You put your baby down to sleep just an hour ago and now suddenly they wake up crying. You know they just had a bottle before laying down, so hunger is not the cause. A baby wakes crying for many reasons, but there are a few common ones you should be aware of.
A common cause a baby wakes crying can be quite normal. Their sleep has been disrupted by hiccups, a sudden body shake, or their version of dreaming. They wake up startled so they start crying. Here is where patience as a parent plays a big role. At this point it could be a very temporary cry unless we make it worse.
When your baby wakes up crying very early in their sleep cycles wait a few minutes before running to their aid. Many times they will cry for a 2 or 3 minutes and then drift back to sleep to finish a normal sleep cycle. If you run in the sleep cycle is finished and they are likely to stay awake for a longer period of time.
If the crying extends beyond 5 minutes head into the nursery and check what is going on. Quickly check their diaper, make sure they did not spit-up on their clothes, and they are still comfortably wrapped. Spend a minute or two to calm them and then see if they can go back to sleep.
Another cause for a baby who wakes crying is night terrors, or mini nightmares. This is basically a theory offered by baby psychologists, and backed up by studies, but of course no baby can tell us. Often what you perceive as your baby waking up in tears is actually your baby crying in their sleep during their night terrors. If your baby’s eyes appear to still be closed and all signs except their crying looks like sleep, let them work their way through the cycle. It might be tough as a parent, but usually is the best course.
Before jumping to unusual conclusions of why your baby wakes crying re-examine your own beliefs. Are you remembering correctly when your baby ate? Often in our busy lives we feed the baby, they stay awake for a while, then finally fall asleep. We lay them down and our memory says they just ate. The problem is “just ate” was an hour before we laid them down in their bed. Their sudden waking after only an hour is really a normal eating time. It is not them with a problem, it is our recollection. Do the cheek test and see if your baby start rooting for a nipple. If so, there is a good chance they are hungry after all.
Just because your baby wakes crying does not indicate any major problems. It is a normal situation for many babies, especially as they go through growth spurts, developmental leaps, and teething. Your best choice is to make your best guess, and simply move forward. Your baby is fine.