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Medical Video: What Happens To Your Body And Brain If You Don't Get Sleep | The Human Body
Expectation: your baby sleeps well all night while giggling occasional delirious dreams. You and your partner can finally sleep soundly without interference.
Reality: Your baby wakes up crying in the middle of the night, wakes up the whole house, and you are now struggling to calm your beloved little one while regretting the rest time wasted when the pile of work awaits you (and your eye bags) in the morning.
Familiar with this scenario? On certain days, babies can cry continuously for two full hours - or even longer. Late evening and midnight is the most common time to listen to your baby's cry.
A number of reasons why babies cry are:
- Hungry
- Dirty or wet diapers
- Tired
- Want to be carried
- Warm or cold
- Bored
- Overstimulation
- Uncomfortable or sick (colic, allergic, spit up, not feeling well, etc.)
- Afraid
All babies cry, and some 'hobbies' cry. In addition to the reasons above, the crying baby may experience confusion between morning and night, so he sleeps all day and then stays awake at night crying for company.
This can make it difficult for you, because crying often occurs at times of vulnerability when you feel most tired and unable to handle it.
Babies cry constantly and have difficulty sleeping, what should be done?
Full stomach? Secure. New diaper? Already. Free of fever? Certainly. But, why are you still crying too?
Crying is the way children tell their parents that they need comfort and attention. Sometimes, it's easy to know what your little one wants, at other times, not always. But, along with growth and development, he will learn other ways to communicate with you. For example, with eye contact, making sounds, and smiling.
Until that time arrives, try the following methods to calm your baby's cry - some may work better than others:
1. Give something to suck
Sucking can soothe the baby's heartbeat, relax his stomach, and soothe rebellious hands flailing. Offer a pacifier or thumb to suck and let it sit until it calms down.
If he cries while you are breastfeeding, let him 'bite' your nipples. If you use bottled milk, give it a soft toy (sterilize it first, yes!). To avoid tooth decay, do not dip dots or toothing toys into something sweet.
2. Bedong the little one
Babies need as much comfort and warmth as they feel in the womb. Wrap your baby in a warm blanket or swaddling cloth, so he feels safe. Calmly, hold your child close to your chest.
Some babies feel bedongan or sling is too constrictive and responds better to other forms, such as sucking pacifiers or rhythmic movements.
Shake the body to the right and left slowly, try to invite him to chat or sing lullabies. When carrying, try stroking his back firmly and rhythmically. Soft pat also works equally well to calm babies who keep crying.
Or, you can put it on the baby stroller, and shake it gently.
3. Lay aside
When holding or placing him on a baby stroller, position his body in a state of lying on his side or on his stomach to recreate the atmosphere like in the womb. Remember: always put his position back on his back when he finally fell asleep.
Invite him to speak in a soothing tone and keep the room temperature warm enough.
4. Create "white noise"
In the womb, your baby can hear your heartbeat. This is probably why babies like to be carried, because your heartbeat is familiar with it.
Create "white noise" that can sink other sounds. You can use static radio sounds, toys, or turn on a vacuum cleaner, fan, or hair dryer.
The buzz of these electronic machines may sound uncomfortable to you, however, many crying babies can finally regain calm after listening to "white noise" - just like the constant roar in your body that he listens to during the womb.
You can also download "white noise" files from the internet or download the "white noise" application that can help you sleep soundly, or buy a "white noise" CD specifically created for babies.
5. Fresh air
Sometimes, just by opening the door or window a little wider, or taking it for a short walk out of the house can stop crying quickly. If successful, enjoy this precious moment: see the scenery around, invite your little one to chat and talk about the world, whatever.
6. Massage
Most babies are happy to be touched, so maybe a massage is the best way to overcome their cries. Doing a massage regularly can reduce the frequency of crying and fussing your little one. However, the best time to massage a baby is when he is awake.
Don't worry too much about not knowing the perfect massage movements - provided the movements are soft and slow, massage can provide comfort. Take off your baby clothes and massage gently and firmly. You can use oil or a massage cream, as long as your child is at least one month old. While massaging, invite him to speak as usual and keep the room temperature warm.
If he cries during a massage, stop it. Crying when massaged indicates overstimulation: he is comfortable enough and does not want to be massaged anymore.
Cries still don't stop, should I worry?
Newborns crying at night are normal. Fussing usually increases two weeks after birth, peaks after six weeks, and will recede in four months. What you need to watch out for, if he cries continuously without stopping after all efforts have been made
Excessive crying can be a sign that the baby has colic. Colic is a common condition, but no one knows for sure what causes it. Doctors suspect that colic is caused by a kind of stomach cramps. The sound of a baby's crying due to colic sounded miserable and frantically roared, paused for a moment and then continued again, indicating that this was caused by a wave of stomach ache.
Cries due to colic can last for hours. Little can you do except try to entertain and calm your little one and wait for the cry to subside.
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