When you have a baby at home who cries at night, it’s quite tough to find out what exactly is bothering the baby in the commotion to quieten him/her. You try out many things like changing the diapers, feeding, singing or even taking him out for walks in the middle of the night. But it’s not very easy to find out if there are any internal problems that are bothering the child. Since a baby cannot communicate or express the pain, the only way he can show something’s wrong is by crying and making a fuss. Generally, in the first few months after birth, babies take time to adapt and adjust to the environment outside the mother’s womb and thus they turn fussy at night. They may suffer from gas, rashes, acidity and many other metabolic issues which can be expressed by grown ups but not by babies. The only way you can take care of a fussy baby at night is to feed and keep him clean, as much as you can.
At Bedtime
A newborn, as mentioned above is very new to the atmosphere outside the mother’s womb and takes at least some months to adjust. They sleep for as much as 16 hours a day and sometimes even more, stretching to about 3 to 4 hours continuously. They have different types of sleeps in these 16 hours like drowsiness, rapid eye movement, light sleep, deep sleep and very deep sleep. If the baby feels anything wrong in the first few stages of sleep, he may not be very fussy. But when there are disturbances which awakens the baby from the later stages of deep sleep, he gets quite fussy and it is very difficult to put him back to sleep.
Causes
- The first and the most basic reason is the baby needs a diaper change and the wet one is making sleep uncomfortable.
- Hunger is another reason, if you haven’t fed the baby according to the daily schedule. If you have fed him, but he/she is still hungry and not full, you may just about have a fussy baby. They need to be fed every two hours in the first few months and thus need to take care of their little tummies.
- If the baby is feeling hot or cold and can’t sleep due to environment conditions. Usually babies need thick bedding around them but sometimes can sweat or get chills due to the weather.
- Body rashes and boils in uncomfortable places can also make him cry and fuss about sleeping.
- Gas or acidity inside the tummy can also make sleepimg difficult and unmanageable.
- If he is suffering from chickenpox, fever, diarrhea or any other health issues, you are definitely going to stay up all night.
How to Comfort a Crying Baby
- When you know that your baby is crying and can’t get sleep, check if he has a dirty diaper and if yes, then change it.
- If your baby is hungry, don’t ignore him because you haven’t slept and are tired. Instead feed him and he may sleep peacefully. You can then take a nap as well.
- Taking care for the first few years till the baby is dependent on you is not an easy job. Make sure you’ve checked for rashes and other skin abnormalities before you put him off to sleep, as all the baby can do when things go wrong, is cry.
- If the baby has an illness like a common cold or any of the above mentioned diseases, make sure you’ve given the proper medicines so he gets sound sleep and doesn’t fuss at night.
- After you have checked all the necessary things for the night, sing a lullaby and let him sleep on you.
- The parent’s touch or voice is a big comfort for children and gives them the assurance that they are protected and safe. Once he is asleep on your shoulder or arms, then gently lay him in the crib (don’t forget to keep his favorite toy).
I am sure you love to play with the tiny fingers and watch the baby when he is asleep. Being a parent is a beautiful experience and sacrificing your sleep and health for those little ones is definitely worth it, isn’t it?
