Are you having a tough time coping with baby sleep problems? It might seem that your little one has endless issues with their sleep. This might be true for your little one, who may thrive on 3 hours’ sleep, resisting little naps or the child who naps only in the car. Every parent wants to avoid any kind of baby sleep problem and want their child to sleep through the night. There may be a variety of reasons preventing your little one from sleeping like a rock. Each baby may be different but they share the same sleep related problems.
A lot of babies resist falling asleep, depend on the same caregiver to put them to sleep or wake up when the sun rises or wake up continually throughout the night and survive without rest. While these baby sleep problems are quite bothersome, they are pretty common. It is important to remember that there are a few misconceptions about the baby sleep problem and parents must have realistic expectations about their kids’ sleeping habits.
A baby sleeping through the night is seen as an ideal baby. On the contrary, they should be regarded as an unrealistic baby since night waking is pretty common among infants.
Understanding baby sleep problems
Babies typically have brief sleep cycles which are shorter than that of adults. A sleep cycle involves the time when a person moves off into light sleep and then to deep sleep and then gets back to light sleep again.
The typical sleep cycle of a baby is around an hour, whereas that of an adult is 90 minutes long. Another aspect to consider baby sleep problem is that babies spend more time in REM sleep making rapid eye movements which is a lighter form of sleep.
Hence, it should not be assumed that a baby will sleep in the night like an adult.
Newborns face the baby sleep problems. Before the time they reach 3 months, babies do not sleep more than 4 hours at a stretch, although the total duration of their sleep in a day may be 14 to 18 hours. Until the time they are 6 months old, babies stay awake more and may sleep for 5 hours, waking up once or twice during the night. The baby sleep problem may be annoying to tired parents, although it is important for the survival of your little one.
Constant waking up at night ensures that the needs of your baby are met with. Babies have small stomachs and they constantly need to be refilled. You can put an end to the baby sleep problems by encouraging optimal sleep patterns. Create a calming atmosphere in the evening. Wind them down with the help of infant massage or warm bath before bedtime. Wear your child in a sling and soothe your tot with your rocking motion.
There is no specific solution to end the baby sleep problem. Experts often recommend using baby training methods which are often known to work wonders for infants.
