Crying at Night

As a parent, it’s normal to want to go to your child when he is crying. But remember, when you give your crying baby or child too much attention, you are basically rewarding him for crying.

Once a child turns 6 months old, he should be able to fall back asleep on his own when he wakes up at night. However, if your child is used to having you near him when he falls asleep, he may start crying when you’re not there. To break this crying habit, you’ll need to gradually increase the amount of time you wait to go to your crying child.

On the first night you try this, wait up to two minutes before going to your crying child. When you do, briefly reassure him but don’t pick him up or turn on the light. If you are worried that your child may be sick or wet, quickly check. If necessary, change the baby’s diaper in the crib. Then leave.

If the crying continues, wait another two minutes and go to your child. Keep up this routine until your child falls asleep.

On following nights, gradually increase the amount of time you wait to respond to your child until you’re waiting five minutes. Over time, your child will stop crying at night.

For this approach to be successful, parents must be consistent.