Why does my baby wake up crying?

It is not easy to have interrupted sleep, especially when exhaustion knocks on the door. And that feeling we all know by heart.

Has getting out of bed at night to go to the baby who wakes up crying become routine? You urgently need to identify the causes and make corrections before everyone’s sleepless night brings complications for the family’s day-to-day life.

Most mothers have experienced nights awake or furtive sleep due to the need to wake up many times to help their crying baby during the early hours. That’s where the question arises: “Why does my baby always wake up crying?” It is very common for this to happen, and there are several responses to this issue.

Babies have a deep sleep state, called REM, which is short. Therefore, he spends most of the time sleeping in superficial cycles, called non-REM. This is a survival mechanism, where, in the face of any “danger”, wakes up.

The baby’s temperament, environment and habits influence more than one imagines his way of sleeping. However, over time, the rest time of some babies becomes more predictable and manageable for moms.

Babies wake up several times because they need to eat. Usually after three months of life, they will be prepared to endure more hours of sleep without crying because of hunger. If this doesn’t happen, it’s likely that he’s having some physical or environmental discomfort or, in some cases, he’s gotten used to the routine of crying in the middle of the night and getting the expected warmth from his mom or dad.

There are many causes for which babies wake up at night. Parents will succeed over time, recognizing the needs behind each cry of their baby.

However, we can also streamline this process by seeking more information about the most common causes for babies to wake up crying.

Most common reasons for my baby to wake up crying

Crying is the way babies have to get their parents’ attention. Faced with any desire or need, this is a natural reaction to seek the safety of their mom or dad.

Pay attention to the most common reasons for the little ones to wake up in tears, so that you find a practical and quick solution.

• Separation

Babies don’t know they’re in a safe place. Waking up away from the heat and maternal smell makes them stay alert and desperately seek their mother’s protection.

• Hours with prolonged sleep periods

Children, especially babies, need to have a longer sleep routine at night. If babies spend a lot of time sleeping during the day, they will feel less tired at night. This will keep them active when they should be more relaxed to sleep.

• Baby feels hungry

Getting the baby used to eating every time he cries can trigger a lot of crying in the early morning, when the baby expects that he will get attention when crying. During the day, his stomach gets used to receiving food constantly, without a fixed time for it. So, at night, he’s going to cry to order his food.

• Diaper change at night

If the baby is accustomed to changing diapers at night at the slightest sign of moisture, he will expect that every night his crying will be the necessary warning for mom to change his diaper, even at the slightest drop of urine.

What am I supposed to do to ensure my baby doesn’t wake up crying?

At first, you will need to be patient, remembering that babies need to get used to a new routine, which can take a few days.

– Make sure that the food supplied at the end of the day is sufficient so that he can sleep longer without feeling hungry. Also, change the time intervals gradually between one feeding and another, until you get a proper interval for your baby to sleep longer at night.

– The first thing you should remember is that when he wakes up crying, we should provide him with a quiet, safe environment, so he can connect to the time of sleep. Do not give him toys or other objects to entertain him. That way you will be stimulating the contrary to sleep and time to sleep.

– At night, we should create a quieter environment with sounds and lighting suitable to feeling relaxed and sleepy. That way, the baby gradually gets into the routine and will know the exact moment to sleep and will feel safer and quieter to relax away from mom and dad.

– It’s important not to hold him and not play games when you see his little smile of happiness when he realizes he is with you. It would totally wake him up. Approach him slowly, talk to him in a low voice, caress his head. Try to help him sleep again.

– After verifying that there is nothing serious behind the crying, go back to bed. Do not make the mistake of sleeping nearby or taking the baby to your bed. If he starts crying again, don’t help him right away. Wait a minute, most of the time he understands that you’re not coming back and will go back to sleep.

As we have already said above, it is important that the baby has a routine. In most cases, babies who wake up at night,  are due to the lack of routine, during the day and before bed, and that makes the rest of the night difficult.

Take advantage of our tips and tell us how much it helped you with your baby’s sleep nights. Countless women who manage to maintain their baby’s routine manage to have good nights of sleep and much more willingness to enjoy this beautiful phase of motherhood.