Why my baby doesn't sleep through the night?
Restful sleep - This is something you seem to have forgotten for the first few months after your baby is born. Yes, night-time disruptions can be a nightmare for new parents. My baby is healthy but why doesn’t he sleep through the night and how can I help my baby sleep? Most parents are puzzled. You should understand that this is quite normal. Although your baby is well-fed and healthy, he may not sleep through the night. There are several reasons for this. Read on to know more about the reasons and solutions.
‘Why your baby doesn’t sleep through the night?
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Circadian rhythm
The first reason is the circadian rhythm or sleep cycle. What is it? It refers to the 24-hour internal clock that keeps on running inside your body to make sure all essential bodily processes and functions are running properly. This rhythm is very important for the sleep-wake cycle. All humans have a circadian rhythm. Little babies are no exception to this but the problem is the clock takes some time to get programmed. The circadian rhythm is immature in the little ones. The external 24-hour clock should sync with the internal 24-hour clock. Until the clock gets synchronized your baby will not sleep through the night. Sleeping through the night happens only after six months.
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Breastfeeding
Is your baby breastfed? Then he is likely to wake up more at night. Why is it so? Breast milk is easier to digest than formula milk. They get hungry. So, your baby wakes frequently to feed. Moreover, the prolactin levels in breast milk are the highest at night. This too makes breast-fed babies wake up more at night as there is more milk at night.
It is true that breastfed babies sleep in shorter bursts. This is quite normal. However, they get melatonin from breast milk. This helps them to go to sleep. You can also follow a few tips to help your baby sleep a little longer.
- Offer both breasts while feeding
- Make sure you place your baby on the cot before he is fully asleep. If you keep on nursing the baby until he falls asleep this will become a habit.
- If you are also giving formula milk as top-up feed, then you should give it in half an hour after breastfeeding. However, it is not advisable to overfill your baby’s abdomen just before going to sleep as it may cause digestive issues. Can you sleep instantly after a huge meal? I am sure you can’t. The same thing is applicable to your little one too.
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Habit formation
All the needs of your baby are met. If that’s the case and your baby is still crying, it can be because he has made it a habit. So, you should remember that not all crying in the night is a cry for help. To avoid this, you should let your baby self-soothe. It is true that self-soothing is not possible up to four months of age. But after four months you can teach your baby self-soothing. Self-soothing not only helps your baby and you to sleep longer but also encourages your baby to be self-reliant.
- You can play soothing music or use a baby shusher. The white noise that you use should be soft and relaxing. The baby shusher in the Sleep Helper ™ kit from Nasobuddy produces sounds that resemble the sounds of the womb. The kit also has a colic swaddle belt and a baby lavender balm that helps to soothe the baby’s colic pain.
- Don’t lift your baby from the crib whenever he cries. Just rock the crib until he falls asleep again. Wait for a few seconds to check if he is able to go back to sleep by himself.
- Sleep schedules of babies are different. So, it is not fair to compare one baby with the other. However, you can train your baby to sleep through the night with simple techniques and with sleep aids like the Sleep Helper ™ kit from Nasobuddy. You should also remember a good bedtime routine is essential for your baby’s sleep.
You need a lot of patience to sleep train your little one but this product from Nasobuddy can make your task much easier.
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