There are several reasons why babies have trouble sleeping, one of which is their irregular sleep cycles and hours. This condition is normal for babies, but sleeplessness can sometimes be a sign that they are sick or have certain medical conditions.
Newborns will usually sleep about 16-17 hours a day and only wake up for 1-2 hours. At the age of 6 months and over, babies need about 12-16 hours of sleep per day.
Causes Babies Have Difficulty Sleeping
Babies can often wake up for a few minutes, then fall back asleep. This is normal for babies under the age of 3 months because they are not used to regular hours and sleep patterns. As the baby gets older, he will usually get used to a regular sleep pattern.
However, beyond this, sometimes there are several health problems that can cause a baby to have trouble sleeping, including:
1. ARI
Babies have immune systems that are still developing, making them vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections. Some types of infections that are often experienced by infants are ARI.
When exposed to an ARI or acute respiratory infection, the baby will have a fever and it will be more difficult to breathe because his nose is blocked by mucus. This is what makes it difficult to sleep.
To overcome this, Mother can do several ways, namely by blowing the nose in the baby's nose using a special pipette. To thin the mucus in the nose, you can also drip sterile salt water (saline liquid) or let your little one breathe in warm steam.
2. Gastric acid reflux
Gastric acid reflux or spitting up is a condition when your little one expels milk from his mouth. This condition is different from vomiting.
Spitting up is actually not a dangerous condition, but sometimes spitting up can make it hard for your little one to sleep. This condition will usually get better by itself after he gets bigger.
Even though it's not dangerous, you need to be vigilant and check your little one to the pediatrician if he often experiences spitting up or there are a lot of them.
Likewise, if spitting up occurs when your little one is more than 6 months old, he refuses to breastfeed, loses weight, looks weak, has shortness of breath, or vomits green, brown, or blood-tinged fluid.
3. Ear infection
Ear infections by bacteria or viruses can cause a buildup of fluid behind the infected eardrum. This condition makes the baby fussy and difficult to sleep and cry more often than usual.
When you have an ear infection, your little one will also have a fever, runny nose, and won't breastfeed. This condition needs to be immediately checked by a doctor so that your child can get treatment.
4. Teething
Teething for the first time is normal for a growing baby. However, the teething process can be long and painful.
A number of signs of a baby teething include a lot of drooling, red and swollen gums, red cheeks, difficulty sleeping at night but always active during the day, eating less well, and being fussy and restless.
To overcome the discomfort your little one feels and anticipate your little one teething, you can do several ways, such as giving toys teething, wipe the baby's gums with a finger or a clean cloth that has been soaked in cold water, and breastfeed your little one more often.
5. Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea or sleep apnea classified as a serious condition that can interfere with the baby's respiratory system while sleeping. Although all babies are at risk sleep apnea, but this condition is more common in premature babies or babies with congenital abnormalities.
Tips for Overcoming Baby's Difficulty Sleeping
If your little one has trouble sleeping, you can do the following tips to make him feel more comfortable and sleep better:
- Prepare a comfortable bed with a soft mattress and the right size.
- Give your little one adequate food intake or breastfeed your little one more often.
- Create a comfortable bedroom atmosphere, for example a room that is not too bright, quiet and not a lot of noise, and a warm room temperature.
- Give your little one a gentle massage.
- Put your baby in a supine position and avoid the prone position which can increase the risk of sudden death in the baby (sudden infant death syndrome/SIDS).
- Avoid extra items in the cot, such as pillows, bolsters, dolls, toys, or quilted blankets that can interfere with sleep.
Some of the tips above can help calm your baby and make him sleep more soundly. However, if your little one is still fussy and has trouble sleeping, you should check your little one to the pediatrician to determine the cause of why he is having trouble sleeping so that treatment can be done properly.