As a parent all of us have face this. your baby has been awake for hours, rubbing his or her eyes, whining, and yawning, but refuses to sleep.
When a baby starts to sleep, it is likely that their brain is still working hard. This can cause them to wake up frequently during the night. If a baby is not getting enough sleep, they may start to fight sleep, which can lead to irritability and difficulty sleeping. Babies need around 12 hours of sleep each day to be healthy.
Even if you know that what they need right now is a good sleep, all newborns will battle sleep at some point. They will be unable to just close their eyes and fall asleep.
But why is that? There could be a number of reasons why.
What causes babies to fight sleep
Babies fight sleep because they are trying to figure out how to survive in an ever-changing world. There’s never a moment when it’s safe to sleep, and parents have to constantly keep an eye on their infants to make sure they’re not too tired to function. Babies first start to fight sleep at about six months old, and continue to do so until they’re two years old or older.
Most babies get a good night’s sleep, but for some babies, the process of falling asleep and staying asleep can be difficult. Many babies fight sleep because of various reasons, including environmental noise, sibling rivalry, and crying from pain or hunger. Some babies simply have a harder time settling down than others. Parents can help their baby fall asleep by providing them with a comfortable bed and setting an appropriate bedtime routine.
Overtiredness
While your weariness implies you’ll probably fall asleep as soon as you stop moving, this isn’t always the case for your child.
Babies have a period of time when they are ready to fall slumber. They may get overtired if the window is missed, resulting in irritation, fussing, and difficulty calming down.
Not tired enough
Your kid, on the other hand, might not even be ready to sleep because he or she isn’t sleepy enough. This could be a one-off occurrence, such as today’s nap lasting longer than usual. It could be an indication that they’re growing and maturing, and their sleep requirements are changing.
Overstimulation
You’ve likely heard a thousand times that staying away from devices for one hour before bed helps you fall asleep faster and sleep better. The same may be said for your child, but it extends beyond screens. Noisy toys, loud music, or intense play can overwhelm them, leaving them unable to relax and fall asleep.
Separation anxiety
Your infant may fight sleep because they don’t want you to leave which can mean separation anxiety has manifest itself before bedtime. This can happen anywhere between 8 and 18 months.
Has your child been following you around all day, always wanting to be carried and rarely more than just few steps away? It’s likely that they’re experiencing separation anxiety.
Circadian rhythms
At roughly 6 weeks old, infants begin to acquire their circadian rhythms, the 24-hour cycle that controls our bodies. Around the age of 3 to 6 months, these circadian rhythms have matured enough to establish a genuine sleep routine. Of again, because every infant is different, some may not develop a regular sleep schedule until later.
Hunger
In the first few years, your baby will treble his or her birth weight; most kids will triple their weight by their first birthday. All of that growth necessitates a lot of food.
Check to see if your baby is getting the right amount of feedings each day, based on their age, how much they’re eating at each feed, and whether they’re breastfed or bottlefed.
Change in sleep-time
This disruption in your baby’s nightly habit can occur at any point throughout the first year, including at 4 months, 6 months, between 8 and 10 months, and again at 12 months.
Teething
Teething pain can lead a baby to wailing and resist sleep around the age of six months but it can happen earlier or later.
Achieving a major goal. Some infants like practicing babbling, rolling, sitting up, crawling, and walking at night.
Change in natural environment
A different crib or a change in the typical bedtime regimen can cause a baby to fight sleep during a vacation.
Illness
Your baby’s sleep may be affected if he or she is in pain due to an illness. Other signs of disease, such as ear infections or colds, should be kept in mind.
What can you do if your child refuses to sleep?
The measures you take will rely in part on the reasons why your kid is having trouble sleeping, but no matter what your issues are, the following recommendations will help you create a happy sleep environment.
Recognize your baby’s sleep signals
Keep an eye out for symptoms that your baby is weary, such as eye rubbing, yawning, avoiding eye contact, fussing, or losing interest in play, and put them to bed as soon as possible. Keep in mind that for small newborns, waking intervals might be as short as half an hour.
Learn both sleep windows and awake windows
Learn about your baby’s sleep and wake windows, or the length of time he or she can stay up for an extended period of time, which varies by age. A one-month-old, for example, can stay awake for around an hour, while a three-month-old can stay up for up to two hours.
Create and stick to a relaxing nighttime routine
Bathing, reading books, and cuddling in a favorite chair are all methods for lulling a youngster to sleep. Make a habit of doing the same things in the same order at the same time every night.
Avoid overstimulating anything before bed
At least an hour before bedtime, avoid rough physical play, loud noises, and screens.
Match your baby’s routine with your own
Create a nap and sleep routine that fits your baby’s needs as well as your own. Consider their overall sleep requirements and make sure they get enough sleep both during the day and at night.
Make a good environment for sleeping
Ascertain that the baby’s environment is sleep-friendly. To create a relaxing ambience, use blackout curtains, white noise, or other features.
Keep your baby well-fed
Within a 24-hour period, make sure your kid is getting adequate feeds. Every 2 to 3 hours, newborns will normally eat on demand. The interval between feedings will increase as your baby develops.
Keep them busy during the daytime
Play and interact with your baby during the day, exposing them to plenty of sunlight in the morning and afternoon, but being less active and more sedate before sleep to establish day-night habits.
Daytime nap will affect their sleep
Consider taking a longer afternoon nap. Consider pushing lunch up a few hours and putting your baby down for a longer afternoon nap if she seems to be losing her morning sleep.
Adapt to changing sleep-time
As the baby will grow up they will have a different sleep time. They will need less time to rest and will stay awake more. You can adapt to this change by being prepared for it. If the baby is about 6months old, you can try to change their sleep time a little at a time.
Deal with separation anxiety
Separation is something you should practice. You leave, yet you always come back. Leave the room for a few seconds each time to teach this, and your child will get better while being away from you.
Be patient with them
Try to be patient and calm when your infant is having trouble sleeping. They get their energy from your emotions, so keeping calm might help them relax as well.
Conclusion
Parenting is one of the most rewarding things a person can do, but it can also be one of the hardest. It can be full of joy and excitement, or it can be difficult and challenging. There are a lot of things to consider when raising children, from making sure they get enough sleep to ensuring they have a healthy diet. However, be patient and take time. The better you’ll understand your child the easier it will become.
Check out our other posts if you’re having questions while raising your baby! Is a baby crying good for the lungs? This may help you better understand your baby!