It is okay if your Baby is Wide Awake at Night
Are you a working parent who has to juggle between office presentations in the morning and feeding your baby in the middle of the night? Your craving for a good night’s sleep is completely valid and we understand that. Unfortunately, your baby can’t comprehend that by being wide awake at night, he/she is keeping you from having a good rest. Let’s take a look at what affects their sleep pattern.
- Your baby is Changing Routine
As they grow, babies tend to change their sleep habits. They might take lesser naps but the naps might last longer. It is important to understand this changing behavior to take better care of the baby and yourself. Observing the timings of when they doze off and when stay awake can help you adjust their sleep pattern. Maybe if they are staying awake till 10 or 11 at night, you can consider cutting down on their evening nap. Similarly, if the baby is awake and active at 4 AM, evening naps aren’t a bad option.
- The baby needs the sleep prop
Babies tend to be in need of a support to hold on to while they fall asleep. It is a traditional practice to breastfeed the baby before sleep because sucking is soothing to them and helps them sleep easily. Instead of a pacifier, bottle or nipple can be more useful as the baby doesn’t have to battle digestion while they sleep. Sometimes, a mere cuddle from the mother or some movement like rocking, bouncing or walking acts as the support to sleep.
- The baby is teething
Some babies shall sleep no matter what. But some would just sit and stare and then start biting anything and everything that comes their way. Some might even become cranky and make a lot of fuss as they have this tendency to immediately use their developing teeth. Hence, teething can be a reason why your baby is not ready to sleep at night and in the process, let no one else sleep either. This is absolutely normal and a phase which you cross together.
- They may be looking for their Mommy!
It is the mother who takes care of the basic needs of a baby, like feeding them, helping them fall asleep. In other words, a baby spends more time with the mother than with anyone else. In some cases where the baby is comfortable with the father or grandparents, they might even seek them for reassurance or to move around and play for a while.
- The baby is overtired
It is important for the baby to sleep at regular intervals depending on their sleeping pattern. However, a wrong notion which parents have is that, if the baby is active and playing they will be tired and will eventually fall asleep. In case of adults as well as the babies, sometimes being too tired takes away our sleep and we are unable to sleep even when we are tired. Hence, understanding your baby’s playtime and sleep time can help you deal with this situation better.
About OMNI Hospitals
At OMNI Hospitals, we have a range of doctors who are not only experts in their field but are dealing with various medical cases on a day to day basis. The combination of experience and expertise is very important to us because our priority is to ensure seamless treatment to our patients while striving to reduce the burden on patient’s family and friends.
About Dr. Radha Krishna Kandula
A pediatrician with 32 years of experience. More than 200 Pediatricians trained under him. Worked as Asst. Prof. and Prof. at AMC, GEMS & NIMS Medical Colleges.
Dr. Radha Krishna Kandula, the best pediatrician in Vizag, is a child specialist doctor and made a rather exceptional name in the city. According to many, the doctor classifies as one of the ‘go-to’ general physicians in the area. The stronghold this doctor has in the medical field has not only drawn in patients from in and around the vicinity but from across the city as well.