why do babies cry when they are sleepy?

Question

Why don't they just go to sleep like the rest of us?

Answer 1

Because they need physical contact (held, rocked, sang to) so they feel comfort to be able to go to sleep.

Answer 2

it depends on the babys age, if they are new born then if you think they have been in your womb for 9 months and do not know any different. They need comforting and the know that they are safe.
If the baby is between 4-12 mnths by this time your baby should already know that they go to bed on their own but some babys this age still need comforting and holding to get to sleep.All in all if your baby is this age then you may be able to try a sleeping method which is controlled crying where you leave them for a few seconds at the begining after you have put them down and then as they get better at going down you leave them a little longer each time. some people dont believe in this method but i tried it and it really does work it is hard going because it does make your heart go listening to them crying but as i said it really worked for me and now my daughter goes to bed at 7pm and gets up at 8am fully refreshed .

Hope this helps and good luck..

Answer 3

crying is their only way of communication- if they just laid there looking around you would never know if they are hungry or anything. Over tiredness is often the cause for crying, try putting your baby in their cot/ basket to sleep before they get to the crying stage and are still at the grumbling stage. Good luck, it can be as frustrating for Mum as well as baby!

Answer 4

Sometimes I feel like crying when I am really tired because of the way it makes me feel so it is not surprising that some babies cry when sleepy

Answer 5

That is a question i have asked my self hundreds of time over the last two years, they all do it. its the same when they get a bit older and they wake up in the night for no reason. Why dont they just turn over and go back to sleep instead of waking the whole house up.

They just want u to fix it for them like when they are wet u make them dry and when they are hungry u feed them. They dont realise they have to let themselves go to sleep they want u to do it for them.

Answer 6

Crying is a baby's way of telling you that something is wrong... and when they are tired.. they cry to tell you that.. A baby's crying is the equivalent to an adult or older child's crankiness when tired. Usually a baby will have different cries for what he or she wants.. so pay attention.. they may be slight differences, but you should be able to distinguish them! Good luck!

Answer 7

When you feel lousy because you are tired, you know what is causing it, so you can go to sleep. All the baby knows is that they don't feel right, and something is wrong - they don't know that they feel that way because they are tired, and they don't know that going to sleep will fix the problem.

Also, even adults will get cranky and upset when they are overtired. Babies just get there a lot quicker, and have less tolerance - if they feel cranky they will cry.

Answer 8

this might help.little long mind but be Worth the read


To help your baby fall asleep, Ferber says it is important to put the baby asleep when they are awake. If the baby falls asleep with the parents and then the parents sneak away from the baby, it does not foster good sleep. The baby is learning that all these changes will happen when they go to sleep, so they will fight going to sleep.

When the baby wakes up, he will find that something is missing and the baby will try to get it back. If he falls asleep being rocked and he is not being rocked when he wakes up, it is a sudden change and the baby will get upset.

If you wonder whether or not it's OK for babies to sleep with the parents, he says, "The decision is based on the parents' philosophy. If they want the baby in the bed, then have the baby in the bed. But think it through. If they want the baby in bed, they must do it from start to finish. The parents must be consistent. Babies do much better when they know what is happening and what is predictable."

"The idea that one is better than the other is a misconception. Co-sleeping, not co-sleeping, same room, not same room, crib bed, on the floor, does not matter," he says.

Ferber's philosophy is to figure out what is wrong and what needs to be done to correct the problem. And he advises parents to make changes that meet the baby's needs.

If the baby is fed too many times during the night, the baby will keep waking up because of expectations of feeding, he says.

If the baby has pain, the parent will need to treat the pain.

If the baby cannot sleep on the right schedule, the schedule will need to be adjusted.

If the baby is scared, then the parent needs to treat anxiety.

If the baby falls asleep when rocked at bedtime, then the baby needs to fall asleep without being rocked.

Ferber says these are the most common reason why babies have trouble sleeping through the night:


Inappropriate associations with falling asleep

Inappropriate sleep schedule

Too much feeding at night

Limit setting problems (i.e.: "I want to watch TV")

Fears at night

Sickness
Here are some suggestions to create a good bedtime routine:

The baby should be on an appropriate sleep schedule for their age.

The baby should fall asleep under the same circumstances that they wake up to; things should not change. The baby should not fall asleep in the living room and wake up in the crib.

Don't let your baby associate television with sleep. The baby should not go to sleep with it on, or turn it on as the first activity after waking up.

Quiet and a relatively dark environment are best for sleep. No bright lights!
Ferber notes a good bedtime routine is regular and predictable.

He says, "Put the baby in a place where they are going to sleep and have them enjoy an activity. Do not go to the parent's room for a story and then move the baby to their room. This should happen close to the same time every night because a regular schedule is important."

Ferber stresses the importance of not applying his method blindly.

He says, "Circumstances are not always the same. When the baby cries, if he or she has a scary dream and wakes up frightened, (the baby) will respond differently than when asking for the fifth glass of water. Figure out what is happening and why. You cannot jump right into treatment."

He notes, for example, if a baby is frightened, it is not good for the parent to let the baby cry and leave the room. What the baby needs is reassurance. Or if the babies are crying because they are in pain or they are sick, do not leave them on their own; they need assistance.

Also, he points out that problems take different amounts of time to fix. "A schedule can be changed quickly. If the baby is overfed at night, gradually decrease that overnight," he says. "A baby who is frightened must move in small steps."

If the baby likes to be rocked at night, this can be fixed in one step and that is the easiest: cut out the rocking but still have the parent in the room. Then cut out the parent.

Ferber notes that his method will fix habits, but not schedules and fears, and points out that it only works if the parents are willing to let their babies cry.

"There is no point in having a method you cannot do," he says.

As for the proper time to begin implementing his method, he says, "By three months, habits are falling into place. Babies start to sleep through the night and should not wake up multiple times. If you are not moving in that direction, you should start to figure out what is happening. At 4 or 5 months, parents can be more insistent on eliminating developing habits."

The good news is that babies quickly adapt to changes. He says, "Babies learn quickly, so changes can been seen as early as 2 to 3 days and up to one week. Babies who cannot sleep because they are frightened may take longer, as well as a baby who has medical problems."

Answer 9

They want comfort and closure...
Babies like the smell of your skin also the sounds of your heartbeat which makes them feel secure.

It's not a bad thing. It's nice to hold your baby in your arms and rock it to sleep.

Yes - it does sometimes mean getting up at all hours! haha

Answer 10

They can't tell anyone how they feel, they can't go "mum i'm a bit sleepy now but i need a nappy change and i want to be winded so get on with it so i can hit the zzzz" so they cry with the frustration of not being understood.

Answer 11

Because they don't understand yet, they know that they are sleepy but they don't know what to do about it. Also, they cannot physically get into bed, like we can.