Sleep through baby crying: Baby Crying During Sleep | Children’s Hospital Colorado

Baby Crying During Sleep | Children’s Hospital Colorado

Hearing your baby cry in the middle of the night can be unsettling. Because they can’t talk, you don’t know for sure why they are crying. But you do know one thing – they’re not sleeping, and neither are you.

But the fact is, especially for babies younger than 6 months, it’s very common for babies to cry and wake up during the night. Your baby is unlikely to sleep through the night before they are 4 to 6 months old, so it’s better to plan for it to avoid frustration and take naps when you can. Also, if your baby has slept for a six-hour stretch (lucky you), they may be quite hungry when they wake up.

So once you have the right mindset, what can you do to prepare and help your baby when they cry at night? Maya Bunik, MD, medical director of Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Primary Care Child Health Clinic and breastfeeding expert, provides some advice.

Getting your baby to sleep through the night is a process

One of the most important things to remember is that your baby is learning how to sleep through the night. You might feel a lot of pressure to get your baby to sleep, but it’s important not to be too hard on yourself. It takes time for babies to learn the rhythms of night and day and when to sleep. And remember, being responsive to your baby’s needs is a good thing.

You might have heard that you should “sleep train” your baby or let them “cry it out.” This essentially means that when your baby cries at night, you let them cry while checking on them and they will learn how to soothe themselves back to sleep. There is plenty of debate about whether this method works — and truly little experimental evidence. It can set parents up to feel like they have failed if their baby doesn’t respond to sleep training.

Additionally, many sleep training tactics do not align with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendations for safe infant sleeping.

Ensure your baby is sleeping safely

Following recommendations from the AAP is the most important step you can take. Sure, you would like your baby (and yourself) to sleep as much as possible, but making sure they are safe is the top priority. Among the AAP’s recommendations are:

• Babies should sleep on their back until they are 1.
• Babies should sleep on a firm surface, such as a mattress with a fitted sheet, that is free of bedding or other soft objects.
• Parents and caregivers should avoid exposing babies to any smoke.
• Caregivers should always avoid alcohol, sedating medications and illicit drug use while caring for an infant.
• Parents can consider using a pacifier at nighttime or nap time, which has shown a protective effect against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Pacifiers should not attach to clothing or hang around your baby’s neck.

When and how to put your baby to sleep

A lot of people may tell you that you should put your baby down to sleep when they are drowsy, but not fully asleep. This is a good goal, but it is not always possible. Many babies fall asleep while you are holding them, breastfeeding or bottle-feeding them.

You also might hear from advocates of the ‘eat, play, sleep’ bedtime routine, in which babies feed, play for a short amount of time, and then go to sleep. But, this method can lead to unnecessary frustration for parents and dehydration and failure to thrive (falling behind recognized growth standards) in babies.

Share your room with your baby, but not your bed

Have your baby sleep in a portable crib or basinet near your bed. This allows you to be responsive to their needs without sharing your bed — both of which have shown to reduce the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%.

Having your baby close allows you to monitor them throughout the night, assess their cries and feed them with more convenience. The AAP recommends that your child sleep in your room until their first birthday and definitely until they are 6 months old, at which point the risk for SIDS decreases substantially.

Breastfeed in bed

Breastfeeding is associated with a dramatic reduction in the risk of SIDS. If you are breastfeeding, you should do so in your bed and return your baby to their crib or basinet when they are done. Avoid breastfeeding on sofas or armchairs because if you fall asleep in these areas it can be dangerous and increase the risk for SIDS. Despite best intentions, you might fall asleep while nursing your baby, so make sure that you’re in your own bed, and that it has minimal bedding and pillows that pose a suffocation risk for your baby.

The 6-month milestone

When your baby reaches 6 months old, their risk for SIDS decreases significantly and they are more likely to sleep through the night. They also might be more likely to soothe themselves back to sleep after waking up.

This can be a good time to work on a nighttime routine, such as taking a bath, putting on pajamas, brushing teeth (if they have any), cuddling and feeding, reading a book and then going to bed. This may be a good time to try putting your baby in bed while sleepy, but not yet asleep in hopes that they get used to falling asleep alone.

When your baby does wake up in the night or during naps after reaching 6 months, use these tips for comforting them and helping them get back to sleep:

• Visit your baby as often as you feel is necessary and make your visits loving, but preferably brief.
• Act sleepy and whisper positive sayings, such as “You’re almost asleep.”
• Speak in a loving and calm voice.
• Try not to show any frustration or anger.

Finally, don’t forget that you know your baby best. So trust your instinct and your comfort level. Once you ensure that your baby is sleeping safely, follow these general guidelines, talk with your pediatrician and respond to your baby as you see fit.

When to call your pediatrician

Call your child’s doctor if crying becomes worse, if your child still isn’t sleeping after several weeks of transition or if you ever have any questions or concerns. You can also call Children’s Colorado’s ParentSmart Healthline at 855-543-4636 any time, day or night, to speak with a pediatric nurse.

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3 Reasons why your baby is crying in their sleep: Causes and tips

Updated Oct 07, 2022

Have you ever checked on your baby to see why they’re crying and found them still — somehow — asleep? If so, you’re not alone in feeling confused about why babies sometimes cry in their sleep. Just another mystery about the littlest humans, parents are often unsure how to respond when their baby is sleeping with their eyes closed yet crying out. 

Seeing their babies crying in their sleep can be alarming for many parents and leads to questions about babies having nightmares or being hungry, as well as how to help their crying baby return to a peaceful, deep sleep. Understanding the most common reasons babies cry while still asleep will help you know what to do the next time your little one begins screaming or crying in their sleep.

IN THIS ARTICLE:

• Why do babies cry in their sleep?

• The 3 most common reasons why babies cry in their sleep

• Can babies have nightmares?

• Is a baby crying in their sleep something to worry about?

• How to help a crying baby fall asleep

Why do babies cry in their sleep?

Although it’s not common for babies to cry in their sleep, it does happen. Some parents turn on the monitor when they hear crying, only to be surprised to see their baby’s eyes are closed. Other parents may go to check on their baby, only to have the crying suddenly stop and find their baby fast asleep. This behavior may have you scratching your head or wondering if something is wrong. Understanding the reasons babies cry in their sleep can help you know what to look for and how to help your baby.

The 3 most common reasons why babies cry in their sleep

1. Crying whil

   e transitioning from one sleep cycle to the next

   Like adults, babies sleep in cycles. But unlike adults, babies transition between sleep cycles very rapidly, spending more time in REM sleep (also referred to as active sleep) than deep sleep.
   During this stage, you may notice your baby’s eyes moving a lot under their eyelids (this is where the term “rapid eye movement,” or REM, comes from). Babies can even be seen moving their arms and legs, closing and opening their hands, twitching or jerking, or yes, even crying during REM sleep.

   With sleep cycles lasting just 40 minutes on average, many babies will experience a brief awakening at the end of each one. During this brief awakening, babies may cry for a few minutes and put themselves back to sleep or may not even fully awaken.

2. Crying due to overtiredness

   When babies don’t get enough sleep or are awake longer than they can comfortably manage, they can quickly become overtired. Overtiredness triggers fatigue-fighting hormones, which can make it even more challenging for babies to fall and stay asleep.
   It seems counter-intuitive, and it can be a struggle. Overtiredness and big tears just before falling to sleep are the most common reasons your baby may be crying in their sleep.

3. Crying due to teething pain

   When teeth buds begin emerging, babies may be very uncomfortable — and they’ll let you know it. Teething babies are noticeably fussier and will often whine due to the discomfort both day and night.
   If you suspect your baby may be working on a new tooth, you might notice more frequent mild crying or whimpering while sleeping. Ask your child’s pediatrician what they recommend for discomfort associated with teething.

Unless you’re concerned for their safety, it’s a good idea to wait and watch before intervening when your baby is crying in their sleep. When you respond too quickly, you may inadvertently wake your child all the way up or prevent them from falling back to sleep on their own.

Brief episodes of crying during sleep are developmentally appropriate and don’t necessarily require help. So, the next time you discover your baby is crying with eyes closed, take a little step back and wait to see what happens next. Your baby may surprise you, and stop crying all on their own!

Can babies have nightmares?

Most of us have watched our babies sleeping and wondered, “What are they dreaming about?” In reality, those sweet smiles you might catch your baby giving in their sleep are involuntary and not in response to a dream (but we can still imagine, right?).
Dreaming begins later in life, typically around age 2. The good news? Babies don’t experience bad dreams, nightmares, or night terrors, and crying in their sleep is likely linked to the reasons listed above.

Is a baby crying in their sleep something to worry about?

Occasional crying during sleep isn’t usually a cause for alarm. Even still, most parents want to do everything they can to ensure their baby sleeps peacefully. After all, if your baby is frequently screaming or crying in their sleep, they may be able to sleep through it — but you may not.

Newborns

Thanks to their still-developing nervous system and frequent need to eat, newborns wake more frequently than older babies, and this includes more sleep disturbances like crying without being fully awake. Newborns are also less likely to have the skills to settle themselves to sleep (and back to sleep) without help.

If your baby wakes up crying or is randomly crying while sleeping, and you know they’re not hungry or needing a diaper change, there may be other solutions before becoming too concerned.

Ensuring it isn’t too hot or cold during sleep times can help your baby sleep more comfortably. Experts recommend setting the temperature between 68℉ and 72℉, and caution against dressing babies in heavy layers.

Usually, whatever you’re wearing plus one layer is sufficient (e.g., a long-sleeved sleeper and sleep sack). If your newborn is crying in their sleep, do a quick check of their sleep environment and see if this helps settle them.

Infants

After the newborn period, babies go through a lot of developmental changes, including changes to how they sleep; we’re guessing you’ve heard of the 4 month sleep regression or the equally dreadful 8 month sleep regression. Many parents decide to begin working on more independent sleep once their baby is past the newborn stage and closer to 6 months.

Babies who are just learning to sleep on their own may struggle more with transitioning between sleep cycles and self-soothing, meaning it’s worth giving your baby a few minutes to see if they’ll settle on their own if you hear them crying in their sleep.

We know it’s hard to wait when you hear your baby fussing in their sleep, but whining and whimpering during sleep is quite common, and many babies will fall back to sleep in minutes if given an opportunity — letting you do the same.

Toddlers

There’s a less talked about sleep regression that can occur around a child’s first birthday (and you thought you were in the clear…). The 12 month sleep regression can spell trouble with naps and nighttime. Toddlers are also known for testing limits and resisting naps — a difficult combination. Any sleep loss caused by early morning rising, missed or short naps, and later bedtimes can lead to overtiredness.

If your 1 year old is crying uncontrollably at night, you’re not alone! Overtired toddlers will cry more before falling asleep and may cry briefly between sleep cycles. Often, if toddlers are given a lovey or stuffed animal to sleep with, they’ll quickly seek comfort in the lovey and settle on their own without fully waking up, putting an end to crying in their sleep.

How to help a crying baby to sleep

Here are a few tips to help your baby stop crying and settle down enough to fall asleep.

Tip #1: Condense your usual bedtime routine.

If you sense your baby is overtired, it’s best to condense your usual bedtime routine and help your baby begin to settle to sleep quickly. A baby that’s melting down during the bedtime routine often just needs to sleep. Sometimes they’re crying simply because they’re exhausted! If your baby seems very tired, it is OK to skip some steps of your usual bedtime routine or speed up the routine.

Bedtime routines for newborns should be brief (approximately 10 minutes) and include just a few activities such as changing the baby’s diaper, applying lotion or a soothing massage, swaddling or changing into pajamas, and rocking for a few minutes until drowsy.

Bedtime routines for older babies are usually slightly longer (approximately 15 – 30 minutes) and may include additional activities such as reading 1 – 2 books or singing lullaby songs.

Tip #2: Lay on the soothing

When a baby is very upset, it is helpful to spend some extra time soothing them. You can try turning on white noise and begin shushing or singing to your baby. Many babies also settle down faster and will stop crying when rocked or bounced gently. If your baby takes a pacifier, you can also use it to help your baby stop crying.

If you are breastfeeding, you may find bringing your baby to the breast to comfort nurse for a bit puts an end to crying, even if they are not hungry. Nursing is very soothing for babies, and the closeness to mom will bring down their heart rate and prepare them for sleep.

Tip #3: Be patient

Calming a crying baby may take some time, and they may take longer than usual to fall asleep: Be patient. If there is more than one caregiver, consider taking turns with the baby. Once the crying has stopped, now’s the time to attempt putting your baby to sleep.

Why a child cries in his sleep

A CHILD’S DAY SLEEP: 3 STEPS TO PREDICTABILITY

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21.04.2020

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Crying is a baby’s way of communicating with adults, especially in the first year of life. So the baby gives signals of hunger, discomfort, fatigue, pain in order to get help. How to understand why a child is crying? Sometimes it is difficult, especially for new parents. nine0003

Let’s look at the most common reasons why a baby cries at night.

1. Babies may cry, sob, scream or “grunt” at night. Since crying is the only form of communication for newborns, it is understandable why they cry often. A newborn cries often in his sleep, as his nervous system is not yet fully formed, and his biological clock is not set. Therefore, in the first months of life, the baby sleeps mainly in the phase of superficial sleep, during which he moves and makes various sounds. Such is the physiology of infant sleep. nine0003

   During this period, the baby will clench his arms and legs, move his eyeballs from side to side with his eyes closed, breathe rapidly and “talk” or cry. Babies are at this moment in a semi-conscious state, when it is difficult to tell whether they are sleeping or not.

   As the baby matures, sleep becomes more consolidated, but the baby may still wake up and make various sounds, including tears, from one cycle to the next.

   nine0028

2. Hunger is the most common reason mom thinks about crying. If the baby wants to eat, he will also give other signs: “fuss”, smack his lips, turn his head to the hand when stroked on the cheek, suck a finger or hand. A hungry baby suckles actively at the breast, you will hear periodic swallowing. Feeding itself lasts 10-15 minutes.

3. The child is uncomfortable sleeping in the crib due to a full diaper, too high or low temperature and humidity in the room, uncomfortable posture. It is important to find factors that interfere with sleep and improve sleep conditions. With discomfort, the child cries abruptly, it seems that it is difficult for him to calm down. nine0003

   When you remove your baby’s clothes to change a diaper, he may protest if he is cold. Babies cry less when they are hot than when they are cold. And while crying will not be so strong.

   During these periods when the baby wakes up, remain calm and talk as little as possible. Change the diaper, feed if necessary, dress the baby without turning on bright lights and without talking loudly.

   It is important to maintain a suitable temperature in the room: no more than 25°C in summer and 21°C in winter. Humidity – 50%. nine0003

4. If a child often cries in his sleep and wakes up, this is one of the signs of overwork accumulated in him. He may also shake or shake his head. Overwork accumulates if the baby does not fit the usual regimen, going into the night occurs later than the usual required, and rest during the day is not enough for him. As fatigue builds up, the stress hormone cortisol rises. Sleep from this becomes less deep, it is more difficult for the baby to “stick together” sleep cycles. When awake, the baby is usually sleepy, more anxious and moody. nine0003

   Assess the mode of how well your toddler sleeps during the day and whether he stays awake too long for his age.

5. The baby is experiencing a strong leap in emotional and physical development, which is accompanied by the development of a new skill: coups, crawling, standing on all fours, at the support, etc. During this period, the baby is actively trying to work out a new skill. There is an active work of the brain, in the superficial phase of sleep, he can think about a new skill, wake up and try it, and at the same time cry a lot. For example, when he rolls over from his back to his stomach or stands at a support, but does not know how to return to his previous position. This is a normal process. If you can’t fall asleep on your own, you need to put your baby to bed again when you wake up. nine0003

6. The child wakes up at night and cries, and this happens all the time? If at the same time he falls asleep only when feeding, swinging, with a pacifier or next to his mother, then the baby does not know how to fall asleep on his own. He doesn’t know any other way. Tired baby cries for help. To solve this problem, you need to either always be there, or teach him the skill of falling asleep on his own.

7. Dreams, nightmares and night tantrums that cause tears occur in children not earlier than 2 years. Until this age, the child does not know what fear is. The baby will be afraid in response to the reaction of the mother. If the child wakes up after a nightmare, calm him down and perform the usual ritual so that the baby falls asleep again. nine0003

8. The baby may sob in his sleep and wake up if he is sick or teething. It is important to consult with a pediatrician and help the baby in every possible way.

   Remember that if babies cry, sob or coo in their sleep, it does not always mean that they are ready to wake up and stay awake.

   In each case, if your baby wakes up at night, wait 1-2 minutes, and then come to calm him down. So you will understand whether he is able to calm down and fall asleep back. Picking up the child and calming him, you thereby disturb his sleep. nine0003

When to see a specialist

1. Child crying in pain

2. The baby’s sleep habits have changed dramatically and he began to sleep poorly

3. Sleep problems at night last for a very long time and affect your well-being

4. You have feeding difficulties: your baby is not getting enough milk while breastfeeding or you think he has a sensitivity to infant formula. And because of this, the baby does not sleep well. nine0003

Does your child cry at night? For what reason, what worries you?

Like this article? Rate:

Votes: 39

Sleep Expert

December 12, 2022

Sleep-expert team consultant Maria Lebedeva answers:
Aliya, hello!
It is not entirely clear that with the age of the baby, they probably meant that 3 months and 14 days.
At this age, the wb can already be longer and reach 1.45. Look for signs of fatigue when you see them – it’s time to start packing. nine0098 Control the duration of daytime sleep do not sleep more than 3 hours a day and the total amount of daytime sleep should not exceed 4-5 hours.

Sleep-expert

December 3, 2022

Sleep-expert team consultant Maria Lebedeva answers:
Rakhima, hello!
Perhaps the mode is not correctly selected, but it is difficult to say something, since you do not specify it.
At 15 months, babies can sleep 1 or 2 sleeps and it is very important to choose the right wb.
It is also important that the baby has a calm wb before bedtime so that she can slow down and switch after active games. nine0003

Nigmatullina Aliya

November 29, 2022

Hello, daughter, 3 months, 14 weeks old, suddenly began to have difficulty sleeping at night. Goes to bed late, at 2 or 3 am. We go to bed for an hour or two at night. At the same time, she won’t hysteria, it’s just necessary that we wear it with a column to the world. As soon as I try to put it horizontally, it starts to cry. And we walk like that only then falls asleep. Before that, everything was almost perfect, she went to bed and got up at the same time, during the day we can withstand WB for no more than 1.5 hours, at this time she falls asleep well. Toward evening, problems begin. Does not get sick, feels good during the day, if only a little …

has become more capricious. The last days after she left for a night’s sleep, she wakes up screaming and crying. Daily amount of sleep decreased from average 15.5 to 13.5

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A child cries in a dream, but you can’t wake him up – what does it mean and how to be parents

Because of a nightmare, a child can wake up, burst into tears, run to his parents and ask to sleep with them. But what if he cries in his sleep, but you can’t wake him up and get in touch with him? Somnologist Natalya Petrova answers these and other questions. nine0003

Question. My daughter is five years old. Recently, she began to have night tantrums – she starts crying even with her eyes closed, sometimes she screams out loud. You try to wake her up – nothing comes out, sometimes she even starts to fight back and as if she does not recognize me. Such an attack can last up to half an hour. Then she falls asleep, and wakes up in the morning as usual and does not remember what happened at night. Nightmares, he says, did not dream. But then what is it?

Answer. Typically, sleep disturbances in preschool children are behavioral in nature. They are associated with the impressions that the child received during the day – perhaps with stressful situations or overexcitation. You can analyze how the living conditions of the family have changed. Maybe you recently moved, or the child went to a new children’s group – to a kindergarten, to a circle. Or maybe the kindergarten teacher has changed. It is important to identify the cause of anxiety and work with it – this will help normalize the psycho-emotional state and, as a result, improve sleep. nine0003

It is also important to know that children often develop night terrors between the ages of two and seven. Do not confuse this state with nightmares. Night terrors most often occur during a child’s deep sleep, that is, in the first half of the night, sometimes in the first hours of falling asleep. You may think that the child has woken up. He may cry loudly, scream, sit with his eyes open, but you will not be able to establish contact with him, because he will be in a state of deep sleep.

Often these episodes can be associated with an acute illness, such as a viral infection and high fever. The cause of night terrors in some cases can also be iron deficiency. To rule out somatic causes, you should contact your pediatrician.

However, sometimes this condition has nothing to do with the health of the child, but rather with the development of his nervous system and the load on it.

If episodes of night terrors occur at about the same time (for example, around one in the morning), you can try to wake the child half an hour before the expected episode, offer him, for example, go to the toilet or drink and put him back to bed. If an episode of night terror nevertheless happened, you should not wake the child with all your might. It is better to sit next to him, try to act gently and confidently, not get annoyed and not worry in response. You can stroke the child, try to sing a lullaby, calm him down. It is important to ensure that the child in this condition does not receive physical injuries. nine0003

Usually night terrors pass without additional intervention, with the onset of school age. It is worth contacting a doctor if the episodes recur daily for a long time or several times during one night.

As for nightmares, they usually occur in the second half of the night during REM (superficial) sleep. In the morning, waking up completely, the child can at least roughly retell the plot of the nightmare. But the episodes of night terrors, children, on the contrary, never remember. nine0003

What to do if the child cries in his sleep

• Analyze the child’s daily routine and try to exclude active games, watching TV and other gadgets two to three hours before bedtime.
• Make sure that the child has comfortable sleeping conditions – a ventilated, comfortable room, noise is minimized and there are no light sources.
• If you think that your child is not sleeping well because of anxiety, you should contact a child psychologist. It will help to identify the possible cause of anxiety and find ways to deal with it. nine0028
• If you observe severe drowsiness in a child, headache, irritability during the day, or vomiting immediately after waking up, it makes sense to see a pediatrician, and further along the direction to other specialists, for example, a pediatric neurologist or a somnologist.

Ask your question to Mel, and the editors will find someone who can answer it. Write to our social networks – we read all the messages on the pages in VKontakte and Odnoklassniki. Answers will be published in order of priority in the “Question – Answer” section. By the way, we do not disclose names, so questions can be anything (feel free!).