Baby Sleep Issues: What Parents Need To Know

Sleep problems are not a new phenomenon in babies. There, we said it! 

Fresh out of the womb and adjusting to life in the outside world is a lot to take in. From temporary things like teething, changes in routine to developmental milestones, it’s understandable that your baby is struggling to sleep. 

In short, a lack of sleep is all part of the new parent package. 

When a broken night’s sleep starts to become the norm, you may have to take a step back and look at some of the sleeping habits that have become an expectation. Being rocked or fed to sleep might be your biggest sleep stumbling block. 

Here’s a round-up of some of the most common baby sleep issues:

The newborn stage

With comfort, food and everything you could need available without even having to ask for nine solid months, being born throws a bit of a spanner in the works. 

Newborns have a lot to adjust to in a very short amount of time, so much so that the health professionals refer to it as the “fourth trimester.” The NCT describes it as “the period after birth when both parents and baby are adjusting to their new lives […] we can think in terms of roughly another three months after the birth to make the adjustments to being a new family.”

Thinking of the first few months as another trimester is not only helpful to parents, but it helps you to understand your baby’s needs more. In this time, your baby depends on you to be their emotional and developmental anchor. So replicating as much of the womb-like experience possible, you can make this challenging time a bit easier in the long run. 

In short, the closer your baby feels to you, the safer and happier they will feel as a result. Here are some extra things to consider:

• Feeding on demand – following feeding cues will support your babe’s emotional and social development
• Using a sling – replicates the womb as they can feel your heartbeat, warmth and closeness
• Skin on skin – encourages your little one to feel connected to you, reduces crying and stress for baby and parent, and helps you to understand your babe’s needs better

Remember, you can never “spoil” a baby in the fourth trimester. Responding to your little one’s cues will help develop their confidence and help them to feel reassured. 

Building a bedtime routine

Each and every one of us has an internal clock that runs in the background keeping all of our internal functions and processes running. Perhaps the most important of these is the sleep-wake cycle. Tied to the day and night circle, when working correctly, your sleep-wake cycle allows your body to receive all the consistent, restorative sleep it needs. 

Enter the bedtime routine. 

Sleep is essential for your baby’s developing brain. Building a routine into theirs every day will help give your baby the best foundation as they progress. It will also leave no surprises for when you get the tricker toddler stages later on! 

Here are some useful tips to get you started:

• Have a definitive bedtime slot – although it may feel like your baby sleeps for every god-given hour under the sun, sticking to a bedtime will allow your babe’s circadian rhythm to develop properly. More of a sleep pattern for them, and more sleep for you in the long run!
• Introduce patterns – this could look like a soothing bath before bed, followed by a story and then the last cuddle goodnight
• Spend time in their room – whether you’re sharing a room, co-sleeping or your babe is in a nursery, it’s beneficial to spend time together in the room that they sleep in. Whether that looks like you lying down together with a story or playing with a sensory mat on the floor, the more your babe is used to their room, the more safe and comfortable they will feel in it!

Sleep regression

Sleep regression is a silent parent’s nightmare. It’s inevitable and all part of your growing babe’s development. You’ll first become aware of sleep regression at the 4-month-old mark. The world is a fascinating place for your little one, and when they start to see it more clearly for themselves, they don’t want to spend any of that precious time sleeping!

If you find that your babe is sleeping for longer stretches of time or fighting off sleep and getting irritable, you are likely entering the sleep regression stage. 

Sticking to or starting a more structured bedtime routine now will help you all get through this challenging time. An overtired baby will struggle to sleep at night time, so make sure they are getting enough zzz’s in the day so they can rest at night. 

When your little one starts phasing out their daytime naps, try and stick to their bedtime routine. That way, their body will naturally tell them when sleep is coming, and they are more likely to have a better night’s sleep as a result. 

Not a one size fits all

Babies like adults are not a one size fits all kind of deal. We are all unique, and your child is no different! So don’t be hard on yourself when it feels like something isn’t working. One of the greatest tricks to parenting is to a) adapt and b) persist. 

Like we’ve mentioned, establishing a routine is at the heart of your baby’s sleeping success. But like all things, sometimes you need extra support and encouragement. 

When sleep becomes increasingly difficult to come by, and your babe is a bit older, a weighted blanket might be the ticket. Designed to imitate a warm hug through deep pressure stimulation, your little one will fall asleep faster and for longer. Natural sleep hormones like serotonin and melatonin swirl through your babe’s body, so you can expect a better night’s sleep all round. 

Mix in soft lighting and muted tones, and your babe will have a peaceful sleep haven!

All parents encounter the “mombie” stage. But when your baby isn’t sleeping well, it’s no laughing matter. Knowing what makes your babe struggle to sleep is a gamechanger. What will you add to your little ones routine to transform their sleep?