Is your baby crying when laid down? Discover the reasons, from the fourth trimester to reflux or physical discomfort.
You’ve done it all. You’ve mastered the swaddle, the room is pitch black, the white noise machine is humming perfectly. Your baby feeds, their eyes get heavy, and they drift off. Success! But then, just 45 minutes later, they’re awake again, fussy and showing hunger cues. This exhausting cycle of feeding, catnapping, and waking can leave you feeling like you’re doing something wrong.
We see so many tired parents at our Wilmslow clinic who are focused on “fixing” their baby’s sleep, when the real culprit is often hiding in plain sight: an underlying feeding issue. The truth is, sleep problems are very often symptoms of feeding problems. Before you dive into sleep training, it’s crucial to ask: is my baby feeding efficiently?
The common wisdom is that a full tummy equals a sleepy baby. While that’s partly true, it misses a key part of the equation: the work it takes to get that full tummy.
An efficient feed is one where your baby can get the milk they need without becoming exhausted or uncomfortable in the process. When feeding is inefficient, a frustrating cycle begins:
Work Hard: Your baby struggles to latch or transfer milk effectively, burning a lot of energy.
Fall Asleep: They become exhausted from the effort before they’ve had a full feed.
Wake Up Hungry: Because they only ‘snacked’, their tummy isn’t truly full, and they wake up hungry a short while later.
This “snack and snooze” cycle is a classic sign that it’s time to investigate the mechanics of your baby’s feed.
A deep, comfortable latch is the foundation of a good feed, whether breast or bottle. To achieve this, a baby needs to be able to open their mouth wide and use their tongue correctly. Sometimes, tension from their position in the womb or from the birthing process can create tightness in their jaw, neck, or palate. This can make a deep latch difficult or even impossible.
Conditions like a tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) are a well-known cause of poor latch, but general muscular tension can have the same effect.
Signs: Clicking sounds during feeding, milk dribbling from their mouth, a shallow or painful latch for mum, or becoming frustrated at the breast or bottle.
The Sleep Connection: An inefficient latch means they swallow more air, leading to painful gas that wakes them up. It also means they aren’t getting a full feed, leading to more frequent waking from hunger.
2. Silent Reflux and Feeding Discomfort As we discussed in our blog post about why babies won’t lie flat, reflux can be a major source of pain. For these babies, feeding itself can be uncomfortable. The process of swallowing can be associated with the burning sensation of acid, causing them to pull away, cry, or arch their back mid-feed.
Signs: Fussiness during or after feeds, frequent hiccuping or coughing, or only taking small amounts of milk at a time.
The Sleep Connection: If feeding is painful, they won’t feed effectively. Furthermore, the discomfort from reflux is often worse when they lie down to sleep, causing them to wake up crying shortly after being put down.
3. Poor Suck-Swallow-Breathe Coordination Feeding is a complex dance of sucking, swallowing, and breathing in a coordinated rhythm. Physical tension can disrupt this pattern. If the muscles of the jaw, throat, and even the diaphragm are tight, it can throw this coordination off.
Signs: Gulping or choking during feeds, seeming breathless, or popping on and off the breast or bottle frequently.
The Sleep Connection: Disorganised feeding is inefficient and leads to a huge amount of swallowed air, resulting in a gassy, uncomfortable baby who finds it impossible to settle into a deep sleep.
Observe a Feed: Watch and listen. Is your baby calm and rhythmic, or do they seem frustrated and tired? Are there clicking or gulping sounds?
Check Positioning: Experiment with different feeding positions. A more upright or laid-back position can often help with reflux symptoms and suck/swallow/breathe coordination.
Team Up for Support: A good Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is invaluable for assessing latch and milk transfer. For more information on breastfeeding support, trusted sources like the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers or La Leche League are a great resource.
