Babys First Year Blog
Wolf Cries In His Sleep
Wolf may look tired, but it's Mama who needs sleep!
Lately, Wolf has been sleeping anywhere from 5 to 7 glorious hours during the night. However, I have been sleeping for much, much less than that. For the past week or so, Wolf has been crying or squawking out in his sleep. He’ll let out a loud cry, thrash his little body or feet around briefly, then go back to silence. I’m fairly certain he’s not waking up here but dreaming or “sleep crying”.
It’s become really frustrating for me because 1. I’m a super light sleeper, 2. I wake up at even the tiniest peep out of him. Wolf is still sleeping in his bassinet right next to our bed so I can peek over at him and know whether or not he’s awake or sleep crying. Last night his sleep crying started at 2:30 am, more at close to 4 am, then I finally decided to wake him up at 5:45 am but only after he’d been wiggling around for 30 minutes. I feel so bad because from what I’ve read by googling the subject, most moms seem to think that their babies are just “having bad dreams”. Bad dreams?! Oh that makes a mom’s heart sad.
What do you suggest friends, if anything? Mama needs some sleep!!
Go Back To Babys First Year Blog
15 Comments
[...] few weeks ago I wrote about Wolf’s “sleep crying”. I took your advice and I’ve been wearing earplugs in at night. That allows me to get [...]
I Think It's Almost Time... | Babys First Year Blog commented on Jul 30 11 at 7:25 pmMeagan commented on Jul 17 11 at 1:42 amMine does this too… but it’s not bad dreams, it’s gas. He’ll sometimes all out scream, but when I go to pick him up I see he’s still sound asleep. He can cry in his sleep for twenty or thirty minutes… then, I kid you not, fart for ten minutes straight and then all is right with the weorld. It is disruptive but also a bit hilarious (the farting not the crying).
Julie commented on Jul 17 11 at 4:05 amWith my youngest (who is the only one out of all of them who does this), I’ve found that putting a hand on his chest will calm him down immediately. Not sure if it’s shifting the mood of the dream or what, but it works every time.
Jennifer commented on Jul 17 11 at 9:47 amI agree with Julie. Putting a hand on his chest seems to comfort mine too. As for you sleeping more, good luck. My husband is convinced we won’t sleep a full night again until they are all in college.
Lauren commented on Jul 17 11 at 10:54 amI agree with Jennifer, babies are always changing their patterns, just when you think you’ve been blessed with a good sleeper they change patterns, now it is sleep crying, next month he’ll rollover and wake you up bc he can’t figure out how to get back to original position…get used to it and try moving him into his own room or put in earplugs, you’ll still hear him if he cries but you’ll block out the moans, light whimpers etc!!
Guajolote commented on Jul 17 11 at 11:34 amWe moved baby girl to her own room. I wasn’t sleeping, even if she was, because of all her funny noises. With both our doors open, I still hear her and get to her crib before she’s woken up, if she needs me. Somehow I sleep through the noises when she ISN’T waking up now, but the same noises leading to actual waking up I am there.
Meg commented on Jul 17 11 at 12:07 pmI agree with the others, his sleep pattern is still working itself out and he is still learning how to sleep so there are times in the night when he may stir and wake himself just enough to upset himself. It could also be gas bothering him. Placing a hand on him, or giving him a pacifier may help but other times it can make things work.
Someone recommended to me to anticipate when they would do it (my girl did it after half an hour of sleep usually) and adjust their body a little bit before hand (move their legs), which somehow breaks up their sleep pattern and allows a little gas to escape if that’s bothering them. We tried this and it didn’t work for us but maybe it could for Wolf.
With one of my girls, I touched her or if she even saw me it would make her more upset as she would expect to be picked up and when I didn’t she would work herself up more and have a harder time calming down. If his crying only lasts a minute or two and he is then able to go back to sleep he is probably fine and his sleeping pattern will adjust over time. Honestly, I would recommend ear plugs!
Jessica commented on Jul 17 11 at 2:23 pmEar plugs. Seriously. They block out the little whimpers and short cries but you WILL hear and wake up if he cries for longer than a few seconds. I sleep with ear plugs and have for a few years now (I am a very light sleeper). When my boys were born, I tried to sleep without them, fearing they would wake up and cry for hours without me hearing them (never mind they have a daddy right next to me who would hear them right away, I was a nutty new mommy). Within a few days, I was using them again. I always heard my babies within seconds if they were really awake and crying, but all the annoying little grunts and groans were blocked out. :) Try it one night, you’ll sleep so much better!
MamasHeels commented on Jul 17 11 at 9:27 pmMy little one cries in her sleep, but she also does an adorable sleep laugh. I take the good with bad and have resigned to the fact that I will not sleep well for the next few years.
Sara commented on Jul 18 11 at 12:12 pmEar plugs, or time to transition to the nursery crib. Mama needs sleep!
Amanda commented on Jul 18 11 at 2:32 pmI agree that hand on the chest could help, or on the top of his head. Sleep problems are so hard to figure out, aren’t they?
But given that my little one never slept more than 3 hours at a time for the first 9 months I’m still a little jealous of you…!
erica commented on Jul 18 11 at 10:53 pmMy dear sweet Baby Jack does the same thing from time to time…its a whole new cry that until he started to do it every so often i had never heard this cry before…i do the same…i go in his room….comfort comfort comfort, no matter what time it is….
Beth commented on Jul 18 11 at 11:11 pmKick ‘em out :) My daughter was placed in her nursery at 8 weeks because she snored like an old man. She was sleeping through the night, but I was up listening to her snore. This let us both get a good nights sleep.
Jennifer H. commented on Jul 19 11 at 11:20 amGas pains, at least that’s what does it for our boy. I cosleep, so I’m right there with him when it happens. There’s often a fart after a cry wiggle spell. It’s just gas. Sam is 13 months old now and has done it since he was born.
sara commented on Aug 26 11 at 2:01 amHi. My baby is a little over 3 months old and waked up so many times at night! Sometimes like 10 times. And maybe 1 or 2 times it’s because he’s hungry but the rest is… I am not sure. I have heard of “sleep crying” so I tried to let him “cry” and see what happens but he does not stop and eventually it really wakes him up.
I know he has gas, tummy aches and EVRYTIME he wakes up he wiggles and farts (no joke).
Now I am wondering he is not “sleep crying”… how can you tell?
@ Jennifer H: what do you do? you touch him or give him his pacifier? It usually works with us but how not to wake up 10 times a night?
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Lauren Hartmann 
Arianne Segerman 
Emily Elling 
Crissy Page 
Ali Smith 
Meredith Carroll 
Emily Malone 
Danielle Elwood 
Molly Thornberg 
Selena Burgess 
Melissa Jordan 
Casey Mullins 
Roni Noone 
Madeline Petersen 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
15