Newborns often cry at night, making parents feel tired and unsure of what to do. But these cries have a purpose—they help babies communicate. They may cry because they’re hungry, uncomfortable, or adjusting to life outside the womb. When you understand why your baby is crying, you can respond calmly and help them feel safe. This also makes bedtime more effortless for both of you.
In this article, we’ll explain why babies cry at night and share simple ways to comfort them. You’ll find easy tips and helpful advice to handle these moments. You can turn sleepless nights into calm and comforting ones with some practice.
Why Do Newborns Cry at Night?
Newborns cry at night for different reasons, leaving parents tired and unsure. Knowing why babies cry helps parents take better care of their little ones. The two main reasons are hunger and discomfort.
Hunger
Babies often cry because they’re hungry. Their tiny stomachs need food often, even at night.
How to Tell If Your Baby Is Hungry
- Turns Head Toward You: The baby moves their head toward your hand or breast, looking for food.
- Sucks on Fingers: They may suck their fingers or make sucking noises.
- Crying with Pauses: Hunger cries often have short pauses as they wait to be fed.
How to Handle Hunger Crying
- Feed When Hungry: Feed your baby when it shows signs of hunger, even if it’s late.
- Track Feeding Times: Write down feeding times to know when your baby might get hungry again.
- Be Ready for Night Feeds: Newborns must eat every 2–3 hours, even at night.
Babies often eat more during growth spurts, so they might wake up to eat more often. Knowing this can help you plan and stay calm.
Discomfort
Babies cry when something makes them uncomfortable. It’s essential to figure out what’s wrong.
Common Reasons for Discomfort
- Wet or Dirty Diaper: A damp diaper can feel cold and irritating.
- Too Hot or Cold: Babies cry if they feel too warm or cold.
- Scratchy or Tight Clothes: Uncomfortable clothes can bother your baby.
- Gas or Tummy Pain: Gas can make babies fussy, and colic can cause long crying spells.
Ways to Help Your Baby Feel Comfortable
- Change Diapers Often: Keep diapers clean and dry to avoid irritation.
- Check the Room Temperature: A thermometer ensures the room isn’t too hot or cold.
- Choose Soft Clothes: Dress your baby in soft, loose-fitting clothes.
- Burp After Feeding: Help your baby burp to release gas after feeding.
- Gentle Tummy Rub: A light tummy massage can ease gas pain.
Sleep Cycles In Newborns
Why Newborns Cry at Night
Many parents worry about newborns crying at night. Understanding baby sleep cycles can explain why this happens. Newborn sleep patterns are different from adult sleep. Babies have shorter sleep cycles and wake up more often.
REM Sleep in Newborns
As a newborn, a baby sleeps mostly in REM (Rapid Eye Movement), which supports brain growth and learning. During REM sleep, the baby’s brain stays highly active
Key Facts About REM Sleep in Newborns
- 50% of Sleep time: Newborns spend about half of their sleep in REM.
- Shorter Sleep Cycles: Each REM cycle lasts about 50–60 minutes.
- Movements During REM: Babies may twitch, smile, or make sucking movements.
These movements often wake babies, leading to nighttime crying. This is normal and shows the baby is growing and developing.
Why Babies Wake Up at Night
Because newborns have short sleep cycles, they wake up more often, leading to fussiness and tired parents.
Common Reasons Babies Wake Up
- Hungry: Babies need to eat every two to three hours.
- Discomfort: A wet diaper, gas, or feeling too hot or cold can wake them.
- Startle Reflex: Loud sounds or sudden movements can startle babies awake.
Ways to Soothe a Crying Baby
Here are simple ways to calm your baby when they cry:
- Swaddle your baby in a soft blanket.
- Play white noise or soft music.
- Gently rock or swing your baby.
- Offer a pacifier if they like it.
- Keep the room quiet and cozy.
- Helping Your Baby Sleep Better
Understanding your baby’s sleep patterns helps you respond calmly. By recognizing normal behaviors like frequent waking, you can adjust and make nighttime easier for you and your baby.
Parental Response Techniques
Why Newborns Cry at Night and How to Soothe Them
Newborns cry at night, which can leave parents feeling stressed and exhausted. Knowing why your baby cries and how to respond can make a big difference. A calm and caring response helps your baby feel safe and comforted.
Simple Ways to Calm Your Baby at Night
It takes patience and care to calm a newborn at night. Here are some easy ways to help your baby feel safe and relaxed:
- Swaddle Your Baby: Wrap your baby tightly in a warm blanket to help them feel safe and cozy like before birth.
- Gently Rock: Hold your baby and rock them slowly to help them feel calm.
- Use White Noise: To establish a quiet environment, play mild sounds—that of a white noise machine or a fan.
- Offer a Pacifier: Taking a pacifier can help your baby feel comforted.
- Comfort Feeding: If your baby seems hungry or upset, a quick feed may help them settle down.
Babies often wake up because they feel hungry, uncomfortable, or must be soothed. Knowing what your baby needs helps you stay calm and care for it.
Establishing a Sleep Routine
A consistent sleep routine helps babies feel secure and reduces nighttime crying. Babies love predictability, and routines make sleep time easier.
Tips for a Calming Sleep Routine
- Set a Regular Bedtime: Pick a bedtime and stick to it.
- Create Pre-Sleep Rituals: Try a warm bath, a bedtime story, or a lullaby to signal sleep time.
- Comfort the Sleep Space: Keep the room dark, quiet, and at a cozy temperature.
Teaching Babies to Sleep Independently
Helping babies fall asleep independently takes time but is possible with patience.
- Put Baby to Bed While Drowsy: Lay your baby down when sleepy but still awake to help them self-soothe.
- Gradually Reduce Night Feedings: Slowly lessen nighttime feedings so your baby sleeps longer.
- Respond Calmly to Cries: Keep nighttime interactions brief and quiet to teach your baby that night is for sleep.
Caring for Yourself as a Parent
Parents need to get enough rest, too. Taking turns with your partner for nighttime care helps ensure both of you get sleep. A well-rested parent can handle nighttime challenges more calmly.
Creating a peaceful bedtime routine and soothing techniques can make nights more manageable for you and your baby. These steps can lead to longer, more restful sleep for the whole family.
Common Health Concerns for Newborn Nighttime Crying
Newborns crying at night can stress parents, but understanding common health issues helps ease worries. Knowing the causes of nighttime fussiness makes it easier to find solutions.
Colic
Colic often causes intense nighttime crying in newborns, usually starting at a few weeks old and lasting up to 3–4 months. Colic causes babies to cry at the same time each night, which can increase parental exhaustion.
Signs of Colic
- Crying for more than 3 hours a day
- Crying more than 3 days a week
- Episodes lasting for 3 weeks or longer
Ways to Soothe Colic
- Swaddle your baby
- Gently rock or walk with your baby
- Offer a pacifier
- Play white noise
Check if your baby is hungry or needs a diaper change to rule out other discomforts.
Reflux (GER)
For neonates, reflux—that is, stomach contents flowing back into the esophagus—causes discomfort and disturbance of sleep.
Signs of Reflux
- Frequent spitting up
- Arching their back during or after feedings
- Refusing to eat
- Crying after feeding
Managing Reflux
- Feed your baby in an upright position
- Keep them upright for 20–30 minutes after feeding
- Offer smaller, more frequent meals
- Thickening formula with rice cereal (ask your pediatrician first)
If symptoms continue, consult a doctor to prevent further sleep issues.
Environmental Factors
Environmental issues can disturb newborn sleep. Here’s how to adjust key factors:
Noise
- Sudden loud noises (like dogs barking or TV sounds) can startle babies.
- Household noises (like dishwashers) can disrupt sleep.
- Some babies find white noise soothing, while others don’t.
Keep a consistent noise level during bedtime to help your baby adjust.
Temperature
- Babies wake up if the room is too hot or cold.
- Overdressing or using heavy blankets can cause discomfort.
To keep your baby comfortable, dress them based on the room temperature. Use light sleepwear for 68–72°F. Add a light blanket if it’s below 68°F and stick to light sleepwear only if it’s above 72°F to prevent overheating.
Developmental Milestones
Babies cry more at night during growth spurts and cognitive changes.
Growth Spurts
Growth spurts happen at 2–3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.
Signs of Growth Spurts:
- Increased hunger
- More frequent feeding
- Restlessness and shorter naps
Try swaddling, rocking, or using soft shushing sounds to comfort your baby.
Growth spurts in babies often cause changes in their behavior. At 2–3 weeks, babies may show increased hunger and irritability. By 6 weeks, they may wake frequently and seem fussier. At 3 months, restlessness and shorter naps are common. By 6 months, babies may cry more at night and show signs of increased hunger.
Cognitive Changes
At around 4 months, babies’ sleep patterns become more like adults. This “4-month sleep regression” leads to frequent waking as babies become more aware of their surroundings.
Ways to Handle Cognitive Changes:
- Keep a consistent bedtime routine.
- Create a calm sleep space.
- Soothe your baby with a gentle touch and soft words.
As your infant adapts to new events, these fluctuations are transient and normal.
Parenting Roles and Cultural Customs
Various cultures address baby sleep patterns in different ways:
- Japan: Comfort comes from co-sleeping.
- Scandinavia: Outdoor naps are said to encourage improved sleep.
- Africa: Because babywearing keeps babies near, it lessens crying.
- India: Typical soothing is with oil massages.
- In Western cultures, parents often share nighttime duties, while in some Asian communities, mothers take full responsibility.
Different cultures have unique ways to comfort babies. In Japan, co-sleeping is believed to provide comfort and reduce crying. Scandinavian parents practice outdoor napping to promote better sleep. In Africa, babywearing helps keep babies calm. Indian parents often use oil massages to soothe their babies.
When to Seek Help
While nighttime crying is normal, sure signs may indicate a serious issue.
Signs of Distress:
- High-pitched or unusual crying
- Crying for several hours without stopping
- Refusing to eat
- Fever or trouble breathing
- Vomiting or diarrhea
What to Do:
- Contact your pediatrician and describe the symptoms.
- Follow any care tips they give you.
- Schedule an appointment if necessary.
Seeking help ensures your baby stays healthy and gives you peace of mind.
FAQs
Why Do Newborns Cry at Night?
Newborns cry at night due to hunger, discomfort, or needing comfort.
How Can I Soothe a Crying Baby?
You can calm your baby by swaddling, rocking it gently, feeding it, or playing soft sounds like white noise.
Is Nighttime Crying Normal?
Yes, it’s normal for newborns to cry at night. It’s how they communicate their needs and part of their growth.
When should my baby sleep through the night?
Though every infant is unique, most start sleeping longer, between three and six months.
Final Thoughts
The newborn period runs from birth to eight to twelve weeks. Babies are fed every two to three hours, sleep a lot, and sometimes cry due to colic crying. Essential milestones that indicate the beginning of infancy are improved head control, longer sleep, and increased interaction.
