Why Is My Baby Fighting Sleep At Bedtime?

In early parenthood, all you wish for is a good night’s sleep but it might be a rare luxury when your baby is fighting sleep at bedtime. You can tell that the baby is tired and fussy but just won’t go to sleep and you must be wondering that why is my baby fighting sleep every other day?

Reasons of a baby fighting sleep

Whenever a baby is resisting and does not want to sleep, there will always be a reason behind it. Let’s have a look at a few possible reasons:

baby fighting sleep
Such a cuite
  • Baby is overtired: Sometimes babies play too much during the day, not getting enough rest can make them overtired due to which they have a hard time falling asleep at night. The signs of being overtired include rubbing their eyes, crying a lot without any reason, and seems irritated.
  • Teething: Teething signs in babies can start as early as 3 months of age. The discomfort and pain due to teething usually lead to the baby fighting sleep. If the baby is showing the signs like biting, fussiness, rubbing ears, etc. then teething is the real culprit behind it.
  • Sleep regression: Sleep regression is a phase in which a baby who was previously sleeping well, suddenly experiences poor sleep. It usually happens at the age of 4 months, 6 months, 8 to 10 months, and again at 12 months. The signs of sleep regression are fewer naps during the day, being extra fussy, and waking up frequently at night.
  • Tummy ache: A baby fighting sleep can be due to tummy ache. If the baby’s tummy feels too tight, he cries more than usual, he is tensing up his muscles while crying then his tummy is hurting.
  • Dirty diaper: When the baby shows signs of irritability and does not go to sleep then his diaper can be dirty which is making him uncomfortable.
  • Hunger: A hungry baby will resist sleep until they are well-fed. If a baby is hungry his fist will be closed very tightly and if he is well-fed his hands will be open.

How to deal with a baby who does not stop fighting sleep?

When it comes to getting your baby to stop fighting sleep, consistency is the key. If you stick to your plan, putting the baby to bed will become easier with time. Here are a few tips to stop a baby from fighting sleep:

  • Develop a bedtime routine: Babies love to have a routine in their lives. Make sure you develop a routine for bedtime i.e. give a bath, read a book, turn off the lights, and play white noise. When you repeat these steps every night, the baby will automatically know that it is time to sleep.
  • Look out for clues of drowsiness: Do not ever miss the clues of sleepiness that your baby gives i.e. rubbing their eyes, yawning, and closing their eyes again and again. If you miss these clues the baby will be overtired and it will lead to the baby fighting sleep.
  • Create a calm environment: Make sure the baby’s nursery has a good temperature and there is no extra noise in the room. The quiet environment of the nursery will help the baby to sleep easily.
  • Decrease daytime naps: Skip one nap from baby’s daytime naps and see if that helps them to sleep quickly at night. When a baby sleeps too much during the day it can lead to the baby fighting sleep at bedtime.
  • Be patient: Understandably, you are very tired and just want to sleep, but you need to be patient with the baby and lookout for signs that cause troubles in the baby’s sleep.

Final takeaway:

Being a new parent is an overwhelming experience because you have to cater to all the needs of the baby. On top of that baby fighting sleep is a huge problem that you might be facing every other day. But be patient and try all the tips that we shared with you and they might help you.

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