Why is your baby sleepless?

Every baby is always on a constant feeding and sleep wake cycle. Newborns sleep between 10 to 18 hours in a day and it’s perfectly normal to do so. They tend to stay awake for a maximum time period of three hours at a go. Sleep patterns are often learned as a child and as they go on repeating for years, they become habits which the child gets adapted to.

At the tender age of 2 months, babies take between two to four naps each day and at 12 months they take either one or two naps. Factors such as illness or a change in routine can easily disrupt your baby’s sleep. Developmental milestones, like learning to stand and crawling, may also temporarily disrupt sleep.

However, 25%-50% continue to awaken during the night. Babies are usually able to soothe themselves back to sleep and go right back to sleep. Some babies awaken their parents and need help getting back to sleep. This is because parents develop the habit of helping their baby to fall asleep by rocking, holding, etc. Slowly babies rely on this kind of help from their parents in order to fall asleep.

Resisting Sleeping on their Back

The baby looks distressed when you try resting them on their backs. Babies feel more comfortable sleeping on their tummies, but that sleep position is linked to a much higher incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). So we recommend to always put your baby on their back to sleep.

If your baby just won’t settle, talk to your pediatrician, for any possible physical explanations it’s much more likely that your baby is just uncomfortable on their backs. If that’s the case, you can try to encourage back-sleeping, including swaddling your baby and rocking her to sleep. Just avoid using the sleep positioner, and develop a consistent routine. Eventually, your baby will get used to sleeping on their backs.

Mixing Up Day and Night

Your baby sleeps all day, and then stays up at night for a long time. Your newborn’s nocturnal ways should normalize as they adjust to life on the outside, but you can speed along the process of helping them to separate day and night, including limiting daytime naps and making clear distinctions between day and night (eg: keeping baby’s room dark when they take a nap and avoiding turning on the TV during nighttime, at least around them).

Sleep Regression

At 3 months old, your baby might be ready for anything but sleep. Welcome to sleep regression — a perfectly normal thing that many babies experience at this time, then at 8 to 10 months and 12 months (though it can happen at any time).
Why? With all this fascinating new stuff and people to encounter, life is just so much fun to waste time sleeping.

Be sure your baby is getting enough sleep during the day for lost sleep at night, since it’s harder for an overtired baby to settle down at night. Sleep regression is temporary and sleep patterns should return to baseline.

Teething Pain Keeps Baby Up

If your baby is showing signs of teething during the day, teething pain may also be waking them up at night. Teething – related sleep issues can begin almost any time during the first year. Some babies grow their first tooth at 2 to 3 months, while some are toothless until their first birthday. They might settle down on her own, though you might have to leave the room for that to happen. If tender gums pain her night after night, ask your pediatrician.

Not Falling Asleep on Her Own

Start by improving the bedtime routine. If your baby’s dependent on a bottle or breast to sleep, start scheduling the last feeding 30 minutes before their usual bedtime or nap. Then, when they’re sleepy but not asleep, make your move and place them in their crib. give it a chance. Once the baby learns to soothe himself/herself won’t need you at bedtime anymore.

How you tackle sleep training? Letting your 6-month-old cry it out almost always works. At 6 months babies are aware that crying results in being looked towards and taken care of. But once they understand that their parents are not falling for the trap, most will stop crying and get some rest. Sleep in the same room as your baby for at least six months, ideally a year. If your baby wakes during the night while you’re in the same room, one should make sure all is well.

Waking Early

Your baby wakes up early and starts crying and that too at the break of dawn. If your baby is 6 months old, you can try to get them to sleep later, adjusting their nap schedule, trying out different bedtimes, and making their room comfortable in terms of lighting and sounds.

Safe Sleep Practices for Infants –

• Practice the ABC’s : Babies should sleep Alone, on their Backs and in a Crib. Place your baby on their back for sleep, may it be night time or nap time.
• Once your baby can roll, your baby can comfortably stay in the sleep position that he/she assumes. But practice to place your baby to sleep on his back.
• Place your baby on a firm mattress in a safety-approved crib with slats no greater than 2-3/8 inches apart.
• Your baby’s face and head should stay uncovered and clear of blankets or any other coverings during naps. Remove all pillows from the crib.
• Create a “smoke-free-zone” around your baby.
• One should take care to avoid overheating during sleep and maintain your baby’s bedroom at a comfortable temperature for an average healthy adult.
• Remove all electronic devices and hanging crib toys by about the age of 6 months, when your baby begins to pick him/herself up in their crib.
• Remove crib bumpers by about the first year, when your baby can begin to climb.

For your Infant to Sleep Well –

• Learn your baby’s signs of sleepiness. Some babies cry when they are tired, while others rub their eyes, look off into space, or pull on their soft red ears. Your baby will fall asleep quickly if you put them down the minute them lets you know that them is sleepy.
• Develop a sleep schedule to follow daily. Babies sleep best when they are consistent with their sleep times and wake times.
• Set up a consistent bedroom environment.
• Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake, which will help them to fall asleep independently and thereby develop a good habit.
• Sleep when your baby sleeps. Parents need sleep also.
• Contact your doctor if Babies are extremely fussy or frequently difficult to console. Also, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor if your baby ever seems to have problems breathing.