time to ring the doctor.
Regrettably, many doctors don’t take this kind of complaint seriously. It would be best to convince the doctor and tell him the numerous options you have considered before consulting. He should offer advice on what to do next. If things do not improve still, there is an underlying issue that must be addressed.
Final Thoughts
Now, this is overwhelming. It can be draining managing a baby who wouldn’t sleep. The mother, too, cannot sleep when the baby isn’t sleeping. She faces the stress, the anxiety, the despair. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be like that anymore. You now know what to check for, when to expect, what to do, when to seek help, and when to give your baby tender loving care. You are in good hands.
Babies are fragile and completely vulnerable, depending on caregivers for everything. It’s miserable when they’re so uncomfortable they’re losing sleep. Now, super mums need not be clueless anymore. Use this post as your handbook. Take charge of your baby’s life. Scrutinize each situation, do a thorough analysis of your baby’s condition as this post has mentored you, and rule wisely. Let’s see you rock that restless baby back to sleep.