Yes, your infant may be hungry or going through teething that is completely unbearable. But did you know that there may be other reasons to why your little one can’t go to sleep and is splitting your eardrums in half? Here are a few other reasons the crying continues on:

1. He/She has a headache — Believe it or not, a new study suggests that colicky babies could be experiencing an “early manifestation of migraines.” Isn’t that so sad? Your baby might be screaming their head off because their poor little head is throbbing.
2. Growing pains — If your little one is in the middle of a growth spurt, aches and pains can come as a result of his developing body.
3. She’s bored — It’s rough being a baby, and sometimes she’s just not interested in whatever you happen to be doing with her. This would explain why some infants seem to calm down when you get up off the couch and walk around with them.
4. He’s frustrated — Poor little guy can’t tell you what he wants or what is bothering him, which has to be a real drag. Can you blame him for bursting into tears?
5. She’s stressed or senses that you are stressed — Face it, nobody likes stress, no matter how young they are. If there’s tension in the house, it could be rubbing off onto your baby, which may make her cry.
6. Over-stimulation — You know how sometimes there is so much noise and/or distractions around you that you just want to scream? Yeah, babies feel the same way if there’s too much going on in their world. Try moving to a quiet room to see if he calms down.
7. It’s one of his “tricks” — Or at least this is what my pediatrician used to tell me. Babies cry. They just do. And sometimes they cry because it’s all they know how to do.
8. He’s in a bad mood — We get in bad moods, so why shouldn’t babies be expected to do the same? Sometimes your baby may cry simply because he’s pissed. (Makes sense, right?)
9. She wants love — She knows that if she starts crying, odds are good you’ll pick her up and snuggle her and shower her with affection.
10. He misses you — You are your baby’s world, so he may start to fuss if you move out of his general vicinity at any given time. (Aww.)
11. She’s uncomfortable — You know how awful it is when you eat a big meal and your jeans cut into your waist? Babies can feel just as constricted in clothing as we do, so check and make sure that nothing is too tight or pinching his skin.

~~More at The Stir

Soothing techniques not mentioned here? Feel free to email me at nikki@kvne.com