A one-year-old child does not sleep well at night, often wakes up: a complete analysis of the causes and methods of first aid for the baby. A one-year-old child does not sleep well at night and often wakes up

Ekaterina Morozova

Reading time: 6 minutes

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Today, children are increasingly suffering from insomnia. Each baby has his own personal sleep schedule. Some children fall asleep easily, others not so much. Some babies sleep well during the day, while others sleep well at night. For some children, sleeping twice a day is enough, for others three times a day. If your child is under one year old, then read our article about? But after a year, they only need to sleep once a day.

Child sleep norms and deviations from them

Sleep comes naturally to humans. This can also be called a biological clock, for the operation of which certain brain cells are responsible. In newly born babies, this does not immediately adjust to certain norms. The child's body must adapt to completely new conditions. In most cases, a child has already established a clear rest and sleep schedule by the age of one year.

But there are exceptions when sleep problems do not stop, but continue even into older age. It doesn't have to be related to health. In fact, there can be a lot of reasons.

Causes of poor sleep in a child - draw your own conclusions!

Very often, disorders are caused by various psychological reasons. For example, stress. You sent your child to school or kindergarten, the environment has changed for him and this situation makes him nervous. This is a nervous condition and can affect the baby's sleep.
Also, a child’s poor sleep can be provoked by, for example, moving to a new apartment or even birth of second baby. But, again, these are all extraordinary factors.
Another reason for a child’s poor sleep can be considered bad family relationships and jealousy brothers and sisters. This greatly affects the psyche of young children, and therefore their sleep.
Also, a child’s sleep is disturbed when he has I have a stomachache or if he starts teething. For children (especially in the first year or two) these “problems” are considered quite common.
Disturbed sleep in a baby often occurs if his pajamas are uncomfortable, or when he sleeps on a pillow that is too uncomfortable, hard sheets.

By analyzing these factors, your baby's sleep can be made more restful.
But why does one child sleep normally under normal conditions, but it is not possible to put the other to sleep; he constantly wakes up at night and is capricious? This question is asked by many mothers.

So, most often this may indicate that you have not taught sleep properly your child. What does this mean?

Almost all parents are convinced that sleep is a normal physiological need for a baby, just like, for example, eating. But I think everyone will agree that a child needs to be gradually accustomed to adult food. The same goes for sleep. Parents need to set up work biological clock , so that they do not stop and do not run forward, since they will not tune in on their own.

Hello, Doctor. I understand that not all questions can be answered correctly, but I would still be interested to know your opinion. My son is 2 years old. The boy is good, he speaks, he knows colors, he knows a lot of brands of cars, he likes to “read” books, in short, he is developing more or less normally. Not capricious, although it happens... But you can come to an agreement with him. The only problem is that she cries at night and only at night. He has been sleeping poorly for two years now (all 2 years). Wakes up from 2-3 to 7-8 times a night, sometimes just whimpering, sometimes crying. Taking him into bed, stroking him on the head, putting him on the potty doesn’t help. During the day he sleeps from 2 to 3 hours a day without waking up. What they did: ultrasound of the brain - 2 times (without pathologies), Dopplerography (went to the recommended osteopath), were treated by a homeopath, drank everything from Valerianohel to..., soothing baths at night, etc. and so on. Once in the hospital, where we were standing in line for an ultrasound, a doctor walked past Dimka and said: “What are you doing here? In my opinion, you don’t need to come here.” We don't know this doctor. She just saw how Dimka played and generally behaved. I say: “Well, he doesn’t sleep well at night.” Answer: “It’s not from the head, but his vegetative system is like that,” and she tried his palm, then mine. And she left. I've been thinking about it ever since. None of the neurologists paid attention to this. Everyone recommended an ultrasound, Dopplerography, and an electroencephalogram (at 1.5 years old, Dimka did not let him put on a cap, he cried very much). So I have a question - what could such a remark from a passing doctor mean? Of course, it would be more logical to find her and ask, but now it’s not realistic, and her remark can’t get out of my head. I have the vaguest understanding of the autonomic system and have heard the term “vascular-vegetative dystonia.” But how does this translate through a child’s bad sleep, and most importantly, what to do. I am raising a child alone. I haven't slept at night for 3 years now. Thank you if you answer. Tatiana

Hello Tatiana! To tell you the truth, to explain from an accurate medical point of view the remark of a doctor passing by, is completely impossible. But approximately - instability, sensitivity of responses to what is happening around. This “happening” can include emotional reactions, changes in atmospheric pressure, physical activity, etc. Those. some special type of temperament. Unfortunately, our medicine is increasingly trying to clumsily copy Western models. It is absolutely obvious that if a two-year-old child “speaks well, knows colors, knows a lot of brands of cars, loves to “read” books, in short, develops more or less normally...” then we simply cannot talk about any organic pathology of the nervous system (organic pathology is something that can actually be seen - inflammation, abscess, tumor, underdevelopment of anything, etc.). This means that the existing problems relate to the emotional sphere, which was, is and, apparently, will be a secret behind seven seals for a long time. But doctors simply cannot tell a worried mother “we don’t understand anything here” or admit that medicine in this case does not have harmless options for help. So they “examine” you for self- and mutual reassurance - ultrasound, dopplers, etc. “Well, you can see for yourself - there’s nothing terrible...” The problem of night sleep really exists and you must clearly imagine the real possibilities - your own and the doctor’s. Making sure that the child sleeps at night with the help of serious drugs is not a problem at all. But such drugs are very dangerous strategically, although they are tactically convenient - at least they give the mother the opportunity to sleep. Therefore, we immediately reject the option of using all sorts of tranquilizers and antipsychotics as unacceptable. Real options for pharmacological assistance nevertheless exist.

1. Sleeping pills and sedatives based on medicinal plants. You have already tried a lot, but there is one peculiarity in this direction: very often there is a very good reaction (i.e., achievement of the desired effect) to one drug, but almost no reaction to others. Those. one feels good with valerian, the second with mint, the third with motherwort, the fourth with lemon balm, etc. Almost all herbal sedatives are harmless, and you can experiment in different ways, look, with some drug and you’ll guess. Naturally, you can also try complex preparations (i.e. those with a little bit of different herbs) - Persen, Sanason, etc.

2. Be sure to make sure that the child receives enough calcium. During the period of intensive growth of bones and teeth, a decrease in the level of calcium in the blood serum is very often observed, and one of the classic manifestations of this decrease is a significant increase in nervous and psycho-emotional excitability. The essence of the test is not to drag the child to another laboratory, but to give the baby 2-3 tablets of calcium gluconate or calcium glycerophosphate per day for 2-3 weeks. The presence of a positive effect (sleeps better, is calmer, etc.) confirms the version of a calcium metabolism disorder due to its lack. Next, and this is very (!) important. Very often, when a child is constantly fed vitamins, there is an overdose of vitamin D, which, again, requires calcium. And if vitamin D is given, but calcium is not, then you can sleep poorly both day and night.

3. Another, previously widely used, but now undeservedly forgotten drug is sodium bromide solution. About 50 years ago, no one would have done an ultrasound, but they would have prescribed bromine for the baby, he would have slept much better and everyone would have felt good. Sodium bromine is used in the form of a 2% solution, it must be ordered at the pharmacy - this is the main inconvenience - doctors have forgotten how to write out prescriptions. The dose for a two-year-old child is 1.5 teaspoons 3 times a day, you can also do this: 1 teaspoon in the morning and afternoon, 2 teaspoons at night. Give 10 days at this dose, and then gradually reduce the amount of the drug over 2-3 weeks. In order to obtain bromine, you should ask your local pediatrician to write a prescription. This is where safe pharmacology ends. Now let's forget about chemistry. The situation when a child feels well and develops well, but at the same time his mother does not sleep at night for 3 years is absolutely abnormal!!! This is wrong on many levels. This is masochism, this is a lack of understanding of your own prospects - well, at least the fact that your son still needs a healthy mother! Therefore, if you think at least a little about yourself, and raise your boy even a little, this will not at all mean that you are an evil, unkind stepmother. This will only mean that the happiness of the child and the happiness of his mother are interconnected things. What should you do to help your baby sleep better at night? The answers are actually obvious, you just need to analyze for yourself, what should you do to yourself to sleep better? 1. Not getting enough sleep. Those. The child should be prevented from getting enough sleep during the day. I guess that Dimkin’s nap during the day is also a reason for you to take a nap, especially since the night is still ahead... But! Wake him up in an hour, it won’t help - don’t put him to bed at all. Sing, dance, walk, negotiate, etc. - but don't sleep. 2. In the evening, do not go to bed until you see that you are “ready”, will be ready - at 22 - please. No - let him run at least until 2 am, but after he gets into bed, communication should end until the morning. 3. Until the night's sleep improves, limit emotional stress - all these cars, colors, letters, books and other educational games.

4. On the contrary, try to increase physical activity. Walk more, jump and gallop, be sure to take a walk in the evening.

5. It is very important that the children's bedroom (any bedroom) has clean and cool air. No more than 20 C, ideally 18 C.

Last thing. Stop thinking that in such a situation at least someone will help you. No homeopaths and other healers, no neurologists, uzologists and osteopaths (by the way, I have no idea who they are) will help you. In relation to your situation, the idea that a person is the architect of his own happiness is 100% correct. All the best to you, good luck and Dimka, special greetings and good night from Uncle Doctor. Komarovsky Evgeniy Olegovich

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Doesn't sleep well at night. At the same time, one baby experiences the problem several times a week, and another every night.

Daily insomnia is fraught with complications and developmental delays. Let's try to figure out the reasons for this phenomenon and propose a solution.

Regularly staying awake at night is called insomnia. It would seem that such a phenomenon is completely normal for a child of 1 year. In fact, this circumstance among doctors has its own name - insomania, and is considered a pathology.

There are many reasons for children's sleep disturbances. But we cannot deny the fact that children grow while they sleep. And this is absolutely true, because during sleep a natural hormone is produced that is responsible for the growth of the child’s body. That is why it is important for young children to get enough sleep not only at night, but also during the day. Lack of normal sleep can lead to developmental delays in a child.

If your child constantly wakes up at night and is capricious, you need to consult a doctor to determine the cause of this behavior.

Indirect symptoms may also hint at a problem:

loss of appetite;
lethargy;
irritability;
tearfulness.

Reasons for a child's poor sleep at night:

The routine is very important for a child under one year old. There are the following norms for children's daily sleep:

from birth to 3 months. up to 22 hours a day;
child from 1 to 3 months. about 20 o'clock;
child from 6 months needs 14 hours of sleep, of which 10 hours at night;
A baby from 1 to 1.6 years old should sleep at least 2-3 hours during the day and 10 hours at night.

The most important time for a baby to sleep is from 19.00 to 24.00.

What to do if your child constantly tosses and turns and wakes up every hour

If infants do not sleep, parents begin to panic. I would like to try all possible methods to figure out the cause and calm the child.

The problem can lie in anything: teeth, colic, illness, desire to eat. It is recommended to visit a neurologist and pediatrician. Doctors diagnose the cause of this disorder by ordering additional medical examination.

If the examination reveals that the cause of the baby’s insomnia is teething, the doctor will prescribe special ointments and gels for the gums that relieve pain and help the tooth come to the surface faster.

If a woman is breastfeeding and the baby suddenly starts crying, the reason may be a lack of breast milk. A woman has crises when there is less milk. It may be necessary to supplement the baby's formula feeding and begin introducing complementary foods at 6 months.

Colic and tummy pain can bother the baby due to the mother’s poor diet. A woman should pay more attention to her diet, eliminating foods that upset the baby’s tummy.

If the exact cause of the child has not been identified, and the baby continues to cry at night, neurologists recommend glycine. Glycine is an amino acid that will safely calm a child and relieve nervous overexcitation.

The amino acid has the following effects:

Normalizes sleep;
Improves metabolism;
Activates brain function;
Improves memory;
Reduces stress on the nervous system;
Saturates the blood with oxygen;
Helps cleanse the body of harmful substances.

This drug is approved for newborns and older children. Sold in pharmacies in the form of uncoated and coated tablets. Give children 1 tablet 2 times a day for a month.

The effect will be more noticeable if you give your child glycine half an hour before bedtime.

It is recommended to thoroughly ventilate the room before going to bed.
The air temperature in the room should be +20 +23 C. Air humidity should be in the range of 55-80%.
It is better to avoid heaters, which greatly dry out the baby’s mucous membranes.
The child reacts to the mood of the parents and the atmosphere in the house. Adults should constantly express their love to the baby and communicate calmly with each other.
It is better to clean the room without using chemicals.
Wear your child comfortable clothes made from natural fabrics.

Getting a good night's sleep is not as easy as it might seem. The first year of a baby’s life is quite eventful for both the child and his parents. You need to gain strength and patience.

In this case, Dr. Komarovsky offers the golden rules for a child’s healthy sleep:

Even after arriving from the maternity hospital, you need to establish a daily routine and decide what period of sleep is suitable for all household members. It is not the parents who adapt to the child, but the child who intuitively adapts to the parents. If it is more convenient for everyone to put the child to bed from 21.00 to 5.00, then that is what should be done. But it’s not bad if sleep shifts from 23.00 to 7.00. Everyone is required to be disciplined about the chosen schedule so that the child gets used to it. Of course, the baby first wakes up at night to eat. But by the age of six months, you can teach your child to go without night food for 8 hours.
You need to decide in advance where the baby should sleep. Ideally, this is a crib in the parents' room. It will be convenient for the mother to feed the baby at night, change clothes and monitor him. Co-sleeping is not the best choice, as neither the child nor the parents will get enough sleep. There is no need to teach your baby to rock in your arms. If this happens, then it is the parents’ fault - they need to be retrained.
If doctors have not found neurological or physical pathologies in the baby, and the child sleeps for half an hour and wakes up anyway, then most likely, daytime sleep is disturbed. There is no need to be afraid of waking up a child who has fallen asleep during the day, in favor of night rest.
In the first year of life, sleep and food are very important for a child. You need to pay special attention to your diet. Up to 3 months, the baby needs night feedings 2-3 times. Then you can reduce this number to 1-2. After 6 months, try to go without feeding at night. If the baby is used to eating on demand, then it is the parents’ fault. A child who eats every half hour begins to have a tummy ache due to overeating.
To sleep well at night, your child needs to have a good walk during the day. You need to take your baby for walks in the fresh air more often, engage him in educational games, do gymnastics, bathe him in the bath, exercise him and give him a massage. Before going to bed, you need to calm your child down, read a book, and sing a lullaby an hour before bedtime.
The room should be comfortable. It is better if the air temperature is +18 +20C. Before going to bed, you need to ventilate the room where the baby sleeps.
For a child’s healthy sleep, it is important to carry out evening bathing procedures in a large bath with a decoction of chamomile and valerian, and then do a soothing massage.
When choosing a baby's sleeping place, special attention should be paid to the mattress. It should not be too soft or hard. It is better to choose mattresses marked “hypoallergenic”. The sheet and blanket should also be made of natural fabrics; a child under 2 years old does not need a pillow.
A baby may have difficulty sleeping due to a wet diaper. It is better to choose diapers from trusted companies that will make your baby as comfortable and safe as possible.
Children can be weather sensitive. Even if you follow all the recommendations in the world, sleepless nights can still happen. Especially if the atmospheric pressure “jumps”, the weather and temperature conditions change. This is especially true in the off-season. Here you need to be patient, remain calm and be there for your child.

This is the dream of any of us who has experienced insomnia or a sleep disorder at least once in our lives.

However, many parents are unlikely to agree that their child’s sleep is ideal; on the contrary, they will consider it unimportant.

According to scientific data, in every sixth family an infant or young child has sleep disturbances.

Why does the baby sleep poorly, what should I do? In this article: about the causes of sleep disorders, recommendations on how to improve a child’s sleep from famous pediatricians, somnologists and parents of large families.

Baby's sleep

You've probably wondered why a newborn baby sleeps so much. Waking up for a short time to eat, he can sleep up to 20 hours a day. At the same time, his sleep is not passive, like with us adults, but rather an active process: the baby can shudder strongly in his sleep, throw up his legs and arms.

With such movements, he often wakes himself up and scares himself, which serves as one of the...

A newborn needs active (paradoxical) sleep for accelerated brain development, programming of hereditary and acquired instincts responsible for the uniqueness of the future personality. It is for brain development that such long sleep is needed.

As the brain develops (by the age of two it reaches 90 percent of an adult), the proportion of paradoxical sleep decreases, and the child’s sleep becomes more restful. Read more about the duration and structure of your child's sleep.

By 1.5 months, brain structures are formed, and the baby begins to distinguish between day and night based on the level of illumination. Parents should emphasize the differences with their behavior: dark, quiet, calm at night; everything is the other way around - during the day.

By the age of three months, a child who wakes up at night is able to stay awake alone and not wake up his mother. Therefore, from the first weeks, you should try to develop the skill of self-soothing in him, as well as create friendly and comfortable conditions so that the baby feels safe.

Physiological causes of sleep disorders in children under 3 years of age

Whimpering, sniffling, or crying Doctors consider babies in their sleep to be the norm; they call these sounds “physiological night crying.”

Physiological crying performs a number of functions:

In the first months, the child receives a huge amount of information that... His dreams reflect the impressions and emotions of the past day, which are expressed by sobbing, smacking, and whimpering.

“Scanning” function of crying: it is important for the baby to know that he is safe, that his mother has not left him, that she is nearby. Whimpering, he subconsciously checks to see if this is true. If there is no confirmation, he wakes up and cries for real.

Do not immediately and actively respond to any nightly self-expression of the child. Excessive care deprives the baby of the opportunity to learn to self-soothe. He needs to get used to it. Under normal conditions, 60% of one-year-old children develop a stable skill of self-soothing.

Night awakenings are a natural part of sleep , they occur several times during the night for various reasons (startles in sleep) and do not always require the active participation of adults. One-year-old children wake up once or twice during the night and immediately fall asleep if they have developed the skill of self-soothing. If parents are overprotective of the baby, these natural awakenings can develop into sleep disturbances.

Watch your child and remember how many times and at what time he wakes up at night. Very young children usually wake up after falling asleep within 30 minutes. Try to be nearby at this moment so that with the help of soothing and quiet actions (rocking, light stroking, giving a lost pacifier, hissing sounds “shhh”) to help the baby not wake up completely.

It’s good to have a catchphrase for sleep and teach your child to use it from the first weeks, without using it in other situations. Then, when you wake up at night, it will be easier for you to lull your son or daughter to sleep. For example: “Sleep, my little little bunny, mommy is nearby, sleep calmly...” or “Speeee. Mom is raaaaad. Speeee, my good one. Everything is fine...”

Watch your child and at the first sign of awakening, start actively hissing. “shhhh...” and say this phrase. Elizabeth Pantley, author of How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Without Crying and mother of four, says using this method can help your baby sleep through the night without waking up.

If the child wakes up and cries, try not to wake him up completely : do not change the diaper unless absolutely necessary and, especially, do not turn on the light. Soothe your baby in the usual way: with a pacifier, bottle, breast, pick him up, sing a lullaby or turn on calm music that he likes to fall asleep to. Wherein .

Older children (closer to one year old) are helped to fall asleep independently by developed sleep associations:

the presence of a favorite toy in the crib, hugging which the baby will calm down.
If your baby is used to falling asleep with a pacifier, put several of them in the crib so that if he loses one, he can easily find another.

JERKING (jumping) of the baby in his sleep- this is a natural phenomenon associated with changes in nervous excitability when falling asleep and during sleep during the transition from one of its stages. The child, shuddering and throwing his arms and legs, wakes himself up and scares him.

In very young children, jumping up is especially pronounced, because the nervous system does not yet have developed inhibitory mechanisms; as the child develops, the severity of jumping up decreases.

Typically, throwing up of arms and legs occurs during the transition from light sleep to deeper sleep, approximately 20-40 minutes after falling asleep.

. To prevent the child from waking up from startling, pediatricians recommend swaddling up to 6-9 months of age; it helps keep the arms and legs from throwing up. There are different swaddling methods: “loose”, “with handles”, “handles only”, Australian and so on.

With any method, according to orthopedists, the legs should NOT be tightly closed, this will help avoid hip dysplasia. It is worth noting that tight swaddling, in which the baby's legs are straightened and pressed tightly against each other, is considered a harmful relic of the past.

For restless babies, swaddling with arms is more suitable, which gives them the opportunity to get better sleep.

After your child falls asleep, stay close to him , hold his hands with your hands firmly, but at the same time gently. After about 20 minutes you will be able to feel the jumping up. Hiss at this moment “shhh”, help the baby switch between sleep cycles without waking up.

It may not work out the first time, but a little time will pass and your child will learn to independently move from light sleep to deep sleep. His sleep will become stable and will delight you with its duration.

Behavioral sleep disorders in children

They appear if, during the period associated with sleep, the behavior of parents and the child is improperly organized. These include:

Incorrect associations of falling asleep.
Disturbances in sleep patterns.
Eating disorders.

INCORRECT ASSOCIATIONS for falling asleep(conditions under which the baby feels comfortable, calms down and falls asleep).

Eg.

The child wakes up frequently during the night , cries, and calms down only after being picked up or rocked.

The child does not know how to fall asleep on his own, alone . A prerequisite is the presence of an adult during falling asleep, which can last for several hours.

From the first weeks of life, try to provide your baby with such sleeping conditions that will subsequently enable not only him, but also you, to rest and get enough sleep. If your baby gets used to falling asleep in your arms, in your bed, while rocking or breastfeeding, then in the future he will “defend” his rights to such sleeping conditions, because he is not accustomed to others.

It should be noted that if parents come and calm their child during night awakenings, then his sleep does not suffer qualitatively or quantitatively. In this case, the parents suffer, for whom one can only sympathize: their nights turn into a nightmare that can last until the child is 3 years old.

Forming the “correct” associations for falling asleep:

Sleepy ritual. Following a constant order of actions before going to bed: bathing, feeding, at night (a book for older children), leaving the child alone. Nowadays, parents have radio and video baby monitors at their disposal, allowing them to monitor their child in real time, without once again entering his field of vision. Thus, the baby gets used to being alone and develops self-soothing skills.

Toy or “object intermediary” - this is the thing that is always with the child in bed. It helps the baby, when waking up alone at night, to calm down and feel connected to his parents, and therefore safe.

For the little ones, you can use a regular diaper, sheet or blanket that retains the mother’s smell (put this thing between you and the baby while feeding). Older children can choose a small soft toy themselves (without buttons, ropes, sharp or prickly parts).

Teach your baby to fall asleep with minimal parental involvement and in his own crib. You should not run to him at night for any reason, but in all your behavior emphasize the differences between night time and day time: reduce communication during approaches to the crib to a minimum.

If incorrect associations have managed to take hold , but you decide to improve your child’s sleep, be persistent and consistent. Studies have shown that changes in sleep conditions are more stressful for parents than for the child, who gets used to the new routine within a week or two. We will consider in detail how to teach a child to fall asleep independently in the following publications.

SLEEP SETTINGS are disturbed

This sleep disorder is typical for children after one year; they already know how to get out of bed and verbally express their dissatisfaction. Eg:

baby doesn't want to go to bed at a certain time, comes up with various reasons just not to go to bed, and can throw a tantrum.

While in bed, refuses to accept the imposed routine and seeks to prolong communication with parents: requests begin to eat, drink, go to the toilet, read, sit next to each other.

Combination of incorrect associations and sleep settings: a child who is accustomed to falling asleep in his parents’ bed, waking up at night in his own bed, is dissatisfied and strives to restore the “status quo” - he goes to his parents’ bed.

To cope with such sleep disturbance, it is necessary to restructure the child’s attitude towards the “imposed” routine. This can be achieved using strict adherence to the sleep ritual.

A one-year-old child does not yet have an understanding of time, so the ritual before bed should contain guidelines that the baby understands, which will subconsciously prepare him for parting with mom and dad for the whole night.

Think over the schedule of actions that the ritual will include, and repeat it an hour and a half before bedtime religiously every day.

It is important that the child develops a reflex, a habit: if they bathe, feed, read a fairy tale (), the lights are dimmed, then it’s time to sleep. A little time will pass, and all these actions will cause drowsiness in the baby, because the reflex, as you know, is the best sleeping pill.

The power of ritual is consistency the same actions. Therefore, if there is not enough time for each full stage, then shorten their duration (instead of three books, read one), but do not disturb the order.

Plan your daytime nap at one specific time too, so that the internal clock in the child’s body is set up and working.

Important! If the baby yawns, then you should forget about bathing, feeding and books, quickly put him to bed! Otherwise, he, who is overtired and has had too much fun, will find it difficult to put him to sleep.

NIGHT FEEDING

refers to eating disorders when a child who wakes up cannot fall asleep without a portion of food or drink. In some cases, the amount of liquid (food) you drink per night can reach up to a liter!

This problem usually develops under the influence of laziness of parents who follow the path of least resistance: instead of creating conditions for the child to develop the right associations, teach him to fall asleep on his own and cope with loneliness, every time he wakes up at night or cries, they offer him a bottle of food or breast.

Such excessive care very quickly becomes an indispensable attribute and association for a child to fall asleep well. It is not surprising that such children of two or three years old can wake up at night and demand food.

Doctors have found that after the age of 6 months, the baby’s stomach is able to accommodate a sufficient amount of food, which means he can do without night feeding.

If there are no problems with weight gain, then night feedings should also be abandoned for a number of reasons:

The child may develop tooth decay;
Eating in a horizontal position creates a risk of milk entering the inner ear (through the Eustachian tube) from the nasopharynx, which can lead to inflammation;
Feeding at night disrupts hormonal processes in the body: the norm is for the digestive system to rest at night.

Allow at least 30 minutes between feeding before bedtime and bedtime.
Don't feed your baby in bed.
If your baby can sit, use a cup or sippy cup instead of a bottle.
Having accustomed your baby to evening meals in new conditions, begin to gradually reduce the nightly portions of food. Then the bottle can be “lost.”

In this article, dear friends, we looked at the so-called primary causes of poor children's sleep: natural, as well as those that arise due to improper sleep patterns due to the inexperience of parents.

Antipyretics for children are prescribed by a pediatrician. But there are emergency situations with fever when the child needs to be given medicine immediately. Then the parents take responsibility and use antipyretic drugs. What is allowed to be given to infants? How can you lower the temperature in older children? What medications are the safest?

Has your child not slept at night yet again? Are your nerves strained to the limit, and again you haven’t gotten enough sleep and are exhausted trying to calm your child? It's so familiar! Let's look at the reasons for poor sleep to find out why children under one year old may have trouble sleeping at night. What exactly is bothering your child and what to do about it? Find out the most common sources of sleep disturbance in children, as well as actionable tips to combat it.

Why does my child sleep poorly at night?

Intestinal colic. This unpleasant phenomenon often worries newborn babies: pain in the abdomen, bloating and discomfort occur. The child is restless, cries loudly, twitches his arms and draws his legs closer to his body ();
Childhood fears. They first begin to bother children after the first year of life. The child may be afraid to be alone in a dark room, he may be frightened by extraneous noises or sounds coming from the street, fear that his mother is not around and she may not return;
Premature placement in a separate large bed. Sometimes parents are in too much of a hurry with this. And the baby may be uncomfortable sleeping in a big bed alone, he is not ready for this yet;
Teething. Many children do not cope well with the teething stage. The gums become inflamed, sore and itchy, and at night, when toys and games do not distract the child, these sensations intensify and cause more discomfort ();
Not comfortable conditions. The nursery may be too stuffy or cold. It is possible that the mattress on the children's bed is too hard or, on the contrary, too soft ();
Overwork and overexcitement. If the child was very excited and active in the evening before bedtime, then it will be more difficult for him to calm down in bed, and his sleep will be intermittent and not deep;
Cold, fever or pain. Children have a harder time sleeping at night when they are sick. Due to the high temperature, the whole body can ache unpleasantly, and nasal congestion or cough does not allow you to rest properly at night, irritates and worries you;
Meteosensitivity. Some children react sharply to changes in weather, to an approaching thunderstorm, or to the approaching full moon. With a sudden change in weather, the child may become lethargic, passive, sometimes have a headache and lower blood pressure. All this interferes with a good night's rest;
New stages of development. A child can have bad sleep even after new achievements! For example, after a child began to sit or walk, roll over, crawl, etc., in general, he mastered something new;
An abundance of emotional experiences. Sleep problems can begin due to severe stress, nervous experiences or a lot of emotions. Many children sleep poorly after meeting new people, moving, or even going to an entertainment center;
Fear of losing mom. Young children may experience the period of their first independence in different ways. Some become very restless, cry and get scared, even if the mother goes into another room or into the kitchen for a short time. It is difficult for a child to sleep at night if his mother is not around;
Breasts begin to sleep worse at night if the mother suddenly begins to reduce daytime feedings and attachments. The baby will require the breast longer and more often at night;
Something is preventing the child from falling asleep. A running TV can disturb your baby's sleep. Having the light on will also prevent your child from falling asleep normally at night.
With a lack of vitamin D in the child's body . A lack of this vitamin can also negatively impact nighttime sleep. The necessary test can be taken at a children's clinic, and if the study reveals a vitamin D deficiency, the pediatrician will advise giving the baby special vitamin drops (usually they also contain calcium for better absorption).

How to achieve restful sleep?

We have familiarized ourselves with the main reasons, and now it’s time to learn valuable tips in order to normalize your child’s night sleep:

Don't let your child become overtired! This always has a very negative effect on the duration and depth of night sleep. The child should be tired, but not overtired!
It is very helpful to do the same steps every day before going to bed. This kind of ritual will help the child quickly tune into a calm mood and relax the psyche. For example, you can play calming songs for your child before bed, read children's stories, collect toys with him and put them in place. You can choose or come up with an optimal ritual suitable for your child. It is important to maintain regularity and perform these steps every time before going to bed at night ();
Pay attention to how your child behaves after an evening bath. If after washing he becomes cheerful and immediately runs to play, then soothing decoctions of healing herbs, aromatic drops and essential oils can be added to the water for an evening bath. For example, an infusion of lemon balm leaves, mint or chamomile flowers will help relax the child’s psyche and relieve overexcitement;
It is important that the children's room has a comfortable temperature. And shortly before going to bed, it is worth ventilating the room so that the child has a deep night's sleep and can easily breathe fresh air (pediatric experts advise keeping the temperature in the room with the child within 18-22 degrees -);
Use the prevention of deficiency of important microelements in the baby’s body , give your child vitamin D drops once a day;
Pay attention to the position in which your baby likes to sleep. Some children like to fall asleep exclusively on their stomach. By the way, this pose is great for reducing pain and bloating during intestinal colic!
If a small child is bothered by abdominal pain and intestinal colic , then you should give him a special remedy before going to bed so that the baby does not suffer and cry in pain at night. Espumisan children's drops helped us a lot, which effectively and quickly eliminated bloating ();
The same applies to teething situations. Don't make your child feel uncomfortable. Relieve it of unpleasant sensations by anointing your inflamed gums with a special soothing and cooling gel. For example, Kamistad or Dentinox ();
Make sure your child gets enough naps during the day so that the baby does not get overtired;
In some cases (especially if the child is afraid of the dark or reacts sharply to the mother leaving the room), you can offer the baby a shared sleep. Many children immediately calm down, feeling their mother’s presence nearby, and begin to sleep much more peacefully;
Try leaving the child to fall asleep on his own, maybe you are the one distracting him.. Sometimes it is the mother who distracts the baby, preventing him from sleeping soundly!
Do not force your child to overeat before bed, because a full stomach often interferes with the process of falling asleep , the body cannot rest fully if it is forced to digest food!

This is brilliant :)

Sometimes you just need to be patient and wait until the cause of poor sleep goes away on its own. For example, teeth will come out sooner or later, and intestinal colic will go away on its own when the baby reaches the age of three months. You can help your child endure such unpleasant periods more easily and sympathize with him more. Provide all possible assistance for colic, placing the baby on his tummy more often.

And don't forget that it is very important to always put children to bed at the same time, observe! Young children find it easier and easier to fall asleep in the evening if their bedtime is the same every day. Your baby's biological clock adapts to your routine. And if you send your child to bed at 9 o’clock every evening, then by this time his entire body begins to slow down and prepare to fall asleep on its own, no additional tricks are needed.

Your child doesn’t sleep well at night: How to improve your baby’s sleep and get enough sleep? - Doctor Komarovsky

The question of why a child does not sleep well at night is especially relevant for young parents, and for those who became parents for the first time. The fact is that the baby’s moodiness and poor sleep do not give peace not only to the mother, but sometimes to all the inhabitants of the house. Anxiety, as well as worries about your child, lead to unmotivated calls to the ambulance, which does not diagnose any emergency conditions.

When a small child does not sleep well at night, it is quite difficult to determine the cause of this phenomenon, in contrast to older children, who may more clearly complain about the source of the disturbance. But even in adolescents, the causes of nighttime sleep disturbances cannot always be reliably determined.

It is important for parents to understand that often poor sleep at night in infants is associated with general discomfort due to environmental conditions or internal anxiety and is not a health hazard.

If poor sleep in a baby or older child becomes regular, this is a reason to consult a doctor and determine the true cause of this phenomenon.

When a one-year-old child does not sleep well at night, often wakes up and is capricious, the reasons for this may be:

Uncomfortable environmental conditions and microclimate in rooms where children sleep. This reason is quite banal, but arises from the fact that parents often forget the peculiarities of heat exchange in children under the age of 1.5 (1.6) years - 2 years and older. The baby, being in his crib, is either cold or, on the contrary, he is hot. Due to his inability to speak, he can only point out this by worrying and crying. It’s easy to identify such a problem - touch the child’s skin, and if it seems hot (or, conversely, cold), try to solve the problem with the temperature in the room. Don’t forget to additionally measure your baby’s body temperature - this will rule out an inflammatory process in the body or fever. A room thermometer, as well as a good heating and ventilation system will help create a comfortable and restful sleep for your baby.
Night colic. Cramps and abdominal pain due to disruption of normal digestion are not uncommon in young children under 1 year of age. The main period for such manifestations is considered to be the first months after birth, as well as the age of 6 months, when the first complementary foods are introduced. A baby at 8 months or 9 months is most often susceptible to food poisoning, which will manifest itself not only with anxiety, but also with vomiting or diarrhea. Physiological colic most often occurs in children under six months and more often in boys. They are caused by an increase in the contractile activity of the intestinal muscles under the influence of maternal estrogen.
Wet diaper. Quite often, young mothers do not take into account the fact that a child at the age of 4 months, as well as at 5 months, begins to urinate more abundantly due to the increasing volume of food and the early introduction of complementary foods. Using diapers that are not designed for this age, as well as changing them infrequently, can cause restlessness at night. Additionally, this can lead to diaper rash, as well as more serious problems that, due to pain, will not allow the child to sleep normally at night.
Teething. This is a problem known to all young parents. The baby’s anxiety at such moments often knows no bounds and greatly worries all the people around him. But do not forget that even if a 10-month-old child does not sleep well at night, it is premature to exclude inflammation of the gums and teething from the list of causes. Such phenomena are observed at the age of the baby from 7 months and can occur at 11 months and later.
Any infectious or somatic disease. In this case, the symptoms of intoxication and pain will bother the child even at night until special medications are taken and treatment of the disease begins.
Neurological disorders and developmental anomalies. When a small infant does not sleep well at night, is extremely capricious and cannot calm down, an examination and determination of his general development, as well as his neurological status, is mandatory. Quite often, the causes of this behavior are disorders in the development of the brain (cerebral palsy, microcephaly, Down syndrome, etc.). However, the number of these children is quite small, and developmental disorders of the central nervous system are accompanied by other more obvious signs. Therefore, consultation with a neurologist in case of poor night sleep, which is repeated more than once, is mandatory.

The attention of parents to their newborn children, creating comfortable conditions for them to sleep, proper feeding and timely treatment of diseases will allow not only the baby to sleep peacefully, but also his parents and loved ones.

Children after one year and poor sleep

When a child sleeps poorly at one year or earlier, this is usually associated only with certain age-related characteristics and external factors. But when a child begins to have trouble sleeping at night at an older age, makes various complaints, or completely withdraws into himself, parents should think about the fact that the reasons for this phenomenon may be:

Respiratory diseases and infectious diseases. A feeling of intoxication with them, as well as a cough and high body temperature, will definitely lead to discomfort and malaise for the baby. It is very simple to identify this condition: parents just need to measure their body temperature and evaluate the symptoms, which include a runny nose, sore throat and cough. And then you should consult a doctor.
Foodborne toxic infections. In children aged 1 year and older, when they are introduced to complementary foods with a variety of foods, the occurrence of poisoning ceases to be rare. The phenomena of nausea, vomiting, as well as weakness and anxiety during sleep after eating questionable food are a clear sign of this pathology in children.
Pathologies of internal organs in children. When the disease is latent or chronic, a number of symptoms can still appear during sleep, disrupting it. Chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract in children most often lead to a feeling of abdominal pain, diseases of the genitourinary system - to nocturia, i.e. frequent urination at night. When a child drinks a lot at night and sleeps poorly, it is worth thinking about the phenomena of metabolic disorders and diabetes mellitus.
Discomfort under unfavorable microclimate conditions. In babies after one year, the causes of poor sleep may also be related to the heat or cold in the room where they sleep. Therefore, parents should pay special attention to this factor, and also prevent the appearance of drafts and excessive cooling (overheating) of the air in the children's room.
Emotional experiences and psychological trauma. When young patients involuntarily see scenes of violence or are exposed to it themselves, or experience various stresses in everyday life, the likelihood of sleep disturbance is very high. The same thing happens when playing computer games or watching TV for a long time. Experience as a result of emotional turmoil can not only lead to the child being unable to sleep normally, but also to depression and even suicidal thoughts. In adolescents, such phenomena are associated with puberty, hypersexuality, etc.

Parents of infants should pay attention to their child’s behavior at night. If the child is not a year old and actively communicates with adults, you need to ask directly what bothers him during sleep, for what reason he sleeps poorly.

When your child sleeps very poorly at night, tosses and turns and still has various complaints, you should think about visiting a doctor and conducting special diagnostics to rule out various diseases.

What to do if your child doesn't sleep well at night?

The question of what to do when both a 3-month-old baby and a 9-month-old baby sleeps restlessly worries every parent consciously. First of all, don't panic. Most likely, the reason for this phenomenon is trivial, especially if this condition arose for the first time and is not accompanied by elevated body temperature, abdominal tension and disruption of physiological functions. In a child 8 months and older, one should not exclude teething, which may be delayed. A six-month-old baby is most susceptible to colic due to the introduction of complementary foods.

You should contact a doctor together with your child for consultation and examination in the following cases:

Long-term sleep disturbance in a child, accompanied by physical and psychological exhaustion.
Pronounced signs of an inflammatory reaction and infectious disease are fever, rash, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cough, etc.
Phenomena of neurological pathology - convulsions, local muscle spasms, strabismus, etc.
Changes in children's behavior, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, food refusal.
Breathing disorder during sleep.

Unlike the banal causes of children's night restlessness, such signs most often, unfortunately, indicate a serious pathology both from the internal organs and the central nervous system. A trivial reason to go to the toilet, which is repeated more often than when a child goes to urinate during the day, should also greatly alert parents. This is often the first sign of serious kidney disease or diabetes. One should also not exclude the psychological component in adolescents - they may become withdrawn and refuse to visit a doctor. Most often, serious psychological problems are behind this. The task of parents is to gain trust and be in contact with their children and try to help them as much as possible.

The main reasons for poor sleep at night in children updated: April 7, 2017 by: admin

Why does a child sleep poorly at night and what should be done to normalize his sleep? Detailed explanations of the causes of poor sleep for each age and practical recommendations to help parents.

Future parents are not always prepared for the fact that newborns have completely different sleep phases from adults. The big exception is children who fall asleep in the evening and sleep without waking up all night until the morning.

The overwhelming majority of young mothers are faced with the fact that their babies wake up very often, which is incredibly exhausting for parents. But there is no need to worry that such a dream will negatively affect the child. Frequent waking up is the norm for many children. Be patient - you just need to wait out this time.

Why does a newborn have trouble sleeping at night?

Any person's sleep consists of two cycles - fast and slow. An adult spends most of the night in deep, slow-wave sleep. REM sleep is characterized by startling, constant turning from side to side - at this time a person is easy to wake up
Babies sleep in the fast cycle and very rarely in the slow cycle. Therefore, all mothers should understand that frequent waking up of the child is not a bad dream, this is the normal development of the little person’s nervous system.
If you still have concerns that something is wrong with your child, then the surest method is to consult a neurologist
Only an experienced doctor can determine the problem (if there is one) and prescribe medications. But it’s worth noting right away that the presence of real problems is rare. Each baby’s age has its own characteristics that affect sleep.

Causes of poor sleep in children under 6 months

At your appointment with a neurologist, you will definitely be asked how many hours a day does your baby sleep? There is a generally accepted norm of 18 hours, but 14 hours is also acceptable. Doctors in Russia agree that 16 hours is the norm. It is worth noting that the conversation is not only about night sleep, but also about all daytime sleep.
If your child sleeps less, this is already a cause for concern, because his body does not rest, which can negatively affect his overall development and well-being.
Some babies wake up little until 6 months, and then more often. There is a situation, and vice versa, when babies constantly wake up until they are six months old.

What is this connected with?

The baby is hot/cold – the optimal temperature in the baby’s room is considered to be 19-22 degrees
The baby is hungry - breastfed babies eat more often than bottle-fed babies
The child is not swaddled and wakes himself up with unconscious movements of his arms and legs.
Colic in the tummy - as a general rule, goes away by 3 months
Nasal breathing disorders - infectious diseases, nasal discharge, dry air, anatomical features
Narrowness of the nasal passages - goes away with age, but sometimes surgery is necessary
Lack of vitamin D3 - especially noticeable in winter, add a vitamin D supplement to your diet
Feeling of anxiety - the baby has not yet learned to perceive the world the way adults do, so closing his eyes may be associated with an anxious state, just be there

Causes of poor sleep in children 7-9 months old

At this age, children begin to actively explore the world around them and learn to crawl in order to independently get to the object of interest. The skill of sitting without support is also developed. All this can even give an unconscious impulse to the brain at night, when the child tries to sit up in his sleep. Your task is to put and calm an overexcited child
Due to increased daily activity, the baby may not receive enough food, as he is constantly distracted. And at night he tries to make up for lost time, constantly waking up. Analyze whether your child eats enough during the day
At this time, acquaintance with new products continues, so mothers should strictly monitor the body’s reaction to complementary foods
Poor sleep may indicate a digestive disorder or an allergic reaction that prevents you from sleeping
Another reason for poor sleep at 7-9 months is painful teething. Don't wait for the pain to go away on its own, help your baby. Buy a special teething gel that will relieve painful sensations and allow parents to sleep peacefully

Causes of poor sleep in children 10-12 months old

During this period, the child has even more stress on the body, because he learns to get up and walk. It is also important to monitor your diet and avoid malnutrition. Activity increases, emotions overwhelm from your own achievements - it is important to strictly adhere to the daily routine
Also, at 10-12 months, there may be a lack of calcium in the body, and this is what causes poor sleep. Do not immediately run to the laboratory - take a safe drug from the pharmacy and administer it according to the instructions. Within a week, sleep returns to normal. By the way, calcium is also needed when absorbing vitamin D3
Another option to improve nighttime sleep is to reduce daytime sleep. Closer to one year, a child can sleep only 2 times during the day. It is now that the child begins to have dreams, and just like adults, he can see something scary, which causes him to wake up.

Poor sleep in a child under one year old Komarovsky

According to Dr. Komarovsky, a child is a healthy sleep for all family members. And only parents can help their child sleep long and well, devoting enough time to walking, organizing meals, cleaning the premises, and air humidity.

Komarovsky recommends following only 10 rules that will definitely help normalize your child’s sleep:

1. Understand that the most important thing for a baby is loving parents and a healthy family environment, so it’s important to set your priorities correctly
2. Strictly observe your sleep schedule and do not deviate from the chosen time
3. Decide where and with whom the baby will sleep: alone in a crib in the parents’ bedroom, alone in a crib in the children’s room, or in the same bed with parents
4. Reduce your child's naps if they sleep too much.
5. Try to underfeed at the penultimate feeding and then the child will have a good and satisfying meal before bedtime
6. Spend your time actively during the day, and in the evening play quietly and read books
7. Keep the air temperature in the child’s bedroom 18-20 degrees, and humidity 50-70%
8. Do massage or exercises before the evening bath, then bathe your baby in cool water in a large bathtub, then dress warmly, feed him and put him to bed.
9. Take the mattress seriously - it should be smooth and dense. Bed linen is made from natural fabrics. Up to two years - no pillows
10. Use a quality diaper

Why does an infant sleep poorly at night and often wake up?

There are many reasons why an infant sleeps restlessly and prevents the whole family from getting enough sleep. Basically, all the reasons come down to the physiological characteristics of the development of a small organism, and many of them are already described in the article.

In order to exclude serious pathologies, you should consult a neurologist and pediatrician. However, do not try to find a reason where there is none. If all doctors report normal development of the baby, then calm down and be patient.

Why does the baby start waking up more often at night?

It happens that the baby slept more or less normally and suddenly began to wake up much more often. With what it can be connected? Let's consider several reasons:
Presence of disease, infection
Teething
Stomach ache
Increased excitability during the day
Too many impressions during the day
Disturbed sleep patterns
A new product has been introduced into the diet

It should also not be ruled out that the mother’s bad mood affected the child’s sleep.

Why does a child often wake up at night and cry?

Crying at night is normal and should not be given much importance. Crying is the only way to call your mother for help. Perhaps the baby is hungry or simply requires communication.
By the way, children who sleep with their mother cry much less when waking up than those who sleep in a separate crib. This is due to the fact that the child knows that just by starting to move, his mother will pay attention to him. Over time, such children generally cry less.

Why does my child sleep restlessly and toss and turn a lot?

If a newborn doesn’t sleep well and toss and turn a lot, just try swaddling him; perhaps his hands are in the way and he wakes himself up
For older children, this nighttime behavior is often associated with stomach pain or teething.
However, it is better to seek help from a neurologist and, if necessary, start giving sedatives

The child sleeps poorly and starts in his sleep

Startling is normal sleep behavior for babies under one year old. This can happen for several reasons:

Overstimulation during the day
The transition of sleep from one phase to another
Uncontrolled movements of arms and legs
Most often, shuddering appears in the first months of life, and gradually disappears as the child grows older.

Swaddling is especially important in the first months, because the baby involuntarily moves his arms and legs, which is why he can hit or scratch himself. Even if you are one of the mothers who uses only modern methods, it is not recommended to give up night swaddling. Sometimes even children under one or one and a half years old need to be swaddled, but not completely, but only their arms
Stay with your child for a while after falling asleep. If the baby shudders and wakes up, pet him, sing a song, calm him down.
Do not create stressful situations for your child - excessive number of guests, too long active games, long travels. In a word - do not overload the nervous system, do not overwork
Strictly follow the daily routine and create a special procedure before going to bed, repeating it every evening. No matter what happens, don’t deviate from the rule

What should you do if your child has trouble sleeping at night?

Try to analyze and understand what caused the sleep disorder. If you can identify the cause, then it needs to be eliminated. Consider a few situations that may help you:

Perhaps you used to sleep with your baby, but now you’ve decided to put him in a separate crib at night. Then the baby is simply afraid to sleep alone, go back to your previous routine and wait a little longer
Starting from 4 months, a baby may be tormented by teething - purchase a special teething gel, but use it strictly according to the instructions
Babies up to 3 months suffer from colic, try to help: buy the product at the pharmacy, make dill water, apply a warm diaper to the tummy, and if you are breastfeeding, analyze your diet and exclude onions, legumes, cabbage and other foods that can cause colic at the baby's
If you slept well in the summer, but began to wake up often in the fall and winter, then try adding a supplement with vitamin D. Perhaps this is what the body lacks
Do you have a strict bedtime routine? For example: a walk, dinner, swimming, dimming the lights and sleeping. Perhaps the usual procedure has been disrupted? Children react sharply to such changes
How is the child feeling? Do you have nasal discharge, cough, or fever? Children sleep restlessly when they are sick. Consult your pediatrician at the first signs and he will prescribe treatment
Analyze your child’s diet: does he eat enough during the day or does he try to make up for what he doesn’t get at night? Starting from 6 months, babies actively explore the world around them, begin to crawl and get distracted while eating, so come up with your own procedure so that he eats his quota
Perhaps the child is overtired during the day. Try to add soothing herbs to your evening baths and reduce increased activity during the day. Dose emotional impressions and guest visits
Is everything good in your family? Are there frequent conflicts and quarrels? What is mom's emotional state? Behave as calmly as possible with your child, and especially do not swear in front of him. Children feel their mother's condition

A 1.5 year old child does not sleep well at night

A 1.5 year old child is characterized by high activity during the daytime, but try to reasonably limit it in the evening.
Just before going to bed, you need to take a good, long walk. If you don’t let your child run around during the day, then by the evening he will be full of energy, and at night he will have trouble sleeping.
We must not forget that the child also dreams, so if he wakes up, calm him down, stroke him and put him back to sleep
At 1.5, the baby constantly puts everything in his mouth, so infection with helminths is possible. If at home you need to wash toys and the floor for preventive purposes, then on the street, infection most often occurs in the sandbox
The active activity of worms in the child’s body occurs precisely at night, which prevents him from sleeping
At this age, many children sleep only once a day, so it is advisable to adhere to this regime

Causes of poor sleep in a child 2-4 years old

By the age of two, children already sleep peacefully throughout the night, and only sleep during the day. However, it happens that even during this period the child begins to sleep poorly.
Diagnosing the cause is much easier, since the child can already explain what is bothering him: his stomach hurts, his head hurts, or he dreamed about something. For this age, poor sleep can only occur in cases of obvious discomfort and any pain should be taken seriously, as it may indicate serious illness. It won't go away on its own
Often, sleep disturbances at this age are associated with nervous overexcitation or fatigue. If sleep disturbances continue for several days, you should consult a doctor.

Causes of poor sleep in a child 5-7 years old

At this age, children's sleep is similar to adults - deeper, less superficial, REM sleep. At 5 years old, talking about an excess of emotions or an incorrect regime is no longer correct.
Of course, children have dreams and may have nightmares, which can cause them to wake up, but if this happens every night, then you should be concerned. Only a competent neurologist can help
Perhaps the dream has become more disturbing due to the fact that the child was moved to his own room and now he is forced to sleep alone. It is important to carry out a calm ritual of reading fairy tales and singing songs every evening. The mother can lie with the baby until he falls asleep. A little patience and the baby will get used to independence

Glycine for poor sleep in a child

Despite the fact that glycine is a common amino acid, there is no need to voluntarily prescribe it to your child. Only a neurologist can tell whether it is needed or not in your case. Speaking about dosages, doctors recommend that children under three years old take 0.5 tablets, and after three years old - 1 tablet 2-3 times a day.
Glycine has a cumulative effect, so it must be taken in a course. However, it begins to act only when absorbed under the tongue, so it is not always effective for children.
They don’t write in the instructions, but many mothers observe the opposite effect in their children after using glycine - excessive activity and overexcitement. Each baby is individual
Children of any age need attentive attention from their parents. If poor sleep is the norm for an infant, then at 4 years old it can signal the presence of a serious illness. Treat everything wisely and listen to yourself. Contact your doctors if you feel the need

What to do if your child often wakes up at night? Many parents, tired of sleepless nights, are looking for an answer to this question. Why does my baby sleep poorly at night and how can I help him?

A one-month-old baby wakes up frequently at night

The reasons why your baby doesn't sleep well at night depend greatly on his age. Problems with falling asleep in a newborn and an older child can be very different. Why don't babies sleep in the first month of life?

Before talking about sleep disorders, you should understand what can be considered normal. A healthy newborn sleeps up to 20 hours a day. At the same time, the rhythms of his sleep differ significantly from the biorhythms of an adult. Short 45-minute cycles are considered normal for a newborn. Many parents are afraid of such a short sleep, but it is precisely this rhythm that is necessary for the normal development of the newborn.

The baby's sleep in the first month of life is divided into successively alternating phases. First comes the stage of falling asleep, which is replaced by the phase of superficial (rapid) sleep. REM sleep transitions into the deep (slow) sleep phase. In newborns, the duration of the fast phase is about 15 minutes, and the slow phase is 30 minutes.

The first months of life are characterized by a predominance of the shallow sleep phase over the deep sleep phase. On average, the duration of REM sleep is up to 80%. Over time, the phase ratio changes, and by the age of three, the shallow sleep phase occupies only 30%. This feature is associated with the active formation of the baby’s brain and is a necessary stage of its development.

From a physiological point of view, a baby’s sleep in the first month of life should not be too long. In the womb, the fetus does not distinguish between day and night. He sleeps when he wants, and after birth he does not immediately get rid of this habit. Up to 3-4 months, the baby can sleep 14-18 hours a day, while he will not have clear changes between day and night. The baby wakes up if he wants to eat or needs to change the diaper, and falls asleep when he is tired and full. Over time, the baby will sleep less and less until he completely switches to one night's sleep.

When should you worry?

If a newborn sleeps less than 16 hours a day.
The baby is awake for more than 5 hours at a time.
The newborn is constantly agitated and has difficulty falling asleep.
The baby wakes up every 5-15 minutes.

Why does a newborn sleep poorly? There can be many reasons for this.

Hunger.

For newborns, waking up frequently from hunger is completely normal. At this age, children are not able to eat by the hour and maintain a strict feeding regime. If your baby wakes up and cries, just give him the breast or offer him a bottle of formula.

Discomfort.

A wet diaper or diapers, too hot or cold air - all this can lead to the month-old baby waking up more often. Make sure nothing prevents your newborn from sleeping peacefully.

Colic.

Abdominal pain and the passage of gases are a common reason why the baby does not sleep well. Colic occurs in children between 3 weeks and 3 months of age and lasts about 3 hours. If the baby cries and curls his legs toward his stomach, give him dill water or another colic remedy. For some babies, skin-to-skin contact with their mother helps them fall asleep when they have abdominal pain.

Bright lights and loud sounds.

Many children cannot fall asleep in the bright light of a lamp, the sound of TV or the noise of voices. If your baby has trouble sleeping at night, make sure he falls asleep in a calm and comfortable environment.

Loneliness.

It is normal for children in the first months of life to be close to their mother all the time. Waking up after short 45-minute cycles, the baby does not find his mother at his side and begins to cry. If your baby starts waking up frequently in his crib, consider co-sleeping.

Some babies find it easier to fall asleep in a sling next to their mother.

A 6-month-old child does not sleep well at night and wakes up frequently

Why does a 6 month old baby sleep poorly at night? Many parents note that after six months the child seemed to have been replaced. He began to wake up often at night, cry and ask to be held. What to do in such a situation?

Experts do not advise rushing to conclusions and running to the doctor. Children at this age are actively exploring the world. During the day, the baby has many new experiences. He learns to crawl, touches everything with his hands, looks at toys and communicates with other people. All this inevitably affects the quality of night's sleep. Overexcited during the day, he cannot fall asleep quickly, is capricious and cries. Calming a baby and putting him to sleep at such moments can be quite difficult.

Another common reason for poor sleep is hunger. A 6-month-old baby needs night feedings just as much as a newborn. The frequency of feedings becomes less, but children at this age are not able to sleep through the night without waking up. Most children need to eat 2-3 times a night.

Place the baby's crib next to yours or switch to co-sleeping so you don't have to get up every time to feed.

A 1-year-old child often wakes up at night

One-year-old babies do not always sleep through the night without waking up. Often children at this age cause a lot of trouble with their poor sleep. What to do if your one-year-old child often wakes up at night?

First of all, you need to find out the cause of sleep disorders. Problems falling asleep and frequent awakenings occur in the following situations.

Violation of the daily routine.

If your baby gets up late and goes to bed late, and moves little during the day, he will have problems sleeping. Try to organize an acceptable daily routine and stick to it. Let your child wake up and go to bed at approximately the same time. Spend more time outdoors. A well-walked child falls asleep better than one who spent the whole day within four walls.

Refusal of daytime sleep.

It’s paradoxical, but often a baby doesn’t sleep well at night because he didn’t get enough sleep during the day. Overuse of energy, fatigue, overexcitement - all this creates difficulty falling asleep and leads to frequent awakenings at night. Provide your little one with the opportunity to sleep peacefully during the day and you will eliminate one of the reasons for poor night sleep.

Overexcitement before bed.

Active games, loud music, cartoons late in the evening - all this provokes sleep disturbances in a one-year-old child. To help your baby sleep well at night, introduce a bedtime routine. Two hours before going to bed, turn off the TV and eliminate all sources of noise. Dim the lights in the nursery, straighten the bed. Let the process of going to bed be slow and gradual so that the child has time to switch to night rest.

Teeth cutting.

Starting at 6 months, most children begin to erupt baby teeth. Closer to the year, 8 teeth should appear, and the rest will follow them. When a tooth passes through the gum, many children cry, refuse to eat and sleep poorly. Special dental gels with an anesthetic effect will help alleviate the baby’s condition.

Hunger.

Many children aged 12 months are still breastfed or drinking formula. If complementary foods do not make up the majority of the diet, the child may simply remain hungry at night. Without eating during the day, the baby wakes up at night in search of his mother’s breast or a bottle of formula. Review your baby's daily diet - maybe it's worth increasing the amount of food or shifting dinner time?

A 1.5 year old child often wakes up at night

Many parents think that older children are able to sleep through the night without waking up. They will be greatly disappointed, because at 1.5 years old children can also suffer from sleep disorders. What to do if your child doesn’t sleep well and often wakes up in the middle of the night?

The reasons for night awakenings in children over one and a half years old are exactly the same as in one-year-old babies. Hunger, discomfort, disruption of the daily routine, overstimulation - all this leads to poor sleep at night. The problem is that calming a one and a half year old child can be much more difficult. A grown-up baby already weighs a lot, and you can’t rock him in your arms or in a sling. In this situation, parents have to look for other ways to solve sleep problems.

At 1.5 years, a new item is added to sleep disorders. At this age, many children see vivid and intense dreams, which reflect all the events of the past day. Emotional and sensitive kids may have nightmares, which will cause them to wake up at night screaming and crying. In some cases, it will be possible to cope with the problem only with the help of a neurologist or child psychologist.

Older children often have night terrors. The baby may refuse to fall asleep alone in a dark room and ask to go to his parents' bed. Whether it is worth letting your child into the family bed is up to you to decide. For some children, this practice allows them to fall asleep and sleep peacefully until the morning.

How else can you make it easier to fall asleep and improve your night's sleep?

Create a bedtime ritual. Let the baby know that at a certain time it is time to finish all the tasks and go to bed.

Avoid overstimulation in the evening. Let your bedtime be peaceful.

Think about what cartoons your baby watches. Some children are prevented from falling asleep by overly active and aggressive cartoons.

Invite your baby to fall asleep with his favorite toy.

Make sure your child is not hungry. Offer your baby a glass of kefir or warm milk before bed.

Don't forget to ventilate the room before going to bed. I fall asleep much better in a cool room.

Let your little one know that you are always there and he can count on you to help if he has a nightmare.

When should you see a doctor?

In most cases, poor sleep is not associated with any diseases of the nervous system. Organizing a daily routine and meeting the child’s basic needs can eliminate sleep problems. But there are situations in which sleep disturbances are associated with pathological processes in the brain.

In what cases should you see a doctor?

The child does not sleep well, despite all the measures taken.

The baby has serious somatic diseases that can cause poor sleep (heart disease, lung disease, digestive tract disease).

The child has or has had neurological problems in the past.

Sleep disturbances are accompanied by sleepwalking.

The baby is bothered by frequent nightmares.

When waking up, the baby does not react to others and constantly cries.

Sleep disturbances are accompanied by twitching of the limbs or convulsions.

There is marked weakness throughout the day.

If any of these symptoms are detected, you should be examined by a neurologist.