Your heart is racing. Is this a genuine thing? You take a peak inside the room like a sneaky ninja. Aah! That lovely sight — your baby has finally fallen asleep. You thank your lucky stars and turn to slink away. Then you hear your baby whimper… Oh, no! You drop your shoulders and get back to your baby. Are you struggling with a baby who won’t sleep? Here are the top 5 most common reasons shared by Dr. Supriya Rastogi – Best Child Doctor in Faridabad, why your baby won’t sleep and how you can resolve them.
1. She/He’s too stimulated
Some newborns’ senses are extremely sensitive to what is going on in and around them — Dadi’s serials, the labels on his clothes, the temperature of the room, or even the food digesting in his own gut. If you spend the last hour before bedtime viewing films or roughhousing with daddy, your baby will not want to miss out on the fun and go to sleep.
What to Do:
Remove any labels and replace your bed sheets with softer ones. Reduce the brightness and volume of the lights and sounds around bedtime. Massages, songs, storytelling (but not on the phone), or swaddling younger babies can all help your baby relax. In a tropical environment like ours, your newborn may become overheated. Remove a layer of clothes if his neck and ears become heated. Another reason your infant isn’t sleeping well might be gas, teething, or allergies.
2. She/He’s unaware about night and day
Melatonin is a hormone in our body that instructs our internal clock when to sleep and when to wake up. This hormone relies on sunshine to determine the difference between night and day. Babies that do not get adequate sun exposure may have irregular sleeping patterns.
What to Do:
Spend enough active time with your baby during the day, preferably near a window, balcony, or other source of natural light. As a result, by dimming the lights an hour before bedtime, your kid will learn to identify light with daytime activity and darkness with nighttime rest.
3. She/He’s hungry
Your infant may wake up because he or she is hungry or thirsty. If, on the other hand, you always feed your baby right before she/he goes to bed, that is what she/he will associate with sleeping. While this may not be an issue at 10 p.m., it becomes challenging when she/he wakes up at 4 a.m. and is unable to sleep without feeding.
What to Do:
Moving pre-bedtime breastfeeding a few minutes earlier may help. You can, for example, breastfeed your infant, change her/his diaper, and then put her/him to bed. To avoid your baby waking up from hunger, feed him every 1-2 hours in the evening and again before bedtime.
4. She/He’s too tired
If your baby has been up for longer than her body can handle, a stress hormone is released, making it more difficult for her/him to fall asleep.
What to Do:
Watch for signs like rubbing their eyes, heavy eyes, pulling their ears, clinging more, or the very obvious beginning of yawning. If you observe any of these symptoms, don’t wait too long to put your baby down while they’re still drowsy yet aware.
5. She/He’s become dependent
If your baby cannot sleep without you rocking or patting him or walking up and down with him, it means that he has become dependent on these crutches to fall asleep.
What to Do:
Look for indicators like as scratching their eyes, heavy eyes, pulling their ears, or the evident start of yawning. If you observe any of these symptoms, don’t wait too long to put your baby down while they’re still sleepy yet waking.
How much should my baby be sleeping?
In the first six months of life, babies do not usually have regular sleep cycles. While newborn newborns may only sleep for 1 to 2 hours at a time, they require less sleep as they get older.
When should I visit a Paediatrician?
Visit your Paediatrician if:
– Your child is snoring, waking up with gasping respiration, adopting unusual sleeping postures/movements, or is too tired throughout the day.
– While crying/grinding teeth/walking/nightmares in sleep may not be a significant medical condition, you should see your child expert if it is very frequent and upsetting.
Dr. Supriya Rastogi is Senior Consultant Neonatologist & Pediatrician with over more than 11 years of experience. Please contact Dr. Supriya Rastogi, the best Child Doctor in Faridabad if you have any questions or concerns at +91-8448550670