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One of the biggest challenges that I have faced in my baby’s early years is the night waking. In the initial months we are more or less prepared for our baby’s waking in the night because of their small tummy and little bladder control. These 5 reasons are sure shot ways to tell why your baby wakes up at night.
So, coming back to my trauma! As the months go by, babies don’t need to be fed or changed in the night so often. I know there are some babies who start sleeping through the night as early as three months. But, that was not the case with me. When my baby was about 6 months or so he would cluster feed in the night, which means I would breastfeed him every half an hour. He used to sleep finally at 1:00 a.m. and when I used to hit the bed soon after him, after a very exhausting day, he would be up again at 1:45 a.m.!
Darn-it!! I want to be brutally honest here-I used to be so mad and frustrated, I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs (never did that), I felt like pulling my hair apart. And I know, every mother reading this would have gone through this feeling at some point of time. So what makes these babies test every molecule of our waking/half-asleep bodies at this ungodly hour? We just fed them, changed them, and soothed them – Are they just feeling a little chatty or they are having any trouble falling asleep.
Through my experience, let me tell you five reasons why your baby wakes up at night:
Your baby is ill
One of the most common and the obvious causes of night waking can be fever or tummy troubles. Other times, your baby recovering from an illness might also be a reason.
Teething
This one’s a little contradictory. Some doctors and mothers feel that teething is a very painful experience for babies, others feel teething is a pain free process. In my experience, some babies will feel discomfort and some won’t. If you have seen a glimpse of those tiny little teeth, then that might be the reason for your baby’s night waking. Generally, during the day teether would be a solution, but night time if it is a frequent episode, I used to give some doctor recommended pain killer.
Developmental Milestones
So, your baby has just started crawling, then be prepared for the night waking! Our babies sometimes don’t get enough time to practice a new skill during the day, which is why they are up in the night mastering their new skill. New milestones might sometimes translate to less sleep for you.
Growth Spurt
Sometimes you might feel that your baby is hungry all the time, no matter how much you feed him, he still wants more. The reason can be because he is having a growth spurt during which he needs more food, so more night waking!
It is just a habit – this too shall pass!
Sometimes, babies are just habituated to tugging at their mother’s breast in the night. Their nutritional requirements are met during the day. Even after this,if we are at their service everytime they cry, the night feedings just become a habit. In that case, try other ways of comforting your baby.
Those were my top five reasons why your baby wakes up at night. I hope next time your baby is wailing in the middle of the night, you will be able to comfort him/her and yourself. Love, strength and patience to all mammas reading this.
Have you experienced any other reason why your baby is wide awake at 2:00 am.? Let us know we would love to hear you in the comments section.
