Sleep disruptions

Babies and young children often have sleep changes. Sometimes your child may start (or continue) to have a sleep ‘glitch’ where sleeping has become a struggle or there are constant disruptions or changes in their sleep pattern.

Depending on the age and stage of the child will influence the sleep requirements as well. We discuss this in more depth https://www.seriouslykids.com.au/sleep-needs/

You may find that you once had a great sleeper who is now not such a good sleeper or you have a child that has never slept through the night.

When a baby changes their sleeping patterns and there is a disruption to your child’s sleep you are left wondering why.

There may be some very innocent and age appropriate reasons for the differences in their sleep. Sometimes your child may be going through a growth spurt or there may be sleep disturbances due to over stimulation or a developmental growth. There are many reasons and some are not cause for concern.

If your child’s sleep disturbance issues persist or are worried then we do recommend seeking professional help as there may be another underlying cause.

• Your child has grown out of some of their sleep needs. As they get older their sleep needs will change and they will need fewer naps during the day. The fluctuations here will affect their overall sleep schedule.
• Establishing a night time bedtime routine. The bath, bottle, book & bed routine is a perfect example of a calming routine conducive to a relaxed bed time and better sleep. Research has demonstrated that children fall asleep faster, and spend less time awake at night, when there is a consistent bedtime routine at night.
• If you take your cues from when your child is tired you may find this affects their sleep schedule and often means that periods of time their naps will not be ideal within the time frame of the day. For example if they have napped too close to bedtime they may not be sleepy at bedtime and alternatively if they napped too early or for not long enough then they may be overtired at bedtime which will affect their going to sleep as well as their staying asleep.
• Disruption to the ‘normal’ routine. Holidays, sickness, teething, developmental milestones can all disrupt the sleep schedule for your baby. Your normal bedtime routine may not seem to be working and there may be disruptions to their overall sleep pattern.
• Not enough sleep. Just one hour less each night can add up and make your baby more likely to wake up and have a disrupted sleep.
• Developmental milestones can affect your baby’s normal sleep routine. This is quite common. This can be to reasons which can be they are so busy learning the new skill that it may disrupt their sleep purely because of the excitement that their body and brain can’t quite slow down enough to sleep without disruptions. It can also be that while they have mastered a new skill they have not yet perfected the reverse. For example they may now know how to roll onto their tummy but have not mastered how to roll back and may need help.
• Additionally, if there has been a growth spurt and a child requires more food then this may disrupt their sleeping pattern. A baby or child will not sleep well if they are hungry. Frequent feeding can assist this.
• Look at the pattern of their sleep in a 24 hour period. Firstly, look at the amount in that period and compare if this is within the average range as perhaps your child is actually getting enough sleep for their age. Secondly, then look at the times they sleep. Are they going to sleep to late or too early? Are they napping too late in the afternoon? many elements can impact the sleep patterns.
• Separation anxiety. Children under the age of 1 year do not understand object permanence so the idea that you go away but always come back. Therefore they may wake panicked looking for you from their sleep. This is especially the case if you were there when they drifted off to sleep.

So you feel you have identified the cause of the sleep problem.

• Keep a sleep journal. While this may sound a bit tedious it will be so helpful after days of sleepless or interrupted sleep. It will help you to keep clear records of the period and help you to identify if there is a pattern and /or triggers to the change in the sleep pattern. It will also help you to gauge if your child is sleeping enough.
• Takes cues from your baby. They may have a pretty good sleep routine but some days may also be unpredictable and this is when it is important to take cues from their behaviour. For example if they seem happy and content to continue to play then they are probably ok with their current sleep schedule and are not lacking sleep. However, if they seem clingy or have a shorter than normal fuse then it is showing that they are not or have not had enough sleep either by waking up too soon or not having enough sleep (they may have just dropped a nap but actually still need it). In this instance putting them to bed a little earlier is a good idea.
• Try and keep your routine as similar as possible when away or when your child is ill or going through milestones. While it may not seem like much that small consistency can make the difference and help to alleviate or reduce sleep disruptions.
• Every baby will have a bad night from time to time. Sometimes there may be no real cause. They may be a little unsettled or feeling a little’ off’ or too hot or too cold.  If you need to comfort them in a different way ( such as cuddle, pat, etc) remember that this won’t create a ‘bad’ habit in just one night and babies don’t wake for no reason at all even if we are unsure of the particular reason.
• The best way to help combat for separation anxiety is to no sneak away as this will make them more panicked and hyper-vigilant. A good way to help them understand is by playing hide and seek games or peek a boo games when they are awake and they will slowly develop the understanding that just because they can’t see it doesn’t mean it is gone and won’t come back. If they wake in the night don’t sneak off. If you go to comfort them give them a kiss and say goodnight. Don’t engage in chat or anything that may confuse them into thinking sleep is over now.

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