Sleep phases in 2 year old children. Children's sleep: biology. Insufficient fatigue and microsleeps

Children's sleep phases change throughout the night, while adults and children go through repeating cycles of restful and active sleep.

Typically, we get more of our sleep at the beginning of the night (about 80%). Then, about halfway through, our sleep cycle flips. That is why it is easier to disturb sleep precisely towards its end.

Take a look at the chart showing children's sleep stages and how they fluctuate between light sleep and deep sleep.

Sleep phases in children and infants.

Sleep phases in children and cycles of quiet and active sleep last 30-50 minutes in infants, then gradually increase with age.

Some babies and children fall asleep very quickly. Others sleep lightly, fidgeting and mumbling for up to 20 minutes before falling into deep sleep.

Babies tend to wake briefly at the end of each sleep cycle. This is the normal part healthy sleep- all children do this. Not all parents hear their children when they wake up.

Sleep cycles in adolescence and adulthood.

IN adolescence and in adult life, each cycle of active and good sleep lasts about 90 minutes.

Each cycle ends with a brief awakening, and this may happen several times throughout the night. These awakenings do not usually disturb our sleep, and we are usually not even aware of them.

How sleep stages change over time.

The amount of time we spend on each type of sleep varies depending on our age.

At birth, babies spend about half of their time actively sleeping. Each sleep cycle lasts only 40 minutes (compared to 90 minutes for adults). This means that biologically, babies are programmed to sleep more lightly and wake up more than adults.

The number of active dreams decreases with age.

Up to 6 months of age.

Children aged 3-6 months can sleep 2-3 times during the day for up to two hours each time. They can wake up at least once a night.

6-12 months.

From 6 to 12 months, most babies are in bed between 6 and 10 pm. About 85-90% of infants aged 6-12 months still sleep during the day.

From 12 months.

From this age, children tend to sleep better. Some babies begin to resist and sleep at night, preferring to stay with the family - this is the most common problem, parents report. This continues until 18 months and beyond.

Less than 5% of two-year-olds wake up three or more times during the night.

From 3 years.

Children aged 3-5 years need about 11-13 hours of sleep per day. Some may also have a nap that lasts about an hour.

Children aged 6-9 years need 10-11 hours of sleep per day. They are usually tired after school and may be looking forward to bed around 6:30 pm.

From 10 years.

Children going through puberty typically need about 9 hours of sleep per night to maintain optimal levels of alertness during the day.

More than 90% of adolescents do not get the recommended amount of sleep on weekdays. Enough quality sleep very important during this period, because sleep is vital important for thinking, learning and concentration skills.

Parents can help children get enough sleep by encouraging them and allowing children to go to bed a little later, but only on weekends.

Daytime sleepiness, difficulty falling or staying asleep, or difficulty waking up during school are common experiences during adolescence. More than 45% of teenagers experience sleepiness during daytime at least once a week.

In order to accept right decisions, it is very important to have the most complete information about the subject of interest. Raising children, and even more so correcting sleep habits, is an area that especially requires certain knowledge. This is important so that parents can be confident in their choice of this or that technique, do not give up at the first difficulties, and also find motivation to continue in difficult moments (sleep happens at night, and at 3 in the morning you need all the willpower to do something is right, not fast!).

Of course, to become an expert you need to spend a lot of time, effort and somewhere to dedicate yourself to this, but we offer you a condensed version of the basics about baby sleep. In this series, we will briefly outline what kind of sleep happens, how it changes and what is important for its full development in children from birth to school years.

Sleep phases

In general, sleep in adults and children is divided into rapid REM sleep (the main feature is rapid movement of the eyeballs), during this phase we dream, and slow-wave sleep (non-REM, absence of rapid eye movements). It must be remembered that the sleeping brain is not a “resting” brain at all, the level of activity is different, but the work goes on continuously. In adults and children, during sleep, both phases replace each other: first slow, then fast and again in a circle. A mature brain usually distributes phases in the following order: slow (40-80 minutes) - fast (12-25 minutes). The closer to morning, the more often the phase occurs REM sleep. Between complete cycles (non-REM sleep) partial awakening almost always occurs. At this time, an adult can roll over, adjust the pillows or blanket, and effortlessly fall into new cycle sleep. In the morning we don’t even remember it. Between cycles, children can roll over, cry (from a minute to 10 minutes), and if they do not know how to fall asleep on their own, they wake up completely.

Cycles can change up to 12-15 times per night. That's where the skill is falling asleep independently becomes key!

REM sleep is relatively shallow sleep. The brain is very active at this time and seems to drift on the surface of consciousness. Apparently, in order to “not overload the system” at this time, mild paralysis of the entire body occurs - they only move eyeballs, heart and respiratory muscle. During REM sleep, new information is stored and distributed in memory. That is why it is important that children have full REM sleep cycles; with their help, they learn better and remember new things faster. Newborns (up to 3-4 months from the expected date of birth) sleep chaotically, unlike adults, REM sleep may predominate in them (well, there is a lot to learn!), cyclicality may begin with it and it takes up a larger percentage of total sleep time.

non-REM ( slow sleep) is a dream that itself has 4 stages. The purpose of this phase is tissue regeneration, growth, and the formation of new neurological connections. The first two stages are relatively shallow sleep; you can wake up from it even with little ambient noise. The next two stages are characterized by immersion in deep sleep. During this period, it is very difficult to wake a person, and if this is possible, he will be disoriented. Also in this segment there are attacks of sleepwalking and talking in a dream.

Daytime sleep in children

Depending on age, the number of segments nap in children it changes: by 4 months there are 3-4 segments, by 6 months 2-3 remain, and by 18 months most children sleep once a day. Between two and four years of age, regular daytime naps disappear altogether. I note that sleep is not the same at different times of the day. First morning dream becomes, as it were, a continuation of the night and is rich in dreams. At this time, the sorting and consolidation of new things learned yesterday continues. Lunch naps are deeper, mostly slow wave sleep. Sleeping at lunch literally helps your baby grow. Evening sleep is a bridge that helps you “survive” until bedtime without much overwork.

Hormonal regulation: how to help your baby sleep?

You most likely suspect that sleep, like many processes in our body, is regulated by special chemical compounds- hormones. No, under no circumstances should you give your child hormones just to make him sleep! Wise human body he produces everything he needs.

Biologically, we are all programmed to sleep when it gets dark. The signal about darkness comes from the eyes to the brain and the hormone melatonin is released. It is he who “puts us to sleep” and helps us sleep until dawn. Disruption of the production of this hormone in adults contributes to retention excess weight(sleep in the dark!). This hormone begins to be produced in children from 3-4 months (or a little later in premature infants), and the global restructuring of sleep in babies of this age is associated with it. How can we use this?

1. Firstly.
   Try to avoid night lights in the bedroom, or make them as dim as possible;
2. Secondly.
   Limit the amount of light entering your baby's room during times when you want him to sleep - early morning, naps, etc.;
3. Third.
   Half an hour before bed, try dimming the lighting. This will give a feeling of “sunset” to the child’s brain, melatonin will begin to be released and it will be easier for him to fall asleep.

Cortisol is another hero (or rather anti-hero) in our story about sleep. This is a stress hormone and is released when we are tired. Its task is to invigorate us, give us a surge of strength and energy, and open a second wind when the main charge of vigor has already been exhausted. Not bad, right? In our case it is dangerous. If you allow a tired baby to take a walk until cortisol is released, it will be very difficult to put the baby to bed. A surge of new energy will not allow him to relax and settle into sleep, but at the same time this energy is borrowed from the deep reserves of the Emergency. Wasting such energy tires the child several times more. In addition, cortisol is not eliminated from the body as quickly. Therefore, even if the baby falls asleep (and believe me, you will spend a lot of energy on this), he will not sleep for long. Don't let your child become overtired! Keep an eye on the time and signs of fatigue; as soon as you notice it, quickly go to bed!

Biological rhythms and internal clocks

Natural biological rhythms human is a complex system.

To simplify things, here are a few key points:

• IN natural conditions(without social restrictions such as work hours or class schedules) The biological clock walk in a 24.8 hour circle. This means that if the process of internal time is not managed, our schedule will constantly shift, and at some point we may have difficulty falling asleep at 2 am, and will wake up at 1 pm. Practical advice: Make sure that your bedtime at night, your wake-up time, and your meals are approximately the same from day to day. This will help you maintain a healthy (and comfortable!) routine throughout the day.
• The biological clock is controlled not only through social norms(catch the train at 7.15), but also through sunlight. Our body understands that the day has begun with the appearance sunlight and gets ready to sleep when darkness falls. Practical Tip: Help your child wake up on an early winter day by turning on bright light in his room. Set him up for sleep by dimming the lights shortly before bed.
• Body temperature also responds to internal time. When the body believes that night has come, it lowers body temperature, and as morning approaches, it raises it. Practical advice: If you put your child to bed during such a decrease in temperature, he will fall asleep very quickly (the decrease lasts about 90 minutes). Keep the room cool so that the air temperature does not overheat the child while falling asleep.
• Exists " perfect time When is it easiest to put your baby to sleep during the day? According to your age, experiment in periods from 8-9 am and from 12-13 pm. For younger children, try more early time in the segment, for seniors - move to its end. These segments are also accompanied by a decrease in temperature and a sufficient, but not excessive accumulation of fatigue.

Daily regime

Due to the fact that the body in general and the biological clock in particular respond well to training, the daily routine becomes key point. Maintaining constant intervals and frequency of actions (all within reason, we in no way encourage you to live Groundhog Day!) will help set the body up for timely sleep. Depending on the temperament of the child and mother, the daily routine can be quite rigid (for persistent, inflexible, difficult-to-adapt children) or can allow a large percentage of variability (this is suitable for flexible, adaptive, outgoing children).

How long should babies sleep? How long does it last night sleep newborn baby? Should you listen to music when your baby is sleeping, or should you observe strict silence? What sleep stages do babies have, and what do parents need to know about them? Since such questions often concern young fathers and mothers, we tried to answer them in our article.

Who among us has not been touched by watching little children sleeping? Young parents can sometimes spend hours looking at the baby, admiring how the child sleeps, wrinkles his nose like an adult, and moves his lips. And at the same time, based on the flow of the newborn’s sleep, the observant father and mother can easily determine whether everything is all right with the baby, whether any developmental abnormalities have appeared.

Our children are born very weak, as a result of which at first they need to accumulate strength in order to begin to be interested in the world around them. Since we live at the very bottom of a huge ocean of air, no matter how light the surrounding air may seem to us, we should not forget that any of us is pressed by an atmospheric column weighing 250 kilograms.

But adults are accustomed to this load and practically do not notice. And from the first days the baby is almost flattened under the influence of the atmosphere. It is difficult for him to move his arms and legs, he has difficulty turning his head, even to eat. No wonder the baby only has the strength to suck mother's breast, and then sleep, sleep, gradually getting stronger and gaining strength.

Duration of children's sleep at different ages

IN initial periods During the life of an infant, the duration of sleep varies greatly depending on the number of days lived. The medical opinion on this matter is as follows:

1. In the first two weeks, newborns sleep literally the whole day, 20-22 hours. Moreover, since babies do not yet distinguish between the concepts of “day” and “night,” during the day they sleep in fits and starts, for two to three hours, while at night a newborn baby’s sleep lasts only a little longer, about four hours. But still, a weak body forces you to wake up - the child needs to eat and gain the necessary “fuel”, thanks to which the baby is able to live on. It is stupid to be nervous about waking up at night to feed - without feeding every three to four hours, the baby will simply die.
2. Then the baby begins to return to normal a little, and over the next few weeks the duration of sleep decreases slightly, to approximately 16 - 18 hours a day, depending on the individuality of the baby. Now, with a properly designed daily routine, it is easy to teach a baby to sleep for six hours at night, there is no particular harm from such long term it won't happen without food. During the day, after sleeping for a couple of hours, and then having a good meal, the baby does not fall asleep immediately, but “walks” for a while - gets acquainted with the environment, communicates with parents and loved ones. Then weakness takes its toll, and the baby falls asleep again in order to conserve strength.
3. Around the end of the third month, the baby “wins” a little more time from nature in order to study the world more fully. Now the baby's sleep should be about 15-16 hours.
4. From three months and up to six months, the baby’s sleep gradually lengthens to 8–10 hours, despite total time daily sleep, lasting for 15 hours. The remaining time is divided into three intervals, and the baby needs to fill them up during the day. The first interval occurs in the morning, following the morning feeding, and it lasts an hour and a half to two. Another two “quiet hours” fall in the second half of the day.
5. From six months to nine months, the baby's daily sleep duration is gradually reduced to 12 hours. In addition to sleep, about nine hours, the baby also needs to sleep during the day, twice, before and after lunch, for an hour and a half to two.
6. Nine-month-old babies already sleep 10-11 hours, and they also need two short naps during the day. This regime will last for about a year. Now the child must strictly adhere to the daily routine, without disturbing it either on weekdays or on weekends, or during a trip to visit his grandmother, for example. True, there are exceptions - the baby’s illness.
7. Until the age of one and a half years, the baby gradually reduces the duration of daily sleep. At night, the child will sleep for eight to nine hours, and it is advisable for him to sleep for about an hour and a half during the day, after lunch.

A compact table will help you navigate these time intervals easier.

Parental influence on nighttime sleep frequency

Baby's sleep duration at different ages largely depends on the parents. So, starting from the second or third month, the mother should develop a daily routine for the baby, which indicates approximate sleep intervals, moments of feeding, walking, bathing, etc. Ultimately, teaching the baby to sleep longer at night is in your own interests. This is done as follows:

• During the day, the baby should be put to bed at strictly defined hours;
• Before going to bed, it is recommended to carry out a whole “tactical operation”, stretching out the period of the last wakefulness long enough and “tiring” the baby by 24 hours, as a result of which he will then begin to sleep very soundly.

The last, evening stage usually involves the obligatory bathing of the baby, a long walk - communication with parents, and, of course, evening feeding. Clean and fed, in fresh diapers and filled with mother’s love, the baby falls asleep quickly, without nerves, and sleeps for quite a long time, feeling the presence of his loved ones.

For six-month-old children, it is important to form some kind of bedtime ritual. Kids quickly learn constant actions that are repeated every day at the same time. Eg:

• the mother begins to wash the baby’s face with moistened balls of cotton wool and wipe the body with napkins - this means that morning has come and it’s time to wake up;
• the child is bathed in a bath, fed, then a lullaby is sung to him - this means it’s time to fall asleep for a long time, night has come;
• It is useful to accompany repeated actions with music, words-lamentations, but always the same, the baby needs to get used to them, and then something like a conditioned reaction will be developed;
• exclude from evening socializing active games and any physical activity– the same massages, warm-ups, for example.

Can a baby fall asleep on his own during the day?

From the age of three months, independent sleep Parents are also quite capable of organizing it. The child cries and wants to sleep with his mother when he is scared and uncomfortable. In his own crib, he will fall asleep without problems, feeling safe in it, and all physiological needs completely and completely satisfied.

After putting your baby to bed during the day or evening, sit next to him, talk to him, stroke him - let him feel your presence, even when he closes his eyes. And leave only after making sure you are sleeping soundly. But still, if the baby is scared and crying, you need to react immediately. Since she is crying, it means she is asking for help, there is a reason for concern, and only mother’s presence can calm the baby (reasons for a newborn baby’s crying).

What Causes Poor Sleep?

In the first weeks and months of his life, the child adapts to the world into which he finds himself. Moreover, sleep helps him important help. At night, the baby needs to sleep for as long as he is supposed to according to his age (see table), otherwise it is necessary to quickly identify and eliminate the causes of improper sleep.

1. When the baby sleeps little during the day, not for two or three hours, but significantly less, waking up, for example, once every half hour, then as a result he gets tired during the day and becomes more excited - hence the difficulties when going to bed.
2. An important component good sleep is to meet the baby's needs. Wet diapers, excessively warm clothes, and excessive coolness in the room - everything becomes the cause of restless sleep.
3. The room where the baby sleeps needs to be well ventilated (while the baby is being ventilated, the baby is taken to another room). Some parents, fearing that the baby will catch a cold, do not open the windows in the nursery at all, but doing so, of course, is wrong.
4. The baby should definitely take a walk in the fresh air during the day - in a stroller, in a sling with his mother; it is better to take a walk three to four hours before bedtime.
5. Sometimes the baby is bothered by tummy pain.

The influence of sleep phases on a child

An adult has many phases - about six, but small children tend to alternate between only two:

1. Peaceful and deep sleep. Children at such moments are completely relaxed and resting.
2. Restless (superficial) sleep. The baby is also resting, however, the brain is active, the baby tosses and turns, shudders, moves its arms, and grimaces. It's quite easy to wake him up now - by shifting things, talking too loudly.

The calm phase occupies the majority - 60 percent of the total duration, and the superficial phase - the rest of the time. During two to three hours of sleep, the crumbs both phases replace each other after 20–30 minutes. While the baby is still very small, the corresponding periods last:

• up to six months – 50 minutes (30 minutes deep and 20 minutes restless). In total it comes to three or four cycles;
• from six months to two years – 70 minutes. The number of cycles at this age depends on the total duration of sleep;
• from two years to six – up to 120 minutes.

True, the older the baby gets, the faster other phases characteristic of adults are added to the sleep phases - slow superficial, paradoxical, for example. But parents must understand; in your opinion, the baby is sleeping soundly, however, the phase deep sleep from time to time it gives way to a restless phase, and during this period any sneeze can wake up the baby. Therefore, try not to interrupt your newborn’s sleep prematurely:

• maintain silence by eliminating street noise and muting the TV;
• turn off the bright lights by switching to a night light evening time;
• Cover the windows with curtains during the day.

conclusions

Starting from the birth of the child until one year, and then up to two or more years, the duration baby sleep can change every month or two, and in a newborn – even after two weeks. The periods given by us are considered average, because all children are individual, and you should not “push” them into a “Procrustean bed”, forcing them to sleep at a strictly defined time.

Rather, it’s like this: the baby is fine with at least an approximate similar regime. But if the baby’s sleep noticeably deviates from the agreed limits, it’s time to consult a pediatrician.

It primarily depends on the parents whether their baby will gradually begin to sleep longer and longer at night - to achieve long-lasting sleep. good sleep simple rules will help.

They almost constantly need food, so they sleep for 2-4 hours intermittently, as a result of which the user may also not get enough sleep.

These characteristics are not defects of the model and in most cases are subject to adjustment. Typically, a newborn needs at least 16 hours of sleep per day, but this may vary from model to model. A child's sleep schedule is influenced by his or her nutritional needs, growth rate, and exposure to external factors(sharp noise, magnetic storms and so on.).

Within 2-6 months of life, the child already needs less sleep than in the first month. By the end of the third, some models sleep for 6 hours straight, sometimes throughout the night. In other babies, the length of their sleep cycles is established only after a year has passed. A child's ability to sleep for long periods of time is influenced by factors such as where they sleep and how they transition to sleep. At this stage, all models require 14-15 hours of sleep every day.

After 7-12 months, the child should already sleep for a long time at night. Such changes occur due to the fact that he needs food much less often; Children's sleep cycles stabilize. During the 2-6 months of life, the length of the baby's rest periods is again influenced by factors such as where he sleeps and how he gets into sleep mode. During this period, he needs 13-15 hours of sleep every day.

Understanding Your Newborn Baby's Sleep Cycles

During the first few months of life, sleep cycles follow a specific pattern. First comes REM sleep (sleep with rapid eye movement), then slow sleep. After a few months, the sleep cycle changes: now slow-wave sleep precedes fast sleep. Below is information on such cycles. Study it to understand your baby's sleep patterns.

REM sleep. The baby goes into sleep mode, which begins with REM sleep. This lung phase sleep. The child's arms, legs, and face may tremble. He may seem scared. The presence of this activity indicates that the sleep mode is functioning correctly.

slow sleep. This stage of sleep is divided into three separate cycles.

• Light sleep: no eye movements; If you lift a child’s arm or leg, it will seem “light.”
• Deep sleep: calm, slow breathing, the baby's body and limbs seem heavier. baby body almost completely relaxed.
• Very deep sleep: the baby’s body and limbs seem very “heavy”. When you try to wake him up, he may not respond.

Advanced Application: Sleep Cycle Testing

If you've rocked your baby to sleep and want to determine if you can put him down without waking him, follow these steps.

1. Hold your baby's hand with your thumb and index finger.
2. Raise your hand slightly to a height of 5 cm.
3. Let her go.

If the baby's hand falls and he does not move, it means that the deep or very deep sleep mode is activated, and the child can be put to bed without disturbing.

If the baby moves, it means that the REM or light sleep mode is activated, and he can easily wake up.

Using a Sleep Table

A sleep chart is used to track, change and reprogram your child's sleep schedule. On the next page is a sample chart for tracking your sleep cycles for one week. It is recommended that you make several copies of the blank chart provided in the appendix and observe your model's cycles during the first few months of its life.

1. When your baby goes into sleep mode, note the start time. The user is also advised to sleep during this period.
2. When your model wakes up from sleep mode, note the end time.
3. Use a pencil or pen to fill in the spaces between the two marks.

This chart is designed to monitor your baby's sleep cycles for one week. Study your baby's habits for several months. Make a note if your child falls asleep at the same (or almost the same) time every day. If your child's regular sleep cycle does not fit into the established pattern, note whether any external factors are influencing it.

Activating sleep mode

The child can be equipped with a preset indicator of readiness to go to sleep mode. Its activation is signaled by the baby rubbing his eyes or pulling on his ears. If you observe this, try to quickly activate sleep mode. If this is not possible, the baby may become overexcited and the transition to sleep mode will be delayed indefinitely.

There are two main ways to activate this mode: by the user and by the model itself.

User Activation of Sleep Mode

The technique consists of constantly stimulating the child during the day and reducing activity at night. This approach requires more effort than any of the options for activating sleep mode by the model itself.

1. Encourage your baby mainly during the day. Carry it in a carrier more often. Play, sing, dance with your baby.
2. Create a sleep schedule and stick to it.
3. Try to calm your baby down before going to bed. Feed him, bathe him, rock him, or read something to him.
4. Put your baby to sleep using one of the following techniques:

• Feed your baby until he falls asleep. If you let him fall asleep immediately after eating, he will begin to perceive feeding as a signal to sleep;
• let another user put the baby to bed. The child smells mother's milk and therefore, in the presence of the mother, can expect feeding rather than sleep;
• hug and rock your baby until he falls asleep. The child feels safer in your arms than in a crib. Rock him in your arms until sleep mode is activated.

• At the first sign of awakening, approach your child. Your presence will calm him down and he will fall asleep again;
• wrap your baby in a blanket. The feeling of security will help him fall asleep;
• Place your baby in a rocking crib. The rhythmic movements will put him to sleep again;
• change the child's position. It may be uncomfortable for him to lie down. The new position will calm him down and he will fall asleep;
• put your hand on the child: this way he will feel warmth and calm down;
• Feed your baby to help him fall asleep again. The taste of milk and the feeding process itself will relax and calm him.

Activating sleep mode by model (version 1.0)

This option implies a slightly different nature of interaction with the child during the night. Such activation of the sleep pattern is possible no earlier than the fourth or fifth month of the baby’s life. Make sure the diaper is dry, the baby is not hungry and healthy.

1. Adjust the blanket and say goodnight to your child.
2. Leave the room and close the door. If your baby cries, wait 1-5 minutes and then come back. At this time, many models calm themselves down and activate sleep mode. If this does not happen, continue to the next step.
3. Return to the nursery. Do not pick up the baby. Don't feed him. Calm him down with words. After a minute, come out again.
4. Repeat steps 5 and 6, but add 1 to 5 minutes to the waiting period each time. As a result, the child must go into sleep mode on his own.
5. The next night, wait 1-5 minutes before returning to the room. After another night, increase the waiting period to 5-10 minutes. Every day, add 5 minutes to the original waiting period. Within 3-7 days, the child will learn to activate his sleep mode.

Activating sleep mode by model (version 2.0)

This method allows you to teach your child to activate sleep mode regardless of external conditions. Once your model learns to enter it on her own, she will be able to use this skill effectively if she wakes up at night. Start this kind of interaction no earlier than the fourth month of the baby’s life. Make sure the diaper is dry, the baby is not hungry and feels well.

1. Create a calming bedtime routine so your child knows when it's time to sleep. You can give him a bath before bed, tell him a story or sing a song.
2. Bring your baby to the nursery and put him to bed.
3. Adjust the blanket and say goodnight to him.
4. Turn on the night light and turn off the overhead light.
5. Leave the room and close the door. Leave the baby monitor on so you can hear your baby. Don't come back until morning. The baby may continue to cry for long periods time. If everything in the nursery is organized correctly, he is safe. Eventually he will fall asleep. After a few nights, the model will understand that crying does not lead to you returning to the room.

Reprogramming daytime sleep to nighttime

A baby does not have the internal adjustment to differentiate between day and night, so your model may sleep longer during the day than at night. However, by following the recommendations below, you can reprogram your model to sleep at night.

1. Create conditions that are clearly associated with day and night. During the day, curtains should be open; turn on the lights and music, move actively and do something. At night, close the curtains, dim or turn off the lights: a quiet and calm atmosphere should reign in the house. The child will gradually get used to being awake during the day, and his internal settings will change on their own.
2. If you need to change a diaper or change your baby at night, do it quickly and calmly. Talk to him as little as possible.
3. If your child takes a long nap in the afternoon or falls asleep early in the evening, change your sleep schedule manually. Wake him up for feeding. Try to entertain him with something to keep him awake. So this one long period sleep will shift to the night hours.

Activating sleep mode in different conditions

To activate sleep mode in your stroller or car, follow these steps:

Stroller

1. The child should be warm. Dress it according to the weather. If it's cold outside, cover him with a blanket.
2. Darken the stroller. Raise the sunshade if equipped. Place a blanket over the front of the stroller. If your baby cries, move the blanket to one side.
3. Take your stroller for walks on quiet streets.
4. Check periodically to see if your child has moved on. sleeping mode.
5. Continue walking or return home. If you decide to return, roll the stroller into the house and let the child sleep right in it.

Automobile

1. Buckle your baby securely in the car seat.
2. Hang protective screens or close windows to shield your model from sunlight. These special screens can be purchased at a children's store and attached to windows using suction cups.
3. Carefully consider your route. Try not to drive on brightly lit streets.
4. Turn on calm music.
5. Check the baby's condition. Some models are soothed by driving on a smooth highway, while others like the car to drive on bumpy roads. Coordinate your route accordingly.

ATTENTION. Do not hang protective screens on the windshield.

After the baby is born, parents begin to ask a large number of questions. How long do babies sleep after birth? How much time should you spend sleeping at night? Is it possible to make noise or talk when the baby is sleeping? All these and many other questions concern young parents; we will look at the answers to them below.

In the first months of life, a newborn baby sleeps almost all day.

Children are born appear very weak and at first they need a lot of strength in order to adapt to new conditions and begin to explore the world. We must remember that we are constantly being pressed by an atmospheric column whose weight is 250 kilograms.

However, adults take this burden calmly and don’t even notice it. But children are literally crushed by it from the first days of life. It is difficult for them to move and drink milk from their mother’s breast. It is not at all surprising that at first the child only sleeps and eats, sleeps and eats.

Sleep duration

Approximate number of hours of sleep for a newborn baby.

Sleep duration table for newborns

To make it a little easier to navigate these intervals, the table below is presented.

You need to understand that all children are individual and these are optional indicators, they may differ up or down, but no more than two hours.

Effect on sleep frequency

How long a child will sleep at different ages primarily depends on the parents.

From about the second month, a day and night routine should be developed for the baby, in which there is time for sleep and wakefulness. It is necessary to teach your baby to sleep at night as long as possible:

1. During the daytime, you need to put your child to bed at the same time, so he will rest as he should.
2. Before going to bed, do several activities: go shopping, play, eat. eventually the child will get tired and sleep for a long time.

Children from six months

A lullaby can be a great bedtime ritual for your newborn.

Children from six months of age should have a kind of ritual before bed. At this time, kids are already well assimilated constantly repeated actions and get used to them. The following can be included here:

1. If mom sings a lullaby and bathes her, it means night will soon come and it’s time to sleep.
2. In the evening, avoid too active games; it is better to do a massage or warm-up.

When putting your baby to bed, stroke your baby and leave him only when you are sure he is sleeping.

Why does sleep become bad?

Healthy sleep can help a child in the first months of life with adaptation to the world around him.

During the first months, the baby gradually adapts to his new world. Good help sleep plays a role in this. If he sleeps as much as he should at this age, then there are some reasons for this:

1. If a child sleeps very little during the day, only a few hours at a time, and constantly wakes up, then he will get tired and To evening sleep will be moody and whiny .
2. Main component good night – created favorable conditions . Wet diapers or clothes, cold in the room, extraneous noise - all this affects a sound and restful sleep.
3. Before putting your child to bed, ventilate the room well .
4. Be sure to take your baby out for a walk during the day. Fresh air , and it’s better to do this a few hours before bedtime.

Be sure to consult a doctor if your child has restless sleep!

Another reason why a child may not sleep well is. If necessary, you can visit your pediatrician to help identify the cause of poor sleep.

Deep sleep phase in a newborn

Duration of sleep phases in a newborn baby.

Parents must understand that no matter how soundly and sweetly their child sleeps, his deep sleep phase may after a while be replaced by a restless one, at which point even your sneeze can wake him up. To ensure that your sleep is not interrupted, you need to follow several recommendations:

1. Silence - remove all singing and talking objects away.
2. At night it should be dark, or use a night light.
3. During the day, you can cover the windows with curtains.

From the moment the baby is born until one year, the duration of his sleep can constantly change and, of course, there is no need to be alarmed.

All the times given above are averages, because everyone is individual, and it is simply impossible to put them to bed at the same time.

conclusions

If the child goes to bed at the same time and is not capricious, then he is healthy and everything is fine.

Poor sleep may indicate some kind of malfunction, so it is better to consult a doctor. Whether a child begins to sleep longer at night depends, first of all, on the parents, because only they can organize such conditions by following simple rules.

Video about the rules of children's sleep from Dr. Komarovsky