The child cries all night what to do. The child wakes up at night with a tantrum: reasons, how to help

Surprisingly, the baby, who from the moment of his birth did not cause concern to his parents, by the first year of life, began to cry at night.

All children are very different. Some give parents a lot of trouble and anxiety from birth. Mothers do not know peace day or night. The only desire of such parents is sleep.

There are many reasons for a baby's sleepless nights, starting with character traits and ending with serious illnesses of a newborn. In this case, parents need to carefully look at and analyze the behavior of their baby.

Perhaps he is worried about his tummy or he is hungry. In the first months of a baby's life, this is the main cause of a child's sleep disturbance. But often, it happens that the baby gets used to the hands of the mother, and from the first days shows his character, demanding attention.

Some children just need to be close to their mother, especially at night, exactly like the mother herself. Night feedings can be very exhausting and tiring for a nursing mother, who has to get up several times at night to feed her baby, and the baby falls asleep not in his own bed, but in his parent's bed. Of course, many children get used to this, and it’s easier for mom. While breastfeeding, she does not have to get up to the baby, the mother immediately feeds him and continues her sleep. The baby, at any time, gets access to the breast, and the mother may not fully wake up when the baby begins to suckle the breast. In addition, co-sleeping is also a sense of security, the constant presence of familiar maternal smells, sounds, and stimulation of breathing.

Despite the findings of scholars that breastfeeding reduces stress, when the joint sleep of the mother with the baby, adversely affects the sleep of the mother, and can also negatively affect the level of stress hormones, most mothers sleep together with their children and at the same time feel great. And the baby next to his mother becomes much calmer.

Psychologists conducted a study: one group of newborns was fed, swaddled and returned back to their beds, the other group of children were fed, swaddled, picked up, played with them. Children of the first group were ill more often, gained weight worse than children of the second group. Moreover, several children from the first group became seriously ill. Moreover, initially the state of health of the children of the first and second groups was absolutely the same.

There are cases of a different kind.

From birth, the baby did not give parents the slightest cause for concern, suddenly, by the first year of life, he begins to act up, cry, and it is at night. This is truly a mystery. A healthy baby who had been sleeping peacefully at night since birth became restless. What can disturb his sleep?

Most often it is the teeth. When teething, the child becomes restless, does not sleep well. This is one of the most common causes of restless baby sleep.

Sometimes a restless sleep is accompanied by noisy, active games in the evenings. After them, the child cannot calm down and fall asleep for a long time.

A heavy dinner will also not allow the child to fall asleep quickly and soundly.. It is by the year that the baby switches to “food from the common table”.

But it happens that the baby wakes up in the middle of the night and starts crying because he is cold. By the age of one, the crib is lowered so that the baby, who is already on his feet, cannot bend over and fall out of it. Despite the fact that the windows are sealed, insulation has been laid on all balcony doors, etc. - the movement of cold air along the bottom is still present. Alone, in the crib, the baby is cold. He wakes up in the dark, he is uncomfortable, so he seeks protection from his parents. Cold hands are proof of this nocturnal insomnia of the little man. In the parental bed, the child quickly warms up and falls asleep, after which he can be transferred to his crib, wearing warm socks and wrapped in a blanket. Now the baby will sleep peacefully until morning.

Over and over again, among the tips on how to get a good sleep in a child, I come across opuses that the child needs to be “wounded out” during the day with physical activity, limiting daytime sleep, all kinds of stimulation, going to bed as late as possible, and then ... he will definitely [DO NOT ] will sleep with you all night!

I’ll make a reservation right away that such advice, applied partially, can really work in rare cases for children older than 3-4 years old, but certainly not with babies of an earlier age.

Why? Let's figure it out.

I have written extensively about the effect of the hormone cortisol on a child's sleep. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is produced in children when excessive fatigue accumulates and its direct purpose is to keep the human body in tension, activated and as receptive to the environment as possible. After all, the original purpose of cortisol is to keep you moving long enough to escape and hide from predators in the wild.

One of the mechanisms by which this hormone works is that it is slowly excreted from the body, which has a particularly strong effect on the ability to fall asleep and sleep for long periods of time.

Therefore, when mothers come to me with the question of why the child often wakes up at night, the first point that I draw the attention of parents to is the routine and the amount of sleep that the child receives in a period of 24 hours. In the vast majority of cases, after a detailed analysis, it turns out that the baby sleeps little during the day, falls asleep late in the evening, and often wakes up at night. It turns out vicious circle- accumulated cortisol prevents you from getting a good night's sleep, and the lack of sufficient rest prevents cortisol from being eliminated from the body. Another clear sign that the baby has accumulated fatigue, you can notice when the baby cries at night in a dream. At such moments, the baby may not wake up (eyes are closed), but whimpering, and sometimes strong crying, bother mothers no less. The child goes through a stage when the body, which has not yet rested, tries to wake up (pushed again by cortisol), but fatigue physically brings discomfort and causes crying.

Does the child cry at night in his sleep?

What to do, how to help the baby break out of this vicious circle? The first step is early bedtime. Do not be afraid that the child will wake up before dawn if he falls asleep earlier, just the opposite. Night sleep is the only segment that is easier to lengthen if you need to compensate for lost sleep or “sleep off” accumulated fatigue. Think about it, it’s really difficult to sleep during the day - the light and noise of the day bubbling around do not allow us to plunge into a sweet slumber for a long time, and nothing interferes at night. Rarely what one and a half one year old baby can comfortably stay awake for more than 5 hours, and if your baby is younger, then 3.5-4 hours may be beyond its real capabilities. How early can you go to bed? From experience, 17-00 is the earliest point that works does not lead to insanely early (before 6 am) rises, and compensates for the lack of rest. Babies can sleep up to 12.5-13.5 hours a night if needed, so don't let your doubts get in the way of your baby's rest. And in a situation where a child screams a lot in a dream, often wakes up at night and generally sleeps with difficulty, there is not much to lose. So why not try?

A few words about how long you need to wait to see changes for the better.

Healthy, sound sleep - the best remedy to relieve stress. When a person sleeps well, they say about him that he sleeps like a baby. However, not all babies sleep soundly. Often, young parents have to spend sleepless nights with their baby, who cries in his sleep. In this article, we will look at the main causes of children crying at night and figure out what to do in such situations.

Why does the baby cry in his sleep?

Depending on age, the causes of night crying in children may vary. So, newborn babies are most often worried about pain in the tummy, already at an older age, one of the reasons for a child’s restless sleep can be a nightmare.

Causes in children under six months

Intestinal colic and bloating are common causes of crying in newborn babies. During the first three months, the baby's intestines are rebuilt, which can cause pain in the tummy. If your child cries loudly in his sleep (sometimes crying turns into a scream), tosses and turns and draws his legs, then most likely he is worried about colic.
Hunger can be one of the causes of night crying in a baby.
Unstable mode - newborn babies do not distinguish between day and night. They can perfectly sleep during the day and wake up at night. The wakeful period at first is about 90 minutes, already at 2-8 weeks of age it increases to several hours, and by 3 months some children can sleep peacefully all night. Remember that each child is individual, for some, a stable regime becomes by the age of 2.
Mother's absence. The presence of a mother is necessary for the child, just like timely nutrition and hygiene procedures. If the baby woke up alone in the crib, he will immediately notify you with a loud cry.

Discomfort. He may cry in his sleep if he has peed or is just about to do so. Also, in the room where the baby sleeps, it may be too hot or cold.
Disease. A sick child has superficial, restless sleep. Nasopharyngeal congestion and temperature prevent children from sleeping at any age.

Children from 5 months to a year

Teething is the most likely cause of night crying in babies aged 5 months to a year. The child's gums begin to itch and hurt, the temperature may rise;
Experiences. Every day your child learns the world: going to visit, walking or something else can cause stress in the child.

Night crying in children 2–3 years of age and older

Psychological aspects. Children at this age are very sensitive to experiences, whether they are positive or negative. Around this age, children are taught to go to kindergartens, which causes a storm of emotions in kids. Their appetite may also worsen, and especially sensitive ones may even have a fever. If your child is used to kindergarten and still cries in his sleep, take a closer look at the microclimate in the family - perhaps his nightly crying is somehow connected with the fact that relatives are loudly sorting things out.
Fear. Fear can also provoke crying in children at this age. If your baby is afraid of the dark - leave him a nightlight turned on at night, perhaps he is afraid of some kind of picture or toy - remove it from the child's eyes. Nightmares can also be caused by banal overeating.

If the baby is afraid, then try not to leave him alone for a while - he needs your support and a sense of security

unusual situations

What to do if the child abruptly starts to cry, cries and arches or cries constantly? The reasons for this behavior of the baby can be different, it is obvious that he is in pain. This may be colic, high intracranial pressure, etc. Be sure to consult a doctor, he will prescribe the necessary treatment. You may need to undergo a series of examinations to clarify the reasons for this behavior of the child in a dream.

What measures to take?

Knowing the reason for your baby's night crying, you can try to solve this problem. If the cause of colic, then a light massage of the tummy (clockwise), a warm diaper on the tummy, dill water and special drops will help you cope with this problem and provide healthy sleep to kid. If the crumbs are teething, you need to consult a doctor and choose special gel, which will anesthetize the gums. If some disease has become the cause of the crying of the child, you need to consult a doctor and urgently treat the baby. If the reason lies in the fear of the dark, leave a nightlight on at night.

The baby may cry because of some emotional upheaval, in which case try to calm him down: tell him how much you love him, how wonderful he is with you. It is very important to adjust the daily routine: if the child goes to bed at the same time, then it will be easier for him to fall asleep. It is not recommended to give the child a hearty dinner, the baby should eat no later than 2 hours before bedtime. You should not play gambling, outdoor games before going to bed - reading a book or an evening walk is best.

In our article, we analyzed the main causes of night crying in children. different ages. As a rule, parents have no serious reasons for concern. But, nevertheless, if the baby often cries at night, you can seek help from a doctor who will help you determine the exact cause and tell you how to solve this problem.

In one of the previous articles, the site for moms, the site said,. Today we’ll talk about why a baby cries at night. After all, as you know, it is sleepless nights that scare expectant mothers the most and exhaust the real ones. Knowing the possible causes of the baby's nighttime anxiety, you can establish a healthy sleep for both the child and his parents.

Healthy, restful sleep is very important for baby. After all, it is during these precious hours that he gains strength for development.

But not only the baby needs a good sleep, his mother also needs it. After all, only a rested mother can give a child good mood, care and love. Therefore, before finding out the reasons why your child cries at night, let's find out how long a child's night sleep should last.

How much sleep does a child need at night

A baby from 1 month to 3 years of age should sleep for about 8-9 hours at night.
Children aged 3 months to 1 year should sleep at about 11 hours at night.
Children after a year sleep about 10 hours at night.

Of course, this is an average, and your child's sleep time may vary slightly from the statistics. But you should pay special attention to the health and condition of the baby, if he sleeps at night much less than expected.

You need to find the reason why your child is crying at night, and not write it off for his difficult nature.

Why does a child cry at night: reasons

Health problems

The most common reason is the baby's illness.

The child cannot sleep because of the sore throat.

Very often, the baby cries from pain in the ear, that is, with otitis media. After all, it is when the child lies down that the fluid that has accumulated in the middle ear presses on the eardrum and causes acute pain.

A stuffy nose of a child also often worries at night, because it is difficult for the baby to breathe, he wakes up and cries. Also, a persistent cough can be the reason why your baby cries at night.

Health disorders include intestinal colic, and increased nervous excitability.

Particular attention should be paid to increased nervous excitability, which may be a consequence of the course of pregnancy, childbirth.

A newborn should be observed by a neurologist, because early diagnosis hyperexcitability will avoid serious problems with the health of the baby. And one of the warning signs of disruption in the work nervous system baby - just a restless sleep at night.

The baby is uncomfortable

Perhaps your baby is cold, hot, wet. Babies often cry at night when they want to eat or drink. It is quite easy to eliminate such a cause of crying.

fears

Fear is another possible reason Why is the baby crying at night. Babies usually get used to falling asleep with their mother. And if at night the baby woke up, and the mother was not around, then do not hesitate - you will hear the most sorrowful cry in the world.

But here a dilemma arises: is it necessary to teach a child to sleep with his mother, or to teach him to sleep in his own crib? Each mother must decide this issue in accordance with her character and her principles of education.

If the mother decides to establish a joint sleep, then this will have a positive effect on lactation, and the child will be pleased: the mother is nearby, the “kitchen” is also nearby. But often sleep with baby very hard, uncomfortable, unsafe.

Then you can try to teach the baby to sleep in his crib.

Find an acceptable way for you to teach your baby to be independent and act. But first, check to see if the baby’s crying is caused by his poor health or uncomfortable condition. If your child learns to sleep alone, then this will give you the opportunity to have a good rest at night.

Fatigue

Another reason why a child may cry at night is nervous strain or fatigue. Maybe you had guests, or maybe there was a lot of noise, new impressions. All this leads to overexcitation of the child, and as a result, to sleep disturbance, to nightmares and crying during sleep.

In order to avoid overexciting the child, the site advises to follow certain soothing rituals before going to bed: create a quiet environment, bathe the baby with soothing herbs or salt, speak kindly to him, sing a lullaby.

Psychological reasons

Young children are very sensitive to the state of their mother, to her mood. This must always be remembered, try to be calm. After all, calm down crying baby difficult for a mother whose nerves are on edge.

Children often cry at night with those parents who do not get along well, there are frequent quarrels, swearing. Do not think that your baby is still too small to understand something. Sometimes the crying of a child at night indicates a lack of care and attention from the parents.

So, if you carefully read the main reasons why a child cries at night, then waking up from the sorrowful crying of your baby, you will no longer panic and be afraid. Now you can easily eliminate the cause of night crying, and your baby will sleep peacefully all night.

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 6 minutes

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Article last updated: 05/06/2019

When overcoming the first annual milestone in a child's life, parents already have a certain amount of knowledge about how to behave in a given situation. But if it's the firstborn, there's still plenty dark spots, one of which we will help shed light on. We will reveal to you the main reasons why your offspring cannot sleep peacefully at night.

Why does a one year old baby wake up every night and cry in his sleep?

Such a question often confuses new parents, and they shrug their shoulders, not knowing what to do. Should I see a doctor or look for the cause on my own?

The most ridiculous conclusion they can draw is to increase the load on the baby every day so that he (they believe) sleeps like a log all night.

It's really effective way, but only if your baby is 3-4 years old or more. Despite the fact that doctors constantly warn about the dangers of this method, a huge number of new moms and dads make this mistake every year. After all, the only alternative is to understand the reasons, and not every parent wants to waste their time.

There are only 5 main reasons that can be identified. We will first list them, and then we will analyze them in more detail so that you can confidently find the one for which your child cries at night in a dream.

illness or indisposition;
inconvenience and lack of comfortable conditions for sleep.
children's fears and nightmares;
overexcitation;
psychological irritation.

Now let's look at each reason separately.

Health problems

It is clear that when the baby is in sharp pain, it is unlikely that he will fall asleep all night. Not to mention the tears. Even an adult, in pain, can cry. If the baby starts crying at night, when he goes to bed, the search for the disease narrows down to only four options: otitis media (ear pain), tonsillitis (sore throat), stomach cramps (stomach pain), teething. All four disorders are activated when the body is horizontal, this is due to the pressure on the head that rises when the baby goes to bed. In case of colic, it is not necessary to consult a doctor, there are several simple ways fight them at home. With teeth, everything is already clear, the baby must endure the pain, you can only help him with an anesthetic gel, which will reduce the degree discomfort. But in the case of otitis or tonsillitis, you will have to urgently consult a doctor. Self-medication can cause him irreparable harm.

Ways to deal with colic

If you are not in a hurry to disturb the doctor with digestive problems, you can first try the methods that he will advise you in the first place anyway, so that the child sleeps peacefully all night:

Lay your baby on a flat surface, stomach down. Let him lie down in this position for a while;
try to put pressure on his tummy when he is in your arms;
learn how to feed him properly: air should not get into the throat. To do this, pay attention to the fact that the nipple is completely absorbed, and with it part of the areola. In the case of a bottle, the entire nipple must be captured;
do not eat foods that stimulate gas formation: spicy, flour, peas, and so on;
use only a quality formula if you do not feed him with his own milk;
make sure that the baby does not overheat, especially at night.

Discomfort

It is important to create maximum comfort for the baby at night, otherwise do not be surprised when he wakes up and cries. There are many parameters here and all of them must be taken into account, for a year you were obliged to learn this already, if not, it's time to correct the situation. Maybe it's the uncomfortable pajamas, from which he has already grown and she presses him. Also, the cause may be stuffiness or a draft. Rough linens, crumpled pillow, obsessive pets and so on. Analyze all possible triggers.

Why does a child suffer from fears and nightmares at night?

The most common cause fear - broken contact with the mother. A year is just the age when many parents stop sleeping in the same bed with their child in order to develop in him such a character trait as independence. Naturally, he is frightened when he wakes up at night completely alone in the room, and there is no one nearby to caress and calm him down. In this case, there are two options. First, be patient and continue to sleep with him until he is no longer afraid. Second, leave him alone with his fears and wait for him to overcome them. It's hard to tell which type to choose. Different teachers recommend different approaches. Some say that in the second case a neurosis can develop for life. And others appeal to the fact that later it will be difficult for him to learn to develop on his own, without the support of his parents.

Why does a tired baby often wake up at night in the first year of life?

At first glance, it looks strange, but the solution is very simple. It's all about the hormone cortisol.. This is the hormone of cheerfulness, which our body, thanks to centuries of evolution, has learned to produce in stressful situations. Our distant ancestors constantly had to fight or run away from predators. It is thanks to cortisol that a person could overtake a lion or a tiger in the struggle for life. It is clear that all these dangers are long gone, but the body is being rebuilt for more than one hundred years.

In 80% of cases when moms go to the doctor with complaints that their baby, who is barely a year old, often wakes up at night, it is cortisol that is to blame.

The result is a vicious circle: at night, your baby cannot sleep and recuperate. The next day he overworks again and again does not sleep. Breaking this circle is simple - give his body a break, make him spend a couple of days in bed. Give him a tablet with his favorite games and cartoons in his hands so that such a vacation is not a burden. And in the future, you will have to make sure that the baby goes to bed early. Do not be afraid that he will get up early and ruin his day. Just in a dream at night, all the fatigue accumulated during the day is reset. And the longer it is, the less traces of it will remain by morning.