How To Tell When Your Baby Is Fighting Sleep
Is the amount of time it takes your baby to fall asleep normal, or is your baby fighting sleep? Dr. Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, tells Romper that babies who take 30-60 minutes to fall asleep are out of the range of normal, and are considered to be fighting sleep.
Night waking is not necessarily fighting sleep, though. Many parents have unrealistic expectations of how long a baby can sleep. Gurnee shared the most common sleep patterns for babies, and they are shorter than what you might expect. Newborns should eat every two to four hours even overnight. Sleeping through the night for a breastfed newborn is five hours and six for a formula fed baby. A secure attachment to their caregiver is more important at this stage than a good sleeper, she adds.
Sleep Tips For Babies Who Fight Sleep
If your baby fights sleep, here are five tips to get baby sleeping through the night.
1. Set a bedtime and stick to it. Babies thrive on sleep routines. When you put your baby down to sleep at the same time every night, their body clocks start to understand that its time to rest.
In my house, we did have a bedtime , but we were flexible about it. Sometimes my baby went to bed earlier and sometimes he went to bed later. My doctor encouraged me to make his bedtime firmer. If I saw that my son was about to drift off too early, Id try to keep him awake. Instead of staying late at my parents house, Id leave early so I could get him to bed on time.
2. Stick to a nap schedule too. My son used to nap whenever and wherever he felt like it. My doctor encouraged me to schedule nap time and stick to a nap routine. For example, if my baby was supposed to take his afternoon nap from 1-2:30 and he was still sleeping when 2:30 rolled around, I had to wake him up.
3. Shut off the electronics two hours before bed. If you live in a house where the television, stereo, or computer is always on, electronics could be disrupting your babys sleep.
Even when we werent watching anything, our TV was always on as background noise. My doctor encouraged us to shut the TV off two hours before my sons bedtime. In the morning, we had to wait one hour after waking up to turn it on.
Maintain A Soothing Sleep Training Plan
Bedtime can be a source of stress for parents, but by ensuring that this is a relaxing, peaceful experience for all involved, your baby is more likely to fall asleep.
Try introducing elements like soothing bedtime stories, lullabies, and gentle music into your bedtime routine. Not only can this help you calm your baby to sleep, but you might find yourself soothed too!
Read Also: What Can You Give A Newborn For Constipation
Baby Fighting Sleep Reason : Overtiredness
Surprisingly, overtiredness is by far one of the most common reasons for your baby to fight sleep! A lack of sleep can actually cause babies to become more cranky and agitated, leading to trouble settling at bedtime.
To avoid this paradoxical situation, you can try to keep an eye out for early signs of sleepiness. For example, if you notice your baby yawning or blinking more, it might be better to put them to bed sooner rather than later.
How Do You Get An Overtired Baby To Fall Asleep
If your baby becomes overtired, theyâll probably need more help falling asleep than usual. Swaddling, white noise, lullabies, darkness, and rocking will help calm your baby if theyâre having trouble settling. Take care only to use rocking as a last resort, though. If they get too used to it, youâll create more sleep problems as they wonât learn to self-soothe.
Don’t Miss: How To Remove Gas From Newborn Baby Stomach
Baby Fighting Sleep Reason : Traveling
Many adults have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places or during trips, and babies are no different. The stress of being on the move for a long time, or of being in a new environment with new, exciting things everywhere, can cause your baby to feel unsettled and fight sleep.
This is where a well-established bedtime routine can really be useful. Try going through these familiar behaviors in the order you usually do them – feed, storytime, bath, lullaby, for instance.
This can help your baby to feel more comfortable, and therefore more likely to stop fighting sleep.
The Surprising Reason Your Baby Fights Sleep
Want a peaceful summer so the kids arent fighting like cats and dogs OR in front of a screen for 10 hours a day?? Summer Rhythms can help!
There are a few reasons your baby fights sleep. Read here to learn why your baby is likely fighting sleep, plus solutions.
On her Facebook page she wrote, I was up for two hours last night because of an animal outside I am so exhausted and annoyed!
She was heavily pregnant with her first baby and due very soon.
The comments were all full of, You better get tougher than that since the baby is coming and Youll get used to it, pretty soon, you wont sleep for years!
It was funny because the contrast between pre-motherhood and motherhood is laughable in retrospect. But, I also wanted to add something important to those comments.
Something valuable.
Something helpful.
Don’t Miss: How Many Oz Does A Newborn Eat
Weaning Newborns Off Being Rocked To Sleep
For babies under 4 months, start by reviewing The Happiest Baby techniques of Swaddling, White Noise and Side/Stomach position etc. Often using these settling techniques will make enough difference that you can reduce the rocking needed.
Use the feed/play/sleep routine during the day, so you are settling baby when she is tired….and feeding baby when she wakes up. The quicker you spot the tired signs and avoid an over-tired baby, the easier it will be to settle her.
Gradually reduce the amount of movement you use with your baby. For example, if you currently rock your baby to sleep, change to rocking until she is drowsy and put her into bed partially awake.
Over time, put your baby into bed awake and let her get drowsy and fall asleep in bed rather than on you.
if your baby is a cat-napper, try to only use rocking to resettle, rather than at the start of a sleep.
Try going in 5 minutes before your baby normally wakes, and try gently disturbing her so she stirs slightly. This can help your baby fall back into another sleep cycle and avoid the need to rock her back to sleep.
Gradually change to using baby-wearing when your baby is awake, rather than as a tool to get your baby to sleep. it’s lovely carrying a baby in a sling when they can sit up and see the world, while being close to mum.
Why Sleep Is Important For The Whole Family
Sleep matters for everyone in the household. True sleep deprivation can be dangerous for your physical and mental health.
Poor sleep can lead to a variety of other health problems, from weight gain to mental disorders. It can also just make you plain miserable throughout the day, when youd rather be enjoying life with your new baby.
Babies also benefit from regular and consistent sleep, with newborns even sleeping up to 17 hours per day . Young babies will sleep as much as their bodies need a quality that caregivers should, whenever possible, seek to emulate. We know easier said than done.
Also Check: How To Help Newborn Self Soothe
What Are The Benefits Of Baby Sleep Miracle
It’s not uncommon for parents to lose plenty of sleep during the first years of parenthood.
Based on Sleep Junkie data, only 10% of new parents get the recommended amount of sleep after having kids.
With the help of Baby Sleep Miracle, you can ensure both your baby’s and your sleep needs are met using holistic methods.
Final Thoughts: How To Calm Fussy Newborns That Wont Sleep
Think of baby calming as a danceand your little love is leading. When hes wailing, do the 5 S’s with more intensity in your shush and jiggle. Then, as he calms, gradually reduce your effort and guide him down to a soft landing where he is swaddled with white noise , and perhaps some sucking or gentle rocking.
Don’t Miss: How To Do Tummy Time Newborn
Celebrate Your Childs Individuality At Cadence Education
While there are many tactics to try at home, listening to your baby crying before sleeping can be challenging as a parent. For many, a simple shift in schedule or environment can do the trick.
A quality childcare program like Cadence Education offers many families just thatthe peace of mind knowing that their baby is in an environment with qualified professionals who know the ins and outs of sleeping babies. Whether your baby cries when put down to sleep or could simply benefit from some social stimulation outside of home, Cadence Education is equipped with all the tools to support your family.
As one of the top childcare providers in the nation for the last twenty years, Cadence facilities provide high-quality programs for every child to feel safe and secure in their home away from home.
Find a facility near you to learn how you and your family can engage, grow, and thrive with your local Cadence community.
Helping Your Baby Sleep
If you haven’t already, start a bedtime routine that will be familiar and relaxing for your baby. Bathing, reading, and singing can soothe babies and signal an end to the day. Some babies like to be swaddled , which can be done until they start to roll. Be consistent and your baby will soon associate these steps with sleeping.
If you rock your baby to sleep before bedtime, your little one may expect to be rocked to sleep after nighttime awakenings. Instead, try putting your baby into a crib or bassinet while drowsy but still awake. This way your baby will learn to fall asleep on his or her own.
Some babies squirm, whine, and even cry a little before falling back to sleep on their own. Unless you think that your baby is hungry or ill, see what happens if you leave your baby alone for a few minutes he or she might settle down.
If your baby wakes during the period that you want him or her to sleep, keep activity to a minimum. Try to keep the lights low and resist the urge to play with or talk to your baby. Change or feed your baby and return him or her to the crib or bassinet.
If your baby is waking early for a morning feeding, some small changes may allow a slight shift in schedule. You might try waking your baby for the late-night feeding at a time that suits your sleep schedule:
It may take a few nights to establish this routine, but being consistent will improve your chances of success.
Also Check: How To Bathe A Newborn Baby Girl
Possible Reasons For Babies To Fight Sleep
Finding out why your baby is fighting sleep is important to help them sleep better. Here are a few possible reasons.
This usually happens when the babys circadian rhythm doesnt sync with the bedtimes set by the parents. As a result, babies might show sleep-onset latencies.
However, if your baby does not develop self-soothing, they might resist falling asleep without parental intervention .
Sleep Myth : Later To Bed = Baby Sleeps Later In The Morning
Sleeping inits wishful thinking for many parents. Actually, the thought that babies will sleep later if put to bed later is a common myth. Babies sleep better, longer, and cry less if they are put to bed early in the evening. Babies who go to sleep late in the evening are often over tired, even though they seem to have energy.
Look for your babys sleep signals that show when she is tired. Seize the moment before the sleepy window has passed. The first signs of tirednesseye rubbing, yawning, slowing downshould signal a transition to the bedtime routine. This may occur as early as 6:00 or 7:00 pm for babies.
Don’t Miss: Why Is My Newborn Constantly Crying
Infant Sleep Problems: A Troubleshooting Guide
Are you struggling with infant sleep problems? opens in a new windowBaby sleep is different than adult sleep. A lot of the stuff that drives us crazy is developmentally normal behavior.
For example, opens in a new windownewborns need to feed frequently , and the transition to longer, consolidated bouts of sleep is gradual.
In general, we shouldnt expect babies to sleep for more than 4-5 hours at a stretch until they are at least 3 months old.
But that doesnt mean we cant improve things. On the contrary, theres a lot we can do.
Might your babys sleep troubles be caused by a medical condition? Thats possible, so you might want to review these common opens in a new windowinfant medical problems that interfere with sleep.
But in this article well focus on other culprits the everyday stumbling blocks on the path to easier, more restful nights.
Here is a list of ten things that might be going wrong, and what you can do about them.
At the end, I talk about that controversy that every new parent faces the cry it out controversy and then I sum things up with a checklist of good practices for avoiding infant sleep problems.