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Why Do Babies Catnap and How to Manage It?
There are very few feelings that can compare to the happiness of becoming a parent. However, with immense happiness comes equally immense responsibility. Taking care of the young infant is a 24-hour job, with very little time for the mother to rest. The baby has its schedule of waking up and sleeping with the mother catching up on sleep and other works when the baby sleeps.
Video : Catnapping in Babies - What It Is & How To Deal with It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bad5iX269xs
However, this routine may go for a toss when the baby starts to have frequent catnaps instead of sleeping for a long duration in the daytime. It may also lead to disturbed sleep patterns of the baby, apart from being taxing for the mother. Thus, even if a catnapping newborn may look refreshed in the short term, it can lead to a messed-up schedule for the baby and the parents. Read on to know in detail about catnapping in babies, the reasons behind it, and ways to manage it effectively.
What Is Catnapping?
Sleep is an essential thing for all infants for their healthy growth and general health. Daytime naps are included in the sleep. Most babies take naps during the day. While most babies take naps during the daytime for a long duration, sometimes the babies may sleep for very short periods. The duration of the short nap can vary from a few minutes to 45 minutes. This habit of taking short naps during the day is called catnapping. Newborn or slightly older babies are known to catnap frequently. It helps the baby to get some quick sleep. However, if the catnaps become more frequent, the parents may get worried about their long-term effects on the baby’s health.
Why Do Babies Catnap?
It is completely normal for babies to catnap. There are many reasons for babies to take short naps during the daytime. They are:
Preference for catnaps: Most newborns catnap because that is what they want to do. Because it is dependent on the baby’s particular choice, there is typically no underlying cause and hence no need to be concerned.
REM sleep: Babies spend more time in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, which is light sleep. This makes them wake up easily with any sound or disturbance, shortening their sleep cycle.
Lack of sleep schedule: Certain newborns may often catnap due to a lack of sleep routine. Maintaining a regular regimen for naps and nocturnal sleep is usually a good idea. Even if the baby’s naptime varies throughout the day, put him to bed at the same time every night. If your baby naps whenever they want, make sure they receive at least a few hours of daily sleep by minimizing distractions during their nap.
Inappropriate feeding pattern: Maintain an appropriate feeding routine so that the baby’s sleep is not disrupted. After three to four weeks of breastfeeding, you should be able to develop a feeding regimen.
Uncomfortable sleep environment: Intense sensory stimulation, such as bright lights, loud noises, or an unsuitable room temperature, can disrupt a baby’s sleep, prompting them to catnap at inconvenient times.
Illness: A baby’s sickness may lead them to become sleepy, prompting them to nap frequently. Other disease symptoms, such as fever, lack of appetite, and general lethargy, may appear in such circumstances.
Are Catnaps Bad for Babies?
Catnaps are not bad; they do not negatively affect the infant’s health when they get adequate sleep every day. The total hours of sleep requirement by the baby includes the daytime nap hours. Catnaps are not bad when the baby is getting adequate sleep and doesn’t wake up cranky or is generally sluggish. However, if the baby wakes up cranky after its catnap or has an unusual sleep pattern for the day, catnaps can cause concern.
How Does Catnapping Affect Babies?
Catnapping along with regular and adequate night-time sleep doesn’t affect the health of the baby. However, if the baby frequently catnaps, then it may affect its night-time sleep duration or pattern. This can affect its growth and health. The baby not sleeping properly at night will be sleep deprived as catnaps will not fulfill its sleep requirement. Then the baby will be lethargic throughout the day and cranky after waking up. Then to resettle a catnapping baby becomes a difficult task for the parent. Cranky babies don’t take their feed properly. So they may become weak, and it can harm their health. Therefore, catnapping with adequate sleep that fulfills the sleep requirement of the baby is not bad.
When to Worry About Catnaps?
Generally, catnaps are not a cause of worry if your baby cat naps but sleeps at night adequately. However, you can consult a pediatrician if your infant shows the following symptoms or patterns of napping:
Preference for a catnap after 3 months of age: Babies do not have a well-developed circadian rhythm or body clock up to three months of age. As a result, their sleep is evenly distributed between daytime naps and nocturnal sleep. However, newborns’ sleep shifts to nocturnal patterns at four months, with daytime naps accounting for just three to four hours per day. If your child continues to nap often throughout the day and sleeps less at night, you should consult a physician.
Catnaps not meeting minimum daytime sleep hours: There is no set time limit for a catnap. However, for newborns under four months, daytime sleep must be almost equivalent to overnight sleep. Babies older than four months must nap for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour, during the day. Take your infant to the doctor if their catnaps do not meet the minimal standards, leading the baby to be exhausted all of the time.
The baby catnaps in the evening: Evening naps may interfere with getting a good night’s sleep. If your infant seems to enjoy evening naps more than usual, consult your doctor.
Catnaps interfere with feeding: Most newborns can establish a healthy pattern that includes napping and feeding. Napping may interfere with feeding in rare situations, necessitating a doctor’s advice.
Baby appears lethargic: Due to overall lethargy and tiredness, some newborns may frequently catnap. There might be various explanations for a baby’s constant drowsiness. In such circumstances, please seek medical advice since it might result from an infection or another pathological reason.
How to Help a Baby to Have Effective Catnaps?
Here are some practices and methods to help your baby have effective catnaps:
Implement a sleep routine: A regular sleep schedule can help the infant know when to sleep. A good night’s sleep may prevent the infant from napping at inconvenient times. Have a night-time ritual that may include bathing the baby, reading to them, singing to them, lowering the lights, and placing them in the crib.
Optimize their environment: Dimming the room lights, altering the room temperature, and reducing noise levels can help the infant relax and sleep better. It can facilitate healthy daytime naps and adequate night-time sleep.
Put the baby in a crib when they are drowsy: Look for indicators of tiredness, such as yawning, wiping the eyes, or often fussing in the baby. Don’t wait for your baby to fall asleep in your arms. Instead, as soon as you observe tiredness, put them in the crib. It will make the baby drift off to sleep independently, ensuring that the infant gets enough naps each day.
Swaddle the baby: Wrap the baby snugly in a baby blanket before putting the baby in the cot to sleep. Swaddling will make the baby feel comfortable and sleep better. This will also prevent them from abruptly waking up due to startling reflexes. Don’t’ swaddle the baby catnapping 4 months after birth as they learn to roll over by then.
Feed the baby adequately: Stick to an age-appropriate feeding plan to avoid the baby waking up between naps due to hunger pangs. Each baby’s feeding schedule will be different, and you may create one depending on the baby’s needs. Consult a trained lactation consultant if you’re having problems establishing a feeding pattern.
Place a pacifier in the baby’s mouth: During catnaps and nighttime, offer a pacifier to your baby. It could be simpler for the infant to self-soothe and sleep better as a result.
When Do Babies Stop Catnapping?
The definite age by which a baby will quit catnapping and take fewer but longer naps per day is unknown. When a newborn grows into a toddler, catnaps, and napping, in general, may become less common. By the age of two, total daytime naps may be reduced to a couple of hours. Many toddlers cease napping by the age of three, while others show signs of this behavior as early as their first birthday. The overall number of hours of nocturnal sleep, on the other hand, remains stable. Children above three should get ten to thirteen hours of sleep every 24 hours, including naps. If your kid goes through night-time sleep on their own, there’s no need to be concerned if they no longer catnap.
Catnaps, also known as short naps, are an important element of a baby’s sleep cycle and necessary for development. As they become older, most newborns stop napping by themselves. Good sleep habits and a consistent schedule might help the infant get the most out of their daily naps.
Also Read:
Sleep Training for Infants
Tips to Deal with Baby Sleep Problems
Newborn Infants Sleeping Needs Read more
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) during Pregnancy
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic bowel problem condition having episodic stomach cramps, bloating, flatulence and either constipation or diarrhoea. It can cause severe pain in the abdomen, uneasiness, and inconvenience. The causes are not known, and there is no permanent cure for the condition. However, few changes in the diet, lifestyle and some treatment can help in reducing the symptoms.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is an intestinal disorder. The main symptoms may include abdominal pain, loose motions and constipation. It does not cause any life hazards but can affect the everyday lives of people suffering from the condition. Symptoms may range from mild to severe. People with mild symptoms can go without any treatment. However, people with severe symptoms may have to undergo some treatment and lifestyle changes.
Relation Between IBS and Pregnancy
IBS in early pregnancy brings with it lots of gastrointestinal problems like morning sickness, heartburn, constipation or diarrhoea. Make sure you eat right and healthy. Taking a cup of ginger tea during this period can help alleviate the symptoms of IBS. IBS and pregnancy diarrhoea is quite common in pregnant women. However, there may be two sides to it. Women who have IBS before pregnancy are either more prone to severe symptom during pregnancy or get relief from it during the pregnancy period.
Causes of IBS when Pregnant
Gastro-intestinal disorders, like IBS, are quite usual among pregnant women. It can be caused by a number of reasons like –
Increase in stress level during pregnancy
Pregnancy hormone induced anxiety
Hormonal imbalance
The pressure of the growing baby inside the uterus on the stomach and intestines
Some trigger foods which may cause gas, flatulence, bloating etc. like dairy products, peanuts, cauliflower, beetroot, broccoli etc.
Intake of alcohol, caffeine products like tea and coffee etc.
Eating heavy meals or spicy and oily food
Skipping meals
Taking iron tablets during pregnancy which may cause constipation
IBS Symptoms in Pregnant Women
IBS symptoms in pregnant women may be according to the trimester she is in.
In the first trimester, pregnant women may experience an increase in heartburn, acidity, and many may suffer from loose motions.
Constipation is another symptom that pregnant women may suffer from, especially during the last trimester.
Some may even suffer from abdominal pain.
The stools may also have mucus.
Bloating, flatulence and gas may be some of the other IBS symptoms during pregnancy.
How is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosed in Pregnancy?
There are no specific tests to diagnose IBS in pregnancy. Doctors rely more on the symptoms of the patients to diagnose IBS. Although there are no definite tests to detect it, there are some tests which may help in ruling out similar symptomatic medical conditions.
The doctor may ask for tests like –
Colonoscopy to look into the inner lining of the large intestine.
Faecal occult blood to check if there is any presence of blood in the stool.
Blood tests to test for anaemia, tissue damage or tissue damage, and celiac disease.
Moreover, having periods of diarrhoea and periods of constipation with non-pregnancy related abdominal pain for three or more days a month is a sure symptom of IBS during pregnancy.
How Does IBS Affect Pregnancy?
IBS pregnancy complications can lead to risks in pregnancy. It will only affect you. IBS may lead to long periods of diarrhoea resulting in dehydration which could cause preterm labour. On the other hand constipation due to IBS during pregnancy may result in rectal bleeding or even haemorrhoids. It may also affect the pelvic muscles that are important during childbirth. IBS affected women are also at high risk of having a miscarriage.
However, there is nothing to prove that IBS affects or harms the baby in the womb. Neither does IBS affect a woman’s fertility or her ability to get pregnant.
How Is IBS Affected by Pregnancy?
IBS during pregnancy may get more severe due to the pregnancy hormones. Pregnant women may experience more problems related to digestion like diarrhoea, nausea, constipation, bloating, gas, heartburn or acidity etc. With the growing baby inside you, the intestines and digestive tract get pressed leading to a problem in bowel movement.
How Does IBS Affect The Baby in The Womb?
It is said that diarrhoea in pregnancy, due to IBS, may cause dehydration in pregnant women and also strip the mother and the baby of essential nutrients. It may result in preterm deliveries which may at times prove to be fatal for the baby. In some cases, the baby may develop health complications too. It may also result in miscarriages or ectopic pregnancy.
Can You Prevent IBS when Pregnant?
It may be a bit of a challenge to prevent IBS. However, you can prevent it by avoiding foods that may trigger the symptoms of IBS. Following a balanced and a healthy diet, drinking lots of fluid, exercising and remaining stress-free are some of the best ways of preventing IBS during pregnancy.
However, make sure to consult a doctor if the problem persists for a long time or you have severe symptoms. You should also consult the doctor before taking any medicine.
Effective Treatments to Cure IBS during Pregnancy
There is no permanent cure for IBS. However, you can reduce the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome through the various ways listed below.
Eat healthily and the right amount of food.
Eat small portions but at regular intervals.
Eat only home cooked food
Avoid spicy food which may trigger poor digestion and harm your gastrointestinal tract.
Avoid eating fried food which may trigger acid reflux.
Include lots of fibrous food and fruits in your daily diet.
Include probiotics in your diet.
Drink lots of water and fresh juice of fruits and vegetables.
Instead of taking constipation inducing iron tablets, take iron rich food.
Avoid foods and vegetables which may trigger gas, bloating and flatulence.
Avoid high-fat dairy products.
Quit drinking alcohol and smoking.
Keep a tab of what all you eat and write about the symptoms, if any, triggered by the food eaten.
Meditate, practice yoga postures fit for pregnancy, read, go for long walks, laugh and be stress-free.
Exercise regularly.
You may also try out home remedies instead of taking over-the-counter medicines or allopathy medicines.
IBS may be a lifelong condition, but there are ways to control it. There is nothing to get anxious or depressed when you have IBS. You have to remember that you are not alone handling IBS during pregnancy. There are many like you or some who may be struggling with severe symptoms of IBS during pregnancy. IBS during pregnancy can be tough to handle but with the right approach, good dietary habits, some lifestyle changes and a bit of treatment, you will not even notice it.
Also Read: Heartburn during Pregnancy, 21 Common Pregnancy Problems & Their Solutions Read more
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Hello Mumma! Here is a Letter for You from Your Friend
Hope you're doing good Mumma?
It's been quite a long time since someone had asked you this question ... Isn't it?
Mumma, when was your last visit to the parlour?
Mumma, what was the recent movie that you saw?
Mumma, when did you last call your loved ones and talk for a while?
Mumma, when was your recent outing?
Mumma, when was your last perfect bath?
Mumma, when did you last colour your nails?
Mumma, when did you last have your favorite snack or food?
Mumma, when did you last meet your friends?
Mumma, when did you last play your favorite sport?
Mumma, are you getting enough sleep every day?
The list just goes on and never ends.
We all don't have fixed work timings or a routine. Our work timings are 24/7 and this is going to continue further without a doubt. And if we religiously follow this shift, our answers to the above questions would be 'No'. Then you are reaching a place in your life, and that place is the so-called 'depression'. Many of us are travelling towards it without knowing the end results of it. Mumma, it's time to take some action and give a gift to yourself, and that is 'some time for yourself'.
How can you achieve 'time for yourself'? Yes, indeed it would be an achievement if you do so.
1. Never feel guilty if laundry is piled up or if your house is filled with toys. It's okay to remove the mess slowly.
2. Cook before your baby wakes up. The mornings are when you'd be filled with lots of energy. And in no time you can complete it.
3. Preplan and prepare for the next day. Write down each little thing you are going to do the next day and see if you could prepare something for the next day in advance.
4. If you have older kids at home, get them involved in small household tasks like folding the clothes, putting things back in its place. This way, they take up responsibilities.
Mumma, you are an inspiration to your kids. Your kids are learning from you. Your kids are following you. Your actions are making them visualize their future. Don't you think it's time to change? Yes, indeed it is. Spend some quality time with yourself. Be a proud Mumma.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
Dr Priyanka Kalra has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
15 hours ago
Q. I am having pcod problem.
At which day should I take pregnancy test
Dr Priyanka Kalra
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
13 hours ago
A. after 2 weeks. do ultrasound n necessary tests after consulting a specialist. without proper check up we can't advise or help you.. Avoid shirt cuts when it comes to health if mother n baby. ok.
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
15 hours ago
Q. I am having pcod problem.
when should I take pregnancy test?
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
14 hours ago
A. after missed your periods you can wait for one week more ,then you can do a urine pregnancy test to know about the pregnancy result and consult with your doctor according to the result for medication
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
15 hours ago
Q. I am having pcod problem.
but having regular cycles below 35 days. some time it will extended upto 40 days.
so when should I take pregnancy test at home?
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
14 hours ago
A. If you have missed your periods you can wait for one week more or else you can do a urine pregnancy test to know about the pregnancy result and consult with your doctor according to the result for medication.
The best treatment to have Regular periods is by having a healthy lifestyle with regular daily walking or jogging along with mild exercise and meditation whenever possible. as medications will only act till you are taking them
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
12 hours ago
Q. Done my first routine blood test ..it shows thyroid border line.its my 6 week running as per USG.
but prior to that my thyroid level was always normal I did check up every year and got it normal .this time it shows borderline high in 6 week pregnancy.
is it something to worry.plz guide
Read moreDr Ghouse
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11 hours ago
A. it is better to follow your doctors advice for treating the thyroid deficiency. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
7 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts
Best activity toys for 15 month old baby
Rashmi
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A. Toys which have light and also sounds so that is going to be a good option for you to use apart from the different kids have different interest some kids like to play with cars some like to play with something else so just have to try to figure out what your child likes to eat just check what your child is more inclined towards
ZIAULHAQ ABDUL KHADAR has added a new answer
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