What’s Your Child Telling You When He/She Wakes Up Wailing at Night?
1. Routine Crying
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Usually attributed to disruptions in your child’s normal schedule.
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It may be time for your child to eat/sleep, or your child may be overstimulated.
What Helps :
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Try hugging/walking with your child, which provides motion and body contact.
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White-noise (sounds that mask other sounds that might occur naturally in an environment) such as a fan in the room may help.
2. Sheer Hunger
Children may cry at night due to hunger.
What Helps:
Give your child a light snack (eg: a cup of warm milk) before putting him/her to bed.
3. Hunger-Gas-Crying Cycle
If a child is eating or drinking too fast, he/she might gulp excessive air, thus trapping gas in the stomach.
What Helps:
Give a light snack in between meals before he/she becomes very hungry.
4. Sensitive or Delicate Tummy
Persistent crying unrelated to hunger, sleep, or general discomfort may be attributed to digestion issues due to milk intolerancei .
What Helps:
Consult your doctor to determine if your child might have milk intolerance. A change of formula with easy to digest protein (partially hydrolyzed proteins) and is lower in lactose may help. Enfagrow A+ Gentlease with 360° DHA PLUS is designed for children with delicate tummies and provides balanced nutrition.
5. Nightmares
Nightmares terrors may be more likely to occur if a child is sick or sleep-deprived.
What Helps:
Soothe your child by talking to him/her and reassure him/her that nightmares were not real.
6. Other Discomforts
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A room that's grown too hot/cold.
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Sickness.
What Helps:
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If you have tried all tips above and your child’s condition is not improving, talk to your doctor.
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If you suspect sickness, check his/her temperature; a rectal temperature over 38°C warrants a visit to the nearest clinic as soon as possible.
References:
- Eating Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know. Retrieved 2 June 2017 from, https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-lactose-in…