What to do if my baby is not sleeping

What to do if my baby is not sleeping

Baby is not sleeping  

And - does it sleep through the night? There is hardly a question that can annoy freshly baked, sleepy parents faster!

But why do many babies sleep so badly? Why do they wake up so often at night? And what can help your baby so that it sleeps better and that you can finally get a good night's sleep again?

Here you will find the most important answers about falling asleep and staying asleep.

Babies do not yet have a day and night rhythm

First of all, we should dispel the prejudice that babies can and must sleep 8 hours straight every night from the start. Sure, they already exist, these great sleepers - but these are absolute exceptions! Most babies sleep more or less evenly throughout the day and night in the first time after their birth, and rarely more than 2 to 3 hours at a time. Many even sleep better during the day. 

They are still used to this in the womb. Because during the day they were always rocked nicely while Mommy was moving. In the evening, on the other hand, when mommy put your feet up for you, gymnastics lessons were often the order of the day. This  rhythmmany babies retain them even after they are born. This does not change until a few weeks or months and your baby becomes a night sleeper. Some take longer to switch than others. Nevertheless, you do not have to put up with it without complaint. There are a lot of things you can do to help your baby know the difference between day and night and to gently get them used to waking and sleeping times.

Recognize the difference between day and night

Anything that shows your baby the difference between day and night will also help you sleep well at night in the long term. During the day you should therefore spend a lot of time with your baby, play with him and go out into the fresh air. For daytime naps, the room shouldn't be darkened, it doesn't have to be super quiet in the house and naps can also take place in the stroller on the balcony. At night, however, your baby's sleeping environment should be as quiet as possible and slightly darkened.

Helpful: regular daytime naps

Studies have shown that keeping a baby awake during the day doesn't guarantee a good night's sleep. Because once it is overdriven, it is often even more difficult for him to fall asleep. This is why you should regularly lay your baby down during the day when they are tired. However, try to reduce your bedtime, especially in the late afternoon, and keep it as short as possible.

Do not wake babies unnecessarily at night

Do not let your child scream any longer at night, otherwise it will find it harder to return to sleep afterwards. When it wakes up, you should wait a moment to see whether it goes back to sleep on its own, but otherwise react quickly. Many children take the night bottle or the nocturnal breastfeeding even when half asleep and then go back to sleep very quickly. Even changing diapers does not necessarily have to be necessary if there is no big business in your pants - fresh air around your buttocks only makes you unnecessarily awake.

Those who are full sleep better

Many parents find that their baby wants to drink more often in the evening. Give in to that and breastfeedor feed it more often in the evenings. Many babies then also last a longer distance of 5 to 6 hours. You can also try to wake up and feed your baby again briefly before you want to go to bed yourself. Then you have a good chance that his first extended sleep phase will coincide with your own deep sleep phase. But please don't get impatient. 

All of these changes always take time. Incidentally, it is not true that bottle-necked children sleep better at night because they are fuller. For stressed breastfeeding mothers with a lack of sleep, it can be very helpful if you express some milk during the day so that the dad can take over a night meal with the bottle.

Evening rituals help you fall asleep

Babies are "creatures of habit". They like a set rhythm that they can stick to. Start as soon as possible to introduce fixed bedtime and an evening ritual that is always the same as possible. This signals to your baby: it's time to go to bed. Make the hour before going to sleep lovingly, calmly and monotonously, eg feeding, changing diapers, putting on a sleeping bag, cuddling, going to bed. Most babies sleep particularly well after an evening bath. But this is also what makes some really fit. So you have to try it out. In the evening, if possible, no more visitors should come who always bring some kind of excitement. And even if it's difficult: Dad shouldn't romp with the little one before bed. A quiet evening ritual like a lullaby or bedtime story makes much more sense.

Very important: get help!

Sleep deprivation is a cruel and incredibly effective torture method. No wonder that some parents literally get on their gums. But you don't have to do everything yourself. Before you break down, get help! It doesn't matter whether the nice neighbor next door takes a big lap with the stroller and you lie down for a while or whether you bring the little treasure to grandma for a few hours. Often a few hours of sleep at a time help and the world looks completely different again.