What is the reason for a baby to suddenly cry while sleeping? What should I do if my baby suddenly wakes up crying while sleeping?

When a newborn baby is adapting to the new environment, he can only express his needs and emotions by crying. So what is the reason why the baby suddenly cries when sleeping? What should I do if the baby wakes up crying suddenly when sleeping?

Reasons why babies cry suddenly when they are asleep

This problem troubles many young mothers. In fact, in addition to common factors such as poor sleeping environment and physical discomfort, the factors that affect babies' sudden crying while sleeping may also be external factors such as thirst, hunger, cold, heat, calcium deficiency, abdominal distension, teething, etc.

A baby crying suddenly while sleeping is one of the signs of poor sleep quality. In addition to the common factors that affect a baby crying suddenly while sleeping, such as poor sleeping environment, being too excited before going to bed, physical discomfort, etc., the baby's internal factors also affect sleep, and the brain nerve development is not yet mature. The child has not yet established a fixed schedule physiologically. The adjustment of the baby's biological clock day and night depends on the cooperation of the baby's physiological maturity.

After eliminating external factors such as thirst, hunger, cold, heat, calcium deficiency, abdominal distension, teething, excitement, etc., the baby's sudden crying while sleeping may be just because the cerebral cortex is active and cannot adjust itself to a deep sleep state. After weaning or as the baby grows, these phenomena will eventually resolve.

Mothers should be reminded that when the baby is crying or irritable, you can pat or caress the baby, or feed him milk and water to make him fall asleep again. Don't hug and coax him right away, as this will create a vicious cycle. Some normal children with certain neurological types have poor sleep at night, but as long as they eat and grow well, there is no need to worry too much.

A newborn baby crying suddenly while sleeping may not be sick

When a newborn baby suddenly cries while sleeping, new parents will be quite panicked and don't know how to deal with it for a while. The crying of a newborn baby is a reaction to the outside world and a unique language for expressing emotions. Parents can identify the baby's needs from the baby's crying and meet the baby's needs in time.

Newborn crying can be divided into two types: pathological and non-pathological. Non-pathological crying can include "cold, heat, hunger, urination, defecation, sleepiness, fear" etc. Pathological crying refers to abnormal crying, such as infection, pain, etc.

Reaction to cold: low cry, fatigue, skin pattern or cyanosis, pale, dry, curled up, less movement in severe cases. At this time, the mother can hold the baby in her warm arms or cover with a small quilt.

Reaction to heat: Loud and powerful crying, flushed skin, slight sweating on the forehead and face, movement of limbs, and slight fever in severe cases. At this time, the mother needs to loosen or remove the small blanket that covers or wraps the baby. If the baby sweats a lot, he needs to wipe the sweat and change clothes. If the baby has a fever, he can take a warm bath.

Response to hunger or thirst: The baby's stomach capacity is small, so the feeding frequency is high. The baby is prone to hunger 2-3 hours after the last feeding. At this time, the crying sound is loud, high-pitched, and regular. At the same time, the head turns left and right, the lips appear to suck, and the tongue is extended and swallowing. At this time, the mother can tentatively touch the baby's lips. If the baby immediately holds the nipple and sucks, then feed the baby. If the baby still cries after feeding, feed more milk. If the weather is hot, give some water appropriately.

Reaction to wet urine or after defecation: Crying often occurs suddenly, sometimes very urgently, and the lower limbs move more than the upper limbs. Before defecation, the face sometimes turns red and strains. At this time, the diaper can be changed, and attention should be paid to cleaning and moisturizing the baby's bottom to prevent the occurrence of diaper dermatitis.

Reaction to sleepiness: If the baby is tired but has trouble falling asleep, he will cry loudly and rub his face with both hands, especially the nose and eyes. At this time, the mother should pat the baby gently, paying attention to the rhythm of the patting, which can be slightly slower than the heart rate. As the baby's crying becomes more and more intermittent and lighter, the rhythm of the patting should also become slower and slower until the baby falls asleep.

Reaction to fear: The baby will first show signs of being frightened, such as raising his arms, hugging, or shivering, and then immediately start crying, which is rapid and his face turns red. At this time, if the mother gives gentle comfort and pats him, the crying will stop quickly.

What to do if your baby cries while sleeping at night

1. Sucking

Whether it is the mother's breast, the bottle for drinking milk, the pacifier for comfort, or the baby's own fingers, sucking can always have a soothing effect, but the mother should disinfect the bottles and pacifiers at ordinary times, and keep the baby's fingers clean to avoid diseases from entering the body through the mouth.

2. Massage

Various pats and massages can help calm your baby. Try having your baby sit upright on your shoulder and patting his back. But don't massage your baby's tummy before he's four weeks old, and avoid the spine. Avoid the spine and avoid using nut oils such as almond oil when massaging your baby. Talking to your baby while you massage him can effectively promote his development and improve the parent-child relationship.

3. Music

Rhythmic sounds or music can help soothe a newborn. Even the hum of a washing machine or vacuum cleaner can help calm the baby down. Listening to music can help cultivate a baby's optimistic personality.

4. Exercise

Rock your baby gently in your arms or in a cradle, or push him in a stroller. Soothe him with a gentle hug and soft singing.

5. Fresh air

Take your baby for a walk, because even if the crying doesn't stop, being outdoors won't seem so bad.

6. Flatulence

Some babies feel better after burping, so try sitting your baby upright on your shoulder and patting his back.

7. Take a bath

A warm bath can immediately calm some babies, but be aware that this can have the opposite effect.

8. Lullaby

Take your baby to a quieter room and soothe him or her with gentle cuddles and soft lullabies.

Sharing experience of babies waking up from sleep

Netizen "Fresh Lemon Flavor" from Mama.com: My daughter also had this problem for a while during the confinement period. She would wake up crying for almost a week. At that time, I held her while she slept, so she would sleep soundly. Later, when she was older, I made her some San Gongzai Seven Star Tea, and she stopped crying at night.

"Miner", a netizen on Mama.com: The baby is over 40 days old and wakes up easily when sleeping. You should observe the baby's whole body to see if there is any rash or something like that. The baby is small and some discomfort reactions will be manifested in sleep. Many babies are prone to eczema after more than 40 days. Children are prone to itching and are easily affected by itching after falling asleep. Some babies are born lacking a sense of security. After the baby falls asleep, the mother can put pillows on both sides of the child to give the child a certain sense of security.

Mama.com netizen "qxy0926": However, if you always provide your baby with a very quiet environment to sleep, he will still be easily awakened when he grows up, and will be awakened by the slightest noise. Gradually train your baby to fall asleep in a noisy environment.

Ever_yan, a netizen on Mama.com: There are many reasons why children wake up in the middle of the night, such as: dryness of the heart (giving them some Yansheng Seven Star Tea during the day will remedy the situation), nightmares (most babies dream of falling from the sky, so they cry when they wake up), colic (sudden stomach pain that goes away after a while), and center of gravity (posture problems in the womb). Parents should find the right reasons and treat them accordingly.

I usually do this: when the baby wakes up and cries, I will gently hold his hand and say softly: "Be good, mommy is here, mommy is here." Let him know that you are by his side and make him feel safe. Then find out the reason, touch his belly, or pat his chest gently. Don't rush to pick him up. If the baby is willing to fall asleep, it's fine. If he cries for 1-2 minutes, pick him up and comfort him.