Everyone else’s baby at mothers’ group is sleeping through and my baby is not. What should I do?
It is normal for babies to wake at night. Listen to the cry and respond to your baby appropriately. Determine if they need to be fed, reassured or allowed some space to self settle.
During the night, infants go through many cycles of sleep, moving from one state to another. Quiet sleep is a deep sleep. The infant lies still. There are no face or eye movements. Active sleep is where the baby has some body and face movements (It is easy to think the baby is awake in this state).He/she may suck or smile. The eyelids may flutter and brief fussy or crying sounds may be made.
Parent intervention during active sleep can actually wake the sleeping baby. This is the reason for always listening to your baby before responding to noise.
Infants can calm down on their own. Allow time for your baby to calm down before you try to help.
Repetition soothes. Start with one soothing action at a time. Doing it over and over again works best. If what you are trying is not working, add one more soothing action and do it over and over again. Strategies to try include:
- gentle ‘Ssshhh’ sounds
- talk to your infant in a steady, soft voice
- sing, hum or croon to your infant
- stroke one area of your infant’s body such as the head, foot or back
- let your infant suck on a pacifier
- pick up and hold your infant close
- rock your infant gently in your arms until calm then put back into the cot