Soothing Your Crying Baby
As parents, were wired to respond when our babies cry. Our soothing methods vary. We may try breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, soothing sounds, or gentle movement to calm a baby whos upset.
But what happens when your baby suddenly screams or cries in distress in the middle of the night but is still asleep? Can babies have nightmares? And how can you soothe a baby who cries without even waking up?
Below, well look at the unusual sleep patterns of babies. Sleep patterns are a likely culprit if your baby cries while theyre still asleep. Having a better idea of the cause behind these nighttime disruptions makes it easier to figure out the best way to handle them.
Why Some Babies Cry At Night Paediatrician Explains
The issue of babies crying at night which makes parents sleepless has been worrisome to many people, especially when the baby is the first.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that many parents have to be awake and continue to device different means to keep babies calm, while thinking of why the infant cries or what he or she wants.
This is because, some babies cry at night and sleep during the day, leaving parents and family members tired and wondering what the problem is, with some thinking that the baby has pains on the umbilical cord or having stomach ache, among others.
Mrs Fatima Umar, a businesswoman and mother of two living in Abuja, said whenever she was due for delivery, her major worry was the sleepless nights because both her children cried nonstop every night from birth up until three months.
She said sometimes I used to wonder if my baby is seeing something that I dont see that is making him cry so much.
When I had my second baby, I even took him to our chief Imam to pray for him because I didnt understand why he would continue to cry once it was 2 a.m. till around 4.30 a.m. or 5 a.m.
My neighbour kept assuring me that he would stop and I just endured and got used to it and as soon as he was three months, the crying stopped and we could sleep throughout the night.
Having A Dirty Or Wet Diaper
Some babies can tolerate a wet or dirty diaper for a short time while others may need a change immediately. Putting on a fresh diaper will help the baby go back to sleep again quickly. However, ensure that you change the diaper quickly and dont interact much with your baby while doing so, so he can be soothed back to sleep.
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Evaluate Your Own Emotional State
When your baby cries for hours on end, it is natural to feel responsible. Often, though, blaming yourself can get in the way of your ability to be calm, present, and responsive to your baby. The relationship with your baby is a partnership, so your emotions will make a difference to how your baby reacts. If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, angry, anxious, or detached, your baby may have trouble calming down.
Can You Comfort Your Baby If He Cries At Night
There are two schools of thought on this topic. One belief is that babies will stop crying at night for no reason once they realize that no one responds. The other school of thought is that every time a baby cries, he should be held and comforted that a baby should not be left alone for any reason. It is up to you to decide which way you want to go after weighing the pros and cons of each.
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Swaddle Your Baby Properly Before Putting Him To Sleep
Even in sleep, your baby needs to feel safe and secure, similar to how he is cuddled and held by the mother. This is usually achieved by wrapping up your child in a light blanket. This also helps keep random limb movement in check, which can erroneously wake him up from sleep. Go for muslin cloths that are light and wrap him in such a way that his chin, ears and head is uncovered. Choosing to go with a sleeping bag meant for a baby can also be a good option.
When To Let Baby Cry It Out
Its hard for any parent to hear baby crying, and its instinctual to want to soothe those tears. But is there ever a point when its best to just let baby cry? Theres really no hard-and-fast answer. Yes, babies can cry a lot, but given that its their primary form of communication, its not all that surprising. They need to learn the rhythms of living outside the womb, and they need lots of help with thatthrough comfort, rocking and calming, Narvaez says. They cant do these things themselves during the first several months.
When it comes to sleep training, whether or not its okay to let baby cry it outotherwise known as the Ferber methodis a bit controversial. Some critics say letting baby cry can be emotionally scarring, but that claim isnt backed by science. In fact, a 2016 study found that letting baby cry didnt result in any stress responses or have any long-term effects on babys emotional state, outward behavior or the parent-child bond. But every family has to find a sleep training strategy that works for them.
If baby wont stop crying and youve reached your limit, its always okay to put your child down in a safe place, like the crib or play yard, walk away and take a few minutes to compose yourself. If you feel yourself starting to get frustrated and angry with your crying baby, take a step back and find someone to help, whether its your partner, a family member or a friend. And remember, as with all things, this too shall pass.
Expert bios:
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The Inability To Fall Asleep At Night
For many babies, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with them. However, they will invariably cry every time when they sleep at night. This is usually frequent in children who younger than 3 months. The crying is simply a reaction of their body getting used to the sleep cycles since that seems out of the ordinary for them right at the beginning. A variety of bodily processes and organs, right from the heart to the bladder and the digestive system, all need to fall in line with the sleep system of the body. After 3 months have been completed, the body gradually starts adapting to it.
Tips For Keeping Your Cool And Calming Your Baby Down
Remember that your baby has feelings. Babies are emotional beings and experience feelings of happiness, sadness, joy, and anger from the very first moment of life. If, for whatever reason, you are having trouble being responsive to your baby, your child will pick up on those signals. How would you feel if your spouse or parent was unresponsive to your signals or attempts to communicate? Thinking of your baby as an individual with a unique personality may make it easier to interpret and respond to his or her cries.
Choose some techniques for taking a time out. Strategies like counting to ten, going outside, taking deep breaths, putting your baby down and walking around the house for a minute, can all help you maintain a calm frame of mind.
Find a mantra. A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase, often said over and over again, to provide comfort and inspiration. With a crying baby, you may find yourself talking out loud anyway, and a mantra can help provide perspective, comfort, and energy to keep going. Some examples might be: Just breathe,This is hard, but doable, and All will be well.
Baby blues or postpartum depression?
Exhaustion, rapidly shifting hormones, and a challenging child might make you feel frustrated, sad, or even depressed. If you find yourself feeling depressed, worthless, or resentful or indifferent towards your baby, dont try to wait it out. See: Postpartum Depression and the Baby Blues
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Gradual Distance Technique For Your Crying Baby
The gradual distancing technique is one of the methods suggested to help stop a baby from crying at night for no reason. Instead of severing your role in the babys get-back-to-sleep routine in one go, this method advocates doing it in a phased manner. Here is how you can go about this:
With this method, in about a few weeks, you should be able to put down your baby in the crib at bedtime and walk out while he falls asleep on his own. Also, remember the following tips to make the most of this technique:
- It is best to try this only when you feel your baby can handle it. Four months is the suggested age.
- Try not to take a step back when using this method as it can undo all that has been achieved.
Witching Hour: Why Newborn Babies Are Fussy In The Evening And At Night
by Emily DeJeuin Newborns Last Updated: July 21, 2021
Were talking today about something that most of us parents have experienced: The Witching Hour with your baby. Its brutal. Its intense. It makes us want to grab the nearest set of earplugs. When your newborn is fussy at night, it can make you want to pull your hair out!
You know what we mean, right? That time during the late afternoon/early evening when our newborns suddenly begin wailing for no apparent reason and WILL NOT STOP?
During The Witching Hour, sometimes nothing calms our newborns. Feedings are fruitless. Pacifiers are pointless. Lullabies are lacking. Its hour after hour of red-faced or high-pitched crying, and it often doesnt end until long after the sun has gone down. Often, its inconsolable crying which can be heartbreaking. For others, sometimes your baby can be soothed by feeding or being held, but cant be put down even for one second. Newborns get fussy in the evening and at night very often.
Nicoles NoteMy son didnt cry a lot in the evening, but boy was he fussy if I wasnt nursing him virtually non-stop. I camped out on the sofa 5p-9p almost every evening!
These bouts of evening fussiness arent just hard to listen to they do major damage to sleep! A baby whos wailing wont usually settle down for a nap, and a baby whos spent the last 4 or 5 hours crying is much less likely to sleep through the night.
So why are our newborn babies fussy at night?
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What Causes Colic In Babies
Colic isn’t a sign that your baby is sick, although things such as reflux, food allergies, and exposure to cigarette smoke can cause further aggravation and tears. Nor is it a sign that your baby has belly pain, although the way she grimaces, clenches her body, arches her back, pulls her legs up, and screams till she’s purple can make it seem so.
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This imbalance, the theory goes, naturally resolves when babies start making melatonin, which relaxes intestinal muscles. Babies get ample melatonin from Mom in utero, but levels drop after birth until the baby starts producing it on her own at 3 to 4 monthsinterestingly, around the same time that colic typically disappears. “This hypothesis should reassure mothers that they didn’t cause colic,” Dr. Weissbluth says. “It takes away the guilt that you’re doing something wrong and aren’t able to soothe your baby.”
They Are Hungry Or Thirsty
Heres a common reason for your babys cries hunger or thirst. Your baby has a really small tummy and needs to feed frequently. A newborn baby may need to be fed around 8 to 12 times in a day, that is, once every 2 to 3 hours, day and night.1 But by the time she 1 or 2 months old, she might nurse only 7 to 9 times a day.2 And at 3 months, she might sleep 6 to 8 hours continuously without needing a feed.3 So if your precious little one is older than 3 months, and you know you fed her well before she fell asleep, there might be other reasons like the ones below.
Set up everything for your babys night feeds before you go to bed. Also, dont indulge in activities like play when you feed your baby in the night. Keep the lights dim and your voice low so that both of you can settle back to sleep with minimum disturbance.
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They Have Soiled Their Nappy
A dirty or wet nappy can cause your baby irritation and disturb her sleep. When your baby wakes up crying, check to see if her diaper is soiled. Sometimes a nappy change might do the trick.
Make sure that nappies and wipes are on hand so that you dont have to go hunting for them in the middle of the night.
Is My Baby Having A Nightmare
Some parents worry that their babies nighttime crying means theyre having a nightmare. Its a topic without a clear answer.
We dont know at what exact age nightmares or night terrors may start.
Some babies may begin developing night terrors, which are uncommon, as early as 18 months of age, though they are more likely to happen in older children. This kind of sleep disturbance differs from nightmares, which are common in children starting around age 2 to 4.
Night terrors take place during the deep sleep phase. Your baby may begin crying or even screaming suddenly if for some reason this stage is disrupted. Its likely more disturbing for you.
Your baby doesnt know theyre making such a commotion, and its not something theyll remember in the morning. The best thing you can do is just make sure your baby is safe.
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What To Do About Colic
Pediatricians may be sympathetic and recommend Mylicon drops or gripe water, but often doctors will tell parents to just be patient, because colic is not harmful and will go away on its own. Of course, in the midst of all that crying, having someone tell you to be patient may seem impossible to consider. In order to make it through, you will have to develop some great self-care strategies and enlist support.
Focus on one day at a time .
Ask your doctor to consider the possibilities of food allergies or acid reflux , which can be remedied. If you are breastfeeding, you can try adjusting your diet to see if that affects your babys crying spells.
Ask for helpsupport from your spouse, family, friends, and a babysitter or nanny will be essential to getting through the first few months of your babys life.