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Why does baby cry at night and wake up screaming?
At birth and up to three months, few infants are able to sleep for several hours at night. Their body, which has lived at its own pace, warm in the stomach for nine months, must indeed get used to the so-called “circadian” rhythm, which allows us to be active during the day and at rest at night. This adaptation usually takes four to eight weeks. In the meantime, the sleep of toddlers is divided into periods of three to four hours, interrupted by their food needs. The first months therefore, it is up to us, the parents to adapt to the baby rhythm ! No need to try to get an infant to “sleep through his nights” if it is not the right time for him.
What to do when baby wakes up, sometimes every hour?
On the other hand, you can prepare your baby to sleep through the night. In the first place, let’s not wake him up on the grounds that “it is time to eat” or “that it must be changed”. Then, let’s try to give as many points of reference as possible to distinguish day and night: during the daytime naps, let a little light filter through and do not impose silence in the house. Conversely, in the evening, we can set up a small bedtime ritual (lullaby, music, hugs, later evening story…) at this, as much as possible, at regular times. And when baby wakes up at night, let’s keep calm and darkness, if necessary with the help of a small nightlight, so that he can easily fall asleep again.
Why does baby keep waking up at 3, 4, 5 or even 6 months?
Even children who “sleep through their nights” from three months old, that is to say who sleep six hours at a stretch, sometimes wake up at night. Pay attention to do not confuse nocturnal awakenings and restless sleep phases, where the child opens his eyes and cries or cries.
What habits to put in place against restless sleep and nocturnal awakenings?
When your child wakes up, we can try to wait a few minutes before rushing into his bedroom, or even to try the 5 – 10 – 15 method. It is very difficult to know by ear if crying is not hiding a bigger problem and it is therefore advisable to speak with your pediatrician to find out if it is time to let the baby cry a little more. So that our child associates his cradle with a space of rest and calm, we can favor falling asleep in his bed rather than in our arms. Be careful also with baby bottles in the middle of the night: excess fluid is one of the main causes of nocturnal awakenings. We can simply check that our child is not too hot, and that he is not embarrassed, without waking him up for a bottle or changing him.
Good sleep is essential for the growth of the child. Between 0 and 6 years old, different stages will follow one another so that our infant finally sleeps through the night, then accepts bedtime and finally sleeps calmly and rests to keep up with the long days of school … And if a few tips can be effective for us parents, there are unfortunately no miracle recipes before we get there!