Help! My baby won't sleep
When a caregiver tells me that their infant never sleeps, I immediately ask them what "never" means. Most will respond by saying that their infant wakes up every three hours to feed. To a caregiver, it just feels like never because of their level of exhaustion in the mornings.
This frequency of waking is completely normal during the first four to six months and actually has a number of benefits, including maintaining a nursing mom's milk supply and enhancing the baby's brain development.
If your infant is waking very frequently, has difficulty falling asleep or is cranky during the day, a visit to your baby's healthcare provider for a formal work-up, and a lactation consultant if mom is nursing, may be necessary to rule out any underlying issue.
Nighttime wakings, although frustrating for caregivers, are necessary for proper infant growth and development. Just keep in mind that this phase will pass and that your baby will soon sleep longer and wake less frequently.
This frequency of waking is completely normal during the first four to six months and actually has a number of benefits, including maintaining a nursing mom's milk supply and enhancing the baby's brain development.
If your infant is waking very frequently, has difficulty falling asleep or is cranky during the day, a visit to your baby's healthcare provider for a formal work-up, and a lactation consultant if mom is nursing, may be necessary to rule out any underlying issue.
Nighttime wakings, although frustrating for caregivers, are necessary for proper infant growth and development. Just keep in mind that this phase will pass and that your baby will soon sleep longer and wake less frequently.
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