Is Your Newborn Sleepless and Restless?

Is your newborn sleepless and restless? A research study about children states that for the first few days a newborn generally sleeps for about 16-18 hours a day. A 4-week old sleeps for about 14 hours a day on average. However, the range of average sleep in a 4-week old varies. Some 4-week-old babies sleep for 19 hours a day and some only for 9 hours.

Understanding the Sleep Pattern of Newborns

Newborns are not adapted to the day and night pattern of sleep. They do sleep a lot, but for a short bout of 30 to 50 minutes. Their sleep state comprises of two stages, the active sleep stage, and the quiet sleep stage. During active sleep, the baby can wake up to any sort of disturbance within minutes. this could make a newborn sleepless and restless.

Newborn naps are 75% of this active sleep, which is why parents do not see their babies sleeping for a longer duration. The sleeping pattern of a baby is governed by the length of time it takes him to feed, digest, and become hungry again.

As the internal clock for sleeping is in the process of being shaped, the sleep episodes of your baby will be brief and at regular intervals around the clock. Parents often have problems with babies who sleep all day and wake up at night. You can manage this by helping your baby adapt to night and day rhythms.

Having said that, longer stretches of sleep are also not healthy for newborn babies who need to feed often to grow and develop. Newborn babies have small tummies, and they cannot fill them for longer durations. As your baby grows up, they will be able to eat better and subsequently sleep better.

Why Would My Restless Newborn Not Sleep?

As you have read above, newborns are yet to develop the internal clock, which helps to maintain sleep patterns. They are oblivious to identifying day and night and sleep when they feel sleepy and tired. A baby with an empty stomach will not go to sleep.

A baby who is exhausted also resists sleep. The need for a diaper change also wakes up your baby. Some babies get so stimulated that even when they are tired, they detest sleep. Besides these normal reasons, changes in the environment and some medical conditions are also responsible for your baby’s restless sleep.

Medical reasons that make your baby restless and sleepless are snoring and breathing irregularities, allergy to certain substances, acid reflux, fever, infections, teething, upset stomach, etc. Take advice from your childcare specialist in such situations.

[Read : Yawning in Babies]

10 Tips to Help Your Baby Sleep Better

It isn’t uncommon for parents to search for ways to improve their babies’ sleep. Here are 10 effective tips for getting your baby to sleep better.

1. Observe

Parents should observe the little one for signs of sleep. Slight puffiness in the eyes, less active movements, crying and whining, scratching heads and ears are signs that show your baby needs rest. The baby might be yawning and will be clingy. When the infant shows such signs they must be put to sleep and rest.

2. Create a Sleep Environment

You can make your baby sleep by creating a proper environment for him or her. Make sure that your baby is comfortable and the temperature is normal, not too high not too low. Your doctor can advise you on the ideal temperature to be maintained.

3. Help Them to Adapt to the Day and Night Routine

Exposure to natural light helps your infant to adapt to day and night rhythms. Minimize the usage of artificial lights or at least try to use dim lights in the evenings. A brightly light atmosphere can make your baby active and less sleepy. A dim room with thick curtains that block the sunlight can help. Remember not to make your baby sleep through long hours in the day!

4. Muffle Sounds

A newborn wakes up at the slightest sound. You should do your hustle and bustle away from a sleeping baby to avoid waking them. Use a white noise device to soften other noises. You can also play soft music in a low voice or a fan to deaden household sounds.

5. Maintain a Routine

A fixed sleeping routine can help your baby sleep peacefully. Have a checklist that includes baby massage, warm bath, feeding, and then sleeping. A full stomach helps babies sleep peacefully for a longer duration.

Likewise, massage and baths also help babies sleep. These schedules make the baby understand it is time to sleep, and they start feeling sleepy and weary in the midst of these bedtime routines.

6. Breastfeeding

Breast milk has hormones that activate melatonin (a hormone that causes drowsiness). During the night, this hormone is released in larger quantities. Hence, at night, try to breastfeed your baby instead of using bottle milk. Formula with DHA is also good for babies. Generally, formula is heavy to digest and makes your baby feel full for longer. This helps them sleep longer and peacefully.

7. Reduce Stimulation

Try to minimize your activities. Make less noise. Wait, when your baby wakes up in-between, let them settle and put themselves back to sleep. Do not pick them up and cradle them in your arm at the slightest uneasiness in sleep. If they still wake up lull them and wait till they can fall asleep on their own.

8. Experiment With Different Bedtimes

You can also try experimenting with different bedtimes. You can move naps and feeds forward or make it earlier. Try for a week or two and observe the patterns.

9. Make Feeds Manageable

Sometimes mothers keep the baby on the breast for too long, and this can cause the baby to overfeed and then feel uncomfortable. Some babies root the mother’s breast, even after fully feeding – this is their way of seeking comfort. See if a pacifier helps them calm down, but never let the baby sleep with one.

10. Colic

Colic is another reason your baby is restless and uncomfortable. Though colic will pass, and not much is known about what causes colic, there are some tips that you can try.

[Read: Can My Baby Sleep With A Pacifier?]

Newborn Sleepless and Restless at Night

When it comes to babies, remember that fussiness is a general way to learn to self-soothe. Some babies sleep peacefully during the day and then wish to spend all their energy in the night. Well, the first thing to do in such a case is to experiment with the sleep schedules.

What you should know is that adults and their sleep cycles are guided by exposure to light. Your baby will take some time to adapt to the concept of day and night. See if it helps to cut a nap during the day, or make it a quick one in the day.

Try to sensitize your baby towards days and nights – do not dim the lights with heavy curtains in the day, and make them realize that day is to play, night for rest. Though it will take time, it will gradually be observed that the baby associates dark and dim with sleep and rest.

Newborns Sleepless and Restless After Breastfeeding

Some babies just cannot get enough of their mothers! Make sure the baby burps after a feed and is not uncomfortable or colicky. Playing around with your diet can also help. For example, a cup of coffee just before a feed can make your baby alert and active!

You must also remember that breastfed babies have a physical need to nurse, about every two to three hours during the newborn phase, whereas formula-fed babies have about four to five hours. Let your baby settle down on its own. If they again root for your breast, it may just be the comfort factor.

Unless the cries last more than 5 minutes or sound high-pitched or urgent, you can try and see if your baby can sleep by themselves. Also, once your baby has arrived on a sleep schedule, be prepared to see it disturbed during times of teething, travel, illness, etc.

[Read : Should You Breastfeed Your Baby To Sleep?]

Keeping Expectations Real

Pregnancy can be a roller-coaster ride, sure enough. But the baby is not going to sleep through the night in the first few months of their life! Hold your expectations and strike a pact with reality. Your newborn is going to need feeds every few hours, will toss, turn, cry, and even wet diapers all night through.

You will need to work through these early challenges by looping in your spouse or some other family member. A newborn’s sleep can be erratic, and unpredictable. As your baby’s systems mature, they can sleep better and longer during the night.

Parents should try to take naps when their baby sleeps. It is at least better than no sleep at all. Take turns with your partner to attend to your baby when he or she sleeps at night. This period will not last long, gradually your baby will learn to adjust to day and night rhythms and develop a sleep pattern.

However, the fussiness, the crying, and all the sleep troubles will crop up again when the baby is teething, sick, or going through some other developmental phase. Hope now you get an idea about the reason why are the newborns sleepless and restless.

Whoever said parenting is a cakewalk!

FAQ’s

1. Why Does My Baby Kick and Squirm While Sleeping?

Babies are prone to waking up a lot, unlike older children who are able to sleep for hours without waking. The reason is that babies spend around half of their sleep time in REM (rapid eye movement) mode. It is a relatively light and active mode of sleep. Babies move a lot during this stage, they dream, and sometimes whimper when they wake up.

2. How do I Settle My Newborn at Night?

It is quite normal for newborn babies to be unsettled and cry at night. You can handle it easily. During the night, keep the room dark or dimly lit, and as quiet as possible. Hold the baby in your hand until it sleeps. You may also pat your baby gently rhythmic rock them, stroke them, talk to them, or softly sing to them during sleep time.

3. How do I Get My Baby to Sleep Without Being Held?

Either let the baby fall asleep in the baby carrier or teach it to sleep on its own. The act of swaddling mimics being held. Try swaddling the baby and putting them down after. Until your baby settles down, rock, sing, stroke his or her fingers, or stroke their face. You can slowly begin to work on getting him/her down to sleep for morning naps, which is relatively easier. It’s all about patience. Babies will take a while to learn to fall asleep on their own. It’s a skill a baby will master during the first six months of life.