Inside: What To Do When Your Newborn Won’t Sleep At Night. Collaborative post.
Regular readers will know that we’ve covered the topic of sleepless nights before. However, in a previous post, we spoke about why children between the ages of 8 and 12 struggle to sleep. Feel free to read through that if it’s also relevant to you, but today’s post will look at the much younger category of kids; newborn babies.
You’ve just been through one of the most physically and mentally demanding things anyone can ever go through – you know, birthing an actual human being! It’s a wonderful time filled with relief and love, and you just can’t wait to take your new baby home. You want to get them as settled as can be, but things don’t go to plan.
When you’ve taken your baby home, you soon realise that they aren’t sleeping at night. You put them to bed with high hopes of a long night’s sleep, only to be woken up by crying every hour or so. It makes your life stressful, not to mention the fact that you’re worried about your baby. Why are they crying? Why won’t they sleep? Is something wrong?!
The good news is that there’s most likely nothing wrong with your baby. Healthy babies sometimes struggle to sleep, and there are many reasons for this. So, this guide will teach you what to do when your newborn won’t sleep, as well as informing you of why this might be happening…
Take your baby outside
A common problem is for babies to sleep a lot during the day, then not at all at night. Generally, newborns need anywhere between 14-17 hours of sleep per day. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to be awake, but it’s necessary to help them grow and develop. Obviously, a big portion of this time should be taken up when they go to bed. The rest is made up of frequent naps throughout the day.
The problem is when your baby sleeps during the day as though it’s night. They might sleep for 7-10 hours straight when it’s still light outside. Why? Because they don’t know if it’s night or day! They’re still adjusting to the world, so they need some assistance getting their body clock aligned to what’s normal.
A great way to do this is by taking them outside so they are exposed to natural light. It forces their internal clock to recognise that it is daytime, and they are less likely to fall asleep. Let them nap a bit indoors, take them out for a walk, and you should hopefully see a big change in their sleep schedule, meaning more nighttime hours are spent snoozing.
Swaddle your baby
What is swaddling? Basically, it’s when you wrap your baby up in a secure blanket. Their head is the only thing that’s visible, and it’s almost like they’re wrapped in a little cocoon. The whole idea of swaddling is to make your baby feel safe and secure, while also restricting the movement of their limbs. It can also make them feel like they are back in the womb, which helps with any anxiety as that’s all they’d have felt until they were born.
How does this help them get to sleep?
Well, it tackles two problems babies sometimes have. A lot of babies don’t feel safe sleeping on their backs. You might think okay, let them sleep on their front or side. Unfortunately, neither of these positions is optimal, least of which is sleeping on their front as it can cause sudden infant death syndrome. You want to put them on their back, and swaddling can ensure they stay there and feel more safe and comfortable.
Secondly, babies can wake themselves up by moving their limbs. It sounds silly, but it happens all the time, triggering a reflex that scares them. Yes, this means that a lot of the time when your baby wakes up crying, it’s simply because their own limbs startled them! Swaddling can prevent this, which helps them sleep for longer. Be sure you know how to swaddle safely as it has the potential to be unsafe when done incorrectly!
Give your baby a massage
Sometimes, babies struggle to sleep simply because they are too alert. Another reason for sleepless nights could be that your baby doesn’t understand the concept of sleep schedules yet. Or, more accurately, their body hasn’t been alive long enough to get into a set routine. If you can find ways to counter both of these issues, you should be able to enjoy quieter nights with a baby that sleeps a lot.
As it happens, a baby massage can target both of these concerns. There are many reasons a baby might be too alert and active at night. One problem could be the sheer amount of attention they get from others, making them overstimulated. Whatever the reason, massaging your baby before bed helps to calm them down and relax them. It triggers a switch in their nervous system, making them slip into relaxation mode. They no longer feel so wired and active, leading to a long night’s sleep.
Tackling the other problem, baby massages can help you formulate a bedtime routine. Your baby will slowly get into the habit of washing, having a massage, having something to eat, and going to sleep. Whenever they get a massage, their body recognises that it is time for bed. Again, this helps their internal clock make sense of things and they begin to fall into a more structured sleeping pattern.
Feed your baby – but not too much
Newborn babies need to eat to get big and strong. Breastfeeding has a lot of benefits, but one downside is that the milk can be digested very quickly. So, newborns are prone to waking up once or twice at night feeling hungry. Unfortunately, there’s not a great deal you can do about this as it is natural. All you can do is wake up, feed your baby, then go back to sleep. Don’t ignore your baby if they are only waking up once or twice to eat – feeding them will help them sleep.
On the other hand, babies that wake up multiple times during the night shouldn’t be fed each time. This can make it even harder for them to sleep as they have been overfed! It’s all about finding the right balance, but if you are taking care of other potential sleep issues, your baby should only wake up when they’re hungry – which will be once or twice max.
Create an optimal sleep setting
Where are you laying your newborn down to sleep every night? Do they have their own room? Are they sleeping in the same bed as you? As adorable as it looks for a baby to share a bed with their parents, this is clearly a terrible decision. You don’t need me to explain why, but it’s outrageously unsafe. People get into the habit of reading false information online or taking things the wrong way. For instance, you know that physical contact with a baby is essential as they develop. They need to be around their parents a lot, particularly when sleeping. So, you might assume that sleeping in the same bed as them is a smart idea, but it isn’t!
Instead, the optimal sleep setting for a newborn is in their own separate cot in the same room as you. You should do this for the first 6 months of their life as it is proven to be the safest place for your baby to sleep. Therefore, they feel more at ease, which helps them get to sleep.
Furthermore, you have to minimize noise and light in the bedroom. If you put your baby to bed, try to sleep at the same time. The chances are you’ll be tired anyway, and it’s wise to try and catch any sleep you can during this stage of their life. What you want to avoid are instances where you come into the room later on and make a racket. Or, you have music/the TV playing loudly in the room below your baby, which can unsettle them and wake them up.
See your paediatrician
The last thing to do if your newborn is really struggling to sleep is to go and see your paediatrician. A lot of the common reasons a baby doesn’t sleep will revolve around health-related things. Don’t worry, most are normal – such as teething. But, if your baby suffers from things like colic that are making it hard for them to sleep, a doctor can diagnose and provide treatment options.
The overall conclusion is that your newborn is going to have sleeping problems in most cases. It happens to every parent, and you have to learn to adapt and deal with it. With the advice above, you’ve at least got some tips on what to do to address many common reasons a baby doesn’t sleep. They will help you get to the root of the problem and ensure your baby sleeps like a dream every night.