Is your baby sleeping poorly or very little, and it’s starting to take a serious toll on your body and brain? In the great adventure of parenthood, baby’s sleep is a crucial and dreaded topic for most parents.
In this regard, two teams stand out. That of the parents whose child sleeps throughout the night or at least up to six hours of continuous sleep. There’s also another group who often home that their baby will extend their sleep time.
In this discussion we’ll walk you through the 9 reasons why your baby won’t sleep tonight. Let’s get started.
- Your child is not getting bedtime rituals
Like adults, babies need bedtime rituals . “Sleep is regulated by the biological clock. In the little one, it is immature and continues to set itself up. For a baby to sleep well, it is essential to be faithful to a real rhythm, for meals, the times of getting up and going to bed”
What this means is that your child should tell the difference between day and night. For instance, talk to him softly during the night and louder at day time.
- Leaving the lights on
Lights can distract smaller kids and make them not fall asleep. Children below two years don’t need the lights now because the fear of darkness doesn’t manifest itself before this age.
- Misinterpreting baby sleep signals
Often, the parents misinterpret baby’s sleep signals and are not sensitive to it. When you see him yawning, touching a lock of hair, placing himself in a certain position, or rubbing his eyes it’s time to put him to bed and the sleep cycle happens.
In the same way, it’s important to note that when a baby falls into a deep sleep, he may be very restless. Also, he may gasp for some air, and experience rapid eye movements. Unfortunately, you may fail to cuddle them to accelerate the sleep.
- Sleeping disorders
A baby’s sleep disorder can cause discomfort and lead to a lack of sleep. In this case, the child may cry a lot and become restless. A consultation with a paediatric is necessary for a comprehensive examination.
- Biological clock not yet adjusted.
Little babies, especially newborns, cannot tell the difference between day and night. Their biological clock, which regulates periods of wakefulness and sleep, is not yet adjusted.
In most children coming out of the maternity ward, the sleep phases are short and often interrupted with phases of waking up to suckle. It will take them 100 days to settle down and make their night.
- Developmental issues
Manifestations related to his development can disturb your child’s sleep. These include; infant colic, teething problems, ear infection and reflux disease or GERD which is a very painful condition. In addition, some kids suffer from cow milk allergy and may become restless and irritable.
- Your child is hungry
You may have trouble setting up a regular feeding and sleeping schedule as your baby grows since their needs will change. However, it’s your job as a parent to provide him with that meal he needs.
Hungry babies will not sleep and will definitely fuss around expressing anger through screaming or crying.It may be time to consider whether your baby is hungry if they wake up early from their nap or have trouble falling asleep.
- Nap a lot during the day
Babies who nap a lot during the day will have trouble sleeping at night. As well, if your baby skips a nap during the day, it may be challenging putting them to bed at night. In the first 4 months, babies sleep any time, however afterwards, a sleep pattern is established.
- Babies sleeping alone
Co-sleeping in the same room is encouraged when babies are small. However as they grow older to around 6 months, it may be time to train them to sleep on their own. For this reason, the first few days can be challenging and your baby may have trouble sleeping.
Conclusion
Do not worry: if your baby sleeps little, it’s not very serious. There are babies who are heavy sleepers, while others are light sleeps.More so during his first months of life, your toddler may have short sleep cycles even at night. Rather than taking into account the quantity of sleep, think about the quality.
It may be worth talking to their doctor if, if your baby still has trouble falling asleep or keeps on waking at night even after following the above tips.
Father of four home schooling kids.