Why Won’t My Baby Sleep?
When it comes to looking after babies, there are no hard and fast rules. Each baby is different and individual, so it is generally up to the parent to find out the do’s and don’t by trial and error method or seek counseling from their pediatricians and relatives and act upon that.
Have you been asking yourself the question of Why Won’t My Baby Sleep? There could be
a number of reasons for this. Your baby may require some soothing and cuddling to go to sleep or want breastfeeding to comfort them. Some other babies may respond well to lullabies and rocking on the chair.
Generally, the sleeping pattern of babies may be highly erratic during the first six to twelve weeks, so this is one time you would have to be patient and alternate between feeding every two hours and catching up on your own sleep when your little one is sleeping!
Once your baby is around three months old, you may start seeing a set sleeping pattern. This depends a lot on how consistent and regular you keep the baby’s daily routine like the time of feeding, bath time, the nappy change patterns and finally set the sleeping patterns.
This regularising of your baby’s routine will help the baby to go to sleep automatically. Of course, this is a generalization. There will be times when your baby may just want that extra cuddling or nursing or even singing on your part and may not be ready to go to sleep yet.
On the other hand, if there is something troubling the baby like a gastric disturbance, it may not sleep. A colicky baby can be very restless and cry constantly. So, watch out for the symptoms and seek the help of your doctor if necessary.
You should set the tone for how your baby sleeps. If you get him or her into the habit of cuddling to you at night, then the baby may always want that before sleeping. On the other hand, if you train the baby to sleep separately right from the beginning, then he or she will go to sleep accordingly.
Sometimes, parents tend to allow their babies to sleep late in the afternoons, which may make it difficult for him or her to go to sleep at night. Again, how you train your baby’s daily routine plays a very major role here.
Constantly checking the baby for any diaper rashes, gas related problems, other health issues, burping the baby after every feed and then laying him down, keeping him clean and fresh and giving him teething rings when there is a biting urge can all greatly help in preventing infections, which in turn can help him or her to sleep well.
It should be noted here that babies are highly sensitive to their parent’s mood swings, so if you want to offer comfort and warmth, you yourselves should be in a calm and serene state of mind.
Ensure that your baby’s room is dim lighted and serene and without any disturbances from outside. Babies respond to sound very easily, so allow him or her sleep in a noise free environment and then, you may find the answer to your question of Why Won’t My Baby Sleep?
