Patient's question:
Doctor, hello!My baby has been waking up occasionally in the middle of the night lately while sleeping, crying after falling asleep. I pick her up and try to comfort her, but no matter how I do it, she cries with her eyes closed, and the crying gets worse. After about 15 minutes, she gradually falls back asleep. I was wondering what could be causing this (her trace elements have also been checked at the hospital, and she is not deficient in calcium). I really want to understand the reason.
Doctor's answer:
Hello:Difficulty for babies to fall asleep and night crying – what can be done? This is a common issue faced by parents. Parents with this problem report that their babies need to be held, rocked, swayed, walked, or suck on a pacifier to fall asleep. As soon as they are placed in bed after falling asleep, they wake up again, requiring prolonged holding, rocking, or pacifier use until they fall into a deep sleep before being put down. Such children often cry at night when they wake up, as they have developed poor sleep habits, making holding, rocking, swaying, or pacifier use necessary for sleep. At night, a baby with good sleep habits will automatically transition to the next sleep cycle when they wake between sleep phases, without parents even noticing. Babies who have developed "sleep association" habits, however, will require parents to hold, rock, or sway them to fall back asleep when they wake at night. Even if not hungry, they must suck on a pacifier for a few moments before falling asleep, or they will cry incessantly.
How can parents help babies develop the habit of falling asleep on their own? The method is as follows: Starting during the day, place the baby in their crib when they are about to fall asleep. If they cry, comfort them with words and expressions at the bedside. If this doesn’t work, let them cry for a while before picking them up to comfort them. If they cry again after being put down, let them cry for a longer period before picking them up the second time. Gradually increase the time before picking them up again. Persist with this for 2–3 days until the baby realizes that even if they cry, their parents won’t pick them up, and they will learn to fall asleep on their own. Use the same method to break the pacifier habit. Once the habit of falling asleep on one’s own is established, the baby will sleep well at night.
Nighttime crying can also be caused by other factors, such as being too hot or too cold, overeating, or hunger. Some infants are naturally more prone to feeding difficulties from birth.