5 reasons why babies’ sleep is disrupted at night

Insomnia is one of the biggest challenges of being a new parent. According to a 2019 study, new parents can’t get uninterrupted sleep for up to six years after the baby is born. They probably don’t even remember what it’s like to sleep an entire night uninterrupted for the first few years of a baby’s life. While it may seem impossible right now to figure out how to silence those terrible night cries, the key to ending them is knowing why they occur in the first place. Here are 5 common reasons why babies wake up frequently during the night and ways to deal with them

1. The room is too hot or too cold
Babies are very sensitive to their environment, so you should adjust the room temperature to a sleep-friendly degree. For newborn babies, the room temperature should be 22 to 24 degrees. After the 6th month, you can lower it to 20-21 degrees. If the weather is cold, use warmer pajamas and/or a thicker sleeping bag; Remember, it is not safe for the baby to sleep with a blanket until he is at least 1 year old.

2. Uncomfortable clothes
Pajamas that are too tight, a strand of hair tangled around your toe, a leaky diaper, and more; These are things that may cause discomfort to the baby throughout the night. Some babies are more sensitive than others. Before going to bed, check your baby for potential irritants. Do not turn on too many lights, talk too much, or play games with your baby during diaper changing in the middle of the night. Set a precedent that this is not playtime or fun time, help him get back to sleep.

3. Too much light
Use blackout curtains because reducing light exposure helps the brain release melatonin and keeps baby’s sleep time in rhythm. Babies are too young to be afraid of the dark, so they don’t really need a night light. It might just be what you need, so you don’t trip and fall while you’re in the baby’s room. Therefore, you can only turn on the night light when you enter the room.

4. He might be hungry
Newborns need to feed for 24 hours and then gradually begin to drink most of their milk, mainly during the day. Still, for some babies, waking up for a night feed can be a difficult habit to break. Throughout the day, follow an ‘eat-wake-sleep’ routine that includes plenty of ‘eat’. Feed the baby as soon as he wakes up, so the baby will get his daytime nutrition. But remember; feeds are also a great way to bond. The baby may be waking up not just for breast milk or formula, but to have a little cuddle with you.

5. He may need consolation
In the first few months of life, your baby will rely on you to comfort him and coax him back to sleep when he wakes up. Ultimately, the goal is to teach the baby to self-soothe so they can fall asleep on their own. The goal here is to get your baby to sleep through the night without your help. It is a learned behavior for a baby to be able to sleep on his own without parental help. Laying down in bed, closing our eyes and falling asleep; requires regulation. Babies begin to make this regulation on their own after the 6th month. Therefore, if you are considering it, you can start sleep training after the 6th month.