Patient's question:
My baby is now almost 10 months old. Recently, it has been particularly difficult for him to fall asleep at night. Previously, he would fall asleep after breastfeeding or being walked and gently rocked. Although it was tiring, at least he could sleep for half an hour. Now, even though he is clearly very tired, he keeps rubbing his eyes but still doesn’t sleep. When I feed him milk to help him sleep, he stops after a while, straightening his body up. When I walk and rock him, he closes his eyes or wants to be held upright. He shifts between leaning on my left shoulder and my right shoulder, but he just won’t sleep. When I put him in bed, he rolls to the right side, then to the left side, or lies flat, arching his back like an insect. He keeps tossing and turning like this for 2 or 3 hours before finally settling down for a nap. Sometimes, I get angry and ignore him, but when he sees me walk away, he starts crying even louder. At a loss, I have no choice but to call my husband to soothe him. He cries until he eventually falls asleep. I really don’t understand what’s going on. Headache! Exhausted!Doctor's answer:
A baby who is more than five months old has poor sleep quality, and the most common reason is the phenomenon of calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency can lead to symptoms such as not napping, easily waking up, difficulty being comforted, crying, night terrors, short sleep duration, and sweating.It is recommended to have a blood calcium test at the hospital for a definitive diagnosis. If calcium deficiency is confirmed, it is advised to supplement with calcium. Calcium supplements can be taken while also increasing the intake of calcium-rich foods, such as tofu, bone broth, etc., to enhance calcium absorption. Generally, after correcting the calcium deficiency, the symptoms will be suppressed, and the quality of deep sleep will improve.