Reaching the age of six months is a significant achievement for babies. This milestone frequently represents the beginning of a period of major changes in a baby’s development, activity, and sleep, in addition to being his or her first half-birthday. Many babies get sick for a variety of reasons, including difficulty falling asleep when they go to bed, crying in the middle of the night and getting up and breastfeeding without immediately going to sleep. Between the ages of four and six months, many newborns begin to sleep more and for longer periods of the night. However, sleeping problems can sometimes hinder development. It’s called sleep regression, and it’s a step backward in a baby’s progress to regular sleep. 6 month old sleep regression can cause problems for parents, even though it isn’t usually long-term. Understanding the history of infant sleep and how to improve it can be beneficial to parents both during and after a 6 month old sleep regression.
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What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Six-Month Sleep Regression?
You should keep an eye out for these indicators of 6 month sleep regression. If your infant is exhibiting these signs and symptoms, he or she is most likely experiencing sleep regression.
1. Baby has a new sleeping pattern
You may notice your baby’s sleep pattern shifting, waking frequently during the night and having difficulty falling asleep again during their sleep regression.
2. Baby has a hard time settling down
Because newborns are growing more aware of their surroundings and learning new skills, the 6 month old sleep regression could lead them to wake up more and have difficulty settling down.
3. You might also notice fussiness
Many babies go through a 6-month growth spurt, and newborns that go through a growth spurt are frequently more fussy. Babies can experience sleep regression during growth spurts as their bones, muscles, and tendons grow and stretch, and as they consume more calories to sustain themselves through the growth spurt. They sleep for longer periods of time during the day and wake up several times at night. Young babies cry a lot at this stage, however older babies may throw things while wailing to grab your attention and indicate their distress due to a lack of sleep.
4. Your baby is most tired around bedtime
If a baby does not get enough sleep, he or she may get overtired. As the baby grows, the sleep hours usually decrease or change. Acute physical tiredness causes the newborns to be fatigued and exhausted. This could trigger stress responses and disrupt their sleep habits even more. It is more difficult for parents and caregivers to soothe their overtired babies.
How to Deal with a Six-Month-Old Sleep Regression
We’ve put together a list of helpful tips to help you get through this 6 month old sleep regression. You can learn what’s likely to cause 6 month old sleep regression and how to deal with it so you can sleep again without too much trouble.
Early to bed and early to rise
It is critical to maintain early hours to ensure that your baby’s sleep cycle is not disrupted. It appears that sleeping late may cause your baby to wake up late in the morning. If your baby is 6 months old, put him to bed at 8 p.m. and wake him up at 7 a.m. Open the curtains to brighten the room when you wake up in the morning. Allow them to play actively in the sunlight by taking a walk during the day. The presence of sunlight helps to distinguish between day and night. To avoid disrupting your child’s circadian rhythm and disrupting their sleep pattern, keep their sleep schedules regular throughout the week and on weekends.
Don’t let your baby take a nap too much
Babies that wake up in the middle of the night frequently become sleepy during the day and need extended naps. However, if you allow your baby to sleep for an extended period of time, you will create a vicious cycle in which your baby will not sleep at night again. As a general rule, for babies under the age of six months, naps should last no more than three hours, including the morning and afternoon naps. Allow babies to slumber as much as possible, but wake them up after their nap period. Your baby may be sleepy and uncomfortable, but it’s time for moms and babies to put up with it if they want to avoid waking up in the middle of the night and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Provide a conducive and safe sleeping environment
Whenever you can, avoid using electronics at night, since they emit blue light, which disrupts the natural sleep rhythm and tells the brain it’s time to stay awake. Because light and television lights stimulate the brain, they are excessively stimulating for babies. To get rid of the excitement, turn off the lights, switch off the TV, and play soothing music before you go to bed. If newborns’ brains are stimulated while they sleep, their sleep will be lighter and they will wake up frequently throughout the night.
Throughout your 6 month old sleep regression journey, investing in a baby monitor is an ideal way to keep a close check on your baby while still maintaining your personal space. Having a baby monitor allows you to move around freely in your home while knowing your baby is secure and sound. Cubo AI Smart Baby Monitor is a fantastic tool for parents who want to know their baby is safe at all times. A device that can alert parents and reduce the likelihood of an emergency situation.
Perform a sleep-inducing routine
Make a sleep-inducing routine for your baby so he can get rid of the frustration and stress he’s been dealing with all day and fall asleep peacefully. Singing lullabies, reading picture books, and chatting with your baby might all help to relax the little one. This may keep your baby from waking up in the middle of the night. Most importantly, you must stick to your routine every day because babies enjoy routine and will become accustomed to it.
Stop boobing and hugging in the middle of the night
Young newborns, in particular, may wake up in the middle of the night in search of comforting items such as breasts and baby bottles. Some youngsters wake up yearning for their mother’s warmth, just as they yearn for hugs. You’ll want to pick up your lovely baby as soon as he cries and wakes up. If you do this frequently enough, they may become addicted and wake up in the middle of the night. Weaning at night minimizes the possibility of your baby waking up in the middle of the night and often helps you sleep better. Sleep-talking babies may cry as a way to communicate, so watch over the baby for the first few minutes without doing anything, and if they can’t stop crying for a while, you can pick them up.
Conclusion
As you can see, the reason a baby wakes up at night is primarily determined by time, situation, and individual differences. When I speak with mothers about putting their 6-month-old baby to sleep, I observe that they use a variety of sleeping rituals, including hugging, piggybacking, and using a pacifier. It would be fantastic if you could put your baby to sleep following our suggestions, and then you could figure out what works best for you.
