Wen | Yuan's mother's parenting diary original, welcome to forward and share personally
I have seen many new parents complain that they have not slept fully since they have a baby, but everyone does not know that in fact, it is not easy for the baby to sleep well.
Coaxing babies to sleep is indeed not easy, because newborn babies are often "difficult to fall asleep", although some babies begin to sleep well, but after a period of time, they will suddenly become "sleeping dregs", which is definitely not a small challenge for novice parents.
Why does the baby suddenly not sleep well?
Recently, I received a private message from a novice mother, which probably said that her daughter, who is four and a half months old, seems to have changed her temperament and is not good at sleeping in the recent period.
Before that, the daughter basically did not have to worry about sleeping, sleepy herself to know sleep, but now the little guy is very difficult to fall asleep, must be held to sleep, sometimes even the whole family takes turns to work, the daughter from the angel baby to the "sleeping scum", each time is coaxed to collapse.
The baby suddenly does not sleep, it is likely to enter the sleep regression period
In fact, the above cases are very common in real life, most babies will experience, this event is called "sleep regression period", which is particularly typical in many sleep "well-behaved babies".
When the baby enters the sleep regression period, the most painful is of course the parents, after all, the baby who has been accustomed to obediently falling asleep, so how to face the child who has entered the "sleep regression period"?
Children enter a period of sleep regression, how to respond with tact
Sleep regression period often occurs in babies who have sleep rules and habits, mainly divided into three stages, namely 3 to 4 months, 7 to 10 months and 12 months, so why do good sleep habits suddenly change?
This has a lot to do with the baby's sleep characteristics, under normal circumstances, the baby's sleep is divided into two levels of deep sleep and light sleep, but after entering the sleep regression period, the sleep structure begins to approach the adult sleep pattern, in addition to the two levels of deep and shallow sleep, it will also increase the sleep period, the deep sleep period and the rapid eye movement period.
As the baby adapts to day and night, and the waking time is getting longer and longer, coupled with the imperfect ability to fall asleep on its own, it will be difficult for the baby to quickly enter a deep sleep state after waking up in the middle.
This may require parents to sleep or accompany, so this sleep regression period is not necessarily a bad thing, indicating that the baby's sleep is developing towards a more mature state.
Each sleep regression period lasts a different amount of time, but most of them end within a month or so, and some babies need to last about a week.
The first sleep regression period will come around the age of 4 months, and the mother who knows in advance will have time to make preparations, and as the baby will turn over or start teething, then it may also usher in a sleep regression period.
In addition, the mother can observe whether the baby's sleep during the day is reduced, whether he wakes up often at night, etc., which are the signals released by the baby to enter the sleep regression period.
When the baby's signal is received, it is necessary to take corresponding countermeasures for this special period, and here are a few tips and methods for coaxing sleep.
How to save a sleeping dregs baby?
Don't change the way you sleep
The sleep regression period is only a special stage, not a long-term state, so parents continue the previous way of coaxing and letting the baby fall asleep as soon as possible.
With the help of loan tools
Swaddling, pacifiers, rocking chairs, clothes with a mom's scent, etc... These are all very effective tools for promoting your baby to fall asleep, allowing excited babies to calm down and go to sleep.
Exercise your baby to fall asleep on their own
The actual situation of each baby is different, some babies wake up frequently, they need the comfort of their parents to fall asleep, and it is not good to develop habits over time.
Parents should slowly exercise the baby, pat it when they wake up confused, let them continue to sleep, for those babies who will not cry, it is best to let them play and fall asleep, do not rely too much on coaxing.
In the matter of sleeping, the baby and the baby are definitely grasshoppers on a rope, only if the baby sleeps well, the parents have the opportunity to rest, so it is still necessary to master some sleep-coaxing skills to deal with the baby in the special period.