Baby sleep and sickness: How to get through the season
Let’s talk about how to support your baby or toddler while they’re sick and set them up for the best sleep possible.
It’s that time of year. The time where everyone gets sick, especially the babies and little ones. It’s inevitable, it will happen, but how can we make our babies more comfortable while they’re sick so they can sleep better? Is there a way to even accomplish this?
The short answer is, yes! There are ways to make our babies sleep more comfortably when they’re sick, even if it’s not perfect sleep. So keep reading to find out the best ways to handle your sick baby.
Here’s how to help your baby sleep more comfortably when they are sick:
Maintain your usual routine
Stick to their usual routine, so do things as you normally would to provide that security for your baby when they are sick.Provide extra comfort and support
Offer more comfort and support to your little one when they are sick. So if they are having trouble settling down for the night, it’s ok to rock them In your arms, rub their back to make them comfortable, sing, shush, hold, whatever it may be to help your little one fall asleep. It’s not the time to worry about creating bad sleep habits.Keep them comfortable
First thing’s first, we want to first of all make sure they aren’t in any pain. So if they do have fever, or an ear infection or in any other kind of pain, firstly, always speak to your pediatrician about the use of Motrin or Tylenol to lower fever and for pain relief.If they are congested, see below for some of my tips for babies and colds.
Put them to bed earlier
Offer an earlier bedtime! Your little one will likely be very tired, so don’t try and push them to their regular bedtime if they are exhausted an hour and a half earlier. No, it will NOT ruin your schedule (I will elaborate more on this later). An earlier bedtime while they’re sick will also help prevent overtired-ness.Dress them appropriately
Offer another layer of clothes, or remove one depending on how your child is feeling. Make sure they are dressed appropriately!Offer a warm bath
A bath can be exceptionally soothing when your baby is sick (not necessarily if they have high fever, cause it can feel too chilly for them). But for babies with colds or who are just plain under the weather, this is especially helpful because the steam can really help open up their nasal passage and allow them to breathe better, plus a bath is so calming in general.Offer an extra feeding
or more food if necessary. If your little one didn’t eat much during the day due to tiredness or irritability, then offer an extra feeding at bedtime. This will only help them sleep better and keep them hydrated!
Expert tip:
This is important…
Dehydration is something you can easily prevent yet it’s something easily overlooked.
One of the best tips for dealing with a baby's bad cold is to keep them hydrated. Offer plenty of fluids, such as breast milk, formula, or water (depending on their age), to prevent dehydration and help loosen congestion. Yes - staying hydrated loosens congestion, so the more fluids the better!!
Offer extra feedings throughout the day or whenever you get a chance in order to make sure your baby Is drinking enough. Don’t worry about a feeding schedule right now, we just want to make sure they remain hydrated especially if your little one is struggling to eat/drink, has have zero appetite, or perhaps too tired to feed properly. If they have to feed at night for a few days when they normally don’t, this is ok too.
Watch out for these signs in your infant for dehydration:
Sunken eyes
Not making tears
Dryy mouth
Lethargy
Decreased urine output (dry diapers)
Sunken soft spot on their head
What you need to know about RSV
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a common respiratory virus. RSV infects the small airways of the lungs and this is part of the reason they can have more breathing difficulties than other cold viruses. RSV is very contagious.
Symptoms of RSV:
Runny nose
Sore throat
Headache
Decreased appetite
Coughing
Sneezing
Fever
Wheezing
MONITOR BREATHING:
How hard is your baby breathing? Are they making grunting noises? Is their skin turning blue or purple? Does your baby have short, shallow or rapid breathing?
MONITOR TEMPERATURE:
Babies with RSV are more likely to develop bacterial infections such as ear infection or bronchiollitis. So pay close attention for rising fever above 104 or 100.4 for infants 3 months and under and consult with your Dr.
Babies with RSV are more likely to develop bacterial infections such as ear infection or bronchiollitis. So pay close attention for rising fever above 104 or 100.4 for infants 3 months and under and consult with your Dr.
MONITOR DURATION:
Have your baby’s symptoms gotten worse or better? Has the fever & coughing persisted for more than a few days? Has your baby’s cough improved or gotten worse? See your Dr. if you’re unsure or if your baby’s symptoms are not improving.
FAQ’s for baby sleep and sickness
Can I sleep train my baby when they are sick?
I think this one is an obvious one…It’s a hard no, guys…Simple as that.
You do not want to be sleep training your baby if they are sick. Your baby needs time to rest and recover before they start venturing into sleep training.
They are not benefitting anything if we try and we are not teaching them anything either. Your baby needs to feel healthy and be totally rested before sleep training and they are not those things while sick. They need extra TLC, monitoring, etc…
Their schedules are off and they may be sleeping all day or they may up all night from discomfort, whichever it is, it’s better to wait till they are out of the woods, fever free, cold free, pain free in order to start your sleep training journey or continue with it.
If your baby gets sick during the process, hold off for a few days until your baby has recovered. I know it’s discouraging when you start, make progress and then 3 days in your baby gets sick. It’s tempting to continue, but it’s not the right time for sleep training and your baby will not do well either, so take a deep breath, it will pass and yes, you may take a few steps back, but it’s ok, that’s life, you’ll get back into it and pick up right where you left off.
Do I follow wake windows when baby is sick?
No. You will not be following wake windows when your baby is sick as they will likely need to sleep a lot more and go down much sooner than when they are feeling good and awake on a normal day.
Let your baby sleep!
Yup, you heard me. Don’t wake your baby up!
Why? Because sleep is the best medicine.
Let them sleep as much as they want
Don’t follow wake windows
Don’t cap their naps
Don’t keep them up till their regular bedtime
Your baby will likely be way more tired when sick anyway and will wane to sleep and it’s ok, no need to worry about it ruining their schedule.
Letting them sleep will not ruin their schedule, the only thing it will do is help your baby recover that much quicker.
How do I get my sick baby to fall asleep easier?
As mentioned above, you may have to offer as much comfort as neccesary in order to help your baby sleep better at night. It’s ok, we are not going to worry about breaking any great sleep habits or adopting new ones at this time. Your baby’s comfort comes first.
My baby has a cold, how do I make her more comfortable?
It is so dreadful when your baby gets sick with a bad cold, and it’s so hard to know what the right measures are in order to keep your baby comfortable. Not only do babies not sleep well when they have a cold, but they also don’t feed well.
First things first, ALWAYS speak to your pediatrician to find out the best, safest ways to help your baby when they have a cold.
OTC cough and cold medicines
These are NOT for infants and young babies, so you want to be careful about giving anything to your baby without speaking to your dr. First. Generally they are for children 4 years and up so always read those labels and speak to your Dr. first.Alright, now that we got that out of the way…
Nasal sprays with saline drops
These are a great way to open up the nose and nasal passage, thinning out the mucus and making it easier to breathe. You can then gently suction it out with a bulb or nasal aspirator. The nose bot is a great one that is hospital grade And has different levels of suction.
Helping them breathe better even just a little is going to help tremendously in making your baby more comfortable when laying down. They will also be able to eat better, too.Humidifiers and vaporizers
These are helpful in loosening up any fluid/mucus in their nose, but make sure you clean the humidifier really well so prevent bacteria growth on the product - they get dirty quickly and you don’t want your baby breathing that in.Lower the heater
Cool air helps a lot, too! Although it may seem counterintuitive if your baby has a cold. The heaters and warm air often cause more congestion for your little one, so maybe think about lowering the heater and adding an extra layer on your little one.Honey for babies 1 year and up
For babies over a year, you can give some honey on a spoon or in a cup of tea, this is often calming on the throat. You can buy a quality Manuka honey which has inflammatory properties and relief from coughing and an itchy throat.Mentholated ointment or vapor rubs
For children 2 years and up, mentholated ointment or vapor rubs are great for soothing coughs and helping your little one breathe better.
Should I bring my baby to sleep in my room or my bed when sick?
No, I would not advise this. You don’t to make too many changes when your baby is sick. plus we all know that bringing your baby into your bed is not the safest choice. I know it’s easy to think that they want to sleep in your bed or in your room, but chances are they probably want their own bed and are better off in the comforts of their own room.
If you absolutely feel it necessary to sleep near your child, better to go sleep in his/her room than bring them out to yours. Bunking in with your baby is the preferable option here!
Should I elevate the mattress when my baby has a cold?
Please do not prop up the mattress or elevate it in any way, although it’s tempting. This is dangerous and we will go over why in tomorrow’s post.
Important to note:
If your child’s coughing or illness persists or gets worse, or if your child has difficulty breathing, please see your Dr. asap to rule out any other illnesses.
Remember this…
Nothing is worse than when our babies & children get sick. But it is inevitable and will happen. We may feel out of control and powerless especially when everything around gets put on hold.
Yes, it may throw a wrench in your schedule, your sleep and in everything else you normally do, and it will pass…but remember that nothing else matters when your child is sick. It’s temporary and it will pass.
The most important thing is remembering who you are…you are the most important thing to your child and you are all he needs right now in order to feel better. A mother’s love can move mountains for our sick children. Your love, your attention, your comfort. There is no better person than you to nurse your little one back to health.
Take a deep breath, I know it’s not easy managing everything with a sick child at home, but you will get through it. I know it’s frustrating and I know you want your house back in order and I know you’re tired…it will all go back to normal, just be patient and remember that there is nothing more important than getting your getting healthy and feeling better. Everything else will fall back into place.
It’s easy to feel helpless and out of control when our kids are sick; everything gets put on hold, our sleep gets disrupted, schedules thrown off, the house upside down...Remember, It’s temporary and it will pass and everything will go back to normal. Remember that nothing else really matters when your child is sick, what matters is your presence, your love and your comfort. You are all your child needs right now to help him get better, and everything else can wait.
