Possible sleeping problems in babies

Not all babies have the same requirements and sleeping patterns. However, there are ways to encourge your baby to amuse herself, while awake, so that you don't need to be with her every single waking moment.

Early waking babies

From the very beginning, try to encourage your baby to be happy alone in bed when he wakes. Put an interesting mobile just above the cot that will swing in the currents of the air and make moving patterns for your baby whenever he's awake. Put a round-edged mirror on one side of the cot so that he can look at his own reflection and not feel lonely and, once your baby can reach up, put a string of objects within arm's reach so that he can move and play with them. These need not be expensive and can be simple household articles, such as a small wooden spoon, an empty bobbin of cotton or clothes pegs strung on to a length of string and attached to the cot. It will also help if you put a few favourite toys in the cot so that there is always something interesting to play with and to distract his attention without screaming for yours. Make sure that the room isn't too dark in the mornings so that he can at least see what he's playing with. If the room's very dark leave a night light near the cot or consider hanging lighter curtains.

You can help to train your baby to stay happily in bed by training yourself first. Don't lie there waiting for the first wakening murmur and then leap out of bed to see if he is all right. Leave your baby to snuffle and chatter to himself as long as you possibly can, and only get up if he appears to be getting restless and upset. Always wait to see if he quietens down; you will be teaching your baby self-reliance and independence if you do so, even at this early age. If, however, he becomes fretful, don't delay; go at once and give all the comfort and affection you can.

Night waking babies

Young babies

It is absolutely essential that you get enough rest. If you have a baby who wakes at night, you and your partner should bear the burden equally from the very beginning and take alternate nights on and off duty. Whatever the cause of the crying, you should always go to your baby immediately. If you don't, he'll become increasingly distressed and the end result will be a baby difficult to pacify and a fraught parent.

Until your baby drops the night feed and sleeps through the night, you're always going to have to get up at some stage during the night. To cope with this you should try the following:

• Work out a routine with your partner so that you can go to bed early at least once or twice a week.


• If you are bottle-feeding, get your partner to give some night feeds.


• If you are breast-feeding, and your milk is well established, you could make the night feed a bottle of expressed milk that your partner can give. There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't do this, although your baby may not readily accept the teat (see Expressing milk).


• If you breast-feed your baby, make sure that your partner helps you by collecting the baby if he's in another room, by changing the nappy after the feed and by putting the baby back to sleep.


• Many mothers find it difficult to get back to sleep if they have been woken up. Don't lie there fuming with resentment: try some relaxation exercises, read a book that you've been wanting to catch up on, tackle some work, or get up and do something that you've been putting off.


• If you've lost sleep during the night, you must make it up the following day. Completely relax your routine and do as little in the house as possible so that you can have a nap when the baby's sleeping.

Older babies

In the second half of the year your baby should sleep through the night. However, there may be occasions when, for whatever reason, he wakes up. Try the following:

• Make sure that he's not too hot; if he is, remove either some clothing or some of the bedclothes.


• Check that he's not too cold, having kicked off the bedclothes. Either use a sleeping bag, more bedclothes, or leave a safety heater in the baby's room to provide a constant temperature.


• Check that he doesn't have nappy rash. If he does, the discomfort of it could wake him up. Deal with the rash immediately.


• Don't constantly go into the baby's room to check that he's sleeping well - your anxiety will be more of a disturbance.


• If he's had a nightmare, provide comfort and stay until he's asleep again. If it happens on more than one night in succession look for some external reason - are you getting upset with him rather a lot; is he being looked after by a new baby minder; is he just disturbed by your not being there during the day?

Wakeful babies

Some babies just don't need as much sleep as others and as a result are much more demanding of their parents' time and energy. Such babies should never be left lying alone in their cots with no amusement. They should either have mobiles or activity centres in their cot, or should be carried by the parent if they're moving around a lot. For example, you could put your baby in a sling and still move quite easily around the house. Whatever you do, don't fret because your baby sleeps less than anticipated. When he's awake he's learning all the time, and you'll inevitably be rewarded with an eager, bright child.

Dr Miriam Stoppard

New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard

Posted 03.11.2010

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