Is your baby restless, tossing and turning, but never completely relaxed? Is this normal? If your 3 month old baby moves a lot in her sleep there may be a few things that you can do to help. In this article we will discuss some of the primary reasons why your baby moves around a lot when sleeping as well as a few methods that you may employ to stop this so that your angel can wake up refreshed. If you are ready, let’s discuss!
My baby moves around a lot in her sleep. Why?
The first thing to determine is indeed the ‘why’ of it. Why isn’t baby relaxed? Is it bad dreams? Well, it could be, but likely it is another reason. Some common causes of why a baby moves a lot in sleep are as follows:
- Gas – Baby might just be a little gassy. Try picking baby up and burping them before putting them back to sleep. If that does the trick then you might want to look into the next cause that we have listed.
- Recent changes in diet – Has your baby recently switched to formula or if they are older, to solids? A little indigestion might be occurring or the aforementioned gas from this. If it is solids, try to determine which solids by keeping track of what baby was eating before bedtime or naps and you might be able to determine which particular food is causing baby discomfort. .
- Developing nervous system – Is there twitching occurring as your child tosses and turns? If so, then this ‘ restlessness ‘ could simply be your baby’s developing nervous system. This will pass in time and is nothing to worry about.
- Short sleep cycles – Babies do a lot of sleeping and as a result of this it can take a little longer to go into an REM state (REM is short for ‘rapid eye movement’ and is the term associated with the deepest state of sleep). Before your baby reaches this state tossing and turning (and even kicking!), is not uncommon.
- Too much or not enough sleep – Depending on your baby’s age, there is a recommended number of hours each day and night that your child should be sleeping. With a little research you can compare your baby’s current sleep schedule with what your pediatrician recommends for their age and state of development. It may be that your child simply needs more or less sleep in order to get more EFFECTIVE sleep.
Things that you can do if baby moves
around a lot when sleeping
When your baby moves around a lot when they sleep you are not completely helpless. There are a few things that you can do to help ensure that baby gets the most refreshing sleep that you can arrange. Some tips for making sure that your baby gets the most out of sleep time::
- Aromatherapy – A drop or two of lavender or mandarin oil in an aromatherapy-approved humidifier can help to provide a relaxing scent to lull your baby to sleep quickly and more deeply. Just be sure to keep the humidifier at a distance and limit it to 1 or 2 drops.
- Light and music show – A baby projector is a great way to give baby a light show coupled with soothing music to help get them calm and deeply relaxed. As a bonus, if you do this every evening then your baby will associate the light show with sleepy-time and go to bed that much faster once the projector gives them their queue.
- Ginger (for indigestion) – If you suspect your baby is suffering from indigestion (tossing and turning and assuming a fetal position as if their stomach hurts) and if your child is older than 3 months then a spoonful of ginger root tea might help. A natural way of easing the stomach, this is good to keep handy in case of indigestion.
- Keep a routine – Your baby needs a predictable routine and if feedings, naps, and bedtime tend to vary a lot in their schedules then you will find that your baby is often cranky and may not be getting the most out of their sleep cycles. When at all possible, pick a schedule and stick to it.
” This might reveal some trends as to what is triggering your child’s unrest.”
- Keep an activity journal – When all else fails or if you simply want to be thorough the first go around, try keeping a journal for a couple of weeks to a month where you jot down your baby’s schedule, what foods they have eaten, number of playtime sessions, and how they slept that day for naps and bedtime. If you keep the notes brief then it should be easy to update and this might reveal some trends as to what is triggering your child’s unrest. Maybe it is occurring with particular foods or perhaps they need an extra playtime session before bed to tire them out. Keeping an activity journal will give you a lot of data in one place that might just show you exactly what you need to know.
In closing
In this article we have discussed what you can do if your baby is constantly moving around and showing general distress when they are sleeping. Don’t forget that there are innocuous reasons why this might be occurring, such as their nervous systems developing, slower achievement of REM, or even the occasional nightmare. That said, if you have tried our recommendations and your child is still tossing and turning, don’t be afraid to consult your pediatrician for a check-up and a ‘question and answer’ session. Your pediatrician has seen this hundreds of times and their experience is invaluable, so take advantage of it. With a solid and timely routine and our tips and tricks soon your baby (and consequently everyone else) will soon be sleeping soundly!
