Question
My child is now six months old and has been crying every night since around three and a half months. However, as soon as I pick him up and rock him, he falls asleep. But he only sleeps well when I hold him, waking up as soon as I put him down. He cries about ten times a night, waking up every half hour. He is not hungry, and I suspect he may be deficient in calcium. I have been supplementing him with calcium and vitamin D for two months now, but there has been no improvement. If he is still deficient in calcium, how should I supplement it? Or if it’s not calcium deficiency, how can I solve this problem? Additional question: He does not sleep much during the day, sleeping for only an hour in the morning and afternoon, and he is well-fed before bedtime. I suspect that the calcium supplement may not be absorbed well. What type of calcium is better to take? Do we still need to supplement with vitamin D?
Answer
The central nervous system of infants is not yet fully developed, and the day-awake/night-sleep reflex has not been established. If they sleep for a long time during the day, they do not want to sleep at night. When adults are tired from a day’s work, they are not as sensitive to the child’s hunger or need to change diapers as they are during the day, leading to delayed responses that can cause the child to cry. Infants with rickets are easily startled because of their calcium deficiency, especially at night when they are easily awakened by slight movements. Children with chronic diseases such as tuberculosis or nutritional deficiencies also often cry at night. When a child cries at night, the first step is to analyze the cause and consciously train them to change their day-night confusion. Adjustments should be made to drinking water, changing diapers, taking cod liver oil and calcium supplements, etc.