
Suggest Remedy For Sleeplessness During The Night In An Infant

Problem - Wakes up at night every 2 hrs. Sometimes drink milk but mostly needs to be held and then he goes to sleep to be awaken in 1 to 2 hrs.
My son is 6.5 months old. He has started semi-solids. I am under the impression that babies start sleeping longer at night as they grow by months. In his case, I need to know what can be done to make him sleep longer hours. Since he wakes up so often even he does not get sound sleep and wakes up with sleepy eyes early morning.
We have started putting him in crib since last couple of weeks.
This week he started sleeping @06:30 and wakes up at 08:30 drinks milk then 11:00 p.m. drinks milk then sometimes every hours just cries and after being help, falls asleep in few minutes. But then from 04:00 onwards he is frequently getting up.
I have tried to keep him awake past 06:00 by feeding him, taking him for stroll but not working. He takes 2 naps in a day one in morning and one in early afternoon and those last 30mins, very rarely to a hour.
Any ideas/suggestions would help.
Thanks,
XXXX
Suggestions on sleep hygiene in infant
Detailed Answer:
Hi... I understand you r concern. At this age you son should be sleeping at the rate of 10-14 hours altogether including day and night sleeps put together.
Here are some of the best things you can do to help your son to settle and sleep at night:
Establish and follow a bedtime routine after which the baby should automatically get accustomed to sleep. For example - playing a game without noise, warm bath changing his dress, singing a lullaby, a gentle massage etc.
Whatever you do, make sure you do it in the same order, and at the same time, every night. This is important for the kid to get accustomed to the daily routine.
Keep your baby's daily routine consistent.
Allow him the chance to fall asleep on his own. If you want your son to sleep through the night without calling for you, he needs to learn to fall asleep by himself. Put him down before he nods off, and try not to let him become dependent on rocking or feeding to fall asleep. If he cries, the next move is up to you. It's fine to wait at least a few minutes to see if he's really upset.
What sleep problems happen at this age?
Your baby may start waking up at night due to separation anxiety. When he wakes in the night, he misses you and worries you won't return. He may also be having disturbed nights because he is teething.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth

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