About good sleep for children. How much and how long should a child sleep, what to do if the baby has problems sleeping.

Causes of sleep disturbances

Infants' sleep time decreases from month to month as the child grows. But there are a number of reasons for restless and shallow sleep.

• Abdominal pain.
  This is especially often observed in children in the first months of life, whose digestive system is just getting used to working independently. Also, abdominal pain is not uncommon in children during the period of introducing complementary foods. Moms and dads need to be patient and follow the doctor’s recommendations to alleviate the baby’s condition.
• Feeling of discomfort.
  Clothes that are too tight, irritation from the seams on the undershirt, a wet or dirty diaper - these and other reasons cause discomfort to the child and disturb his sleep.
• Teeth cutting.
  Itching and pain in the gums during teething very often lead to sleep disturbances. In addition, during this period the body temperature may rise and digestive disorders may occur, which also worsens the child’s well-being.
• Overwork.
  Staying awake for too long and too actively can tire the baby so much that he will not be able to fully relax and fall asleep soundly.
• Violation of the daily routine.
  Regularity should be observed in everything, including the time when you put your child to bed. In this case, the habit of falling asleep at certain hours is formed. If the daily routine is disrupted, it becomes difficult to put the child to bed, and his sleep can be sensitive and restless.
• Change in room temperature.
  In young children, thermoregulation is not well developed, so the body cannot yet respond correctly to changes in the environment. Excessively warm or cool air can affect the baby's condition and the quality of his sleep.
• The child is hungry.
  Wakes up 3-5 times a night to eat.
• A feeling of fear in a child
  , which is due to the fact that the baby perceives the world differently from us adults and for his peace of mind the constant presence of his mother is required, as it was before his birth, and being at the breast to eat and calm down.
• Sudden movements of arms and legs during sleep.
  This happens often, especially in the first months of a child’s life, due to lack of coordination of movements. To help your baby sleep, it is better to swaddle him during daytime and nighttime sleep.

Experts confirm that the most common cause of sleep problems in infants is disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (infantile colic). “Intestinal colic syndrome (from the Greek “kolikos” - pain in the colon) is paroxysmal abdominal pain that occurs due to incoordination of the motor function of the intestine and increased gas formation in it. Its symptoms manifest themselves as a loud cry, legs pressed to the stomach, a tense and somewhat swollen abdomen. The baby should feel better after a bowel movement, but parents should understand that colic often comes on suddenly. This is natural, but unpleasant both for the child himself and for the adults around him.

Other causes of increased sleepiness in a newborn baby

The above describes only a few reasons for breast refusal and increased sleepiness of the baby. However, this is not a complete list:

• Features of the birth process.

If the birth process was too difficult and protracted, especially if any pharmacological drugs were used during the birth process, the child may also sleep soundly almost the entire first time and, accordingly, skip feedings. In particularly severe cases, such children lose the ability to coordinate the processes of breathing and swallowing at the mother’s breast.

• Incorrect attachment of the baby to the breast.

If the baby does not take the breast correctly, he may quickly get tired and fall asleep at the breast. In order to correct this problem, the mother needs to seek help from a lactation consultant, and in his absence, from a pediatric nurse or at least an experienced friend who has successfully breastfed her own babies.

By the way, very often the first flow of milk prevents the breast from latching correctly. With the arrival of milk, the breasts swell, the nipples become rough and it is quite difficult for the baby to grasp them with his lips. The baby, after several fruitless attempts, simply gets tired and falls asleep again, without receiving the nutrition he needs. In order to avoid this situation, the mother should express a small amount of milk before each feeding so that the breast becomes softer and the baby can latch on to the nipple.

• Environmental factors.

There is an opinion that a newborn baby can only fall asleep in darkness and almost complete silence. However, this opinion is wrong - bright light and loud sounds make the baby fall asleep almost instantly. Thus, the baby’s body is protected from stress and overload of the nervous system. Doctors noticed an interesting pattern - if the house is noisy, then the child wants to sleep all the time. However, remember that in a noisy environment, an infant sleeps restlessly, and this sleep of an infant cannot be considered complete.

If your newborn baby sleeps a lot and is not going to wake up for feeding time, you should wake up the baby and feed him. With such actions, the mother will be able to develop the associative series “hunger - discomfort” and “feeling full - pleasant sensations.” And the most important thing you will achieve is to provide your baby with everything necessary for normal growth and development.

Today, all pediatricians and breastfeeding specialists unanimously believe that the maximum permissible time for a baby to sleep uninterruptedly can be no more than 5 hours. However, parents need to take into account the fact that all children, without exception, are individual, and therefore the time between feedings is different for all babies. Some people can eat every five hours, while others must suck on their mother’s breast every hour or two.

• An infant sleeps little during the day

If for some reason the baby sleeps little during the day, it is quite natural that at night he will sleep soundly. In such cases, try to put your baby to bed more often during the daytime. If your child begins to sleep more in the evening and at night, monitor his sleep during the day.

Features of children's sleep

Children, in principle, sleep more restlessly than adults, due to certain characteristics of the body. It is known that the sleep cycle of an adult consists of 4 phases of deep sleep and one phase of rapid sleep (during this period, people dream, can make sounds and move in their sleep). In infants, the structure of sleep is different, as the source says: “The REM sleep phase in newborns accounts for up to 90% of the total sleep time, at the age of one week - about 50%, and only by 3–5 years its duration relative to the entire sleep period begins to correspond that in adults is about 25%.”

Because of this feature, it is normal for a child to move frequently during sleep, cry out or make other sounds, and sleep more lightly. This in itself does not indicate a sleep disorder and is not considered something pathological; such a condition should not be corrected. It makes sense to talk about a problem with sleep if the child wakes up too often, screams or cannot fall asleep, despite the efforts of the parents.

If it is difficult to put your child to bed at night

Create a physiological regime

A predictable daily routine allows your baby to understand the difference between daytime and nighttime sleep. The regimen improves the quality of sleep, and good sleep, in turn, has a beneficial effect on the child’s health, physical and mental development.

Where to begin

• Check how many hours of sleep and wakefulness your child needs at his age, how many daytime naps he should have now and for what duration. Children's need for sleep is much higher than that of adults, so you should pay special attention to this point. This way you will get an idea of ​​what aspects of the regime you should work on in your case.
• If you have a three-nap regime, finish the last one no later than 16.30-17.00. So, leaving at night will be at the most comfortable time for the child - between 18.00 and 20.00. Leaving early at night makes it easier to go to bed.
• Start daytime naps at favorable hours: 8-9 am and 12.00-14.00. During these periods of time, body temperature decreases, and fatigue has not yet accumulated excessively. For younger children, try an earlier time in the bedtime period; for older children, on the contrary, move it towards the end.
• If you are on 1-2 naps a day, organize your rest by the hour. When the baby wakes up at 6-7 am, the best time to start rest is at 9.00 and 13.00. Monitor your waking hours before heading out into the night.
• Remember that a child cannot establish a physiological regime on his own - this is the task of the parents.⠀

Learn to spot signs of fatigue

As children get older, they are able to stay awake longer without becoming tired. By the age of one year, a baby can spend on average 3-4 hours without sleep. This is a sign that the child is growing and developing. But at this age, children cannot yet understand for themselves that they are overtired, and it is important for the mother to control this moment.

Overwork occurs for one of the following reasons:

• Physical fatigue
• Baby doesn't get enough sleep all the time
• No ability to fall asleep independently and sleeps intermittently

The most common misconception about overtiredness and frequent advice from grandmothers to young parents: the child needs to be properly tired so that he falls asleep faster. However, with constant overeating, the level of the stress hormone cortisol increases. An overtired child will be capricious, protest, and simply won’t fall asleep. He will not be able to relax and tune in to sleep. This results in frequent awakenings in the middle of the night and early rises at 4-5 am.

When there is a lot of cortisol, the deep sleep phase is significantly reduced, your little one sleeps only in shallow sleep. You will also notice that he sleeps only in your arms, he sleeps with his eyes barely closed, and it is impossible to transfer him to bed.

How to distinguish fatigue from overwork?

When tired, the baby will:

• Yawn and rub your eyes
• Thumb sucking, hair fiddling
• The baby may drop toys, his movements slow down

Start laying if you notice one or more of the signs listed above.

If a child cries, constantly yawns at any time, cries incessantly, is capricious, or behaves aggressively, then he is overtired.

Tips for organizing your sleep

Poor sleep in an infant for a long time should be a reason for consultation with a pediatrician. If the doctor does not reveal any abnormalities in the child’s health, you should listen to the following recommendations.

1. Organization of a sleeping place.
   The child’s crib should be comfortable, and the bedding should be of high quality (made from natural materials, with neat seams) and always clean. It is important to ensure that there are no drafts in the room. While your child is sleeping, it is better to close the curtains and eliminate sources of noise. The temperature in the children's room should be maintained between 20–22 °C. It is advisable to put the baby to bed separately, and not in the same bed with the parents: pediatricians say that the practice of co-sleeping is not justified, and report that such a habit does not contribute to a healthy sleep pattern for the child.
2. Hygiene and ventilation
   . Fresh and clean air promotes sound sleep. Before putting your baby to bed, ventilate the nursery. But for this time, take the baby to another room, and after airing, wait until the air in the room warms up a little. Wet cleaning of the house should be done daily. It is recommended to maintain humidity at 60–70%. The air should be sufficiently humidified: dry air has a bad effect on sleep.
3. Feeding.
   During night feedings, try not to turn on bright lights or make noise. Feed your baby while he is half asleep: when he finishes his “late dinner”, it will be easier for him to fall back to sleep.
4. Bathing.
   Bathing perfectly relaxes and calms the child. Therefore, choose evening time for water treatments. A soft massage after a bath gives a special relaxing effect. Often, light stroking from a mother's hands can lull a baby to sleep much faster than rocking or carrying.
5. Lullabies and bedtime stories.
   When putting your baby to sleep, hum him a lullaby or a song that replaces it. If you read a fairy tale to your child, do it in a calm, even voice: your intonation will help the child relax and fall asleep.

Pediatricians, including the famous Dr. Komarovsky, claim that an important component of healthy children's sleep is a routine. In order for the child to sleep peacefully, it is necessary to correctly observe the daily routine and activity: do not neglect walks, do not allow a situation where the baby has nowhere to put his energy. It is recommended to avoid situations in which the child may become emotionally overexcited before bedtime, and not to neglect the bath: water helps to calm the baby and bring him into a state of consciousness in which it will be easier for him to fall asleep.

How to put your child to sleep if he is overexcited

• Dim the lights and turn on white noise to distract from extraneous sounds.
• Skip bathing as your child is already overtired. Wash it and start styling.
• Do everything without fuss and excitement, otherwise your tension will be transferred to the baby and he will not relax.
• Take a break if your baby won't fall asleep. The main thing is not to turn on the light. Leave the dim nightlight, take it in your arms and walk around the room, sing a lullaby.
• If your baby usually falls asleep on his own, if he over-walks, he will need more time to calm down and fall asleep. You can help him - one-time help will not ruin the skill of self-sleep.

Adjust the lighting

Light and darkness are responsible for the functioning of the body's circadian rhythms. Darkness promotes the production of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for sleep and falling asleep. Light is an irritant and makes the child not sleep. Therefore, it is important to darken the nursery for all sleep, including rest during the day.

• When your baby is awake, open the curtains and go for a walk outside.
• Before going to bed, turn off overhead lights and electronic devices in advance.
• If your child wakes up at night, do not turn on the light or take him into another room. The light will be a signal for him to awaken.

Organize a permanent place for your baby to rest, which he will associate with sleep.

It is best if it is a separate crib in the parents' room. If your baby refuses to sleep in the crib, check whether you are making one of the following mistakes:

• Do you use it only during rest or also when your child is awake for games?
• Is it just sleeping or is there other entertainment in the bedroom?
• Does your baby fall asleep on your chest or in your arms and only then do you move him to his crib?

For infants, use a side cot. For older children, a regular crib with sides is suitable. Do not forget about the safety rules: there should be no pillows, blankets, soft bumpers or toys in the bed.

Teach your baby to relax on his own so that he gradually begins to fall asleep without your help.

If the baby falls asleep on the breast, move the feeding first to the middle and then to the beginning of the ritual. Or feed in the light. Every time your baby closes his eyes and falls asleep, remove the breast. This will let him know that feeding and sleeping are not connected. The same applies to rocking, carrying, and pacifiers. Let them be part of the bedtime process, but not the way to fall asleep.

Introduce a bedtime ritual. It will relax the baby even more and set him up for rest. The main thing is to repeat the entire sequence of actions every day. For example, bathing and washing, massage, changing into pajamas, a fairy tale, a lullaby, feeding, turning on white noise and a farewell phrase.

Place the baby in the crib after the ritual and feeding, sleepy, but not completely asleep. This is the only way he will learn to fall asleep on his own.