The first time you notice your newborn is not sleeping, you may be worried about the implications for your entire family. While you might want to stay up with your little one while sleeping, a recent study found no relationship between non-sleeping newborns and developmental disorders. Fortunately, several solutions can help you put your sleepless child to bed and wake up feeling refreshed.
First, try putting them to bed earlier. Newborns usually sleep best when their stomachs are full, and their poo is expelled. Change their nappy before bedtime and try to teach them to fall asleep on their own. Often, parents may experience waking up frequently during the night, which can be a sign of a mental health issue.
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Another common reason why newborns don’t sleep is over-sleeping. It may seem counterintuitive to parents, but babies don’t have a regular schedule when they are brand new. Newborns sleep more during the day than they do at night. However, it is important to remember that your newborn’s sleep needs change as they grow and develop. For example, if you are exhausted at the end of a stressful day, you may fall asleep in Times Square.
As your newborn adjusts to the daytime cycle, you can begin to introduce shorter naps during the day and longer nighttime naps. Limit daytime naps to three hours. A short nap will also help your baby become accustomed to the routine of sleeping and waking. In addition, you should limit your child’s daytime activities to a maximum of two hours.
Sometimes, newborns can’t sleep due to an undiagnosed allergy or illness. The undiagnosed condition may only be a symptom of something else and not an emergency. However, consult with your doctor if you’re worried about your baby’s sleeplessness. A doctor will be able to make the appropriate diagnosis and help you get some rest.
Another cause of newborns not sleeping is calcium deficiency. Once they’re fifteen days old, babies will start taking calcium, and vitamin D. Calcium carbonate is the most easily absorbed type of calcium. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption and will be given to your baby in the form of a 400-IU vitamin D supplement daily. Exposure to the sun can also help your baby absorb calcium. These are the three common reasons why your baby may not be sleeping at all.
A new baby doesn’t like total silence. While this is very distracting for a newborn, the sounds of the womb and the mother’s heartbeat help lull it to sleep. The rhythmic whooshing of the placenta will help soothe your baby to sleep. However, when trying to put your baby to sleep, don’t put them in a room with too much noise.
