As you know, babies have irregular sleep patterns. it’s part of what defines them. Experts tell us that it’s part of their development, and that the shorter sleep cycles so common among babies contribute significantly to the way that their brains function.
Still, just because it’s normal that your baby wakes up every couple of hours during the night doesn’t mean that it’s easy. New parents can become very frustrated from the lack fo sleep, or from the constant interruptions to their own sleep patterns. Just like babies need to sleep the way they do in order to grow and develop, so parents need to get their sleep to be able to function in daily life.
If your baby wakes at night, here are some things you can do to help calm your baby and get some sleep yourself:
- See if she’s hungry. This is basic, but you don’t want to start with this. If your baby isn’t hungry and you feed him, you’ll potentially create a number of problems.
- See if he’s wet. A wet diaper will wake a baby fast. Some babies may be able to sleep through a lightly wet diaper, while other babies can’t hardly stand to have a drop.
- Give her some motion. You can rock your baby, or walk around a little bit while holding her. Some babies will fall asleep better in a car seat than in their cribs, too.
- Learn infant massage. If your baby has an upset stomach, or if he doesn’t feel good, an infant massage can often help to releive some of the belly pain that your baby has and help him to get back to sleep.
- Play some music. If other things fail, consider playing some soft music for your baby. Classical music is good, and so is more mellow types of Jazz music.
- Give him a burp. Sometimes, babies don’t wake up because they’re hungry, they wake up because they have gas. Give your baby a burp or two before trying to put him back in his crib. Some babies will be hungry after you burp them, so a feeding may be in order, as well.