New parents can find themselves feeling anxious at any moment. Whether you’re worrying about if your baby is getting enough milk or if the new babysitter knows how to change a diaper, there are a million reasons for worry. This articles explores 4 simple reasons why toddler cries in sleep.
Fortunately, most things that keep new parents up at night tend to be fairly predictable, like whether the baby is going to cry again when you put him in his crib. But even if you know it’s coming, hearing your newborn begin to wail in the middle of the night can throw anyone into a tailspin. With so much information out there on how best to get your newborn into a regular sleep routine, it might seem clear why a baby is crying while sleeping. But as with all parenting challenges, the answer isn’t always simple.
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Why toddler cries in sleep?
New parents can find the first few weeks stressful and exhausting. Sleep deprivation, anxiety, and a new care routine can all play a role in making new parents feel stressed out. Crying is also something that many parents struggle with when they have a newborn at home. There could be different reasons why your baby keeps crying while sleeping. However, they are nothing to worry about but normal responses to stressors that babies experience on a day-to-day basis.
Following are 4 simple reason why baby cry while sleeping –
Your baby is probably just hungry
In the beginning, every new parent fears they’re starving their baby. After all, you want nothing more than to do right by your little one. So, if your baby begins to cry while sleeping and you suspect hunger, try feeding him. Babies often cry when they’re hungry because they’re experiencing discomfort. Feeding will help solve both of these issues. In most cases why toddler cries in sleep is due to hunger
However, keep in mind that newborns only eat about every 2 to 3 hours. If your child is only waking up once per day for feeding, he’s probably hungry enough to cry. He may be hungry, but he also may need a little more time before he’s ready to eat. If you’re feeding him as soon as he wakes up, he may not get sleepy enough to return to sleep.
He Has a Dirty Diaper
Like hunger, babies can cry because of discomfort. Changes in temperature and humidity can cause a baby’s skin to become red and irritated. If the diaper is too wet or too tight, it can also cause discomfort. If your baby is crying and you suspect a dirty diaper, try changing his. As with feeding, you don’t want to wait until he wakes up. You need to find the right time to change his diaper while he’s asleep. Once the skin irritation is gone, his crying should stop.
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If your baby is crying and has a clean diaper, he might just be bored. You might think babies can’t be bored, but they can be. Babies are creatures of habit, and if they are used to a certain routine, a change in that can cause anxiety. Babies are being introduced to a whole new world of sensations, sights, and sounds. They may not understand what’s happening in their environment, which can cause them to be frustrated. You might try having a special toy nearby that only comes out at nap time or for those middle-of-the-night feedings.
He Has Colic
Another reason you why toddler cries in sleep is colic. Babies with the colic cry for more than 3 hours per day, often consistently. If your newborn is crying at least 3 hours a day, try to determine if he has colic. Colic usually begins around the fourth or fifth day after birth. If your baby’s crying began around day 4, it’s worth taking a look at what other symptoms he might have.
If your baby has colic, he may also be gassy, have a bloated tummy, and be very fussy during feeds. If your baby is exhibiting these symptoms, you may want to try a few things to calm him down and help him relax. Try swaddling, white noise, or a calming bath. Here are 11 remedies for colic in infants
4th Trimester of pregnancy
Some experts believe that newborns go through the fourth trimester or period of development outside the womb. During this time, babies are growing and developing at a rapid rate. During this period, it’s typical for newborns to sleep a lot, cry a lot, and have no regular sleep pattern. The first three months of your baby’s life are spent adapting to his new environment, meeting his basic needs, and growing and developing as quickly as he can. As a result, sleep patterns and other behaviors are likely to be all over the place. If your baby began sleeping well and then baby cry while sleeping, you might be going through the fourth trimester.
How do I stop my toddler crying in his sleep?
When you have clarity on why toddler cries in sleep, then it is important to identify, how to calm your little one. Many parents worry about how to stop their toddler from crying in his sleep. There are a few things you can do: One thing that works for some people is to put your toddler in a safe place, such as a crib. This helps because it gives him a sense of security and control over his environment. You could also try giving your child something to suck on, such as a pacifier or thumb. Another thing you can try is changing your child’s sleep routine.
You could try putting your child down at the same time every night or keeping him up later than usual. If these things don’t work, you may need to talk to your doctor about other options.
Conclusion
Newborns cry for a variety of reasons, but these are usually easy to identify. If your baby began sleeping well and then started waking up again, it’s worth taking a look at what’s changed. If your baby cry while sleeping, try feeding him, changing his diaper, or having a special toy around. If he still won’t calm down, look for signs of colic or that he’s going through the fourth trimester. If you’re able to determine why your baby is crying, you can take steps to calm him down. Doing so can help you get the rest you need as a new parent and make those first few months a little easier.
This is one of my fears of having human kids. They would cry and I would have no idea why or what for!
Alot of parents get really worried and anxious when their babies start crying in their sleep. Thanks for sharing this information, it has definitely helped me understand better.
Hhhhmmm…I hadn’t known about the reason to do with colic before. Thanks for sharing about this topic.
Although sometimes frustrating, there is a reason they’ll cry and like you mentioned it can eve ben the 4th trimester of pregnancy! DIdn’t know that last one tbh. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I haven’t had to deal with babies in a while, as my two girls are teenagers now. But I can remember the crying routines. It was usually because of a dirty diaper, as I recall- that would make me cry, too!
This is such a great article to read especially for all the parents! Knowing this stuff is very essential for parents, for this will give them conviction and a solution to the problem at hand! Thanks for sharing this with us!
I understand the hunger and the diapers but It’s my first time hearing about colic. Thanks for including on how to calm babies when they have it.
I babysat my little brother when he few months. But I didn’t know about all of these. Thank you for sharing!
This is going to help so many new parents. When I had my first child, I assumed that every cry was something catastrophic.
My younger son was always hungry (and still loves to eat) so he would cry out because he was hungry. My older one it was usually the diaper. But they don’t cry just to cry!