Causes of crying baby sleep. Why does a child cry during sleep without waking up

Infants cannot talk about their problems, so they often cry. Crying for a baby is an opportunity to inform parents about their desire or need.

Sometimes children may cry in their sleep, waking up or even continuing to sleep.

The occurrence of such a state is possible due to many reasons. Often this happens as a result of ordinary discomfort, but there are situations when various pathologies cause crying in a dream.

What is evidenced by the crying of an infant in a dream is discussed in this article.

The baby begins to cry in a dream when he feels certain inconveniences, for example, wet diapers, hot or cold air in the room where he is.

The main reasons why a child cries in a dream are also:

1. Intestinal. Usually, in this condition, the baby strains the legs or begins to move them.
2. Feeling hungry. Most often, crying for this reason occurs when parents feed the baby by the hour.
3. Teething. This reason provokes crying in a dream after four months.

Also, babies begin to cry in their sleep if the mother is not around. When they stop feeling their mother, they cry and wake up.

In frequent cases, the development of a certain disease does not allow the child to sleep normally. Usually, sleep is disturbed in infants with pain in the ears or throat, or coughing.

Why does the baby cry without waking up

The child cries without waking up, usually when he feels uncomfortable. The baby may be cold or very hot. This problem is eliminated if you do not wrap the baby too much so that he does not overheat. In addition, you should ensure the optimal temperature and humidity in the room where the child sleeps.

Sometimes, without waking up, children may cry if urination or defecation has occurred. In this case, they feel discomfort and cry until the diaper is clean and dry.

Another reason for such crying in a dream is an overexcited state. To prevent this from happening, you need not to disturb the baby in the evening with too active exercises or games. It is necessary to provide a calm and quiet environment for normal sleep.

Some children may even scream in their sleep for psychological or neurological reasons. If crying does not stop for a long time, the child should be examined by a qualified neurologist.

Why does he cry in his sleep at two months

Experts say that seventy percent of children constantly cry during daytime and nighttime sleep. Most babies under three months of age sleep restlessly.

At night, such crying is physiological. This condition is not considered dangerous. This phenomenon is connected with the unstable functioning of the motor and nervous system of the baby. This will continue for some time until the baby's biorhythms normalize.

Only thirty percent of newborn babies sleep well.

Usually, by one year, babies stop crying in their sleep, only physiological or psychological problems can cause disorders.

Often, at just two months old, babies cry during sleep if they feel hungry. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to when crying begins. Usually a child under three months of age wants to eat every three to five hours.

Increased excitability and emotional stress at this age can also provoke crying in a dream. This state can even be influenced by the appearance of new people in the house.

At two months, crying can be the result of intestinal colic or bloating, because the digestive system at this age is not yet fully formed. The baby may whimper without waking up until the sleep phase changes.

Why does a baby cry at six months

At six months of age, a baby may cry not only as a result of physiological causes.

Often crying in a dream indicates that the baby is starting to erupt. This phenomenon may be accompanied by fever, lethargy and capriciousness of the child.

In addition, at six months, the baby can still be disturbed by colic. But this condition is extremely rare, usually colic disappears by the age of six months.

Sometimes babies cry in their sleep because of the stress of the day. At this age, the baby actively explores the world and any phenomenon can cause him a stressful situation.

Frequent crying in a dream is a reason to see a specialist

If the cause of crying is not teeth and abdominal pain, it is important to pay attention to the child's condition, because this may indicate various health problems (stomatitis, otitis media, colds, CNS disorder).

If, in addition to crying in a dream, there is fever, nasal discharge, nasal congestion, coughing or shortness of breath, then it is better to show the child to the doctor.

In order for an infant to have a normal sleep, it is necessary to adhere to the following recommendations of specialists:

• It is necessary to ensure the optimal temperature in the room: from 18 to 21 degrees
• It is important that the room where the child sleeps is ventilated, there should be no drafts.
• When a child sleeps, there should not be a loud and sharp sound.
• Before a night's sleep, it is better not to carry out active games and exercises.
• In order for the child to sleep well, it is advisable to buy it before bedtime.
• It is necessary to protect the baby from negative experiences, provide him with care and affection
• Parents must follow

You can eliminate crying in a dream by determining its root cause.

If the baby is hungry, he calms down after feeding.

In the case of intestinal colic, methods are used that eliminate abdominal pain. Pediatricians recommend giving your baby fennel tea or dill water. You can also do a light massage on the abdomen, making movements in a clockwise direction.

Crying due to teething can be prevented by lubricating the baby's gums with a special gel before bed. It is better to consult a pediatrician about which pain reliever to choose.

When a baby cries due to the absence of parents, then sleep normalizes if he sees them near him, especially in the arms of mom or dad.

Physiological night crying is not considered dangerous and usually resolves by one year of age.

Video for parents:

• Why a newborn does not sleep during the day: causes, effects and methods ...

In the first weeks of life, crying is almost the only way a baby can communicate his needs to his parents. In most cases, the mother is able to understand the cause of tears, but when a baby cries in a dream, adult family members become seriously worried and do not understand what to do. No less excitement is caused by the night cries of one-year-old and older babies. Let's figure out why children's sleep can be accompanied by crying.

Sleep features of newborns

The structure of a newborn's sleep is different from that of an "adult". Almost half of the rest time is spent in REM sleep (with rapid eye movements). This period is accompanied by dreams, as well as:

• active movement of pupils under closed eyelids;
• moving arms and legs;
• reproduction of the sucking reflex;
• change of facial expressions (grimacing);
• various sounds - a newborn cries in a dream, whimpers, sobs.

The predominance of the "fast" phase in infancy is due to the intensive growth of the brain and the rapid development of higher nervous activity. If the baby periodically cries at night for a short period of time and does not wake up, then this is a variant of the norm.

Doctors call this phenomenon “physiological night crying” and believe that it helps the child relieve stress caused by emotions and impressions received during the day.

Another function of "physiological crying" is the "scanning" of space. By making sounds, the newborn checks whether he is safe, whether his parents will come to his aid. If the cry remains unanswered, the baby may wake up and throw a tantrum.

At the age of 3-4 months, all healthy babies have the Moro reflex, which consists in the automatic throwing up of the handles in response to the action of the stimulus. A sudden movement can wake up a child. You can solve the problem with the help of swaddling. There is a technique of loose wrapping with a diaper, which allows you not to constrain motor skills and at the same time provides good rest.

How to respond to "physiological crying"?

Do not be too active in comforting the child at the time of "physiological crying." It is enough just to sing something to him in a gentle voice or stroke him. In some cases, after a few seconds of whimpering, children calm down on their own. Intense motion sickness in the arms or in the crib, or loud speech can finally wake up the baby.

The correct reaction to "sleepy" crying also carries an educational burden. The child must learn to calm down and accept his nocturnal loneliness. If you pick him up at the slightest sign of anxiety, he will demand the attention of mom and dad every night.

Approximately 60-70% of children learn to calm down on their own closer to the year. However, mommy must definitely know how to calm the baby if necessary.

Crises of development

In the first year of life, a child goes through a huge path of physical and mental development. In some periods, changes are felt especially sharply, they are usually called crises (see also:). They are characterized by a significant increase in the load on the nervous system and can cause crying at night.

It is important to protect the psyche of the crumbs from overload:

• observe intervals of sleep and wakefulness;
• at the slightest sign of fatigue, give him the opportunity to rest;
• avoid emotional overexcitation.

It should be borne in mind that at 12-14 weeks there is a change in the pattern (structure) of sleep. The transition to the "adult" model leads to a deterioration in its quality or "regression of 4 months". The child may burst into tears at night, wake up from this and not calm down for a long time.

During this period, it is worth accustoming him to falling asleep on his own. One way is to do things that soothe your baby but keep her awake. It is necessary that before going to bed the baby is peaceful, not excited, then it will be easier for him to plunge into the arms of Morpheus.

Cycles and phases of sleep

Changes lead to the appearance of a phase of "superficial sleep", which begins immediately after falling asleep and lasts 5-20 minutes. The baby then falls into a deep sleep. At the moment of transition, the child is partially awakened. At first, this provokes crying, then he learns to overcome this period without tears.

In addition, tantrums during phase changes may be associated with emotional overexcitation or accumulated fatigue. To prevent this, you should put the baby to bed on time. If, nevertheless, he woke up and cannot calm down, the next period of wakefulness should be reduced.

Changing stages (phases) of sleep form a cycle. In an adult, it lasts about 1.5 hours, and in a small child - 40 minutes. Duration increases as you get older.

The cycles are delimited by short-term awakenings that the baby needs to assess the environment and his condition. The baby is able to cry if something does not suit him - for example, the room is too hot or he feels hungry. You can soothe him by satisfying his needs. In the future, it is worth taking care in advance to eliminate provoking factors.

Emotional overload

In many cases, after 6 months, the baby cries in his sleep due to emotional overexcitation. The reasons for this are an improperly organized daily routine and an excitable nature. An overtired and irritated baby cannot fall asleep normally, which increases the tension of the nervous system. The accumulated "charge" prevents the baby from resting calmly at night - even falling into a dream, he often wakes up and cries a lot.

• do not allow the baby to “overwalk” - start laying down a little earlier than he starts to act up from fatigue;
• limit strong emotions, including positive ones, in the afternoon;
• minimize the amount of time allotted for watching TV, in the evening it is better to refuse it altogether.

Children over one year old may wake up at night crying because of nightmares or fears. You should find out the cause of the problem and help the baby get rid of it. You can read about corrective techniques on the global network.

Physical factors

Why does a child cry in his sleep? Children of different ages can cry and scream under the influence of various external and internal negative factors. The first group includes:

• incorrect microclimate conditions in the room - discrepancy between temperature, humidity and air purity to standard indicators;
• bright lights and loud sounds.

• physiological needs - hunger, thirst;
• discomfort associated with uncomfortable clothing, wet diapers;
• various painful conditions - teething, meteosensitivity.

Microclimate in the room

Hot dry air in the children's room will not give the baby the opportunity to get enough sleep. He will often wake up and cry from irritation and fatigue. The famous pediatrician Komarovsky gives the following advice:

1. Maintain the temperature at the level of 18-22ºС, and humidity - 40-60%. To do this, you need to install the regulators on the batteries and purchase.
2. Minimize dust content. This will help airing, wet cleaning, the rejection of dust collectors in the room (books, upholstered furniture, plush toys, carpets).
3. Leave the window open all night. It is worth closing it only if the frost outside is about 15-18 ºС.

Airing the room is a must before going to bed. It is undesirable only in the case when the baby is diagnosed with an allergy to the pollen of street plants. In such a situation, a split system will help, that is, a device that is equipped with the functions of cooling, humidifying and purifying the air.

Hunger and thirst

If a newborn is hungry or thirsty, first he whimpers or makes other sounds, and then, not getting what he wants, he starts crying. In the first months of life, eating at night is a natural need for a baby, especially if he is fed breast milk. You can reduce the frequency of feeding by increasing the amount of food consumed during the day. It is especially important to make sure that the baby eats well before bedtime.

Do not overfeed the baby, exceed the normative amounts of formula or increase the frequency of meals. With breastfeeding, which is often carried out on demand, you need to monitor how carefully the baby sucks milk from one breast. Immediately after application, foremilk is released, which is low in nutrients. If the baby receives only it, he does not eat up. “Artificial” children, as well as all babies in the heat when crying at night, should be offered not only food, but also water.

Unpleasant sensations during teething is another reason why a child cries in a dream. The hardest thing is for those babies who at one time have not one, but 2-4 teeth. Children experience pain and itching in the mouth, which prevents them from eating normally and makes them cry out in their sleep.

A sure sign that whims are associated with teething is that the baby is trying to gnaw on clothes, toys, and so on. You can alleviate his condition with the help of chilled silicone teethers, as well as special anesthetic gels recommended by the doctor.

weather sensitivity

Weather sensitivity is a painful reaction of the body to changing weather conditions. Today, not only adults, but also kids suffer from it. The risk group includes children who have undergone difficult childbirth, caesarean section, intrauterine diseases, suffering from increased intracranial pressure. To the poor health of the crumbs, accompanied by whims and restless sleep, can lead to:

• increased solar activity;
• strong wind;
• changes in atmospheric pressure;
• a sharp transition from sunny weather to cloudy;
• showers, thunderstorms, snowfalls and other natural phenomena.

Doctors cannot accurately name the causes of meteorological dependence. If the child does not sleep well and often screams when the weather changes, it is worth consulting with a neurologist.

If parents are wondering why a child cries in a dream, then most likely this problem is familiar to them firsthand. Many moms and dads spend sleepless nights not sparing themselves at the baby's crib.

If the child does not get enough sleep, then over time his nervous system comes into an exhausted state. This threatens with many problems: both a developmental lag and a sharp deterioration in well-being. Let us consider in more detail what can disturb the baby?

Since medical knowledge is also required to fully disclose the reasons why a child cries in a dream, my friend, a pediatrician of the highest category, Khmeleva Larisa Ivanovna, helped me write this article. I express my gratitude to her.

Everyone knows that a small child often cries in his sleep. This is considered normal and not cause for concern. After all, through crying, the baby signals about his problems. And they can also be different for a little man. Often mom and dad just don't know why the baby woke up.

The causes of restless sleep depend on the age of the baby. We conditionally divide the causes into 2 groups: in children under one year old and in children after one year old. In any case, parents should know what to do and how to eliminate the cause of concern. After all, sleep is the most important cure for all diseases and anxieties. Good rest is vital for both adults and children.

Cause of crying in children under 1 year old

Here the main irritant is physiological discomfort. Often disturbed by colic in the intestines, discomfort in the stomach (may be associated with complementary foods), an overflowing diaper, hunger, teething. Sometimes too high or low temperature causes discomfort in the baby, and he wakes up from this.

Colds

The real reason is quite difficult to find out without calling a doctor at home. If the child's body temperature is elevated, then the inflammatory process in the body has begun. This may primarily be expressed in unpleasant sensations when swallowing, ear pain, severe cough or runny nose.

• Fluid that accumulates in the lungs and nasopharynx, inflammation in the ear (otitis media) cause very severe discomfort. When the child has difficulty breathing, he wakes up. You need to call a doctor at home. Following his instructions, urgently take action: buy the necessary medicines, carry out procedures, possibly pass some tests.
• The first thing a mother should do is to drip the baby's nose to make breathing easier, then bring down the temperature that is too high. If the doctor has prescribed some medicines, then it is necessary to give pills and pills to the child clearly according to the prescription and schedule. In no case is it recommended to self-medicate, even if you have five children and a lot of experience. Remember that every child is an individual. What is normal for other children may not be suitable for this.
• Don't forget your respirator if everyone in the house is sick. Do regular wet cleaning, ventilate the room. Limit your baby's contact with the rest of the family. All he needs right now is his mom. Do not turn on loud music, make noise. Even if the child is not sleeping, try to keep the room quiet and calm.

Colic

Gas and abdominal discomfort in a baby can be caused by too high a fat content in breast milk, an inappropriate formula for artificial feeding, and digestive problems in a particular case.

Of course, if these symptoms recur regularly, then you should go with the baby to the pediatrician for a consultation. But if the cases are rare, then you can alleviate the condition of the child in the following ways:

1. Stroke the tummy with your hand in a clockwise direction. Attach a diaper heated to a warm state.
2. Strictly dosing, it is necessary to give the child a drink or dill water, or tea with fennel. There are also special drops that can be purchased at the pharmacy. Depending on age, correctly dose, after reading the instructions.
3. Hold the child in an upright position, tummy towards you. After some time, the gas will go away, and the baby will calm down. You don't have to put him to bed right away. Next to a loved one, especially in the first months of life, the baby feels protected.

Where is mom?

Often crying is caused by the lack of mother's warmth. The smell of breast milk, mother's hand - if all this is not there, then the baby begins to worry. Especially in the case when, after feeding, he falls asleep next to him.

Here you need to decide. Either the child constantly sleeps next to the parents and gets used to it, or gradually accustom him to the crib. It will take only a few days for the child to get used to sleeping in his own place. In the case when parents need to leave, there will be no problems with going to bed in this case.

Teething

The "fun" nights begin from four months. The period when the teeth climbed, you just need to patiently endure. Get ready that at this time day and night can change places for a while.

• To alleviate the suffering of the crumbs, you should purchase a special gel that lubricates the gums. It anesthetizes, soothes itching and discomfort.
• First consult with a pediatrician or pharmacist, which drug would be appropriate for you personally.

Hunger

Those parents who breastfeed or give formula on demand provide a more relaxed and consistent daily routine. The kid gets used to this routine.

There are parents who decide to feed their child strictly by the hour. In this case, the child may simply get hungry until the next feeding. By crying, he gives a signal that he wants to eat. Perhaps your breast milk no longer has the fat content that is necessary to fully saturate the body and feel full.

Temperature regime

In a room that is too stuffy, it will be hot and uncomfortable even for an adult, and not just for a little man. Therefore, ventilate the room more often.

Try not to dry clothes in the room where the baby sleeps. Also, don't overcool. The most acceptable temperature is +19 - 22 degrees.

Why does a child cry in a dream after a year

A son or daughter grows up and can already tell a lot. But at night, the baby may not even wake up and cry in his sleep. The reasons are already deeper: along with physiological ones, there are already emotional ones. What to do in such situations?

Binge eating

The dinner menu should consist of light and familiar foods for the child. The last feeding is preferably carried out a few hours before bedtime.

• Try to follow the daily routine. If you have guests, then you can put the baby 1 hour later, but in no case let the situation take its course. In addition to excess products, overexcitation may occur, which will lead to a sleepless and anxious night.
• Do not introduce a new dish at night. It is not known how the child's body will take it.

Emotional and physical overexcitation

Children are all different. Especially active fidgets should be prepared for bed in advance.

1. Weather permitting, take your child outside for a walk. Chat with him. This will only benefit and set you in a calm mood.
2. Before going to bed, exclude the TV, tablet, computer and phone. Read a book, draw, play a quiet game. Turn it into a ritual, and, over time, your son or daughter will come to you with a book before going to bed.

Lots of negativity

• If there is constant swearing in the house, and you are in a nervous state, your child will also feel anxiety and anxiety.
• Try not to scold the baby, but explain and show patience and love.
• It is in your power to create that microclimate in the house that will allow the child's psyche not to experience emotional stress and stress.
• If the baby is afraid of the dark, then get a night lamp with stars or another interesting model of a night light. The fabulous atmosphere and the presence of loved ones nearby will gradually improve the child's sleep.

something hurts

Another likely cause of crying may be pain that prevents the child from sleeping soundly. Parents need to take an interest in the well-being of the baby. If he tells you what hurts him, then you can take the necessary actions in time, in this case. Anoint, massage if the leg or handle is numb. And if the pain does not subside, which, literally, does not allow your child to sleep, call an ambulance. You should not risk the health of your son or daughter and put off calling a doctor until morning.

Conclusion

I hope that for you the reasons why a child cries in a dream have become more understandable. Every child, regardless of skin color, nationality and race, remains just a child. And we, the parents, will always be faithful guardians of his health, physical and mental peace. Finally, here are some tips to help you better understand your baby's needs.

• If in the first months of life the cause of night crying is only physiology (teeth are cut, hunger, the wrong temperature, a wet diaper), then at an older age, the cause of poor sleep, night tantrums and crying may be emotional overexcitation, fear, resentment and loneliness.
• Your goal and task is to provide the child not only physically (feeding, dry and clean clothes, warm bed), but also to monitor the emotions and state of mind of the crumbs.
• If you do not know the cause, and nothing helps, then do not hesitate to call a doctor. And before his arrival, be there and do your best to calm the child or ease his pain. Your care and love is the main medicine, and your responsibility will help in any situation, and prevent many unpleasant ones.

Good luck and be patient!

Your Tatiana Kemishis

Frequent nighttime baby crying is familiar to many mothers. There can be a great many reasons for this, and parents should know what to do in such situations. There are significant differences between baby crying before and after a year.

Why do newborn babies cry

Newborns may cry because of hunger or an overfilled diaper, because of high or low room temperature, because of intestinal colic or gas. In any case, the crying of a baby cannot be left unattended, despite various reasons.

Gas and stomach pain

To save the child from this problem, you need to stroke his tummy with a warm hand in a clockwise direction or take the baby in your arms and hold him vertically with his tummy towards you. In this position, the gas will move away painlessly, and the baby will be calmer near the mother.

So that in the future crying for this reason does not occur, you need to purchase dill water or fennel tea for children. You can buy at the pharmacy and special drops.

Mother's presence required

Most mothers in the first weeks of a baby's life rock them in their arms or let them fall asleep next to them, and then transfer them to a separate bed. Feeling the mother's warmth, the child sleeps peacefully, but as soon as he ceases to feel it, the tau begins to cry. This problem can be solved in two ways: each time you take the baby in your arms when crying or teach him to sleep alone. The child will relearn very quickly, it will take only three days for the baby to sleep peacefully even in his mother's absence.

Reason for teething

Crying for this reason begins at about four months, when the first teeth erupt. The baby can be helped by lubricating swollen gums before bedtime with anesthetic gel. What kind of drug to buy, you need to consult with a pediatrician or pharmacist.

The child is hungry

Breastfeeding regimen in newborns is established very quickly. Feeding your baby on demand promotes calmness of the crumbs and the gradual addiction to sleep for several hours in a row at night (from five to six hours). But feeding strictly according to the schedule, the child may not like it. Perhaps the baby does not stand the time between feedings and really wants to eat. That's when he will "give signals" to his mother by crying.

Air temperature in the children's room

Children may wake up at night because they are hot or cold. It is recommended to ventilate the room before evening sleep. In a stuffy room, the child will be uncomfortable. The average air temperature in the room should be from nineteen to twenty-two degrees.

At the age of one, children's crying in a dream can be for deeper reasons - too active behavior in the daytime, dense feeding before bedtime. In the third year of life, children may have nightmares based on experiences, poor health, resentment and other negative emotions.

Plentiful and too high-calorie dinner

Do not feed your baby in the evening less than two hours before going to bed. A full stomach will prevent the baby from falling asleep on time according to the usual daily routine. Dinner food should consist of light foods. Daily adherence to the daily routine will also help to avoid nightmares in a dream. The child may, in rare cases, go to bed an hour later if this is due to a trip or a holiday and guests.

Increased activity and overexcitation during the day

Active children are encouraged to set up for sleep and prepare for it. Do not allow active games to be played shortly before bedtime. Make it a daily tradition to read a bedtime story or take a walk in the fresh air. This type of exercise will not only help you calm down, but also set you on a positive note, which is very important for restful sleep. Do not try to put the child to sleep by screaming or other manifestations of aggression. This will negatively affect not only the baby’s sleep, but also his child’s psyche.

Computer and TV

Even ordinary children's cartoons, and even more so computer games, can disrupt a baby's sleep. Children are not recommended to be at the monitor or TV screen shortly before bedtime.

negative emotions

Nightmares in children often arise due to a tense situation in the family between parents, due to resentment or fear received, due to fear for someone or excitement before some event. The child needs moral support and understanding from adults. Only close people can cheer up and calm the baby.

Fear of the Dark

The easiest way to overcome this fear is to turn on a night lamp. A calm child will have good dreams.

Communicate more with your child, constantly be interested in his problems and help him solve them. When there is complete trust in the family, then everyone will sleep peacefully.

Until the child masters speech, crying is the only way to attract attention. The tears of an adult are grief and experience, the tears of a baby are a natural means of communication. Parents gradually get used to the fact that this phenomenon is normal and not at all scary, but they are lost if the baby starts abruptly. Why does this happen?

Sleep baby

Sleep is a special physiological state that performs two main functions: replenishing energy costs and consolidating what the baby has learned during the wakefulness period. Good sleep is both a condition for the development of a child and an indicator of his physical and mental health. Therefore, parents are very worried if the child’s rest is interrupted, and even more so if the baby cries in a dream.

The norm of sleep for a child up to six months is from 18 to 14-16 hours a day. But in the first months of life, the baby can wake up every 3-4 hours, and there is no pathology in this: a stable day regimen has not been developed, there is often a confusion of day and night.

The baby usually wakes up because of a feeling of hunger, discomfort, or simply showing a normal instinct. Therefore, mothers need to have patience and remember that sleep is a conditioned reflex activity, which means that developing a certain ritual of going to bed at night and observing the rule of three “T” (warm, dark and quiet) will help to cope with the problem.

Night sleep

By what age can a child sleep through the night without waking up? This is purely individual, but by the age of six months, most babies can not interrupt sleep at night for 10 hours. The child does not need to be rocked or put to sleep by force. He can easily cope with this task on his own if the parents catch the signs of drowsiness in time: the child yawns, covers or rubs his eyes, and fiddles with a toy. In the presence of fatigue, the period of falling asleep is normally up to 20 minutes. If you do not create conditions for sleep (bright light, noise, the presence of strangers), then this can provoke a situation when the baby cries in a dream.

The very process of falling asleep will be difficult, and the night's rest will be disturbed due to the overexcitation of the baby. To understand why this happens, you need to understand the basic phases of sleep.

Sleep phases

Science distinguishes two active and slow. They alternate with each other every sixty minutes. The activity cycle implies the work of thought processes, which is expressed in the following manifestations:

• Smile on the baby's face.
• Movement of the eyes under the eyelids or their brief opening.
• Leg movement.

It was at this time that the baby cries in a dream without waking up. There is a processing by nerve cells of information received during wakefulness. Experiencing the events of the day, the baby continues to react to them. Crying can be a reaction to experienced fear, a feeling of loneliness, overexcitation.

During slow - deep - sleep, the child completely relaxes, restoring the expended strength, and growth hormone is produced in him.

To wake up or not?

Whining, silent crying and sobbing during the active phase of sleep is an absolute norm. The baby is able to see dreams that reflect the impressions of the past day. But children's tears may have another meaning - an instinctive desire to check whether he is safe, whether he will be abandoned by his mother. If there is no confirmation of this, the child can actually wake up and burst into tears for real. What should parents do if the baby starts crying in a dream?

The main reasons for crying

Why does a baby cry in a dream, if at the same time he wakes up? This means that he gives signals that should be deciphered, because he has no other way to attract attention to himself. Pediatricians identify about seven causes of baby tears. Dr. Komarovsky typifies them, highlighting three main ones:

How to recognize?

There are many reasons, but how to understand which one caused the baby's tears? There is only one way - the analysis of actions after which the crying stops. You should start by identifying the causes of discomfort. It often happens: during wakefulness, the child is distracted from what makes him uncomfortable. For example, a rubber band crashes. With a decrease in activity, discomfort comes to the fore and interferes with falling asleep. If the child calms down after being picked up, then instinct has worked. There is a lot of controversy about this: is it worth reacting if a baby cries in a dream because of fear of loneliness?

There are pediatricians who say that it is even useful for a child to cry a little: the lungs develop, the protein from tears, which has an antimicrobial effect, enters the nasopharynx. This develops the body's anti-infective defenses. Some parents call the baby a little manipulator and try to educate him, consciously not reacting to crying and not picking up. Is it correct?

Neurologists believe that the infant is not able to consciously manipulate the situation, and the answer lies elsewhere. Babies raised from birth in state institutions cry very rarely. There is simply no one to approach their calls. They close in on themselves and stop hoping. This leads to a developmental disorder - hospitalism. If the baby cries in a dream, you should not be afraid to spoil him. The need for affection and care is a vital need for a baby in the first year of life.

What should be of concern?

The nervous system of a child under one year old is often prone to diseases due to: pathology of pregnancy, difficult childbirth, intrauterine infections and injuries. Together with other symptoms, disturbed sleep may indicate neurological or somatic problems. Every three months, the neurologist examines the baby, monitoring his development. He should be interested in finding an answer to the question of why the baby cries in a dream in the following cases:

• If this is accompanied by a persistent sleep disorder (disturbance of falling asleep, superficial or insufficient sleep).
• If sharp, hysterical crying is repeated regularly.
• If the parents themselves fail to identify its cause.

If the baby cries without waking up, the reason is in the peculiarities of children's sleep. If tears are associated with the transition to the wakefulness stage, then the child signals the presence of problems that require adult intervention to solve.