Fighting Night Tantrums In A Child

Regular lack of sleep for parents of babies is commonplace and not surprising. But when the baby grows up a little and does not need to be fed his night-time feeding and changing of a wet diaper, loving parents can take a breath and have a good night’s rest. And the newly minted moms and dads are completely bewildered when the seemingly grown-up baby starts in the middle of the night for no particular reason to drop into a heart-rending cry. Today we will try to understand together the causes of night tantrums in a child and develop a strategy for the behavior of adults.

Causes of night tears

If you had to deal with such a common problem as the night crying of a child, the first of all you should understand the causes of the anxiety of the baby.

1. First of all, you should pay attention to the health of the crumbs. Even in the evening, when you put your child in bed, there could be no visible signs of illness. And already in a dream, it is quite possible that the temperature rose, which provoked a severe headache, and as a result – a loud cry.
2. If there are no visible signs of the disease, then the baby is likely to become overworked or overworked during the day. Emotional shock during the day, and even more so in the second half of it, can negatively affect the child’s night sleep. Therefore, if you decide in the late afternoon to make a “grandiose appearance” with a small child, then do not be surprised that the kid throws a night tantrums. This does not mean that the child should be kept in an enclosed space and not acquainted with the environment, but this should be done in the morning or at least a few hours before a night’s rest. Before going to bed, the best solution would be to read a good fairy tale to the child, see a calm cartoon or a children’s program, play board games. In any case, the nervous system before the night’s rest should calm down,
3. Failure to comply with the mode of the day can also provoke loud crying during sleep. The baby needs a good rest not only at night but also during the day. Therefore, daytime sleep is not only recommended for kids but mandatory. The fragile nervous system of the crumbs fails, and this can lead to night tantrums. Therefore, daytime rest is a must! Try to keep to the constant time of the morning awakening, and also try to put the child to bed no later than nine in the evening.
4. The effect of TV and computer is detrimental to the children’s nervous system. You may not even suspect that completely innocuous information for an adult can cause a nervous shock to your child. Negative impressions of what he heard and saw from the TV source during the day may turn into a nightmare and constant insomnia of the whole family. Many pediatricians and child psychologists believe that children under the age of three should not watch TV at all, let alone play computer games.
5. Overeating before bedtime can be another reason that the baby wakes up at night with a loud cry. This does not mean that the child should be starved, but think through the menu and meal schedule is very thorough.
6. The setting is an important cause of night screams and hysteria. A child can wake up and scream at night, reacting to stress both in the family and in kindergarten. If your family is experiencing another crisis, then try to prevent the child from being an unwitting witness to your scandals. It is hysterical cries, often unwittingly, that a child can express its protest against the appearance of a younger brother or sister, as well as the loss of a relative. The conflict in the kindergarten (children’s team) can be the cause of children’s breakdowns and night tantrums.

What to do to get rid of night tantrums

When the first such night screams with tears appear, one should first of all not panic, but try to establish a stable emotional atmosphere in the family.

• Spend more time with your child. Before bed, talk to him, tell an amusing story, look through a colorful book, just stroke and caress your baby. Joint pastime will calm the crumb, give him confidence in his abilities and relieve a sense of security in adults.
• In no case do not find out the relationship on the raised tones in the presence of the baby. The child should not see and hear scandals, from this he is frightened and becomes irritable. The baby is experiencing more of yours, although it cannot be explained in words.
• In the case of overwork during the day or inability to sleep during the day, try to spend time with your baby in a quiet home environment in the afternoon.
• In any situation, show your child boundless love and care. Surround it with attention and affection.
• Do not scold the baby the next morning for a sleepless night. The child may not even remember the hysteria, and this conversation only aggravates the situation.
• In extreme cases, consider visiting and consulting a child psychologist. A competent specialist will help not only to identify the cause of night tantrums but also give you qualified advice. It is possible that you will need to take light sedatives, as well as a course of relaxing massage and physiotherapy.

The behavior of adults during child night tantrums

If you had to deal with such a child problem, do not panic and do not frighten even more with your baby’s condition. Best to do the following:

• Try to start a conversation with the child on a pleasant topic. During the conversation, your voice should be even and quiet, calm.
• Take the baby by the hand, pat him on the back, on the head. If the child does not break out, then sit on your knees, press to your chest. You can pick up a very small crybaby and try to rock it.
• Do not turn on a sharply bright light. Luminous flux can only exacerbate the situation, even more, frighten the child. Best of all, if you turn on the soft, muffled light of a night lamp. And even after the child calmed down and fell asleep, let the night light continue to burn for a while.
• If the child has a favorite toy, then let him take her to bed with him. This will calm the baby.
• After complete sedation, do not allow the child to stay in bed with adults. Do not thereby allow child manipulation. Better you yourself sit at the baby’s bed extra 10-15 minutes before the crumbs go to sleep.

Folk recipes

To make the child fall asleep faster and sleep soundly all night, you can suggest using some homemade ways to improve sleep:

• Aromatherapy. At bedtime, buy a baby in the bathroom with a few drops of lavender oil. Essential oils soothe the nervous system, help to relax. You can also put under a pad dry sprigs of mint and lime. The smell of herbs will contribute to good sleep crumbs.
• Herbal tea. Half an hour before bedtime, let your baby drink a small cup of herbal infusion. Preparing this tea just before use: for 1 cup of boiling water take a pinch of hop cones and chamomile. After 10 minutes, strain the solution, add some sugar or honey and offer to drink this aromatic tea in small sips.
• Milk night cocktail. This unusual drink is prepared using a blender from a glass of warm milk, half a banana and a teaspoon of honey. If the child is not allergic, then you can add 2-3 drops of motherwort tincture.

In addition to all of the above, create favorable conditions in the nursery. To do this, take care of good noise insulation in the room where the child is resting. Sharp and loud sounds can wake and frighten the baby. At bedtime, you should ventilate the room, in case of too dry air in the nursery; think about the possibility of purchasing a humidifier.

Using a radio or baby monitor will let you know about the restless sleep of the child before the onset of hysterics (if the baby is sleeping in a separate room). So you can stop baby tears before they appear.

Following the proposed tips and recommendations, you will certainly cope with the problem of night tantrums. And after only a few weeks, you will completely forget about the night cries and weeping, because the baby, surrounded by care and love, will feel more confident and calm.