Baby Restless Sleep - Causes and solutions
Are you troubled by one of these common questions? How to put a restless baby to sleep? Why is sleep important for children? How to stop restless sleep? Why does my baby cry in her sleep?
Don’t worry. We all are. Find out more on what to do and what to avoid.
Your little one, instead of "sleeping like a baby", turns around restlessly, moans and cries? And you are worried about what is happening and how to help? Find out what may be causing your baby restless sleep and how to fix it.
Although it is said that a newborn baby sleeps 24 hours a day in the first weeks after birth, with only breaks for feeding, the reality is usually quite different. Newborn babies do need a lot of sleep, but they do not always manage to sleep soundly and uninterruptedly. The conditions on the other side of the tummy are completely new to them. They have to learn how to deal with them and for that they need some time. That’s why patience, closeness and consistency of the parents are so crucial.
One of the first problems new parents have at night is the baby's restless sleep. They cannot tell why the baby is restless, what is bothering him and how to help. And the baby, with his crying, sends a clear signal that something is wrong, that he needs help. What could be the cause of the baby twitching in sleep?
First of all, remember that an infant's restless sleep may be caused by a trivial factor, but it may also be a signal that something serious is happening with the baby. The most important thing is to keep a close eye on your little one. If your baby's restless sleep at night or during a daytime nap continues for a long time, be sure to consult a pediatrician. It may turn out that your little one needs doctor's help.
But very often, restless baby at night is nothing to worry about. There can be plenty of reasons for a restless baby at night to move around, cry and wake up repeatedly.
Some babies sleep all night in one diaper, while others are extremely sensitive to a wet bottom. Therefore, by checking the diaper, it is worth starting to look for the reason why the baby is restless during sleep. If, after changing the diaper, the baby falls asleep peacefully again and after another wetting of the diaper, it moves restlessly again, this is a signal that the baby is bothered and skin sensitive.
Another common cause of restless sleep is an empty belly. Although it may seem to us that the baby should not eat yet, he already feels hungry and lets us know about it. Some babies sleep through the night without eating, others do not tolerate an empty tummy and will not sleep well until they are full again.
It is not only an empty stomach that can cause restless sleep in newborns. Moaning, twirling or crying at night is often a symptom of a sore stomach. In the first weeks of life it may happen more often, because the digestive system of a newborn had only just started getting used to mother's milk. Sometimes it happens that a baby does not tolerate some foods eaten by a nursing mum and a sore stomach may be a symptom of an allergy. When feeding from a bottle, on the other hand, the newborn may swallow too much air, resulting in stomach pain. If the toddler's abdominal pain lasts a long time and is severe, consult a pediatrician and look for the cause of the problem in more depth.
Every toddler has his own preferences from birth - also those related to temperature. Although we would instinctively wrap a newborn as warmly as possible with blankets or cones, he does not always feel well in such conditions. If your baby is spinning and sleeping restlessly, it is worth checking if it is not simply too hot. Maybe instead of a thick blanket, just cover him with a light cotton diaper and it will help him sleep well.
It is also worth checking whether the air in the room is appropriate. It cannot be too dry and too hot. It is worth ventilating the room regularly and dusting the furniture to keep the air fresh and clean.
A newborn baby needs a sense of security - he has just entered a completely different world and does not have to feel good in it from the very beginning. That is why some babies need closeness and warmth from their parents. Restless sleep in a newborn baby may mean that he just wants to be cuddled, he wants to feel the warmth and smell of the parent, and that is enough to continue to sleep well.
It is worth observing your baby closely from the first moments of life to quickly learn to respond to the signals he sends, find the reasons for the baby's restless sleep and find remedies as soon as possible. Why? Because sleep is extremely important! From the very birth throughout our lives. And especially for a newborn, because he needs peaceful sleep in order to properly develop and regenerate his body.
If your baby wakes up at night and you are sure that he is not bothered by anything but is awakened by noises from the environment, myHummy humming teddy bear with the Sleep Sensor function come to the rescue. The humming teddy bears emit 5 types of white and pink noises, which help your baby fall asleep calmly. After approximately 30 to 60 minutes, the mechanism will automatically fade the sounds down and the bear will go into standby mode. This means that if your toddler starts to moan or there is noise in his environment, the teddy bear will automatically turn on again to lull the toddler to sleep with white and pink noises. It's a proven and safe way to get your little one sleep longer.