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Most Common Reasons Why Babies Wake Up At Night
3 min read
It is a known fact that a newborn has irregular sleeping patterns. Most babies sleep during the day and are wide awake during the night. They may either sleep late or may wake up several times during the night. This may leave you wondering what could be the cause of this, but, fret not; here we list 10 common reasons why babies wake up in the night.
10 Most Common Reasons Why Babies Wake Up At Night
- Teething: Teething can be a difficult time for a baby. Most babies start teething at around 6 months. The pain of teething varies from baby to baby. Some babies might experience slight pain and irritation and for some it can be quite a painful period. Pain and irritation can occur any time of the day and night and hence it is one of the reasons a baby wakes up in the middle of the night
- Illness: Babies tend to fall sick often. They frequently get cold, cough and fever. Cough and cold especially can cause a lot of discomfort. A baby might find it difficult to sleep when sick and even wake up several times during the night. A baby suffering from a stuffy nose resorts to mouth breathing which can cause dryness in the mouth and wake the baby up in the middle of the night
- Development: When a baby begins to learn something new it affects the baby’s sleep pattern. When a baby learns to rolls to side he or she is constantly preoccupied with doing so. Same goes for crawling, walking and talking. Even when they wake up in the middle of the night babies tend to practice their new skill. This is a common and natural phenomenon and there is nothing to stress about it. It passes as the baby gets accustomed to his or her new skill
- Dependency on Sleep Props: Sleep props are basically things your baby relies on to sleep. It could be a bottle of milk or an even a pacifier. If your baby needs these props to sleep at night chances are your baby will wake up in the night. Since your baby is not accustomed to sleeping on his own he will wake up in the middle of the night craving for his sleep props. Read on self soothing tips for your baby here
- Startle Reflex: Babies get startled at the drop of a hat. A small sound, a touch will startle the baby and even wake up him from his slumber. This is common among children and is known as the infantile reflex. This reflex is one reason you need to swaddle your baby.
- Sleep patterns: Some children are naturally gifted with good sleep cycle. These babies sleep soundlessly through the night without getting disturbed while other babies have interrupted sleep and easily wake up. This is natural thing and there is nothing to worry about it. Read more about baby sleep and rest patterns here
- Hunger: One reason your baby wakes up in the dead of the night could be because he or she is hungry and thirsty. If you feed your baby way before his or her bed time chances are your baby might feel hungry again in the night. Hence feed your way baby an hour before his bedtime so that he sleeps soundlessly
- Irregular Circadian Rhythm: The biological clock of the body also known as the circadian rhythm is responsible of for sleep cycle. An adult body releases hormones during the day that help us to stay awake. Similarly it also releases hormones in the night that helps the body to sleep. The circadian rhythm in a baby’s body is not fully developed hence they have irregular sleeping pattern. They may feel fresh and awake during the night and sleepy during the day for this reason
- Environment: Just like in adults, the atmosphere of the room where the child sleeps also affects his slumber tremendously. If you make your baby sleep in a noisy room, he or she will wake up often. Similarly, if your baby is sleeping a room that has bright lights he might have disturbed and interrupted sleep
- Separation Anxiety: If you have been co-sleeping with your baby for a while and then moved him to a separate bed or a different room your baby might face separation anxiety. Your baby becomes used to sleeping next to you and when he sleeps alone he might get startled if they don’t feel your presence. Separation anxiety is a common reason why babies wake up in the middle of the night
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