Sleep Disturbers - Dealing with common infant sleep problems
All about infant
sleep problems due to
teething - baby cold - wet diaper -
nightmares - night terrors -
baby separation anxiety
baby reflux - colic - baby gas ...
teething - baby cold - wet diaper -
nightmares - night terrors -
baby separation anxiety
baby reflux - colic - baby gas ...
Infant and baby sleep problems are usually harmless and temporary - although unfortunately they may seem to last forever ... Luckily you can avoid the worst with a few simple tips and tricks.
Don't blame your baby ...
How many of us
have not, after
yet another sleepless night, felt a bit angry with
our baby. We know she cannot help it, and she certainly does not
want to bug us with baby sleep problems either.
But still we may have a hard
time being all cuddly and sweet to her. And that can make us feel
guilty.
Awful as these feelings may seem towards a tiny helpless baby, they are
in fact absolutely
normal and acceptable. Most of it comes from your own
sleep deprivation.
When
we are tired, the first thing to change is our mood. It becomes much
more difficult to be cheerful and happy. That is also the first outcome
of research on sleep deprivation effects.
So, it is OK to feel like that. No need to feel guilty
about it. And also ...
No need to take it personal, she is not trying to hurt you.
A little trick
you might try is to put yourself in
her place.
Imagine how she feels and why she feels like that. Then, in stead of fighting over it, you
can deal with the infant sleep problem together.
Good sleep is not easy for a young baby and her parents as it is.
A newborn baby must develop the ability to distinguish day from night. Then she must develop both physically and psychologically to be able to sleep for long stretches.
She must learn to settle all by herself and learn self soothing when waking at night ...
A lot to cope with already, and then there is a number of common baby sleep problems to challenge both baby and you a bit further.
Luckily there are ways to avoid many sleep disturbances or, once a baby sleep problem is there, to deal with it at best.
On to the most common mild infant sleep problems and how to deal with them below.
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Mild common infant sleep problems
Common baby sleep problems are mostly innocent and harmless and they pass without much difficulty. 
photo
courtesy of crazeeloki
Understanding what is happening and knowing a few tricks can make all the difference and keep you and your baby sleeping well.
Teething is one of the baby milestones you do not want to avoid of course. But because it can be painful or uncomfortable, it easily becomes a baby sleep disturbance.
Find out how to avoid the worse of baby teething and keep sleep at its best.
Learn when babies start teething, how to recognise early signs of teething and effective teething remedies.
Many babies get mild common colds from time to time: usually a lightly congested or runny nose.
A few simple baby cold tricks can keep her as comfortable as possible and sleep well also during a cold.
In young babies we hardly speak of bedwetting as they are not supposed to be dry during the night yet.
But it is a good idea to avoid baby waking up at night all wet or dirty because of an overfull nappy or wet diaper.
And to prepare the right mindset for dry nights later on... Baby separation anxiety is an important phase in baby
development. It is when she learns that she is an individual and takes the first steps towards independence.
But her fear of losing you is real and may make it difficult for her to sleep well.
Luckily there is quite a number of things you can do to guide her through this baby separation anxiety phase successfully.
There are many different opinions about if and how young babies dream, and whether they can have nightmares or night terrors. The fact is that something dreamlike can cause your baby to wake up at night.
So it's good to know about dreams, night terrors and nightmares and how to deal with them.
Baby reflux comes in two forms: the totally harmless GER (Gastro Esophageal Reflux) and the less common but more serious GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder).
Use the Baby Reflux Symptoms Guide to find out if your baby may be sleeping poorly because of reflux.
The infant reflux sleep tips effectively help her sleep better.
See the newborn acid reflux page for specific help for newborns.
Osteopathy can help with relieveing baby reflux. Start at the Cranial Osteopathy Therapy Checklist to find out if an osteopath visit would be a good idea.
Colic is best known for its typical crying pattern: prolonged crying in the evenings that starts at about 3 weeks old, peaks around 6-8 weeks old and gradually disappears towards 3-4 months old.
See the colic in infants page for the best tried-and-tested colic remedies and check for baby gas help as well.
Have you considered seeing an osteopath? Extensive baby crying and colic are cases where it can help. My Cranial Osteopathy Therapy Checklist gets you started to see if it could be for you.
Do you have twins? Read more on specific care for newborn twins and sleep at Having-Twins.com
Infant sleep problems can be daunting to go through. Your baby is not in optimal shape and you may worry. Most cases are innocent but never hesitate to consult your doctor if you have any doubt.
And all in all, sometimes there is nothing more you can do than just keep being there for you baby.
Don't worry if you feel frustrated with her because that is perfectly normal. Remember that most of these baby sleep problems are temporary - just a phase - and things will get better soon ...
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