Crying is your baby’s go-to form of communication. Your baby cries because they don’t have words to describe what they need, so crying can mean many things. This can make it difficult to soothe a crying, fussy baby – especially at night.
Here we’ll answer questions every parent asks at some point: Why do babies cry in their sleep and why is my baby fussy at night? We’ll also discuss the differences between why babies of different ages cry, what to do if your baby cries in their sleep and explain when crying is normal and not all crying is bad.
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What is a Fussy Baby?
A fussy baby is a baby who displays a common behavior that typically involves crying and/or screaming, irritability, and restlessness. Fussiness is common at night, especially if your baby is hungry, gassy, uncomfortable, or overtired.
The cause of fussiness in babies could change as your baby gets older. Therefore, the answer to “Why is my 2-month-old fussy?” could be different to the answer for “Why is my 11-month-old so fussy?”
Why Do Newborns Cry in Their Sleep?
Newborns are new to the world and can’t communicate in any other way but through crying. Therefore, there are multiple meanings for a fussy baby and why your newborn may be fussy at night or cry in their sleep.
- Hunger: Newborns are growing super-fast and need to eat often. Most times a newborn is fussy at night because they’re ready for their next meal. As your baby grows, you’ll anticipate your newborn’s night feeds and learn what a ‘hungry’ cry sounds like.
- Gas: Remember to gently burp your baby after each meal, including night feedings. Most babies experience gas or even reflux, some worse than others. It can be super uncomfortable, which is what makes a baby fussy. Burping after every feed is one way to help reduce it. Sometimes a newborn is fussy at night but not during the day because being less active or upright can make their gas more uncomfortable.
- The Moro Reflex: If you’re wondering “Why is my newborn crying?” the answer may be the Moro Reflex. The Moro Reflex is simply involuntary movement of your newborn’s limbs. Since your newborn doesn’t have full control of their little body yet – that’s one of their baby developmental milestones – sometimes they twitch or jerk in their sleep, which can cause them to cry in their sleep.
- Note: The Moro Reflex can be managed by swaddling your baby, but you can only swaddle your infant until they show signs that they are going to roll over. After that, it can be dangerous so it’s important to stop swaddling.
Why is My Baby So Fussy at Night?
Babies older than newborns often cry at night for the same reasons as during the day. It’s normal for a baby to be fussy at night but not during the day.
- They’re Hungry: Nighttime feedings often continue until between 5 and 9 months of age, and sometimes even later. Always check with your pediatrician before you night wean.
- They Need a New Diaper: This is an easy one to detect – but here’s a tip to help your baby sleep better: if your baby wets themself at night, they’re not crying, and they’re wearing a nighttime diaper, you can leave that diaper until morning. Changing your baby may wake them up and disturb their sleep. If your baby poops while sleeping, their diaper should be changed ASAP.
- They’re Too Cold or Too Hot: Keep your baby comfortable by dressing them in one more layer than you wear and by maintaining the ideal room temperature of 68-72°F if possible. This is the optimal temperature for baby sleep and one of the ways to create a sleep-nourishing environment for your baby.
- They’re Overtired: Sometimes babies or toddlers cry at night because they’re overtired. Overtiredness occurs when your baby stays up past their wake window. Staying awake past their wake window sends conflicting signals that are confusing and frustrating to your baby. That’s why it’s always important to watch your baby’s sleepy cues and wake windows.
- They’re Teething: Teething can disrupt sleep and lead to fussiness at night. Ways to sooth teething discomfort in your infant include chilled teething rings and gentle gum massages.
- They have a fever: It can be hard for a sick baby to sleep. Check your baby’s temperature if you fear they have a fever.
- Note: 100.4°F and above is technically a fever in a baby, but there are some age considerations. Call your pediatrician or healthcare provider if your baby is 2-month-old or younger is crying at night with a temperature is 100.4°F or above, 3- to- 6-months old is crying at night with a temperature is 101°F or above, or 6-months-old or older is crying at night with a temperature of 103°F or above.
If your baby is crying for a long time and/or is sobbing inconsolably, you should always check on them.
Reasons your baby may cry at night:
until around 18 months. Rest assured separation anxiety in your baby is healthy and normal – in fact, it’s welcomed: separation anxiety in babies shows that your baby understands object permanence. In other words, they understand that people and objects exist even when they can’t see them. When they have this realization, they may wake up, not see you, and become a bit uncertain.
Sleep Regressions: Baby sleep regressions occur periodically as your baby grows over the first two years. They always coincide with developmental milestones, such as learning to roll over or a growth spurt. For that reason, sleep regressions can be seen as “sleep progressions”.
Because They Are Babies: The phrase “sleeping like a baby” conjures visions of peaceful quietude. The truth is, babies are very noisy when they sleep: they whimper, cough, snort, and sometimes cry in their sleep – and there’s no real reason at all. It’s simply a baby making noises. Night crying therefore does not necessarily mean your baby is upset or in pain. It may just be random.
For these reasons, we suggest you wait a second if you hear their baby cry at night. You’d be surprised how often a “crying baby” will self-soothe themselves back to sleep. Checking on every sound will likely wake your baby, disrupting their sleep.
Why toddlers cry in their sleep
Toddlers cry in their sleep for many of the same reasons as younger babies, but sometimes toddlers cry because they’re having a nightmare.
While nightmares more typically begin around or after your baby’s second birthday, they can occur a bit earlier. So your one-year-old wakes crying at night it could be because of a nightmare.
If your baby screaming at night is also inconsolable, and seems awake, they may be having a night terror. A night terror is a semi-conscious state where your baby will scream or cry but will usually go back to sleep on their own and not remember the episode in the morning.
How to Soothe a Fussy Baby at Night
There are multiple ways to soothe your fussy infant at night, depending on what they need.
Night Feedings: If your newborn cries in their sleep or your baby is less than one year old, they may cry at night because they’re hungry. You’ll come to know your baby’s feeding schedule, so this one will ideally be an easy solve.
- Expert Tips: Room-share for the first 6 months to make night feedings easy on yourself and dream feeding your baby can help them sleep longer at night. To dream feed, you anticipate when your baby will next be hungry. You then gently remove them from their crib and feed them while they’re half awake.
Swaddling: If your baby is crying at night because of the Moro Reflex, try swaddling which can reduce the Moro Reflex that sometimes jars newborns awake.
Pacifiers: If your baby uses a pacifier, leave a few extra ones in their crib. This way your baby can find a replacement if theirs falls out at night, reducing the likelihood of them crying out for you and fully wakeup.
White Noise Machines: Sound machines like a white noise machine work wonders at lulling a baby to sleep and keeping them calm through the night.
Give Them a Moment: If your baby cries in their sleep and you know they’re not hungry, wait a moment to see if the crying passes. Sometimes the cry is just a blip. Many babies will self-soothe themselves back to sleep. Going in to check on every noise may disrupt their sleep even more.
Reassure from Afar: If you do check on your baby and you know they’re not in immediate danger, offer brief, soft reassurances from the doorway. This way they hear your soothing voice without being stimulated and waking up more.
Soft Pats on the Back: If reassuring from the doorway doesn’t work, first try gentle pats on the back to see if this helps settle your baby.
Gently Rocking: For younger babies, you can pick your baby out of their crib and rock them if they are struggling to fall back asleep after waking up crying. Keep in mind if you have sleep trained your baby, you should avoid offering any support that lulls your baby to sleep outside their crib. The goal of sleep training is to teach your baby to fall asleep independently and you don’t want to introduce a new sleep habit that they begin to rely on.
A Short, Calming Walk: Simply strolling your infant around the darkened house can help soothe them and stop their crying at night. (Lights of any sort will wake your baby more).
A Car Ride: A tried-and-true method for calming a crying baby is a drive in the car. Rhythmic motion can help lull an upset baby in dire circumstances.
How to soothe a crying toddler
If your toddler wakes up crying from a nightmare, gently reassure them from the doorway. If they’re crying inconsolably or sobbing, you can cuddle them to calm them down or talk to them about how their nightmare was just a bad dream.
If your toddler is having a night terror, you can sit with them until it passes but try not to wake them – they will be confused or even more unsettled if they wake up.
If your toddler wakes up crying at night often, there are ways to sleep train a toddler to ensure they get the quality sleep they need.
When Do Babies Stop Crying at Night?
Around 4-months-old your baby may be able to start sleeping longer stretches at night, or start being able to fall back asleep on their own if they wake up crying at night. However, there may be times when your baby has a need at night and their way to communicate to you is by crying – this can happen occasionally even if your baby stops crying at night frequently.
Since your baby needs to get used to falling asleep independently, it may take some time for your baby to practice falling asleep without support. This is called self-soothing, your baby’s natural ability to soothe themselves back to sleep when they wake up crying at night.
If your baby needs some extra support with falling asleep or falling back asleep at night independently, the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™app can walk you step-by-step through a plan to help your baby gets themselves back to sleep at night, even if they cry out and wake themselves.
Sleep training is another way to help your baby master their independent sleeping skills – and some approaches help reduce crying at night quick quickly. If your baby is over 4-months-old and weighs more than 12 pounds, check with your pediatrician about whether sleep training may be right for them.
When to contact your pediatrician about crying at night
If your child’s nighttime crying persists despite your best efforts to comfort and soothe them, or if the sleep disruption from crying affects their daily activities and development, you should contact your pediatrician.
Persistent crying could indicate an underlying issue such as chronic pain, allergies, or a sleep disorder and requires medical care. Additionally, if your baby is crying at night and showing any sign of illness, such as fever, vomiting, or unusual behaviors, you should seek medical care promptly.
Final Thoughts
A fussy baby at night can be frustrating – especially if it’s difficult to soothe them.
If you try our recommendations and still find your baby is waking often crying at night, take this free 3-minute sleep quiz to get even more personalized sleep coaching guidance.
Remember, your baby won’t cry at night forever! The fussy baby stage is fleeting, so do your best to remain patient and calm, and help them develop healthy sleep habits that last forever.
