Soothing Babies who Cry in their Sleep

Babies are usually restless sleepers, especially newborns. It could take a few months for their internal clock to adjust and while this happens, it could be accompanied by a lot of fussing, twitching and sometimes crying.

Parents are naturally made to respond when they hear their child cry. On reflex, you’d try different methods to soothe the child- breast feeding, skin to skin contact, soothing sounds or gentle rocking movements to calm a baby in distress. It is understandable that you’d get confused when your baby cries out from their sleep without waking up.

Although you might be tempted to immediately wake your child when they cry out from their sleep, it is best to be patient and wait. You don’t always need to soothe a sleeping baby the same way you’d soothe them when awake.

Babies cry out for different reasons. A baby crying at night could either be wet, hungry, cold or sick. Crying resulting from any of these reasons could quickly escalate and might not subside immediately. When attending to any of the above reasons, it is important to do so quietly and carefully, avoiding unnecessary stimulation like loud noises or bright lights.

Babies usually make noises as they move through the stages of sleep, hence, you may need to watch quietly for a few moments so you do not wake the child by accident.

Understandably, some parents worry that night time crying could mean that their child is having a nightmare. While it isn’t exactly clear at what age nistar ocs start to occur, these kinds of sleep disturbances are more common in children around ages 2-4.

Night terrors, if present, usually occur in the deep sleep phase. Your baby wouldn’t be aware that they are making a commotion so the best you can do is to make sure that your child is safe and physically comfortable.

However, if your baby’s night time crying seems to be affecting their daytime routine and overall well-being, it is best to consult a doctor as it could be as a result of illness.