Most of the babies undergo the face of fighting sleep. Are you also one of the parents who are experiencing the same? What could be the reason for baby fighting sleep?
You have already had enough sleepless nights while you were heavily pregnant, and when you need the maximum sleep now, the baby just refuses to do so at night. For everybody else who sleep like a baby at night, the actual warrior (the baby) seems to be up and fighting all night. They are determined never to shut their eyes. It could be frustrating and exhausting for the parents.
But why do babies fight sleep? What do you think could be the reasons for your baby to fight sleep? Don’t you think it is more than just a sleep issue? Yes, your little one is not just fighting sleep, but there are other issues ongoing keeping the baby awake. There are various causes for this.
Reasons Why Babies Fight Sleep?
1. Overtired:
The most common reason for babies who fight sleep is that they are overtired by the time they are put to sleep. Being over-hyper or extreme cranky are the signs of being overtired. If there are any disturbances in their “sleep window”, which means the time when the baby is drowsy to fall quickly asleep, it gets problematic. It does sound odd, but the babies cannot sleep if they become overtired. Instead, they are irritated, frantic, hyper and refuse to sleep further.
So, how to deal with a baby who fights sleep because of being overtired?
As a parent, you might have to watch and catch the little signs of sleepiness of your baby and act on it promptly. Check your baby out of the disturbance and put them down to sleep in a calm, peaceful environment. Most of the science that the baby would so that it is it would be yawning, rubbing eyes, blueness around the mouth, red eyes etc. Also, a good practice is to get the baby to their bedrooms or sleep area at least 30 minutes before so that they have enough window to catch up the sleep. Keep Calm environment for the baby to fall asleep easily. Make it a routine by doing the same thing every night so that they know what’s coming next.
2. When the baby is not tired enough to sleep:
unlike the above option, this would be a very rare situation however common amongst toddlers. In case your little one has been fighting sleep, it’s time for you to calculate how much the baby’s wake time today was. While the newborn would need maximum sleep and very little short wake time the whole day, toddlers are capable of having a lengthier awake time comparatively. Thus, in the case of toddlers, the situation of the little one not being tired enough to sleep is a fair possibility. Sometimes the baby just missed talking to you, going out to have fresh air, playing or learning something new. It might be possible that your baby had a very quiet day and I still left with enough energy to burn out for the day. It also happens in the case of babies 9 months or older and they started having only 2 to 3 hours of sleep during the daytime.
So, how to deal with a baby who fights sleep because of not being tired enough sleep?
In such cases, the old babies or the toddlers might need a change in their routine. You need to think about what kind of a day the little ones had so far and what is missing. You might need to tweak it in a way that the baby goes outside a bit more and probably cutting down one of their naps. They must not nap after late afternoons.
3. The Separation Anxiety kicks in:
The 8, 9 or 10 months old baby fighting sleep could be because of the separation anxiety. The case where the baby is separated from you for a very long time, especially, if you are at work during your baby’s sleep time and they have to say goodbye to you. Some babies who have been good sleepers also tend to fight sleep because of this reason at this age.
So, how to deal with a baby who fights sleep due to the separation anxiety?
This is a phase that the parents can change. As a parent, you have to be patient and strong to not pick the baby up. You can go and comfort the baby however not put them to sleep as this becomes their expectation for every day. Pick the baby up, pat them, but gently kiss them goodnight and repeat before the baby is asleep. This gives the baby an assurance that you are around and they learn to go to sleep alone. Help them with a calm and quiet environment without lights or dim lights.
4. Baby’s Temperament and Personality:
Social babies are more likely to find sleep simply because they do not want to skip any fun time and realized that staying awake is more stimulating and interesting than being unaware and asleep. Especially for some babies who cannot fight sleep feel that they are missing a lot of fun and play when they shut their eyes.
So, how to deal with a baby who fights sleep due to the temperament?
The only way to go about it is to have and maintain a daily sleep routine. Obviously, you cannot change the baby’s personality; rather, you can reassure the baby to play or to have fun after they wake up. Since they are the super active hyper kids, they need to get plenty of stimulation during the daytime such that night times are more calm and quiet for the baby to settle to sleep. Keep away the distractions during sleep time. Try to understand their personality and know more about sleeping habits to help them better.
Although these techniques take a few trials before you master them, they are usually successful. If your child is really sleepy before you put them to bed, they sleep faster. It is also good for you to develop a consistent bedtime routine such that the baby realizes that it is time for them to sleep. Do not force the routine as it will only lead to the babies to fight sleep more than what they did. Make sure the routine is relaxing, warm and reassuring. For example, you can follow a routine for the baby to relax with a warm bath, brushing the teeth and read aloud bedtime stories for the child followed by some prayers. The kids see this routine as inevitable and convince self to fall asleep.
