We’ve all heard the saying ‘spitting the dummy’ but it’s not until you become a parent that you can say you’ve actually experienced it first hand. And boy, they can be tough!
When it comes to babies the majority of these dummy spits seem to come at bedtime. They don’t call it witching hour for nothing. Just as we’re dreaming of a hot meal and some trashy TV – it’s like they know.
You’ve fed them? Tick. They’ve got a clean nappy? Tick. So here are 8 other reasons your baby might be ‘spitting the dummy’ and what to do about it…
1. Their age
Young babies will cry. There's no staying away from it, and for the initial 3 months or so they will commonly go through this witching hour which endures from around 5 pm to around 11 pm. During this time they might be agitated, crying or hard and fast shouting. This is formatively ordinary and will in general be simple around the 3-month point.
2. Seeking extra comfort
A soother can be a great way to help your baby feel calm and relaxed during those bedtime hours. Babies often take a little while to get the day/night distinction but their bodies know when they’re nearing the end of another big day and it can all become a little too much. A soother can be a great tool for helping your baby find comfort and to learn to self-settle when it’s time for bed.
3. Understanding awake times
We are About the alert times at Kiindred as we probably are aware they are vital to figuring out our child's formative necessities. Knowing how long your child can remain conscious for (it changes as they develop), assists you with arranging your day and knowing when your child needs to have their rest. On the off chance that the child hasn't dozed enough during the day you can nearly ensure that a fake spit will come at sleep time.
4. Are they overtired?
At the point when we don't have a clue about our child's conscious times it frequently implies we're not getting them down for a rest soon enough. At the point when a child is overtired, their body delivers more cortisol and adrenaline to make up for the absence of rest which makes them incredibly challenging to settle. When you truly do ultimately inspire them to rest, they don't rest also and will frequently wake cantankerous yet drained.
5. Pull bedtime forward
In the event that your child has missed their rests during the day or they haven't rested as long as they generally do, feel free to pull that sleep time forward to redress. Particularly in those early months, there is no requirement for timetables or schedules and their rest ought to be based around need. So regardless of whether they aren't expected to hit the hay until 7 pm, by pulling that forward an hour you could possibly keep away from an all out implosion.
6. A bedtime “routine”
In those first few months, we use the word routine very lightly as babies at this age are feeding and sleeping around the clock. However, incorporating a bedtime routine – which might include a bath, some massage, a book and cuddles – can be a great way to help your baby settle into relaxation mode.
7. Overstimulation
What we can frequently forget as people who've been on this planet for years and years is that all that children come into contact with is invigorating every one of their faculties. As far as we might be concerned, a toy right in front of them is entertaining and charming; however, to them, it could be energizing for 1 moment, yet attempting to deal with it rapidly becomes debilitating. Recall that infants can become overwhelmed rapidly. With opportunity they will come to cherish the toys and splendid varieties and all that the world brings to the table, however chill out and don't overpower them. As night kicks in, keep things peaceful, without a care in the world.
8. Sometimes it’s just all about the cuddles
You can try every trick in the book, but some days babies will just cry and all you can do is give them cuddles and ride it out. Babies are pretty simple when it comes to their needs; eat, sleep, poop, repeat! So when all else fails, sometimes all they want is just a big old hug from you – their favorite person in the whole world!
Bedtime woes can be difficult, and we’d be lying if we said they will disappear altogether (hello, cheeky toddlers!) but the gut-wrenching crying and bedtime woes of those early months won’t last forever!
