Q:
I have an 8-month-old daughter who has slept in her own bed since she was 6-weeks-old without any problems, until recently. Now, she has begun to throw a fit when I lay her down for bed. She will not go to sleep unless my husband or I hold her.
When we put her down, she wakes up and starts screaming for us. When we do get her to sleep, she wakes up in the middle of the night and starts the whole thing over again. What do we do?
A:
It seems you are laying your baby down while she is in the first stage of sleep, which is called light sleep.
Some babies are very sensitive, and often awaken from light sleep with the slightest change. I suggest you hold your 8-month-old baby in your arms for a longer period of time so she has the chance to fall into a deep sleep: try holding your baby and rocking her for at least 20 minutes.
It isn't easy being a parent and sleepless nights are one of the things parents have to live through until their babies gain sleep maturity. As sleep maturity develops, babies spend less time in the stage of light sleep and more time in the stage of deep sleep. This will come, but you need to be patient and take comfort in knowing your baby is normal.
Kenneth N. Condrell Ph.D Child Psychologist
