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Why Do Babies Fight Sleep?

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Babies may have erratic sleep patterns that might lead you to wonder, “Why do babies fight sleep?”

It is probably a question that most parents want answers to. As new parents, you might probably think that you are still missing something about your baby’s sleep regimen that is why your baby stays awake. Let’s find out in this article.

How Can you Tell if Your Baby is Fighting Sleep?

You can tell that your baby is fighting sleep once you see the tell-tale signs that your baby is already sleepy, but refuses to fall asleep. Moreover, if your baby is fighting sleep, he or she is probably communicating something to you. Besides, I might be the only way for your baby to tell you that he or she wants to do something before sleeping, especially if he or she is still unable to talk. Here are some signs that you can look out for to tell whether or not your baby is fighting sleep:

Why Do Babies Fight Sleep?

A baby may fight sleep for various reasons. However, if they are still unable to speak, they would usually let you know what they want by their body language. Identifying the reason behind fighting sleep is the key to preventing your baby from fighting sleep.

Baby is very tired or fatigued

In contrary to popular belief, babies may refuse to sleep if they are very tired or fatigued. This may happen right after some physical activity like attempting to stand or preparing to walk. Moreover, if your baby is already starting to walk, he or she might immediately get tired from several baby steps in a day.

When this happens, usually the baby needs to rest and calm down for a bit before he or she is ready to sleep. Moreover, if your baby is very tired or fatigued he or she might be hungry or thirsty, so you might want to offer some soft food or milk. Once your baby begins to calm down he or she may then be ready to sleep.

Baby is Hungry

When a baby is hungry, he or she will surely not sleep. So, you might want to feed your baby before preparing him or her for sleep. Besides, if your baby cries after eating, you can’t expect him or her to go to bed very easily. If your baby cries after eating, you might want to check the root cause of the problem to prevent your baby from fighting sleep when it is already his or her sleeping time.

crib for twins

Baby Wants to Play

As part of the normal development of babies, they may sometimes want to play more than they would like to sleep. Moreover, during this stage of development, babies may become very energetic and refuse to sleep on their normal schedule. Besides, once babies become more energetic, it might also be a sign that they are ready to walk soon.

If babies persist to play or attempt to stand or walk on their sleeping schedules, you might want to exhaust some of their energy first, by playing with them for easier bedtime. Also, your baby might just want more time to play and they aren’t ready to sleep just yet. Babies may have changing nap times as part of their development and they may eventually drop to one nap and probably refuse other sleeping times.

Baby has Separation Anxiety

Baby separation anxiety has two types. One is the separation anxiety towards a twin, while the other is separation anxiety towards their parents. Either way, separation anxiety isn’t really difficult to address during this time. You may give your babies a chance to be together and don’t separate twins at a very young age if separation anxiety towards a twin is the cause of fighting sleep. On the other hand, if separation anxiety is towards a parent, you may want to join your baby while he or she is about to sleep, so they may still feel your presence as they drift off to sleep.

Baby Refuses to Sleep in a Bassinet

As newborns, a bassinet might be what your baby needs to sleep comfortably. Moreover, if a bassinet is inclined or slightly sways, your baby might fall asleep faster. However, there are some instances that a baby won’t sleep in a bassinet. This might be because your baby is not yet accustomed to sleeping in a bassinet. Moreover, it may be more favorable for your baby to have a fixed routine while being in a bassinet.

How to Prevent Babies From Fighting Sleep?

First, you have to know the reason why your baby is fighting sleep. Once you have identified what is keeping your baby awake, you may then want to address what is preventing your baby from sleeping. Moreover, you have to look out for developmental milestones for your baby such as preparing to walk or dropping to one nap.

As your baby ages, he or she might want to play and engage in other activities more than sleeping. Once this happens you might want to provide more toys and spend more time with your baby so he or she may learn. Furthermore, you may prevent your baby from fighting sleep by exhausting just enough energy from your baby to make him or her feel drowsy.

Conclusion: Why do babies fight sleep?

Why do babies fight sleep? It is mostly because they are encountering some developmental milestones that most babies go through. Moreover, once your baby fights sleep more often it might be an indication that your baby is getting ready to accomplish more things.

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