Insomnia in newborns

Difficulty falling asleep in newborns (Insomnia)

The term "insomnia" when applied to a newborn is medically inaccurate, but parents often use it to describe a situation where the baby sleeps very little, wakes frequently, and is hard to settle. Unlike adults, in whom insomnia often has psychological causes, in newborns sleep problems are almost always a direct result of physiological needs or discomfort.

What actually lies behind a newborn's "insomnia"?

A newborn's sleep is completely governed by its basic needs, and its disruption signals that one of those needs is unmet.

• Hunger: This is reason #1. A newborn's stomach is very small, and the baby needs feeding every 1.5-3 hours.
• Physical discomfort: Colic, gas, wet diaper, uncomfortable temperature — all of these prevent the baby from relaxing.
• Need for contact: A sense of safety, warmth, and closeness is a basic need for them. Often the baby "doesn't sleep" because it wants to be held.
• Overtiredness: If a newborn does not fall asleep within its short "sleep window" (45-60 minutes), it becomes overstimulated, and settling it becomes much harder.

"Treatment" of insomnia in newborns consists not in trying to force them to sleep, but in a careful analysis and fulfillment of their real needs.