One of the most proudest parenting achievement any mother could want to accomplish is to have Baby sleep soundlessly throughout the night. Let’s say you’ve done that and for 4 months, you, your hubby and Baby had no problems at night but suddenly, you got that wake up call. 3am, Baby is crying and you tried patting, singing, soothing, feeding and everything else that you could think but to no avail.
A baby crying at night especially, can be very stressful aside for taking up your sleep time. A lot of times due to frustration, the main problem causing the baby to cry has been overlook so here are the 5 reasons to why Baby cries at night and how to solve the problems.
1. Naps
Try to schedule fixed nap times for you baby because having one that is too near to sleeping time will definitely make Baby feel much more awake then supposed to during the night. Baby crying in the middle of the night might occur simply because he/she is awake and doesn’t see you. Hence, plan a nap time for your child that does not allow her to wake up too late at the day which will make her sleepless during the night.
2. Developmental Milestones
As your baby learns to rollover, sit or even walk, it’s natural that he/she keeps practicing it over and over again. Sometimes before Baby sleeps, Baby might rollover but can’t seem to get back to the sleeping position. Helpless and lost, Baby will cry for help. What you can do is to practice with your child in the day and whenever Baby is stuck in a new position, help and guide so that they can learn to get back to lying down or to their initial position.
3. Unwell
A baby crying at night does not always mean it wants food. Before you rush to make that milk upon hearing Baby cry, check your baby’s temperature or any signs of mosquito bites which might be the real culprit. If your baby is unwell, try to make him/her as comfortable as possible or find the source of Baby getting sick. Maybe it was too cold, so give him/her another blanket. Maybe it was too hot because he/she is sweating, then let Baby wear thinner pajamas.
4. Distracted
We might sleep through the night without knowing what time our husband comes in the room or whether he showered or not. Baby on the other hand, is sensitive when it comes to light and sound that might trigger him/her to be awake and cry. If you are noticing that there are distractions after sleeping time, such as the new neighbours having a party every Friday (there are such neighbours!), opt to sleep with Baby in another room where your husband can only come in if he wants to sleep as the same time as you and your child. But if he wants to watch that late night football game, he has to sleep alone elsewhere.
5. Separation Anxiety
As much as you would like to spend time with Baby, try to also give him/her more time to play and explore alone because Baby has to learn to understand that you will come back to him/her after some time. Most parents spend TOO much time with their child to the point that the parents can’t even take a 10-minutes break to the loo! Imagine sleeping at night and Baby crying for your attention because he/she is so used to having you with him/her.
At the end of the day, it’s all about how you manage your time and be much more observant in Baby’s habits. Crying does not always means Baby needs food. Also, try not to get flustered and stressed up easily when dealing with a baby crying at night as you will find it hard to get your mind straight on what to do to stop Baby from crying.