Why a newborn baby does not sleep well
Ideally, a baby under 1 month old should sleep 18-20 hours a day. But everyone has different physical needs. Your baby may naturally need less sleep.
A newborn baby won't sleep - what to do? Photo: Getty However, there are circumstances that disrupt infant sleep. These are:
- Violation of the phase of "fast" sleep. In this state, the baby can move, open eyes, whimper. In fact, his sleep is very strong. But it seems to adults that a child wakes up. They are in a hurry to take him in their arms and thereby wake him up.
- Feeding at the wrong time. You can not feed the baby "on schedule", especially at night. Let the child himself require food cry. After eating, he quickly fall asleep.
- Extraneous factors. In the first days after birth, the baby does not respond to noise. But in the second week of life, he perceives everything that happens around him. Often a newborn baby doesn’t sleep much due to conversations, the sound of TV, the smell of cigarettes.
- Family troubles, bad mood of the mother. A tiny person feels the atmosphere of scandal, even if parents quarrel in another room.
- Inconvenient posture. The baby just gets tired to lie in one position.
Analyze the situation in your family to find out which reason is disturbing your baby’s sleep.
What to do if a newborn baby does not sleep well at night
A baby crying after midnight is realnightmare. He suffers himself and does not give rest to exhausted parents. If insomnia is not associated with illness, it is necessary to create conditions for quick falling asleep. The crib should be in a separate room. If this is not possible, create a "children's zone" behind a screen or curtain. Perhaps the baby does not like his bed linen. Oddly enough, children do not like soft mattresses, cozy pillows and warm blankets. Babies under 1 year sleep better on hard mattresses. You need to put a folded in four diaper under the head. If a newborn baby does not sleep at night, bathe him half an hour before bedtime. Add lemon balm or mint decoction to warm water. After the bath, do a light stroking massage. An evening walk has a good effect. It is not necessary to go outside. You can "walk" for half an hour on the balcony. Children are lulled to sleep by quiet monotonous sounds. Babies fall asleep to a running fan, dishwasher, or white noise machine. Experiment with sounds to find the best "sleeping pill." In any case, try not to rock your baby or give him a pacifier. These "quick" methods can easily turn into bad habits.
A newborn baby is not sleeping - should I see a doctor?
Insomnia interferes with normal development and can be a sign of illness. It is dangerous if the lack of sleep is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- the baby is over-excited or lethargic, refuses to eat;
- there are loose stools, gases;
- the baby flows from the nose;
- children's cry becomes paroxysmal, heartbreaking or mournful;
- A newborn baby does not sleep during the day for more than 3 hours and cries long before feeding.
In such situations, you need to call immediatelyemergency aid. During sleep, the child's body secretes growth hormone, and the brain processes new information. The correct regime from the day of birth is the foundation of good health and future good school performance. Read also:
