Why Baby crying in their sleep

Why Baby crying in their sleep

Somewhere between bliss and exhaustion. That's how the first few months of parenting often feel, as sleepless nights blur into semicomatose days. Most of us chalk up a baby's night time crying to one simple fact: He's hungry.

When a baby begin crying in their sleep, caregivers may worry that something is wrong. However, in most cases, for babies, crying while asleep is a phase rather then a sign of serious problem.

Newborns and young babies may grunt, cry, or scream in their sleep. Very young children's bodies have not yet mastered the challenges of a regular sleep cycle, so it is common for them to wake frequently or make strange sound in their sleep.

Crying while asleep may be a sign that they are having a nightmare or night terror. Toddlers and older babies who crying while asleep, especially while moving in bed or making other sounds, may be having night terrors.

Nightmares occur during light sleep, or random eye movement sleep. Night terrors, on the other hand, occur when a child becomes very agitated during the deeper phases of sleep. Children are more likely to cry from night terrors early in the night.

Night terror are relatively rare and usually occur in children aged between 4 and 12 years old, though people have reported possible night terrors in babies as young as 18 months old. Night terrors may be more likely occur if a child is sick or sleep-deprived.

How to soothe the baby

When a baby briefly cries out in their sleep, they often settle on their own. Picking them up may wake them up, disrupting their sleep. If the crying continues, try talking softly to the baby or rubbing their back or stomach. This can help shift them into a different stage of sleep and help them stop crying.

Breastfed babies who nurse in their sleep may find comfort from nursing. Some babies might cry in their sleep when they are sick or teething, but pain that causes crying will usually wake the baby.

If a baby wakes up after having had a nightmare, comfort them and follow a soothing sleep ritual to get them back to sleep. Older babies and toddlers may need reassurance that the nightmare was not real