The baby is restless and scratching his hands

When it comes to baby sleeping, does a picture appear in your mind of a baby lying quietly in a small quilt, resting quietly, and occasionally moving his fingers? Yes, newborns sleep for a very long time, only awake for two or three hours a day, and babies are very quiet when they sleep. But some babies will become restless and scratch around when they sleep, just like having a nightmare. Such a situation must be a sign that the baby is uncomfortable. So what causes babies to be fussy?

There are many reasons, which can be divided into two categories:

1. External factors

1. Hunger

It is more common in newborns and babies under three months old. This requires breastfeeding or milk feeding to solve the problem. If older babies eat a full meal before going to bed, this factor can be eliminated.

In dry weather, your baby may be thirsty at night, and giving him some water can help calm him down.

2. Calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiency is one of the main factors that cause babies to sleep restlessly, and most girls will take it into consideration. Calcium deficiency and low blood calcium levels increase the excitability of the brain's autonomic nerves, causing the baby to wake up at night, have night terrors, become restless and have trouble sleeping. The solution is to supplement your baby with calcium and vitamin D and get more sun exposure.

A. Calcium supplement: 300-500 mg of elemental calcium per day

B. Vitamin D supplement: 400-800 IU per day

3. Too hot

Nowadays, most babies’ clothes and blankets are on the warm side. In fact, it doesn’t matter if the baby is a little cool. Being too hot will make him uncomfortable and prone to illness. If the room temperature is quite high and the baby is wearing a sleeping bag and covered with a small quilt, the baby's own heat dissipation ability is poor and he will feel hot and wake up. At this time, the problem can be solved by simply reducing the amount of penetration.

4. Abdominal bloating

This condition occurs in infants under 1 year old. If the baby eats too much before going to bed or does not burp after drinking milk, the baby will wake up due to bloating. Older babies may have eaten something difficult to digest within a few hours before bedtime. The problem can be solved by paying attention to massage, exhausting gas and adjusting diet. Babies with indigestion can be treated with some Chinese medicine.

5. Wet urine

A diaper that is too wet or too tight may also make your baby uncomfortable. Some babies don't want to pee in their diapers easily when they want to pee, and they toss and turn restlessly. Careful MM, please observe this.

6. Too much excitement during the day or changes in environment

In older babies, disturbed sleep can also be related to excessive daytime excitement or tension, or changes in daily routine. Such as going out, changes in sleep patterns, moving to a new house, having a new nanny and strangers. For example, the departure of the old nanny may cause the baby to sleep disturbed at night. Frequent changes in caregivers also significantly increase the incidence of sleep disorders in children. Sleeping too much during the day can also affect your sleep at night.

7. Teething or physical discomfort

Babies often have restless sleep during teething. Sometimes, after several nights of tossing and turning, the mother discovers that the baby has small white teeth growing on his gums. It can be seen that teething is still somewhat painful. Of course, other medical conditions can also cause disturbed sleep. The night before one becomes sick or has a fever is often restless. All of these require careful observation and judgment.

>2. Internal factors

Children’s internal factors also affect their sleep: their brain nerves are not yet fully developed. The child has not yet established a fixed schedule physically. The adjustment of the baby's biological clock's day and night rhythm depends on the baby's physiological maturity.

Surveys show that babies with higher nervous system excitability tend to mature later in life and are more likely to suffer from sleep disturbances. Compared to babies who sleep well, these babies may tend to be more active, extroverted, and sensitive.

Human sleep is divided into deep sleep and light sleep, which alternate about 3-4 hours at night. For infants and young children, the alternation between deep sleep and light sleep may be shorter, about once every 2-3 hours. Adults and many babies who sleep through the night can adjust themselves better and re-enter deep sleep when light sleep comes. However, many babies and even many adults are unable to adjust themselves to fall asleep, so they wake up from light sleep.

Many babies who are breastfeeding are unable to adjust themselves and psychologically desire caressing. Their mother's breast is undoubtedly their greatest comfort. Of course, sometimes holding the baby to sleep or rocking the baby while walking can also be effective. Especially as the nervous system develops and the cerebral cortex becomes more active, the older the baby gets, the more likely he or she is to be unable to adjust himself or herself. This is why babies sleep worse and wake up more often after four or five months than when they were young.

After eliminating external factors such as thirst, hunger, cold, heat, calcium deficiency, bloating, teething, excitement, etc., your baby who has trouble sleeping may just be unable to adjust himself into a deep sleep because of the active cerebral cortex. Why should we expect our baby to be the one who can make the adjustments on his own? These phenomena will eventually resolve after weaning or as the baby grows.

Finally, mothers should be reminded that when the baby is crying or restless, you can pat or caress the baby, or feed him milk and water to make him fall asleep again. Don't hug and coax the baby right away, as this will create a vicious cycle. Normal children with certain neurological types may sleep poorly at night, but there is no need to worry as long as their eating and growth are normal.