For new parents, sleep can seem like a rare and priceless asset. During the early months, babies can be very unpredictable in their sleeping habits, and they wake at all hours, sometimes for seemingly no reason. Many pants find that their infants settle down and sleep more predictably after the first couple of months, but then things get rough again a little later, usually between the ages of 6 and 10 months. No one is sure exactly why this happens, and research has not made it clear. However, it is likely that frequent wakeups at this age result from a variety of factors. Here are a few of the most common ones.
1. Unsettling changes
During these months, you may be making preparations to help the baby move on to the next stage of life. For example, maybe you have moved your child to her own room, or perhaps you have been making large changes to her diet. Things like these can be highly unsettling for a child, which can disturb sleep, at least until she gets used to it. Meanwhile, major moves can be doubly disruptive, so expect your child to have trouble sleeping for at least a day or two if you change residences.
2. Discomfort
Many babies are sensitive to room conditions, especially temperature and light. For example, if there is a light shining into her room that was not there before, then you might want to start turning off that light or blocking it somehow. Meanwhile, most babies like to be in rooms that are not too warm and not too cold. Keep in mind that your baby may respond differently to temperature than you do, so if you are not sure what she wants, do a little experimenting.
3. Illness
In rare cases, frequent nighttime wakeups may signal something physical that may not be apparent. If your child has been having difficulty sleeping for more than a week or two and you cannot seem to figure out why it is happening, you might want to take her in to see the family doctor. It could be that there is nothing wrong, but it cannot hurt to at least check. Even smaller issues such as colds can lead to sleep disruptions.
4. Teething
The teeth start coming in at the age of 5 to 9 months, and unfortunately it can be quite uncomfortable. You can sometimes tell your child is going through a particularly rough teething episode when he drools, has a small fever, is cranky, or has a rash around the mouth. Of course, these are all good reasons to take your child in for a check-up, but if he is healthy while exhibiting these signs, then teething is a likely culprit. Expect sleep to be harder than usual during these times.
5. Desire to move
The stage of increased restlessness goes along with learning to crawl, and the association is no coincidence. This is the stage in which children become self-propelled, first by creating, then by standing, and finally by walking. It is a time of great discovery and excitement, and many young children just want to keep moving around and exploring even at bedtime or when they wake up at night.
By Lisa Pecos