Family Tips

When your child reaches 6 months, he may nap about 3 hours during the day and sleep about 11 hours at night. At this age you can give your baby a few minutes to settle down on his own and go back to sleep. If he doesn’t, you can calm down him without picking up (talk softly, rub his back), then leave — provided that the child is not ill. If you are sure that your baby is not sick, but continues to cry, you can wait a little longer than 5 minutes, then come to him again. After several days, your baby will find it easier to get back to sleep on his own. But if your 6-month child continues to wake up five or six times each night, talk to your doctor.
Between 6 and 12 months, separation anxiety becomes a major problem for many children and cause waking up again and again. Strict rules say: don’t pick up your baby, turn on the lights, sing, talk, play, or feed your child. All these activities encourage your child for further wake.
If your baby wakes up crying at night, you should check in to make sure he isn’t sick. If your baby continues to cry, you can pick him up for a short time.