What to do if your child does not sleep well at night and during the day

Sleep is an integral part of human life, which is a normal physiological process. While in the mother's womb, children develop sleep and wake patterns. After birth, the established regime is maintained, but as the baby grows and develops, other needs arise.

The benefits of the physiological state for children of different ages:

height;
filtering experienced moments;
selection of information and memorization of important events, according to the child;
restoration of the nervous system;
emotional attachment and development of perseverance and attentiveness;
prevention of cardiovascular pathologies;
strengthening the immune system.

Sleep is essential for a growing child's body. There are special tables that clearly indicate the number of hours per day that a period of proper rest takes.

Newborn babies sleep for several hours and once a day. They wake up to eat and sometimes to empty their bowels.

After birth, babies sleep for 2-3 hours at a time and are awake for no more than 30 minutes. This condition persists for the first 3 months of life.

During this period, adaptation to environmental conditions occurs, babies are overcome by colic, which worsens the child’s sleep and provokes sleepless nights for parents.

from 3 to 6 months, children sleep for 15-16 hours, of which 3 naps during the day, and one full night;
by the year the amount of daytime rest is reduced to 2, night rest takes at least 10 hours;
from 18 to 24 months, the child’s daily routine is rethought, and the total number of hours of sleep is significantly reduced: daytime rest - no more than 2 hours (or 1 hour twice a day), night rest - about 10 hours;
at the age of 3 to 6 years, the child attends kindergarten, where rest is prescribed once a day for at least 3 hours (at the age of 5 years and older, no more than 2 hours). The number of hours at night is no less than 9 and no more than 11;
from 7 years old (beginning of schooling) - the sleep norm is from 8 to 10 hours. If desired, daytime naps are practiced on weekends when psychological stress is high, but take no more than 90 minutes.

Children's bodies are individual, and the data given is approximate.

Some children sleep more often than usual, while others are night owls and sleep lovers. However, many parents are concerned about why a child may sleep longer than usual and how to recognize possible pathological abnormalities.

The child does not sleep well at night

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Questions are often asked about how much sleep a baby should sleep at 1 month. Let's put the question differently: How much sleep should parents sleep? Many parents, especially mothers, of children under 1 - 3 years old can say: “Getting enough sleep is my dream!” If parents have intermittent, superficial, anxious sleep with frequent violent awakenings, then this is a sure path to chronic stress, fatigue, dissatisfaction, conflicts, and decreased performance.

Therefore, conditions should be created so that parents can sleep a full 8 hours at night. If a child sleeps in bed with his mother or parents, then adults cannot relax completely and for a long time. Only the alternative of getting up to the baby's bedside every few minutes or hours makes it possible to sleep together with the child. This is the only way mothers can literally “fall asleep.”

It is necessary to create the correct physiological regime of sleep and wakefulness, according to the age of the child, as well as taking into account the regime of family members. To create a good night's sleep, you need to create a rational daily routine.

Daily routine for children 1-3 months

Rise at 6-8 o'clock (at 7 o'clock)
After waking up, the child eats, then active wakefulness begins.
A common mistake parents make is to put her to bed immediately after feeding or after a short period of wakefulness (after 1-1 hours). After all, parents don’t want to get up so early, that is, before 8-10 o’clock in the morning.

This leads to the fact that, without getting tired in this short period, the baby does not sleep for long, about 30 minutes - 1 hour. And then the whole daily routine goes wrong. There are short periods of wakefulness (1-2 hours), then short, shallow sleep for a few minutes - 1 hour. Moreover, sleep is often possible only in arms or under the condition of constant rocking in a crib.

We create intervals between sleep of 2-2.5 hours. During this period, the child experiences active or quiet wakefulness.

What can you do with your child during the day when the child is not sleeping?

Walks in the open air.
During walks, you should not only sleep, but also explore and get to know the world around you. By showing and telling about everything that we see in front of us, we teach the baby to be inquisitive, this is the basis of learning.
We play outdoor games and use outdoor structures: ladders, sandbox, slides, swings, carousels. Running, jumping, climbing, cycling, scootering are dynamic games that develop motor dexterity. If a child becomes physically tired after spending enough time in the fresh air, then deep sleep is guaranteed. Create conditions under which the child “runs circles around the playground”, and at this time the mother sits and relaxes for a while, communicating with other mothers. Keep your child safe!
By the evening, active emotional and physical activity should be somewhat limited, avoiding overexcitation.
In the evening, quiet board or floor games, drawing, modeling from plasticine, designing, reading fairy tales with a good ending, quiet music or calm children's songs, a short children's cartoon, short telephone conversations with relatives (grandparents), massage with elements of exercise therapy are suitable.
Parents should sleep 8 hours.

How to normalize your child's sleep time

There are a number of complexes that improve sleepy states:

You should choose the right clothes for sleep. The fabric should be breathable, and the child likes the cut and colors;
maintain a daily routine and, if necessary, introduce daytime breaks;
go to bed at the same time, regardless of the day of the week;
give preference to proper nutrition, do not give chocolates and carbonated drinks before bedtime.

It is important to monitor the health of children, regardless of age, to talk and take an active part in the child’s life.

Prolonged sleep is one of the signs of the development of pathological processes, which is a way to combat the emerging disease. During deep rest, children grow, gain strength and recover.

How long does a child sleep

From birth to 3 months - 16 - 20 hours a day;
6 months - 14.5 hours;
12 months - 13.5 hours;
2 years - 13 hours;
4 years - 11.5 hours;
6 years - 9.5 hours;
12 years - 8.5 hours.

How long should a child sleep during the day?

Considering that 8 hours are spent on daytime sleep, the duration of daytime sleep is:

From birth to 3 months - 8 - 14 hours;

How long does a child sleep in:

1 month - on average 11 hours during the day and 8 hours at night;
6 months - 6.5 hours;
12 months - 5.5 hours;
2 years - 5 hours;
4 years - 3.5 hours;
6 years - 1.5 hours;
From 12 years of age - no nap required.

How long does it take to fall asleep

It takes time to fall asleep - from a few seconds to 20-30 minutes. These are the bedtime norms for adults and children.

If the time to fall asleep extends beyond 30 minutes, then this condition is called difficulty falling asleep.

How to prepare your child for bed

Please note that the duration of night sleep will be 8 hours: optimally from 10 pm to 6 am or from 11 pm to 7 am. Therefore, every evening we plan time and distribute activities, systematically leading to sleep. Calm rather than exciting games in the evening are encouraged. When dad or mom comes home from work, which means an emotional outburst, no later than 1 hour before going to bed. Warm (at a temperature of 37.5 - 38 ° C), soothing hygienic bath before bed for 5-15 minutes, as an important daily ritual before bed.

Can a baby sleep with mom?

For children from birth to 3 years old, the most reasonable thing is to sleep in a crib, located in the parents' bedroom at arm's length from the mother.

Some babies after 1 year can easily sleep in a children's room, separate from their parents' bedroom. For most children, sleeping in a separate bedroom is comfortable from 2 to 3 years old.

Ideally going to bed looks like this:

The parents put the baby in the crib, read a fairy tale, or sing a lullaby, or calmly talk about good things, and leave the room. And looking into the room after 5-10 minutes, they observe the baby sleeping peacefully.

Most doctors do not recommend co-sleeping in a parent's bed.

Under these conditions, the mother does not rest completely, but tension and anxiety remain. There are also tragic cases where an exhausted mother, in deep uncontrollable sleep, covered the child with her body, which led to the suffocation of the baby. There is even a popular term for this phenomenon, “fell asleep.” And in my medical practice there was such a tragic incident. It is important to instill in a child from early childhood the skill of falling asleep and sleeping alone in his own bed.

Sleeping in a crib

Parents often ask the doctor: “How to teach a child to fall asleep at 1–3 months?” We answer: “We teach you a daily routine from an early age.”

How to create a daily routine for children from infancy

Correctly distribute the intervals between sleep and wakefulness, using information about age-related sleep needs.

Create a daily routine through external actions: when the child wakes up, you need to change the conditions.

And it becomes clear to the child that a period of wakefulness has begun.

Our actions during waking hours:

we lift the child out of bed, wash, change clothes;
feed;
turn on the lights, increase the sound level (we talk louder and more emotionally, turn on the music);
we play, engage in active activities, go for a walk, swim;
We leave the child alone for a while so that he can lie down and play on his own.

How does a child understand that he should fall asleep?

We wait for the moment according to the regime when the baby is tired enough. Moreover, if he was not active enough motorly, and his waking time is over, then he is overtired emotionally, but not physically tired. This makes it difficult to go to sleep.

Task: for healthy sleep, it is necessary to create sufficient motor activity while awake - massage, walk, bathing, active crawling, exercise, exercise therapy, feeding.

If, while awake, the baby is held in his arms most of the time, rocked a little, and passed one by one to other family members, then only the adults will become physically tired.

Our actions during bedtime:

wash or bathe, change clothes;
sometimes (not always) we feed;
put to bed;
we stop playing;
dim the lights, lower the sound level (quieter, less emotional, talk calmly, drawn out and affectionately, turn off the music, TV and other extraneous sounds);
you can rock for a short time in your arms, in a crib, in a stroller;
you can create conditions for sleeping in the fresh air (outside in a stroller, on a loggia in a crib);
don't forget to ventilate the room.

It is important to ensure that the air in your child's bedroom is moist and cool.

Frequent ventilation. If it’s cold outside, then ventilate the empty room. If there is no draft, then you can sleep with the windows slightly open.
Heating regulators optimize the room temperature. Simple techniques are known - covering excessively hot batteries using wet diapers.
Daily wet cleaning is ideal.
Optimal humidity will be created by special air humidifiers. You can measure air parameters using a hygrometer and thermometer.

The recommended optimal air temperature for sleeping in a children's room is 16 - 20 °C.

The optimal relative humidity in the bedroom is 50 - 70%.

If our actions before bed are of the same, stereotypical nature, then the child creates a bedtime ritual. He quickly gets used to this sequence of events and falls asleep quickly and deeply.

If the child has not been awake enough time, or is not physically tired, or is emotionally overtired, then in order to fall asleep, he cries for a long time and loudly before going to bed. He may worry every time he falls asleep. This is already part of his bedtime ritual. He cannot sleep without crying, providing a release, an outlet for unspent energy.

This bedtime option is difficult for the baby and parents. You can avoid sleep disturbances only by following these instructions, understanding the physiology of sleep and the need for a rational regimen.

When and how to transfer your baby to a separate bed

WHO does not recommend co-sleeping due to the potential risk to the baby's health. And there is not enough space in the bed - especially for dad; at first, parents are afraid to move, and this situation interferes with the relationship between a man and a woman.

Of course, there is no consensus on the question of where it is better for a baby to sleep. Proponents of co-sleeping disagree with proponents of sleeping separately, and each side has ample arguments to defend its position.

Some parents believe that when sleeping together, the child falls asleep easier, feels safe, and it is more convenient to feed him at night. To make it easier for your baby to move out, it is better to do this between 2 and 3 years. After 3 years, co-sleeping already prevents the child from solving the problems of age - to separate psychologically from his parents, realizing and experiencing his own emotions, thoughts, needs and desires.

Experiment to choose your own option that suits both you and your child.

The child falls asleep in his own bed, but remains in the parent's bed after the night feeding.
Sleeping in your own crib (sometimes with the side wall removed so that it becomes an extension of the adult’s bed), closely moved towards the parent’s. In this case, it is important to remember safety and lock the bed wheels.

There are various other options invented by moms and dads in an attempt to learn how to put their children to bed faster and easier. But supporters of all approaches are unanimous on one thing: sooner or later the child ends up in his own bed, and until retirement he will not sleep next to his parents.

By the time of the three-year crisis, which begins at 2.5 - 3 years and can be easily described by the phrase “I myself!”, the child needs to allocate his own place to sleep.

In the case of co-sleeping, the algorithm for transferring to a separate crib is as follows:

Buy a toy crib and start putting dolls and bears in it together with your child, sing lullabies to them and tell them how nice it is here;
Buy a real crib - you can take your baby to the store with you and choose together;
“Place” a protector in the crib - a bunny, a bear, an elephant;
Start using your bed for naps during the day;
If the child begins to wake up more often at night, returns to the practice of night feedings, and cries, postpone the transition and try later.

To ensure everything goes smoothly, you shouldn't:

Combine transfer to a separate bed with weaning;
Transfer the baby to a separate crib when he is unwell or recovering from an illness;
Combine this process with important changes in the child’s life - the appearance of a brother or sister, the start of kindergarten, moving to a new house, the passing of older relatives, etc.

The most common mistakes that lead to sleep disturbances

The daily routine is not defined, chaotic, different, there is no clear routine, parents do not know when to put the child to bed. Parents call this regime: “free”, “we don’t have a regime”, “every day is different for us”, “we were told that a free regime and free feeding are useful”, “You ask such questions, doctor! How do I know when we wake up and what time we go to bed? We have a regime as it turns out.” What can I say?

Complaints about sleep disturbances

With this option, the most common complaints during an appointment with a neurologist are:

for restless sleep;
superficial and short daytime sleep of 20 minutes - 1 hour;
sleeps only in his mother's arms;
frequent awakenings at night every 30 minutes - 1 hour;
rolling up crying during the day;
poor or higher than normal weight gain (from overfeeding, due to frequent breastfeeding as the only sedative);
during the day the child is restless and capricious;
sometimes less inquisitive; sometimes masters motor and speech skills later.

The life of the child and parents is less harmonious, less calm and happy; a lot of effort is required to maintain calm in the family.

The daily routine does not correspond to age standards: short periods of wakefulness, as a result, short and shallow sleep.

The daily routine develops according to this scenario

The child wakes up at 6 o'clock for feeding; then the parents' attempt to put him to sleep and let everyone sleep longer. Sleep together for another 1-2 hours. Then comes a period of wakefulness for 1-2 hours. This period of time is short and insufficient to physically tire the child. Not tired enough, the baby cannot sleep for a long time.

Parents mistakenly believe that if a child begins to be capricious during the day, then he wants to sleep or eat every time.

If the child is capricious or tired, then you should change the type of activity: go for a walk outside; start doing exercise therapy; change a toy; wash; move to another room; change clothes; play or sing a children's song and much more.

But parents, following misconceptions, lull, rock, and put a tired child to sleep through breastfeeding. Only short sleep is possible, because the child cannot sleep longer. After a short sleep, the baby has not recovered sufficiently and does not have enough strength to stay awake for a long time. And again there are whims, and in the evening there is obvious anxiety.

The advice in such cases of sleep disturbance is this: you should gradually, 5-15 minutes each time, lengthen the periods of wakefulness over the course of a week. Create the correct physiological daily routine. And daytime and nighttime sleep returns to normal after this.

So, here is an approximate daily routine for children of different ages:

Daily routine for children from birth to 3 months

Sleep per day 16–20 hours (sleep 8 + 2.5 + 3 + 2.5 = 16); The waking period per day is 8-4 hours.

Get up at 6 o'clock.
1 period of wakefulness 2-2.5 hours - from 6 to 8 hours.
1 nap (short) - 2.5 hours (8 to 10-30 hours).
2 wakefulness period 2.5 hours - from 10-30 to 13 hours.
2 naps (long) - 2.5 - 3 hours (13 to 16 hours).
3 wakefulness period 2 hours - from 16 to 18 hours.
3 sleep (short) - 2.5 hours (18 to 20-30 hours).
4 wakefulness period 1.5 hours - from 20-30 to 22 hours.
Night sleep (with possible periods of awakening up to 3-4 times; ideally 0-1 times per night wakes up and eats) - 8 hours (22 to 6 hours).

Daily routine for 6 month old babies

Sleep per day 14.5 hours (sleep 8 +2 + 2.5 + 2= 14); The waking period per day is 9.5 hours.

Get up at 6 o'clock.
1 period of wakefulness 3-3.5 hours - from 6 to 9.5 hours.
1 nap (short) - 2 hours (9-30 to 11-30 hours).
2 wakefulness period 3-3.5 hours - from 11-30 to 14-30 hours.
2 naps (long) - 2.5 - 3 hours (14-30 to 17 hours).
3 wakefulness period 3-3.5 hours - from 17 to 20-30 hours.
3 sleep (short) - 2 hours (18 to 20 hours).
4 waking period 2 hours - from 20 to 22 hours.
Night sleep (with possible periods of waking up to 2-4 times; ideally 0-1 times per night wakes up and eats) - 8 hours (22 to 6 hours).

Daily routine for 12 month old children

Sleep per day 13.5 hours (sleep 8 + 2 + 3.5 = 13.5); The waking period per day is 10.5 hours.

Get up at 6 o'clock.
1 waking period 3.5 - 4 hours - from 6 to 10 o'clock.
1 nap (short) - 2 hours (10 to 12 hours).
2nd period of wakefulness is 3.5-4 hours - from 12 to 15-30 hours.
2 naps (long) - 3.5 hours (15-30 to 19 hours).
3 wakefulness period 3 hours - from 19 to 22 hours.
Night sleep (with possible periods of awakening up to 2-4 times; ideally wakes up 0-1 times per night, no need to feed at night) - 8 hours (22 to 6 hours).

Children's daily routine at 2 years old

Sleep 13 hours per day (sleep 10 + 3 = 13); The waking period per day is 11 hours.

Get up at 7 o'clock.
1 waking period 5 hours - from 7 to 12 hours.
1 nap - 3 hours (12 to 15 hours).
2 wakefulness period 6 hours - from 15 to 21 hours.
Night sleep (with possible periods of awakening up to 2-3 times; ideally wakes up 0-1 times per night, do not feed at night) - 10 hours (21 to 7 hours).

Children's daily routine at 4 years old

Sleep per day 11.5 hours (sleep 9 + 2.5 = 11.5); The waking period per day is 12.5 hours.

Get up at 7 o'clock.
1 waking period 6 hours - from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
1 nap – 2.5 hours (13 to 15.5 hours).
2 wakefulness period 7.5 hours - from 15.5 to 22 hours.
Night sleep (with possible periods of waking up to 1-2 times; ideally 0-1 times per night wakes up, but not every night) - 9 hours (21 to 7 hours).

Children's daily routine at 6 years old

Sleep per day 9.5 hours (night sleep 9.5 hours, without daytime sleep); The waking period per day is 14.5 hours.

Get up at 7 o'clock.
1 waking period is 14.5 hours - from 7 to 21 hours 30 minutes.
Night sleep (with possible periods of awakening up to 1-2 times, but not every night; ideally 0-1 times a week wakes up at night, but not every week) - 9.5 hours (21 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours).

Daily routine for children aged 12

Sleep per day 8.5 hours (night sleep 8.5 hours, no daytime sleep); The waking period per day is 15.5 hours.

Get up at 7 o'clock.
1 waking period is 15.5 hours - from 7 to 22 hours 30 minutes.
Night sleep (with possible periods of awakening up to 1-2 times; ideally 0-1 times a week wakes up at night) - 9.5 hours (22 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours).

Some parents are afraid to wake up their child.

Everything you need for healthy sleep

Sound and healthy sleep is vital for a person, and a child in particular. Physical energy, excellent mood, optimism in life, the ability to focus attention on what is important, patiently cope with intellectual tasks, remember and assimilate knowledge and skills - components of a child’s healthy growth and development.

Buying your first crib is a reason for a lot of doubts and worries. What if the baby prefers to sleep together? Is it necessary to add a new line of expenses to a family budget that is already bursting at the seams? And if so, how to most rationally distribute all purchases related to separate sleeping - so as not to miss and not buy too much?

While you are still preparing for the arrival of your baby and don’t know exactly how circumstances will turn out later, buying a separate crib seems like a moot point. To avoid throwing money away, first choose a crib that will be useful to you in any case.

Rational choice:

Stroller with detachable cradle. For the first time, such a cradle is an ideal option for separate sleeping. Having lulled your baby in a stroller, you can always move him to a new place without moving him or interrupting his sleep. The main thing is that the bottom of the cradle is not curved, and that the mattress meets orthopedic requirements. If the cradle is to perform the function of the baby’s first crib, when purchasing, you should pay special attention to its weight and the convenience of the release mechanism.
Transformable bed. Sliding sides, a lowering bottom and/or the ability to attach it to the edge of a large bed (on which you sleep) largely determine the choice of zealous parents. And although such cribs are often more expensive than regular ones, this is a kind of “insurance” for the future.
Cot-playpen. Not the most popular option among modern parents. But portable playpens are equipped with many useful functions: they can have music, rotating mobiles, vibrating mattresses, a night light, and a changing board. But most importantly, the playpen will serve both during travel and in the future, when you start using it not as a crib, but for its intended purpose - for games. There is one thing: if the baby still prefers to sleep separately and spends most of his time in playpen, it is worth buying a separate high-quality mattress, since those that come with the playpen often do not meet orthopedic requirements. After purchasing a new mattress, you will most likely have to cut it to fit the size of the playpen (they often differ from the standard). Please consult the seller regarding this issue before purchasing.
Cocoon bed. An ergonomic crib that imitates the position of a baby in the womb. Used for up to 4 months. This is an expensive option that requires replacement after just a few months of use.

Irrational choice

Cradles, cradles. Of course, the assortment of designer cribs for babies can’t help but evoke affection: some of them resemble nests, others look like old village “wobbly beds”, and others are even covered with a waterfall of lace canopies. All this can turn out to be a simple interior decoration. And even if such a cradle serves the baby in the first months of life, after he learns to sit down, it will turn out to be not only unnecessary, but also dangerous.
Pendulum beds without the possibility of fixation in one position. Nowadays, fewer and fewer such models are being produced, but they can still be found among inexpensive ones. When the baby learns to roll over and sit up, such a crib will turn from a place to sleep into a playground for endless games.

It is not enough to buy just one crib. It comes with a whole set of additional equipment:

Mattress (choose orthopedic);
4 – 10 oilcloths per mattress - it is advisable to use special oilcloths, which are covered with fabric on top so that the baby does not sweat, or disposable waterproof diapers;
6 – 10 cotton sheets/diapers;
2 light baby blankets or 2 – 4 sleeping bags/onesies;
1 warm baby blanket;
1 – 2 sets of soft bumpers for the crib;
Mobile (from 3 – 4 weeks).

What you should not buy for a baby under one year old:

A pillow (unless your doctor recommends purchasing one; usually this is a special orthopedic pillow that should help solve neck problems);
Bed canopy/curtains (they can cause suffocation);
Bed linen made of synthetic materials, with lace and braid, with decorative elements that can come off or crumble (this can cause irritation on delicate skin and pose a health hazard).

Offer your baby healthy and tasty “Agusha Fall asleep” products, which are designed specifically for use before bedtime. This is live drinking yoghurt with apple flavor and natural lemon balm extract, cottage cheese with strawberry, banana and natural lemon balm extract flavor, as well as porridge with prebiotics and cereals: milk-buckwheat and milk-rice with apple and pear, which will help set your baby up for a healthy and healthy life. deep sleep.

How can you wake up a child?

If sleep time is over, you can open the door in the bedroom and start talking quietly; pat the child on the head or back; call him by name. If gentle measures do not help, then after 3-5 minutes you can lift him into your arms.

If we do not wake up the child on time, this may lead to a time shift in the daily routine; difficulties in subsequent falling asleep; less restful and deep sleep at night; less active and more negative mood while awake.

One of the common mistakes parents make is not a rational feeding regimen.

Let's figure out what physiological feeding mode at night means.

When to feed your baby at night from birth to 3 months:

A child under 3 months of age can wake up at night and eat 1-2 times. A 6-7 hour night break between feedings is desirable. Parents often wake up their children at night to feed them. Or they offer to feed after the child’s first inactive demand, encouraging him to wake up at night.

If the child is gaining enough weight, that is, does not suffer from malnutrition, IUGR, then it is better to refuse one night feeding.

From 3 to 6 months it is possible to feed the baby once a night.

From 6 months and older, night feeding is not physiologically required for the child.

What not to do

According to Yulia Domanova, parents should not take out the consequences of their anger and fatigue on their children.

“We are all human and can become tired, afraid, stressed and depressed. Nervous parents mean nervous children. There is no mental resource - gather information, try to resolve the situation, ask for help. If it doesn’t work, contact a specialist,” she noted.

Also, children should not be taught to use a pacifier: the baby associates it with the breast, that is, with calmness.

“It’s better to avoid this. Otherwise, you will have to constantly adjust the pacifier so that the baby sleeps. You need to move away from associations smoothly, says Domanova. “Besides, you don’t need to get used to motion sickness.” It instills the habit of sleeping while moving. This is harmful because it significantly spoils the quality of sleep and not only that, even disrupting the functioning of other systems.”

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Why does the baby wake up at night?

He wants to be held, communicate, suck, cradle, rock, feel warm, change body position, the child needs the attention of mom and dad. If he is accustomed to such attention, then he insists on demanding it. His demands are increasing as they are satisfied.

What to do when the baby wakes up and cries?

We set the rules ourselves, according to common sense.
You should not use your mother’s breast every time you cry as a pacifier to calm you down; the baby needs breastfeeding as essential nutrition.
You should not overfeed by applying to the breast or giving a bottle of formula every time the baby moves, makes the first sound, or loudly cries. Frequent night feedings lead to regurgitation, abdominal pain, restlessness, increased urination and bowel movements, additional diaper changes, and excess weight gain. These reasons cause sleep disturbance.

Breast-feeding

You can try feeding him a little more heartily at night, increasing the amount of food eaten by 10% so that you can sleep longer. And to do this, try to underfeed by 10% at the previous feeding. So your appetite may increase before night.
Dad shouldn’t carry the baby in his arms for half the night and not sleep himself, because he has to work tomorrow.

Possible consequences

Prolonged sleep of a pathological nature changes the child’s consciousness, confuses his orientation in time and space, leads to inhibition of metabolic processes and delayed mental development.

However, long-term sleep of a physiological nature brings positive results:

for example, children who sleep longer than usual are more resistant to stressful situations;
infants are calmer and more mentally developed;
Teenagers do not have external signs of puberty - pimples or acne.

Please note that all the data provided is objective and can lead to serious consequences.

If parents are confused by frequent and long periods of rest, it is necessary to contact medical specialists in the field of sleep - somnologists.

Bathing

Swimming before bed has the most beneficial effect on sleep, you just need to follow some simple rules:

The temperature of the water in the bathroom is 36.5 - 37 ° C - this is a moderately hardening, soothing, relaxing hygienic bath. A therapeutic soothing (sedative) bath is useful when sedative herbs, pine needles, sea salt, and essential oils are additionally used.

Read the article on how to conduct coniferous-sea baths.

When the temperature of the water in the bath decreases or increases, the child may become agitated or depressed, when the child becomes overly active or lethargic, capricious.

The optimal bath temperature for a child can be determined by selection. This should be done in cases where parents notice that after bathing the child is agitated, crying, and has trouble falling asleep.

The second option for getting out of the situation of excitement after an evening bath: bathing should be moved to an earlier period, in the first half of the day or before 1 or 2 days of sleep. Again, we install using the selection method.

As you age, your response to baths may change.

Massage and physical therapy are carried out by parents before bathing; the load is set to moderate, as tolerated.

After a warm bath, the pink-cheeked baby, wrapped in a large towel, is happy and relaxed. Having changed him into comfortable clothes for sleeping (diaper for children under 1 year and a jumpsuit), fed him well, all we have to do is put him in a child’s bed. Hoping everyone can sleep soundly for the rest of the night. We wish the same to you all by giving these tips!

Sedative herbal baths

From dried sedative herbs (motherwort, valerian, peony root, mint, lemon balm, oregano, St. John's wort, hops) we make a collection in free proportion or take one of the herbs in the amount of 1 tablespoon. Pour 1 liter of boiling water into the container with the soothing collection, let it brew for 30 minutes - 1 hour. Next, filter the resulting sedative infusion through a sieve. Pour the resulting infusion into a small baby bath and add about 10 liters of warm water at a temperature of 36.5 - 37 °C.

We bathe the child in a sedative bath for 5 - 20 minutes (as tolerated), adding warmer water if necessary and maintaining the required water temperature. After the bath, you can rinse your child with 1 liter of water from a mug or under low pressure with a warm shower. Wrap in a large bath towel.

We carry out sedative herbal baths every other day or 2-3 times a week, for 10 days. Then, after 10 days, the herbs can be changed, as they become addictive and their effect is not felt. If necessary, after 1 month you can return to the previous sedative herb.

If a collection of 3 or more herbs is used, the sedative effect remains; It is not necessary to replace the grass with another one.

Sedative baths are indicated for excitable children as a gentle, often harmless, effective, traditional, proven, inexpensive, widespread, favorite therapeutic and prophylactic remedy.

If an individual adverse reaction occurs (allergies, rashes, agitation), you should cancel the baths and consult a doctor.

If the baby sleeps alone

In the case of separate sleeping, there is usually no question of transferring the child to his own crib, since the baby already sleeps in it. There may be a problem with visiting parents in bed at night. Often, a baby, having learned to get out of the crib, climbs under the blanket with mom and dad. If the door to the parents' bedroom is closed, then adults can find a child sleeping on the threshold in the morning. How can it be easier for a baby to stay in his crib when sleeping separately from birth?

Hang up a night light and observe bedtime rituals, which include bathing, a fairy tale and various other pleasant activities of choice and preference.
Don't let your baby cry alone in the crib. If it is difficult and scary for him, it is better to temporarily move the crib to the parent’s bed and give the baby the necessary support, support and protection.

In a situation where you notice that the child is clearly not getting enough sleep (becomes capricious, excitable, breaks down over trifles, may suddenly fall asleep very early), try gradually shifting the bedtime to an earlier date - 15 minutes every day, and perhaps , in just a week or two (maybe in a month) you will be able to bring the child’s life schedule to its age norm.

Which bed is better for a child to sleep on?

Choosing a bed for a child

Standard children's beds suit the child well. The choice is up to the parents. It is important to approach the choice wisely; convenience for the child and parents is the guideline for choice.

Choosing a children's mattress: its density should be medium. An overly soft mattress leads to squeezing and bending of the body when lying down. The spine should lie straight along the line, without unnecessary bending, maintaining only physiological curves. An overly hard mattress is also uncomfortable and uncomfortable for a child.

What pillow should a child sleep on?

Choosing a baby pillow

The height of the pillow should be such that there is no tilting of the head to the side when lying on the side; There was no backward bending when lying on the back.

So, a pillow with a height of 2-3 cm is suitable for a child from birth to 3 months.

You can make such a pillow yourself: take a synthetic padding polyester, fold it into 4 layers and sew it into a pillowcase 20 by 40 cm. It is preferable to purchase a special low pillow for newborns.

We often recommend an orthopedic pillow for newborns, with a recess for the back of the head, in order to form a physiological cervical lordosis.

Orthopedic pillow from birth to 6 months

The head fits comfortably into such a pillow, like a testicle in a socket, reducing the likelihood of secondary deformation of the skull. Often we see when examining a child after 1-3 months that the back of the head is “skewed” due to the forced position of the head on its side (torticollis).

While positional treatment using an orthopedic pillow smooths out tension in the posterior cervical muscles, forming a slight, correct forward bend of the neck.

For a child 6-18 months old, we place a 4-6 cm pillow: this is already 8 layers of padding polyester.

There are doctors who say that children under 2 years of age do not need to sleep on a pillow. It is also more comfortable to sleep in the stomach position without a pillow. Try it! An individual approach is a selection method.

From 1.5 years old, we use pillows of standard sizes 40 by 60 cm, with a thickness equal to the width of the child’s shoulder, if you lightly press on the pillow.

Which pillow to sleep on

We select bedding for children in cute children's patterns, from soft natural (cotton, viscose) fabrics. For washing we use hypoallergenic special washing powders for children's clothes, using additional rinsing, followed by double-sided ironing.

Frequency of washing (changing) linen, depending on soiling: daily several times a day, but at least once a week.

Such measures may be less significant with age, in the absence of a negative reaction.

How to respond to tantrums

Some mothers believe that there is no need to react to nighttime tantrums, especially after weaning, so as not to spoil the children.

“The lack of parental response to anxiety is the perception of the child as an aggressor. And the child is not an aggressor. He doesn't know how to communicate his feelings any other way. Many psychology books for adults explain how a child's earliest feelings transform over time into adult false beliefs and feelings. You need to react if you want to raise a sensitive, kind and helpful person who knows what safety is. Weaning and not paying attention to hysterics is shifting responsibility from your adult shoulders to the shoulders of a little person. Let's say you taught him to eat at night. So why, when one day they didn’t give him the breast, did he have to deal with the problem himself? Put on a tight T-shirt (without access to the chest), take the baby in your arms and rock it,” said Yulia Domanova.

Talking about diapers

Diapers mean comfort and healthy baby skin, freedom from multiple changes of diapers and cloth diapers throughout the day and night.

Let us remember that in the era before the invention of diapers, it was necessary to stock up on 24-48 warm and light diapers for a newborn, and now 6-15 may be sufficient.

We select disposable diapers according to the principle: comfortable, sized, reliably moisture-proof, safe.

A child wearing a disposable diaper wakes up less often at night, but there are also pitfalls - it is more difficult to correctly instill neatness skills by 1.5 - 2 years.

The article also uses freely available advice from the famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky.

Struggle to sleep in a crib

There are different approaches to the problem of sleep.

If you look at the root, mothers choose those theories that relieve them of stress and anxiety and help them feel like good enough parents. But with any approach, 3 years is the milestone after which a child can already sleep in his own bed.

How to help your child get used to falling asleep on his own:

Mode. Many kids cannot fall asleep on their own, because in the life of an urban family too many events happen in the evening. Dad returns from work, the house is full of activity: washing, cooking, talking while the TV is on. In order for the baby to fall asleep without problems, the last 1.5 hours before bedtime should be very calm and measured, subject to a stable daily routine. For example, a walk, dinner, quiet games, bathing, bedtime, bedtime story. A stable routine gives your child a sense of security and prepares him for sleep. Evening rituals help to calm down after a day filled with impressions and make up his world - cozy, predictable, warm.
Its own place. It’s good if the crib is in a separate room or isolated with a curtain or screen. This is necessary so that the child has his own separate space for sleeping: when the curtain is pulled back, the baby is still in the common world with his parents and is not sleeping. When it is closed, it is a clear signal that it is time to fall asleep.
Helpers. There is another very important participant in the ritual of falling asleep: a bear, a bunny, a doll, an elephant - in a word, a favorite toy. The significance of this object is difficult to overestimate. He has a very serious job: instead of the mother, he protects the child’s sleep. The child transfers the feeling of security that his mother’s presence gives him to his favorite toy. That is why child development specialists call such bears, bunnies and piglets “transitory” (transitional) objects. The baby interacts with them as with living people, endowing them with the properties of the latter - this is how, in the child’s eyes, part of the mother’s power is transferred to them. A transient object has a colossal beneficial significance in the mental life of the child. True, only if the boundaries between his reality and the imaginary world are maintained. Parents don’t have to worry about a child’s obsession with his favorite toy: a bunny or a bear will not be a companion throughout childhood. Children grow up, the toys are put away in a box, sent to the closet, to the dacha, or given to other children, and the child (perhaps already a schoolboy) forgets about their existence. Also, do not worry if the baby takes a whole regiment of plush animals and a stack of toys to bed with her favorite books. This is normal and means that one bear in the scary world of dreams cannot cope and the baby calls on an entire army of loyal friends to help him.
Night light. Another necessary item in a children's sleep corner is a night light, which provides soft, subdued light. Children are afraid of the dark, and the best way to cope with this fear is a night lamp. In addition, having a night light will protect you from the child’s requirement to leave the door to the room open. Often this requirement begins a whole series of conditions for sleep, tying parents hand and foot: keep the door open, turn off the TV in the living room, put a glass of water next to the bed and etc. The child delays the moment of going to bed, checking whether all conditions are met.

When is it time to see a doctor?

If a baby under 2 months sleeps a lot, he may have serious health problems. At this age, dehydration quickly develops. There are several signs that indicate that you need to see a doctor urgently:

the baby sleeps almost constantly in one position, without moving;
the skin is sluggish, dry;
the fontanelle has sunk;
cries quietly, almost without tears;
no more than 1-2 diapers are changed per day;
increased temperature;
the baby refuses to eat.

Several reasons to improve your baby's sleep

If a child does not get enough sleep, it is obvious: his mood is noticeably low, he goes to bed and gets up dissatisfied, and in the evening he is capricious, not only in early childhood, but also during his school years. These are reactions that lie on the surface. What problems are hidden from our eyes and can be stopped by replenishing the sleep deficit?

Development and growth of the child’s brain. The child will never sleep as much as in the first months of life (up to about six months). During the first time after birth, all systems of the baby’s body “ripen”: nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, etc., but most importantly – the brain. This important process occurs precisely in sleep: scientists have proven that dreams contribute to the emergence of visual images and thereby stimulate brain growth.
Restoration of strength. It is known that during sleep (its deep phase), blood flows from the brain to the muscles, and this helps to restore strength and prepare for the physical exertion of the new day. A baby who gets enough sleep is able to engage in outdoor games for as long as is appropriate for his age during the day; a child with a sleep deficit will spend the entire day in his mother’s arms or on the floor with his favorite toy.
Attention and memory. During sleep, the brain organizes the impressions of the day, knowledge and ideas about the world received from the senses. The functions of attention, memory, and systematization are involved in this process. Sleep deficiency or disorder significantly reduces the productivity of these functions and prevents the assimilation and consolidation of new knowledge and skills.
Growth and development of the body. Growth hormone is produced at night (from 23 pm to 1 am). Experts recommend going to bed no later than 10 p.m., and by 11 p.m. sleeping soundly. Lack of sleep in childhood can lead to slower physical development.
Psychological protection. Sleep promotes psycho-emotional relief of the nervous system, mental relaxation, helps relieve stress and free yourself from negative emotions.
Strengthening the immune system. According to some studies, resistance to infections drops by almost a third if a person does not get enough sleep. This is due to a decrease in the production of white blood cells, proteins, antibodies to infectious agents and other health defenders. Sound and quality sleep strengthens the immune system. This explains the fact that both children and adults sleep more during illness.
Good mood and behavior. Sufficient sleep can light up the day with the smiles of the baby, and its absence is fraught with whims. And then the day will not go well not only for the child, but also for the whole family. It has also been found that lack of sleep can manifest itself in poor behavior of the baby: scientists have proven that children with a lack of sleep have an increased risk of behavior problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Safety. Sleep deficiency reduces the body’s ability to correctly position itself in space, leading to some physical retardation and uncoordinated movements. This is fraught with children falling from bicycles and other unpleasant and, at first glance, completely invisible consequences. The ability to “collect all the steps (angles)” comes from here (however, it becomes more acute at certain stages of physical and spatial development, but in this case it is more regular and protracted).
Problems with excess weight in the future: Lack of sleep may cause obesity in the future - these are the results of one recent study. Young children, schoolchildren, teenagers and adults are all at risk. The principle is always the same: when a person sleeps little, he begins to eat more. Presumably, leptin (the satiety hormone) is responsible for this, the production of which decreases due to lack of sleep.
Mom's Depression: Finally, a child's poor sleep can be so exhausting for the parents (usually the mom) that it leads to depression. According to research, up to half of women who suffered from lack of sleep during the first three years of their baby’s life need treatment for depression, and with medications (psychotherapeutic methods are no longer enough).

Finally, let us remind you of the basic rules of sleep.

Getting used to sleeping in your own crib

The main rule for falling asleep is this: as soon as all the evening rituals are completed, the fairy tale is told and the wish of good night with mother’s kiss is also said, that’s it! No wandering around the apartment! Parents are serious in their intentions, and nothing can pity them.

The child is afraid to fall asleep alone, and he tries with all his might to attract the attention of adults. Have a drink, go to the toilet, have a stomach ache, a mosquito bites you, don’t like the noise - anything to get a little attention!

This upsets his sleep and forms a rather bad habit - using any manipulative means to force his parents to play by their own rules.

The most appropriate parental reaction is to take her by the hand and silently lead her to bed. Trying to console, reassure or, conversely, scold or shame is already an act of attention, and it means the child got what he wanted. If you silently escort your baby to bed - three, five, ten or twenty times in a row - he concludes that the parents are serious in their intentions and, obviously, it’s time to sleep.

Both adherence to the regime and firmness in bedtime require high discipline and organization from parents. Once a month, you can arrange a Break the Rules Day (for example, on Friday or Saturday) - give yourself and your child a break from routine and rituals. Make unusual food, dress up in funny clothes and ask that you not put the child to bed, but he puts you to bed.

Speaking about age-related sleep standards and strategies for complying with them, it is impossible not to mention why, in fact, you need sleep in the required amount.

Correct daily routine

From an early age, a child must understand the difference between night and daytime, they need to be clearly separated - in the evening it is better to dim the lights, talk quietly, calmly, and exclude active games. This will help you get ready for sleep. When waking up at night, you should limit communication with your child, do not play with him, and do not turn on the light.

It is very important to adhere to the daily routine - gradually the baby will get used to going to bed at the same hours and will feel tired at the right time. “Life by the clock” creates a feeling of security; the child gets used to a certain routine, as a result he is less capricious and falls asleep faster. It is necessary to determine the optimal time for daytime and night sleep; you should not let children sleep too long during the day, otherwise they will not have time to get tired before the night's rest.

Most often, sleep problems occur in children whose parents put them to bed not according to the clock, but every day at different times, waiting until they are tired. Or in children who face frequent violations of the regime, for example, parents send them to bed at one time, and grandmothers at another, allowing their beloved grandchildren to play longer than expected.

Is it worth waking up

If a child sleeps for a long time, doctors recommend waking him up for feeding. This should be done every 2-3 hours until the age of two months. It is advisable to wake up a baby older than 4 months if he does not wake up for more than an hour during his second nap, otherwise it will be difficult to fall asleep in the evening.

But you need to wake up the baby correctly so as not to scare him or cause stress:

try to choose the time of shallow sleep - you can recognize it by the movements of the eyeballs;
Do not immediately turn on the bright light, the baby will close his eyes;
the children's room should not be stuffy or hot, so it is better to open the window;
you can squeeze a drop of milk onto your lips;
give the baby a massage.

When a baby sleeps for a long time, this is most often normal. But if your child is sleeping much more than normal, your child is not eating well or gaining weight, or there are other signs of health problems, you should see a doctor.

Why does a newborn sleep a lot?

Parents rarely worry when their newborn baby sleeps constantly. It is believed that this is how it should be. Although during normal development he should wake up every 2-3 hours to eat. His longest sleep should be at night - 5-6 hours.

If a newborn sleeps longer than normal, this may be a sign of improper feeding or health problems. There are several reasons:

lack of nutrition leads to weakness;
prematurity or complicated labor;
light and noise prevent babies from falling asleep soundly, so they sleep restlessly and for a long time.

Myth 7. Having a night light on can damage a child’s vision.

Fact. Nothing like this! For generations, parents have left dim lights (4 watts) in the nursery at night. Night lights allow us to quickly assess the child's condition without having to turn on a flashlight or bright light in the room. Plus, many children feel calmer when they wake up at 2:00 a.m. and find familiar surroundings... rather than a sea of darkness.

But a 1999 study at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia scared many parents into turning off their nightlights. Researchers said that 34% of children who slept with a night light went on to become nearsighted.

Fortunately, the results of two other studies conducted the following year refuted this claim. Scientists from Ohio found that only 18.8% of children who participated in their experiment and slept with a nightlight in the first two years of life became nearsighted, compared with 20% of children who slept in complete darkness. Scientists from Boston also confirmed that there is absolutely no connection between night lights and vision problems.