Getting enough proper sleep is essential at every stage of life, including the early days of infancy. Unfortunately, it often seems—especially to new parents—that babies rarely sleep. Luckily, there are a number of common, easily explainable reasons why babies don’t sleep through the night. Learning to recognize and remedy these influences is essential for ensuring the long-term wellness of your child.
If you have a baby who has trouble sleeping, take a look at Sleep MD NYC‘s guide, which describes some of the common reasons why babies sometimes don’t sleep.
Why Do Babies Need to Sleep?
The answer to this question is somewhat self-explanatory. All people and most animals need at least some amount of healthy sleep per night to keep their bodies and minds functioning at an acceptable level.
The issue of sleep can be even more sensitive for babies, as their early life habits tend to heavily impact their development. The ripple effects from this period of childhood can remain present throughout life. Consequently, a parent and child must work together to develop a healthy sleep regimen to ensure the child’s regular development.
Why Don’t Babies Sleep?
1. They Don’t Feel Comfortable
It may go without saying, but one of the most common reasons babies wake up or are unable to fall asleep at night is that they simply do not feel comfortable. Learning your baby’s preferences for comfort should be standard practice for any new parent.
2. Their Cycle Has Been Interrupted
Another reason that a baby’s sleep might become erratic is if their regular sleep schedule has been interrupted by outside events of some kind. Try to lessen the number of external factors that may interrupt your child’s sleep at night. These efforts can potentially help you bring your child into a more regular sleep schedule.
3. They Go To Bed Hungry
Another common reason babies do not sleep through the night is that they have woken up hungry. Consider timing your child’s feeding sessions to sync with their regular sleep schedule. This should result in them remaining full and asleep through the night.
Going to bed hungry can also interrupt the sleep routine of healthy adults, so adults struggling to sleep through the night should ensure they have had a satisfying meal before bed.
4. They Feed Late at Night
Somewhat contradictory to the previous point, allowing your child to feed too late at night can also have detrimental effects on their sleep schedule. This is because late-night feeding may make your child too energetic to get to sleep by their usual bedtime. Try to feed your child at least a few hours prior to their scheduled bedtime, as this will reduce the chance that it will impact their sleep schedule.
5. They Have an Inconsistent Nap Routine
If your baby tends to take naps, they have the potential to interfere with their regular sleep schedule. Part of this depends on the frequency and length of their naps, as engaging in an erratic nap schedule can disrupt their nightly sleep due to the inconsistency introduced throughout their day.
6. They Wake Up at Odd Times
Waking up at times that are considered abnormal for your child can interfere with their sleep schedule in the long term. Attempting to make your child’s rising time and bedtime as consistent as possible has the potential to ensure that their general sleep patterns stay healthy.
7. Teething Issues
If your child is teething, the pain and discomfort that they experience can disrupt their sleep schedule. Fortunately, the teething period is temporary and there are over-the-counter medications specifically intended to help your child endure some of the discomfort of the teething period.
The Sleep Doctor for New York
Sleep MD New York is a comprehensive sleep center in New York with the expertise and equipment needed to assist you with whatever problems you might be having. If you want to discuss strategies to help your child get better sleep, contact us today to set up an appointment.
