What to do if your child doesn't like to sleep

Children's reluctance to sleep is a problem that causes headaches for many parents. First of all, sleep is very important for the baby's development. If your baby doesn't like to sleep, or doesn't get enough sleep, it will cause developmental delays. On the other hand, if the baby doesn’t like to sleep and is fussy for a long time, it will also have a certain impact on the parents’ spirit. So, what should you do if your baby doesn’t like to sleep?

The reason why overly tired babies act excited, irritable, impatient, and have trouble sleeping is because the chemicals in their bodies are fighting the fatigue. Lack of sleep can cause the central nervous system to be highly alert. Being awake for too long and being too tired can easily lead to crying before going to bed.

Countermeasure: Comfort the baby and arrange the sleeping environment before the baby is very sleepy.

Sometimes babies sleep for 3 or 4 hours during the day or wake up too late in the morning, which can easily lead to a reversal of day and night. They may have difficulty falling asleep at night, wake up every 2 hours or even an hour after sleeping, and get up to play in the middle of the night.

Countermeasure: Maintain activity during the day and get sunlight exposure. The light should not be too dim during daytime sleep, so that the baby can gradually distinguish between day and night. Go to bed early at night, keep the room dark, give your baby a warm bath before bed, play soothing music, and do touch therapy, all of which can help reduce the possibility of day and night reversal.

3. Sleeps sweetly in your hand, but wakes up as soon as you put it down

Babies under 3 months old will first enter a light sleep for about 20 minutes when they fall asleep. Therefore, if they fall asleep in an adult's arms, they will be more likely to wake up if they are moved to the bed at this time.

Countermeasures: Generally, wait for 20 minutes of deep sleep before putting it down or go to sleep directly on the bed. Reducing the number of putting it down can provide some relief. After three months, you will enter deep sleep when you fall asleep, and the phenomenon of being unable to let go will improve. Don’t be sneaky when putting the baby down. Tell the baby calmly, “Mom is going to put the baby to bed.” The baby will be prepared and will not be easily frightened. In addition, babies have a high proportion of light sleep, and it is normal for them to open their eyes, move a few times, or even cry a few times during light sleep. Do not misunderstand this as the baby being awake, which will cause excessive interference with their sleep.

Sometimes the baby has been sleeping motionless for ten minutes, but wakes up as soon as someone walks away, no matter how light the movement is. In fact, the same sound has different effects on people's awakening, and whether they wake up or not is related to psychological expectations. For example, at the same volume, people can often continue to sleep well when they hear normal noises, but they will often wake up immediately when they hear a fire alarm in a building.

Countermeasures: When encountering this phenomenon, be sure to greet the baby and tell him that this is a normal sound. Explain to the baby to go to sleep and that the mother just got up and will not go far. Some mothers say that their children are very sensitive to sounds, and sometimes when they turn over, they wake up with a very slight sound from the bed, so they have to hold back and not turn over... You can try desensitization and demonstrate to your child when he or she is awake and playing: "This is how your mother turns over when you sleep, and then the bed makes a sound. Listen to this, don't be afraid, it's normal." Recreating the scene and reproducing the source of the sound will help them not associate such sounds with fear.

5. Wake up every half hour

A baby's sleep cycle is generally around 30-45 minutes, which is shorter than that of an adult, and they are prone to wake up after the cycle ends. The sleep cycle gradually increases during the 4-6 months period. As sleep ability increases, the sleep cycles contained in a single nap can also be increased, extending the nap time.

Parents often have a preconceived idea that a nap should last only half an hour, and they arrange activities for the baby to wake up instead of encouraging the baby to continue sleeping if he wakes up in the middle of the night. If this continues for a long time, the child will no longer realize that he needs to continue sleeping after waking up, and short naps will become a habit.

Countermeasures: Short nap time is affected by developmental stage and sleeping habits, and is one of the biggest sleep problems in the first 6 months after birth. After eliminating human interference factors, it is still possible to sleep short due to physiological conditions. Still need to be patient and calm and avoid excessive anxiety.