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If parents could find what is making their baby cry in their sleep, 99.9% of their problems would disappear. Nothing alerts your ear canals more than the cry of your baby. It’s more like an alarm for the parents to know the baby is awake, hungry, angry, or troubled. What makes you even more worried is when your baby starts crying in their sleep. It absolutely breaks your heart to see something so tiny have nightmares. Even though it might make new parents super nervous, having babies snuffle in their sleep is rather common. Here are a few reasons why babies cry in their sleep and how you can soothe them the right way without waking them up. Read on to know them all.
What Makes Them Cry?
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You might be surprised that your little baby, who is a few days old, is suffering from nightmares. It is when there is random eye movement, and your child is in light sleep. The nightmares grow as your child develops more imagination and gives way to more irrational terrors. One moment you put your baby to sleep, and the very next, they could be whimpering.
Kids are also restless sleepers, and they have rapid eye movements. They sleep only one to two hours at a time. It could be that they are getting used to the formula or breast milk or have a disturbed stomach. The teething phase also makes them cry in the middle of the night. The sleep cycle transition is way faster in babies than adults, which is what makes them wake up and cry. But this does not stay long. They will eventually go back to sleep with a bit of rocking or lullabies.
How To Soothe A Crying Baby
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A crying baby can make you nervous, and be it in your bedroom or in a flight with hundreds of people, people glare at you as if you make the baby cry! When your baby cries while they are asleep, it might make you feel more helpless about what is causing your baby the discomfort. It is recommended to not act promptly and take some time to watch your baby. In most cases, the baby falls asleep again after a bit of fuss. This happens because they are not fully awake even when they cry, so waking them up might trigger more tears. So no matter how tempted you are to pick your baby up, it will only disturb them in their sleep cycle. If your baby feels cold or there is some other reason for their discomfort, the crying will escalate, and you will know when to pick your baby up and check on them.
The sleep problem does not depend on if your child is sleep trained or not. Several parents have sleep-trained their babies with white music, and they still cry at intervals no matter what you do.
How To Make Them Sleep Better?
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There are a few things you can check on to make sure your baby has an undisturbed sleep. For starters, make sure your kid is not hungry and always has a clean diaper before bed. You can also rub their belly and soft talk to them, so they know you are right beside them and have nothing to be afraid of. If your baby seems to be sleeping in an uncomfortable position, you can gently reposition them without disturbing their sleep. Also, keep the room temperature between 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, so your baby doesn’t sweat or catch a cold (1).
When To Call The Doctor
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When you have a baby, the emergency contact changes from your spouse to your pediatrician. From the first sneeze to the mildest fever, you can’t help but call the doctor to ensure your baby doesn’t suffer anything because of your ignorance. Even though there is significantly less to worry about your baby crying in their sleep, you can still dial the doctor if your baby shows any following signs.
- The crying is persistent and lasts for more than three hours
- They are crying out in pain
- The sleeping habits are changing suddenly
- There is a problem with latching
- The baby resists feeding
If your doctor hears all the symptoms and tells you not to worry, you can go to rest! A new parent is like a ticking stress bomb, and no matter what happens to your baby, you will never stop worrying about them. It is natural to keep an eye out for the little bundle of joy, but you must keep your head and think rationally. Read many baby books and research the problems before jumping to conclusions.
So now that you know all about why your newborn cries in their sleep, you can let out a sigh and stop worrying about it. So, do you have any unique way to keep your baby from crying in the middle of their sleep? Let us know in the comments section.
