Despite the joy that comes with being a parent, parenthood can be very challenging, and one of our core missions here at Pediatric Partners Hospital is to make parenthood easier especially for our new parents.

Are you experiencing:

• Late-night baby cries?
• Baby having a hard time sleeping?
• Baby not active during the day and always sleepy?

It is possible that the baby isn’t sleeping well and here are five reasons why you might be experiencing this.

1. Your babies’ internal clock is out of sync with the 24-hour day.

Some babies start sleeping on what’s called a day/night reversal schedule. Your baby sleeps well during the day but is awake but busy at night, and sometimes this switches too. Here are a few things you can do to help your baby learn that day is for play and night is for rest:

• Keep them awake a little longer during each waking period during the day.
• Get your baby outside and in the sun, natural light helps reset their internal clock.
• Avoid sleep-inducing activities, if at all possible.
• Keep lights low or turn them out at night anywhere near the baby’s sleeping area. Likewise for sound and movement.

• Your little one is hungry or thirsty

Will your baby sleep when he or she is hungry? Probably not. Babies need frequent food to grow and thrive. It is advised to breastfeed the baby adequately for at least the first six months and afterward, complementary nutritious foods can be added. 

During the breastfeeding stage, as nutritious and required as it is, it has been found that the milk is digested quickly. That means babies can wake up hungry if not well breastfed during the day, which is a common reason babies wake during the night. Always check to see if food is what your little one needs, even if you just fed them.

Thirst is another reason a baby might wake up. A drink of breast milk or formula may do the trick.

• Medical/ growth issues

The baby might develop discomfort due to some medical issues like allergies, a cold, constipation, and a couple of others. Other times, it might be just discomfort from its growth and development, like teething…

Contact your pediatrician if you suspect pain or allergies could be the culprit. 

• Your baby needs you

The bond babies have with parents/caretakers are hardly breakable. They know when you are not close by and feel a lot better when they can sense or feel you by their side. Your baby simply needs to be held and cuddled by you, just as they need nourishment, warmth, shelter, and sleep.

If your baby is not sleeping and seems very upset, try cuddling your baby skin-to-skin against your chest; you’ll be amazed at how quickly and effectively this can calm your baby. S

• Tiredness

When babies are super tired, they can’t sleep well. When overtired, babies will sleep less, wake up more, and become cranky. You have to ensure the baby’s environment is not overstimulated because it will make it difficult for a baby to sleep. At bedtime, avoid people and things around the baby; like noise, toys, light, etc. Physical exercise and other forms of excitement should be avoided right before bedtime too.

Perfect routine tips to ensure baby sleeps well include: a relaxing warm bath, a massage, cuddles, and hugs, a quiet story, or even a cuddly feed. Once you create this routine, ensure you stick to it and monitor it to know when to change some parts if the need arises.

Have you noticed any of these or do you have questions? Please leave a comment below.

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