You are a young parent and you are regularly woken up in the middle of the night by your baby's crying? Few parents know what causes this. But rest assured, in the majority of cases, this is completely normal. 

When baby cries in his sleep, many parents feel helpless. There are some simple things you can do to reassure your baby and help him fall back asleep.

To help you better understand, the toddler sleep experts at Kadolis Canada explain why baby cries while sleeping and how to react.

Baby has a nightmare

The most common cause of baby crying in his sleep is that he's just had a nightmare. For infants, nightmares can be very frightening. Because babies have a very complex sleep cycle, nightmares occur more regularly after 12 months. Once out of them, babies usually tend to wake up crying.

Young parents, be reassured, nightmares in babies are completely normal. However, there is cause for concern when they are not nightmares, but night terrors.

Baby's night terrors

Another reason why your baby may cry himself to sleep is because he has night terrors. This disorder usually occurs from the age of 1 year. These episodes of sudden awakening are often accompanied by crying and screaming.

During an episode of night terrors when baby is crying, it is important not to wake him or her up or disturb him or her. It's best to wait until the episode is over. Night terrors can be related to many factors, such as asthma, late bedtime or changes in sleeping habits. 

Baby is anxious

The last hypothesis that can explain why baby cries in his sleep is that he is anxious. Here again, several factors can explain that baby is anxious during sleep and cries:

- Baby was put to bed too late.

- Baby's nap did not last long enough and his sleep is disturbed.

- Baby does not want to sleep in his bed because he expresses a fear of abandonment or separation.

- Baby does not feel comfortable in his bed.

Although it's very difficult to know if your baby is anxious or stressed, it's important to look for signs that might indicate this, and act accordingly. Anxiety in a baby is common and caused by many factors. However, it is important to be able to identify and treat it. This may include consulting a specialized pediatrician.

How to react when baby cries in his sleep?

The right response to a crying baby during sleep depends on the nature of the crying.  The right response is essential for your baby to learn to sleep through the night.

If it's a nightmare, then it's important to reassure your baby. Talk to him gently and take him with you to cuddle him and show him that you are there. Then put him back in his bed when he's calmed down.

If your baby is having a night terror, the best thing to do is nothing. It's important not to intervene during these episodes. Wait until the episode has passed to reassure and cuddle your baby if he or she is awake.

The importance of a baby's mattress for good sleep

One of the reasons why baby cries during sleep is because he or she doesn't feel comfortable in the crib. This can be related to the mattress, which is not comfortable enough. The choice of baby's mattress is therefore very important.

The Cocolatex mattress by Kadolis is made of 100% natural materials and offers unparalleled comfort for your baby. Moreover, it allows a good evacuation of the perspiration and helps your baby to remain dry during its agitated nights.

And for even more comfort, consider covering your baby's mattress with our waterproof baby mattress cover and our organic cotton fitted sheet.

Give your baby the best for their sleep!