A few minutes before naptime and bedtime, start reducing the stimulation your baby might see. Turn any loud sounds off, keep blinking lights out of the room, and hang darkening curtains to keep out the sunlight and maintain a dark room. A white noise machine can also muffle distractions that can startle him awake.
Babies fight sleep for a variety of reasons the seven most common being separation anxiety, overtiredness, overstimulation, teething, hitting a milestone, traveling and discomfort or illness.
When your baby becomes overtired, their stress response system goes into high gear, triggering cortisol and adrenaline to flood into their little bodies. Cortisol helps to regulate the body's sleep-wake cycle; adrenaline is the fight-or-flight agent.
When your baby fights sleep, try putting him down earlier than usual. Relying on newborn sleep cues might mean he's already overtired by the time he's fussy and rubbing his eyes. Instead, cap his awake time sooner than later so that you can catch him when he's sleepy for a nap but not overtired.
It's important to remember that an overtired baby will become well-rested once you focus on helping baby get more sleep, day and night. There is an end in sight – your baby will sleep! Also, it's okay to remove yourself from the situation. Really, anything relaxing will do.
Even some babies who have been good sleepers until now can suddenly start fighting sleep. This is a developmental phase they go through, and you can't change it.
You start with letting your little one cry for just a few minutes before briefly checking on them. As the night goes on, you gradually increase those response times until your baby falls asleep independently. Your baby's intervals of crying should be no longer than 10 minutes.
Most commonly it's exactly what it sounds like- a fight. There might be screaming, crying, squirming out of your arms or fighting at the breast or bottle, and maybe even some tears out of you! Naps and bedtimes don't have to be this way.
Most often, temporary things like illness, teething, developmental milestones or changes in routine cause baby sleep issues — so the occasional sleep snafu likely isn't anything to worry about.
Sleep regressions typically last anywhere from two to four weeks, and, while they are common, not every baby will have a sleep regression at this time.
“Assuming there are no medical issues, there is no harm in a baby's excessive crying,” he says. “They may get a hoarse voice, but they will eventually get tired and stop crying. Your baby may also get a little gassy from swallowing air while crying, but that's OK.
It's normal for a baby to cry for 2–3 hours a day for the first 6 weeks. During the first 3 months of life, they cry more than at any other time. New parents often are low on sleep and getting used to life with their little one.
Allowing the baby to cry for 5-10 minutes alone in their bed is not going to cause any lasting harm.
Babies also need a lot of sleep—most babies need several naps a day, and need to sleep about 12 hours a night or more. Overtired babies tend to cry and whimper. If they are very tired, they will likely cry so hard it can be hard to relax them and get them to sleep.
The term “sleep regression” refers to a period of time when a baby or toddler experiences a shift in their sleeping pattern. Often, sleep regression signs include: fighting naps or bedtime. difficulty falling asleep.
New research points to cuddled children growing up to be healthier, less depressed, kinder, more empathetic, and more productive adults.
Weissbluth's method
In this method, Marc Weissbluth, MD, explains that babies may still wake up to two times a night at 8 months old. However, he says parents should start predictable bedtime routines — letting babies cry 10 to 20 minutes to sleep —- with infants as young as 5 to 6 weeks of age.
There are a few ways to approach the “cry it out” sleep training method. The first way to go about “cry it out” is to feed, burp, and change your baby, place them in their crib or bassinet drowsy, but awake, say goodnight, exit…and do not return until your baby's next scheduled feeding—or they wake in the morning.
THE 4-MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION
Possibly the worst, and most unavoidable. This regression is characterized by your baby waking every 2-3 hours at night, similar to those first few weeks at home as a newborn.