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Separation Anxiety and Sleep Patterns
Many babies have settled into an established sleep pattern by this point, however, some experience stranger or separation anxiety that causes them to wake up looking for their parent or to resist falling asleep. If this occurs, stay in the room with your baby to reassure him that you are there. Do not hold him, but remain beside him until he becomes drowsy. Exit the room quietly, leaving the door slightly ajar so that he can still hear you.
While this is not necessarily easy for parents, your baby's exhibition of separation or stranger anxiety denotes important cognitive development. He is becoming more aware of his surroundings and is developing his grasp of object permanence, the understanding that people or things still exist when they are not present. This is a normal part of your baby's healthy emotional development and will eventually pass. Do your best to minimize separations, arrange for a familiar person to look after your baby when you do go away, and allow your baby to get to know a new caregiver before leaving him for any length of time.
