Sleep phases in children 8. Why is napping so important for a child? Interrupting the sleep cycle

The main task of parents is to create a favorable atmosphere in the family for the healthy formation, growth, and development of the child. The health of a baby is established not from the first days of life, but long before conception. To adult life The baby is physically and mentally healthy, competent parents take care of a nutritious balanced diet, a favorable atmosphere in the family, and compliance with the newborn’s wakefulness and sleep schedule.

Why do you need sleep?

Sleep is necessary for the body for rest, relaxation, and recovery. In sleep, a person relaxes and the stress of the day is relieved. Nature intended that during sleep the immune system is activated and all systems and organs are regenerated. This kind of work takes time; an adult is given an average of 8 hours a day for this.

A full, restful sleep is necessary for a person, especially such a small one who has just been born. His small body is not yet sufficiently formed and does not know how to independently recover and defend itself. Therefore, parents create comfortable conditions so that the newborn sleeps peacefully and for a long time. Pediatricians advise monitoring the duration and quality of day and night sleep, keeping a diary so that it is possible to track the dynamics of changes.

How much sleep do you need

Small children under the age of one year sleep quite a long time. A one-month-old baby (until he is three months old) sleeps from 16 to 20 hours a day. At night, the baby wakes up two or three times to eat.

Up to 3 months, babies sleep for about 20 hours, that is, almost all the time, waking up only to “eat.” But 16-17 hours of sleep is also normal

Gradually, time moves towards decreasing sleepy hours and increasing waking hours. By six months, the child sleeps only 14-15 hours, and the rest of the time is spent on eating, studying environment, communication with parents.

In a year, this time decreases even more, to 13-14 hours. The night's rest lengthens, there are more and more interesting things during the day, the baby begins to walk and talk, so he has no time to sleep.

From one year to 3 years, the baby grows quickly, changes, rest time decreases to 12 hours, and by school ─ to 9-10 hours. After 12 years, the child gradually moves to 8 hours of sleep, like adults.

How do babies sleep?

Young parents often do not know how to properly put their baby to sleep. Experienced mothers argue and prove that the baby should sleep only on its side after eating. This is true because lying on your side helps quality digestion, and if regurgitation happens, everything will flow onto the pillow.

Pediatricians say that if your baby sleeps on his tummy, don’t be alarmed, this is normal. When the baby lies on his stomach, his gas comes out, and when colic begins, this better position. Even the smallest ones can turn their heads to the side to breathe in air. But this is provided that the mattress (and not the feather bed) is quite hard, the child has the opportunity to lean on and push off.

The best sleeping positions are on your side and tummy. If your baby likes to sleep on his stomach, take care of safety precautions: a moderately hard mattress, no pillow, and mother’s vigilance

Sleep disturbance

The first year, while the baby is small, the mother is frightened by every deviation in his behavior, nutrition, movement, breathing, in his entire little life. It happens that in a dream the baby shudders, tosses and turns, sleeps with his eyes open, sighs, moans. All this scares mommy and seems like a terrible problem.

In fact, if the baby is healthy and well-fed, he sleeps peacefully, serenely stretched out, arms and legs scattered in all directions. Some babies constantly sleep in the fetal position, so they feel calmer.

Sleep disturbances occur for various reasons, but often the problem can be solved without the intervention of a doctor. So, if a baby receives a lot of information during the day, his nervous system and brain become overexcited. If the tummy hurts or teeth are being cut, the child behaves nervously and restlessly. Don’t be surprised, but conflicts in the family between adults also affect the quality of sleep. Adequate parents remember this and do not allow scandals in the presence of the baby.

If the causes of sleep disturbance are mental or somatic, try to identify them and undergo treatment in order to eliminate the problems if possible.

Among the main causes of sleep disturbance in an infant (provided that he is physically healthy) are colic, nervous overexcitement, the desire to feel my mother nearby

Sleep phases

Doctors say tiny babies sleep differently than adults, but their sleep also goes through certain phases. During the night they alternate five to six times, one cycle lasts up to 100 minutes.

• Active or superficial sleep occurs immediately after falling asleep. The phase lasts about 40 minutes, when babies move, blink, and shudder.
• The deep phase lasts one hour. The calm, relaxed posture of a child speaks of deep dive into the waves of morphea.

Interesting: babies don’t know how to nap, but fall asleep immediately.

Mom's why

In the first year of a baby’s life, mothers have many questions regarding growth, development, and health that require immediate answers. Let's look at some of them.

Why does a baby sleep with his eyes slightly open?

Don't let this question bother you if the newborn is mentally healthy.

Pediatricians say that a sleeping baby with his eyes open is not a violation.

It’s just that at this moment he is in an active sleepy phase, when he can roll his eyes, roll them, and tremble his eyelashes.

But at the same time he sleeps and sees nothing with open eyes.

When he gets older, about a year or a year and a half, sleeping with his eyes open will become less and less frequent, then this phenomenon will stop altogether.

Why doesn't the baby sleep during the day?

Sometimes mothers complain that the baby sleeps little at all, daytime walks all day long. If the baby does not scream and is capricious in moderation, then he may have his own daily routine, because each person is individual. An hour before bedtime, practice only calm games; the baby may be overexcited.

Remember, if a child is “on his feet” all day, he will become overly tired, so nighttime sleep may be disturbed. Try to breastfeed and calmly rock the baby, whisper in his ear, maybe he just needs your warmth.

Why does he sleep during the day and not at night?

For other families, it’s even worse if the baby sleeps all day and happily wants to go for a walk at night, and it’s impossible to put him to sleep. Exhausted parents dream of laying their heads on the pillow, but the child walks joyfully with open eyes.

If we exclude psychosomatic reasons, then we can say that the baby has confused day with night. A biological clock has not yet been established in a small body, so the responsibility of restoring the correct routine falls on the parents. Walking and sleeping in the fresh air, massages, and active gymnastics will help here. Make an effort and put your baby to bed according to the routine.

Why does he sleep so much?

Sound sleep and breastfeeding are important components of healthy development. But it happens that the baby sleeps a lot and eats little. At first glance he seems healthy, should mom be worried? It is necessary if the baby does not wake up for a long time, skips the next feeding, because without food the baby weakens and gets sick. It is advisable that the baby sleep no more than five hours at a time.

Mom needs to make every effort to ensure that the daily norm is eaten. To do this, wake up the baby as many times as needed to good nutrition. In a few days he will begin to wake up on time himself.

Why does he sleep restlessly

If your baby sleeps restlessly, changes positions, groans and strains, he may want to poop. If he makes some sounds, screams, even moans and cries, then he has problems with his tummy. Observe your child’s behavior carefully, write down everything that worries you, and consult your doctor. The doctor will rule out colic, constipation, ill health, indoor climate, and other causes. A competent pediatrician will tell you how to help calm your baby. After all, a restless baby worries and frightens the mother.

Usually this is how the baby behaves during active phase when one can judge his condition by his emotions. The body does not fall asleep completely, but analyzes how it is feeling, thus protecting itself. The baby whines, makes other sounds, shows how he feels, and the attentive mother, together with the doctor, draws conclusions. Sometimes the baby just wants to see his mother, in which case it’s easy to calm him down.

Mother and baby have a close relationship emotional connection. If the mother is nervous and anxious, the child will feel it and it will not fail to affect his sleep.

Is it possible to put a baby in bed with parents?

Of course, it’s possible to put the baby in the parent’s bed for a short time, but think about it, is it worth it? In addition to the fact that co-sleeping with a newborn is not hygienic and deprives the little man of his own personal space, you may, among other things, accidentally crush him.

Smile in a dream

Seeing a smile on a baby’s face in a dream is a great pleasure for parents. But why do sleeping babies sometimes smile, is this normal or a deviation? Scientists say that one month old baby dreams happen. Although there is an opinion that this is just an infantile grimace. It’s more pleasant to think that the baby is dreaming something good and he feels great.

Sleeping baby

Everyone knows that you can endlessly admire how water flows and fire burns. But only loving parents They endlessly admire the serene sleep of their children. No matter how the baby sleeps, on his stomach or on his back, no matter what he does in his sleep, parents are ready to admire the little happiness all night, even if they have to wake up many times for this.

Sleep is one of the most important indicators of health and wellness baby. Some mothers are so concerned that their baby is not sleeping well that they consult a pediatrician about the problem. But very often the doctor, having calculated the number of hours that the baby sleeps, comes to the conclusion that it fully corresponds to his age norm. But this is little consolation for the mother, because if the newborn wakes up every half hour, she simply does not have enough time and energy to do household chores. Therefore, the question of how to make a baby’s sleep normal is very relevant for many.

The sleep of a newborn baby is sensitive and disturbing

It is worth noting that human sleep has a certain structure: it consists of two phases - deep sleep and shallow sleep, which replace each other alternately. In newborns, the deep sleep phase lasts from 25 to 40 minutes, after which the shallow sleep phase begins, during which anything can wake up the baby (rustle, light, touch, and so on). The phase of the so-called rapid (shallow) sleep is very easy to notice: the baby’s eyelashes tremble, the pupils move, he begins to toss and turn. Experts note that it is difficult to wake a child when he is in the deep sleep phase. Over the years, the duration of the deep sleep phase gradually increases, so older children sleep quite soundly.

Parents must provide their child good sleep. To do this, they must create in the room where it is located, the right conditions, and also teach the baby to fall asleep on his own if he accidentally wakes up during the phase REM sleep.

Some newborns sleep 17 to 20 hours in the first month of life, waking up only when the time is right. For most children, experts consider the following number of hours of sleep per day to be normal:

• from 0 to three months – from 16 to 17 hours;
• from 3 to 6 months - from 14 to 15 hours a day;
• from 7 to 12 months – about 14 hours;
• from a year – approximately 12 hours.

To ensure that the child’s sleep is not interrupted, it is necessary to create good conditions:

• Feeding, especially breastfeeding, promotes sound sleep. If the newborn is breastfed, then after the bottle he needs to be given a pacifier.
• Good, calm music will either help calm the baby and put him in a calm mood.
• The air in the room where the baby is constantly present should be clean, fresh and cool. The optimal air temperature is considered to be from 18 to 20 degrees. Before going to bed, the room needs to be ventilated. Worth doing often wet cleaning. Sleeping a child outside is also beneficial because...
• To help the baby fall asleep, you can rock him. True, the baby very quickly gets used to rocking and gradually the mother has to rock him more and more so that he falls asleep. Also, some newborns get used to sleeping in the stroller, waking up when it stops.

• If your child does not sleep well, then perhaps you are not planning his daily routine correctly, as you can do this correctly on our child care portal.
• Perhaps your baby's sleep is being disturbed by colic in the stomach. Why do they occur and how to deal with them safely for the baby’s health, read in.
• And in you will find all the causes of rash in a newborn. Allergic reasons or related to improper hygiene.

• The room in which the baby will sleep must be darkened, so you need to hang curtains or blinds on the windows. You can leave the light on in the hallway or purchase a night light for the room.
• All children fall asleep much faster in their mother's arms.
• You can place the baby's cradle next to the mother's bed, then she can soothe him with her voice.
• It is better to put on a diaper for your baby at night, otherwise His sleep is unlikely to be sound.
• If the baby is not yet three months old, he may experience colic in the stomach. Therefore, before going to bed, the child needs to have a massage and gymnastics. A warm diaper placed on the stomach, special drops or Dill water. After feeding, it is necessary for the child to remain upright for some time (in the arms of an adult).
• Try to create a special “ritual” for falling asleep. That is, you need to put your baby to bed every day at the same time, performing the same actions before doing so;
• Before you put your baby to bed, do not overload his psyche. Don't turn on music or TV loudly or make noise.

There can be many reasons why a baby does not sleep well. Experts highlight the main ones:

• illness - if the baby has a high temperature, his sleep will be restless;
• skin irritation (diaper rash or heat rash);
• gases and intestinal colic. The cause of this condition can be swallowing air during feeding, as well as during crying;
• hunger;
• some children sleep better during the day than at night (due to their age, they have not yet developed a clear biorhythm);
• if the baby is overexcited (if the house is very noisy, there are a lot of guests);
• pathologies of the nervous system;
• if teething;
• the baby is too hot or cold.

Adequate sleep is very important for a newborn baby. Therefore, parents make sure that their child sleeps enough hours. If the baby sleeps too little, and the above tips do not help, then it may be worth consulting with a pediatrician. In doubtful cases, a timely examination will help identify serious pathology and carry out the necessary treatment in a timely manner.

If we are talking about a child in the first month of life, then parents and pediatricians should be wary of too short periods of sleep (the total duration does not exceed 18-20 hours per day). A doctor’s consultation is also necessary when the child is growing, but the structure of his sleep does not change - a decrease in the total duration of sleep with age is one of the signs of the normal functioning of the child’s body and evidence of his maturation.

The baby spends the first days after birth sleeping almost around the clock. The baby is not yet accustomed to a different way of life. In his mother’s belly he only slept and ate, because it was dark all around. When a child is born, his organs of vision and hearing still work poorly, and it is difficult for him to perceive the world fully. Very little time will pass, the child will grow up and gain strength, then his interest in the world around him will increase hundreds of times. The baby will happily look at faces, the street and various objects. The older your child gets, the less he will want to sleep. In the meantime, parents must create favorable conditions for the child’s existence in the regime prescribed for him by nature itself.

Sleep standards for newborns

The neonatal period is considered to be the moment from birth to the 28th day of the baby’s life. This is the most difficult period for both mother and child. The parents and the new family member meet. During this period, it is important to find an approach to the baby and carefully study his behavior. Usually in the first days, parents have many questions about caring for a newborn, especially if this is the first child in the family. One of exciting issues about how much sleep a newborn should sleep.

It is considered normal if a child spends 18 to 20 hours sleeping in the first four weeks after birth. Small deviations of 1–2 hours are acceptable, since it would be wrong to equate all children with one.

Each newborn is individual. The duration of sleep depends on its physiological data. Some people need more time to rest and recuperate, others less.

If the baby does not have any diseases, then he sleeps exactly as much as his body needs.

Why does the baby sleep so much?

The first days the child wakes up only to eat. If nothing bothers him, then after a short time of wakefulness he again falls asleep.

Everyone knows that during sleep all body systems relax, and children still grow and gain weight. For infancy, this is perhaps the most important thing. All that is required of the baby is to eat well, sleep and grow in accordance with established standards.

The pattern of sleep and wakefulness is regulated by certain brain structures and hormones. The level of hormones responsible for sleep changes throughout the day. Naturally, this rhythm of day and night does not appear with birth. It must be developed within a certain time. And this time falls on the neonatal period.

Scientists have proven that the daytime and nighttime sleep patterns developed in the first weeks of a baby’s life play a big role in the formation of his mental development in future. Thus, children who did not get enough sleep in infancy become impulsive, uncontrollable, and have a lack of concentration in the future (the now common diagnosis is “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder”).

Newborn's daytime sleep

The baby still does not know that time is divided into days and nights. Parents should teach him that daytime is for playing and exploring the world, and night is for sleeping and resting. The newborn sleeps a lot during the day, waking up to eat and talk a little with his parents.

It is important to teach your baby not to forget to wake up for feedings. This should be done every 3-4 hours. Even if he is fast asleep, he needs to be woken up. The baby must understand that he needs to sleep for a long time at night, and not during the day. At this age, babies often confuse day and night, which causes inconvenience for parents and prevents them from developing the correct routine.

How long does a newborn baby sleep at night?

A child who has just been born wakes up quite often at night. An awakening occurs due to hunger. Babies typically wake up every 2 to 3 hours.

The frequency of awakenings depends on several factors:

1. Children who receive formula rather than breast milk sleep longer. The absorption of mother's milk occurs faster than that of an adapted formula, so the baby wakes up faster for a new portion.
2. If the room is hot and dry, the baby will be thirsty and will wake up to quench it with milk.
3. Wet diapers. Parents who do not use disposable diapers are forced to get up more often at night to change wet diapers. Sleeping in a wet bed for a long time will not work.
4. It has been noticed that children who sleep separately from their mother wake up much more often than those who sleep next to each other. This is due to the loss of contact with the mother, and the fear of being left alone.

If the baby sleeps little

The first days of its extrauterine life, the baby sleeps a lot. If a newborn has problems sleeping, then this is a signal that not everything is in order. Here you need to find out the reasons that led to sleep disturbance. These could be illnesses or disruptions in care or daily routine. What actions to take if the baby sleeps little:

1. Report this to your pediatrician to rule out diseases.
2. With the help of a doctor, determine whether he is getting enough food. When you are malnourished, your sleep also suffers.
3. Maintain optimal temperature and air in the child’s room.
4. Change diapers as they become dirty, giving preference to quality products.
5. Protect from noise and bright light both day and night.
6. Take walks in the fresh air every day during the day.

The dangers of prolonged sleep

Some babies, after being discharged from the maternity hospital, spend days and nights sleeping, rarely waking up to feed and practically not responding to food. external stimuli. Parents are usually happy that their child is so calm and does not cause worries. However, such a “sleep mode” may indicate pathology. This phenomenon occurs in the case of a difficult birth, with congenital pathology in the fetus, jaundice, and also with the inability of the baby to grasp the nipple and suck the breast. It will help to identify the cause pediatrician, which will need to be contacted if you suspect too much sleep.

The baby sleeps soundly during the day and at night, rarely waking up for feedings, which contributes to exhaustion and dehydration, which further causes drowsiness.

Parents should start sounding the alarm if, in addition to prolonged sleep, they notice the following signs:

1. It is very difficult to wake up a baby; he reacts poorly to sounds and disturbances.
2. His skin and mucous membranes are dry to the touch.
3. After compression, a fold remains on the skin for a long time.
4. The baby cries rarely and quietly.
5. No weight gain noted.
6. Rarely pees.
7. Body temperature is increased.

If at least one of the listed symptoms, the child needs emergency medical care.

Every adult spends approximately one third of his life sleeping. Newborns sleep much more. Let's figure out together what and how happens during this very important process for everyone.

Theory about sleep

Although many people think of sleep as rest, it is actually a very complex and active process in life. Next, we will analyze several aspects of the physiology of healthy sleep in order to understand its structure and the problems that may arise in this area.

Sleep phases.

During a night's rest, a person experiences two states of sleep. For the sleeper himself, these transitions pass unnoticed. But if you use an electroencephalogram, you can clearly see the difference between these two phases.

First- this is fast sleep, or, as it is also called REM sleep (from the English “rapid eye movement”, “rapid eye movements”). Characteristic of this state is that movement occurs closed eyes at the sleeping person. If you look closely, you can see how they move under the closed thin eyelids of a sleeping baby. eyeballs. This type of sleep is also called active sleep. It is at this stage that blood pressure increases, and respiratory and heart rhythms may become disrupted. Muscle tone decreases, legs, arms, and facial muscles may tremble slightly. If you raise a person from the stage of REM sleep, he will abruptly move into a state of wakefulness. Dreams also come to a person during this period, although we do not always remember them in the morning. Large share fast stage sleep occurs early in the morning. Newborns may well wake up without long time during this stage, and this is completely normal. The child may toss and turn, look around, pull up the blanket or move his head to the other side, but then he will fall asleep again just as quickly and carefree. Changing the environment around him can stop your baby from falling asleep after a short awakening. Here, in order for the baby to fall asleep again, it will be necessary to recreate that primary environment. By the way, this is often where one of the most common sleep problems lies. This can be avoided if you initially teach your baby not to pay attention to the situation and to fall asleep after a short awakening in the REM sleep stage, despite its changes.

Second phase of sleep also called slow-wave sleep. During such sleep, rest actually occurs. During slow-wave sleep, breathing and heart contractions remain constant and rhythmic. A sleeping person lies motionless, his muscles are completely relaxed. Four stages can be distinguished slow sleep, from drowsiness (first stage) to deep sleep (fourth stage). The lion's share of slow-wave sleep occurs at the very beginning, namely in the first hours after falling asleep. Quite often, when falling into slow-wave sleep, hypnagogic fear occurs. This is a condition in which all parts of the body tremble, and these tremors can be so sharp that they can lead to a short-term awakening of a person. But still, if the sleeper has reached the slow-wave sleep phase, waking him up is not at all easy, especially in his deep phase.

Some babies, closer to the end of the slow-wave sleep stage, may wake up for a while. These awakenings occur somewhat differently than in the REM stage of sleep. The baby can sit up in bed, open his eyes, look around with an unseeing gaze, make chewing movements, even scream something or mutter incoherent words, and then fall asleep again. This phenomenon is quite normal, there is nothing wrong with this behavior of the baby.

Sleep structure.

The phases of rapid and slow sleep replace each other throughout the night, creating cycles. For newborns, the REM sleep–NREM sleep cycle takes about 50 minutes. Teenagers and adults are given about an hour and a half for this cycle. When babies reach 3 - 6 one month old, their sleep structure will be as close as possible to an adult. At the beginning, they will be immersed in slow-wave sleep, and after 10 minutes they will already be in the deep stage of this sleep. The duration of such sleep will be from 40 minutes to an hour, followed by a short awakening, which will take only a few minutes, and then REM sleep, which will last from 5 to 20 minutes. Then, within a few hours, the baby will fall into REM sleep, then into the second phase of slow sleep. Children younger age may additionally be in the third or fourth stage of slow-wave sleep in the morning. Dreams usually appear early morning. It is possible to recognize the structural specifics of sleep even during the period when the child is in the womb. Already in the sixth to seventh month of development, REM sleep becomes characteristic of the fetus. Slow stage It appears a little later, in the seventh - eighth month, but it is still not fully developed at this time. Usually, all four phases of slow-wave sleep can be identified only in a six-month-old child.

Video of a child's dream:

Schedule

How does a child’s daily routine change? at different ages?

After your baby is born, he will need to get used to living outside his mother's belly. A full-term baby will sleep 16 - 17 hours a day for up to three months of his life, a premature baby will sleep even more - about twenty. There is usually a clear distribution of sleep and wakefulness. Often after three hours of sleep comes an hour of partying. This is related to the feeding cycle. As soon as the baby satisfies his need for food, he falls asleep. Wakes up again feeling hungry.

Sometimes a newborn can stay awake for some time after feeding, but he cannot go without sleep for a long time. Closer to one and a half to two months, during the daytime there is also time for the baby to be active. This period is the most successful for a child to play with his mother. Such stimulation of activity will only play into the hands of parents, because the newborn will be more clearly aware of the difference between sleep and awakening. This will help reinforce your daily routine. Changes in the regime will occur by the age of three months. This will be noticeable by how the baby will fall asleep in the morning and at noon. And this precedes the emergence of a new daily routine, according to which the child sleeps two to three times a day. This regime will continue for up to 12 - 15 months.

When a baby reaches three to six months, his rhythm of life becomes more adapted to the general lifestyle of the family. The duration of his sleep is 14 hours a day, of which 9 - 10 hours are at night and about 5 during the day. The onset of sleep is almost identical and repeats from day to day: night sleep can begin from 7 to 9 pm, and the morning rise will be between 6 and 8 am. At this age, almost all children can sleep for about seven hours without waking up.

At six to nine months, the baby's daily routine becomes more complex. The child sleeps about 13-15 hours. Basically, morning awakening occurs around 6.30 - 7.00, then there may be two daytime naps lasting about an hour and a half and a night sleep from 19.30 - 20.00. Most children, about 80%, sleep through the night. Little by little the connection between feedings and sleep begins to blur. If you properly stimulate your baby's activity, he will not fall asleep immediately after eating. It is during this period that you need to try to develop a new option for putting your child to sleep in order to prevent all sorts of problems associated with this in the future.

With the onset of 9 - 12 months, the child spends 14 hours a day sleeping. 12 hours are at night and twice a day for an hour. Sometimes children may refuse their first nap during the day. At the same time, they either sleep longer in the afternoon or go to bed earlier in the evening. The different temperaments of children also make their own adjustments to the daily routine. Hyperactive children, and at this age their activity is always quite high, require longer rest. If a child is diligently learning to walk, then he can try to develop these skills even in the crib. Sometimes even a child can wake up and cry simply because he does not know how to lie down to continue sleeping. In such cases, mothers should try to develop this skill during the daytime.

Once the baby reaches this age, it will be necessary to make the time of going to bed longer. Now it should be at least 20 minutes, because it is necessary to give the child the opportunity to calm down. During this period, your baby may refuse to go to bed. His physical strength is already capable of surviving prolonged wakefulness. Very soon the child will make full use of this power, especially in those moments when he is nervous, when he does not want to interrupt a game that interests him, or when he does not want people he likes to leave.

Temperament and regime.

Each individual, as we know, has his own character traits and his own temperament. And all these features play a huge role in our lives, adjusting everything to suit our own needs. In particular, this affects the lifestyle, how long a person can stay awake, how much and when to sleep. Child psychologists, analyzing temperaments, distinguish three main types of children: difficult, flexible and slow children.

An easy-going child has a clear daily routine. Both wakefulness and sleep occur without change, every day, at the same time. Such a baby falls asleep on his own, without anyone’s help. As soon as you put him in his crib, he immediately begins to gradually fall asleep. Such children sleep for a long time and quite soundly; they do not tend to cry even during short-term awakenings during sleep. For difficult children, characteristic features are a tendency to bad mood and isolation, a chaotic daily routine, hyperactivity, and intense reactions. It would seem that such children do not have any inclination to even minimally regulate the periods of sleep and wakefulness. To establish this regime, you cannot do without the help of others. He needs much more time to fall asleep. If you connect external stimuli, the transition from wakefulness to sleep will be somewhat easier. For example, you can swaddle a child and rock him in your arms.

Just remember that when the baby gets used to this type of placement, then it will be much more difficult to wean him off. Such children usually sleep less by two hours at night and an hour during the day, compared to docile children. Also, such children are characterized by the prevalence of the REM sleep phase, which, in turn, is dependent on external stimuli. That is why such children are prone to frequent awakening and restlessness.

Children with slow temperaments are no different increased activity. They often withdraw into themselves, especially when they find themselves in a situation that is unfamiliar to them. It is quite difficult for them to adapt to a new environment and to get used to it they need additional help parents. It should also be noted that the temperament of children does not depend on the upbringing of their parents; it is inherited by the baby from birth. Remember this, especially if you are going to engage in self-flagellation about the child’s not entirely adequate behavior.

A place to sleep.

Part of the room, or a room in the apartment where the baby will sleep, should become his fortress, his little planet, a place where he would feel calm and good. Parents should under no circumstances allow their child to associate negativity with this place. You should not punish him for disobedience, for example, by sending him to his place of sleep, so as not to create negative parallels.

The crib is the most important and central element of the “sleeping kingdom”. The main characteristic of this piece of furniture should be safety. Choose a crib made from environmentally friendly materials, preferably natural wood. It is also worth paying attention to the rods.

There should be neither too little nor too much distance between them; ideally, they should be within 2.5 - 6 cm of each other. This will be enough to prevent the baby from falling out or suffocating. Painted cribs must also meet safety requirements. The paint used should not contain heavy metal salts, especially lead.

The ideal crib design is one in which the bottom is adjustable, lowering to a lower height, which is convenient when the child grows up. The height should be such that top part The crib was shoulder-high to the baby standing on the mattress. The mattress itself should fit snugly to the frame of the crib, without gaps or cracks, so that the baby does not injure his arm or leg.

There are several types of mattresses: spring, foam and stuffed. Mattresses made using springs or stuffed with durable orthopedic material (coconut shavings, for example) will last you much longer, but they will also cost a pretty penny. Foam mattresses are much less expensive, but they need to be turned over from time to time to prevent deep dents. This must be done at least once a month. The basic requirements for a mattress are the correct hardness and a flat surface. This is an extremely important point, since the mattress is directly involved in the formation of the child’s spine; in addition, it should not block the access of air.

You should also remember that for a child under one and a half years old it is unacceptable to use pillows, folded diapers, etc. If you allow your baby to play with toys or other objects in the crib, be careful. Bind soft protection to the sides of the crib. Remove any objects from the crib that your child could use as a step to climb out of, especially if your child has already learned to stand. This also applies to large soft toys. Also, be careful that small toys, objects, laces and ribbons do not come into contact with the child - all of this can cause suffocation. If your baby takes a pacifier, under no circumstances hang it around his neck. There are special clamps for these purposes that are safe and will not harm the child’s health.

Baby sleeping position.

Quite often, parents doubt the correct sleeping position chosen by the baby. Most scientists tend to favor the supine position as the most suitable for newborns, as there is an opinion that cases of sudden infant death are associated with sleeping on the stomach. If you look at the situation from the other side, then, lying on his back, the child may burp, especially if he is predisposed to this. While in a state of sleep, he can simply choke on the products of regurgitation. Therefore, it seems to us that the most optimal position is on the side. There are special bolsters that can help secure the baby in this position.

There is no need to teach your child to sleep in absolute silence. There is absolutely no need to tiptoe around, turn off the TV, or shush anyone who is talking near the crib. There is also no need to artificially shade the room during daytime sleep. From birth, children have the ability to ignore external stimuli, especially when they want to sleep. And by striving for the ideal, you can form incorrect sleep habits in the baby; he will quickly get used to sleeping only if certain parameters are observed. By doing this, you will significantly complicate the life of all other family members.

Uninterrupted night sleep.

The long-awaited time for every parent is the time when he sleeps through the night, without sudden awakenings. For a child, the whole night means sleeping for 5 to 6 hours in a row. Maturity plays a very important role here. nervous system, because it is in her power to connect several sleep cycles with each other during these 5 - 6 hours. There are no significant changes during sleep; the baby simply develops a good habit of coping with night awakenings on his own. And so, the phases of quiet and active sleep alternate, as before.

Until the baby reaches a weight threshold of 5.5 - 6 kg, he will not be physically able to withstand long intervals between feedings (more than 3 - 4 hours). Most pediatricians are inclined to believe that the child himself should refuse feeding at night.

In this situation there are two options. If your child, with all the ideal height and weight indicators for his age, wakes up in the middle of the night and actively suckles at the breast, then perhaps his body has not yet lost this need. But if he simply reflexively sucks on the breast and immediately falls asleep, barely waking up and not having eaten the proper amount of food, then this is most likely just a habit, one of the ways to ease the transition to sleep. In this case, you can try to rebuild his associations and reflexes associated with the sleep period in a different direction.

Daytime nap

Sleeping during the day will help you gain strength for the rest of the day. in a great mood. Parents should remember that for children's daily routine, both the time and duration of daytime sleep are of great importance. If your child goes to bed too late, or sleeps longer than expected, this will definitely affect his night's sleep and it will be more difficult for you to put him to bed in the evening.

Bedtime ritual

If a child has a persistent reluctance to go to bed, parents should think over a special ritual that will help him come to terms with the fact that he needs to part with mom and dad for a while. As the baby grows up, this very ritual will become an indicator of independence in specially specified conditions. Parents have the right to decide how many books they will read to their baby before bed, but the child himself will choose which books they will be. The same is true with audio recordings; the child himself has the right to decide what to listen to today. With the help of such a ritual, we provide children with the opportunity to control the situation themselves. When the sequence of ritual actions is clearly developed, the child will be ready for this and will even be in anticipation of each element of the ritual.

You can determine which ritual to use based on the child’s level of development. As he grows up, the action itself will change. For newborns, everything should be extremely simple, or better yet, everything should develop naturally, as if by itself. If, when the child reaches six months, the ritual has not been developed, then the parents must create it. This may include calming activities such as rocking or swaddling, and music, singing or reading may play an important role. At the end of the short transition period, the child, not yet completely asleep, should be placed where he will spend the rest of his sleep. Objects that can be placed in your baby's crib can help you fall asleep completely. It could be a toy, or maybe even an item of mom or dad's clothing with their characteristic smell. Just don't forget about safety!

Co-sleeping with a child

Until this time, we talked about the fact that a child should sleep separately from his parents. But there is a completely opposite opinion on this matter. For many families, it is absolutely normal for the baby to stay in mom and dad’s bed while sleeping; this is considered very useful and, of course, the most convenient.

The place where the child will sleep is chosen in the first year of his life. It is not difficult for a newborn to adapt to both independent sleep and sleep with his parents. Once the habit of falling asleep is fully formed, it will be extremely difficult for you to change anything and do it in a new way. Therefore, when making a decision, take into account the opinions of all family members. In any case, your choice should not infringe on anyone.

Benefits of co-sleeping.

The main arguments in defense co-sleeping we can call those that the baby has constant access to his parents at any time of the day. Such a pastime gives the child a greater sense of security, and he feels happier. For parents, this is another confirmation of their love and care for the baby.

This also makes it possible to quickly calm or feed the child before he starts crying. Next to mom and dad, the baby constantly feels their warmth, he is not afraid of bedtime, he is not annoyed by this moment, because he knows that he will not have to part with the people close to him. There are studies that have shown that babies who sleep with their parents wake up less often and are less prone to nightmares. There is also an opinion that when a child and his parents rest together, the sleep phases are synchronized.

Arguments against co-sleeping.

On the other hand, there is an opinion that sleeping together does not allow a child to acquire such a necessary skill as sleeping alone. Such children, according to opponents of co-sleeping, grow up to be more dependent, restless, and prone to infantilism. There are also certain concerns that such children, having become accustomed to the fact that their parents are available around the clock, become spoiled. Adults themselves also need at least some time alone to replenish their energy reserves. Many people are also concerned about how co-sleeping affects spontaneity. In addition, according to pediatricians, parents can infect their baby with various infectious diseases. Don’t forget about the danger of accidentally crushing your baby in his sleep.

To resolve the situation regarding co-sleeping, young parents can choose compromise solutions. They can determine a number of circumstances in which it is okay to take your child into your bed, such as in the early morning or at the weekend, or when your child is having a nightmare or is ill. With any decision you make, it is important to determine the motivation for this choice.

Often, mom and dad just out of desperation allow the child to sleep with them if he constantly wakes up at night. Sleeping together eliminates the need for them to get out of their warm bed and go into the next room to calm them down. crying baby. Children often sleep more peacefully with their parents, but do the parents themselves feel comfortable? Quite often they experience irritation and anger in such situations. So isn’t it easier to solve the problem of the baby waking up, rather than adding a new one to it - the problem of personal dissatisfaction?

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 it gets to the morning, the more often REM sleep occurs. 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. This is where the skill of falling asleep on your own 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 - only the 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 daytime sleep segments in children changes: by 4 months there are 3-4 segments, by 6 months there are 2-3, 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. The first morning sleep becomes, as it were, a continuation of the night sleep 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! A wise human body produces everything it needs on its own.

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 to the time you want him to sleep - early morning, nap 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 track of the time and signs of fatigue; as soon as you notice it, quickly get to bed!

Biological rhythms and internal clocks

Human natural biological rhythms are a complex system.

To simplify things, here are a few key points:

• IN natural conditions(without social restrictions such as work schedules or class schedules) the biological clock runs on 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.
• Control biological clock happens 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 advice: Help your child wake up on an early winter day by turning on bright lights 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).

Remember that during holidays, vacation trips or visiting family, the regime begins to play an even greater role. Not only will it help your baby fall asleep easier and gain strength for new adventures, but also feel more secure and confident in a new environment.

Newborn sleep pattern

In the first days of its life, the baby only sleeps and eats. He does not have a strict sleep schedule, as the newborn gets used to the time of the world around him.

As a rule, a child sleeps from 18 to 20 hours a day. This time is enough to restore the strength and energy that the baby spends on learning about the outside world, as well as for the development of all body systems.

Phases and duration of sleep of a newborn 1 week of life

Newborn babies sleep almost 24 hours. At the same time, they wake up every 2-3 hours to eat.

Those babies who are breastfed can wake up after 1.5 hours. After all, breast milk takes 75 minutes to digest.

During the day, a child needs 9 hours of sleep, and night rest it takes 10 to 11 hours.

Causes restless sleep in a newborn in the first week of life

Night for a baby of this age begins at 21:00 and ends at 9:00 am. It is during this period that the newborn should sleep soundly. But don’t forget, you need to feed him 3-4 times during the night.

Daytime and night mode Sleep may be disturbed if the room is stuffy.

The room needs to be ventilated.

Also, in order for the baby to sleep soundly, it is necessary to swaddle him. He should be comfortable, warm, but not hot.

How long should a baby sleep in the second week of birth?

Sleep pattern of a two-week-old baby

A two-week-old baby sleeps from 18 to 20 hours a day. At this time it grows. His body is developing, all systems are beginning to adapt, mainly the nervous system. In addition, during sleep, energy appears that the child spends on understanding the world around him.

Phases and duration good night in an infant of the second week of life at night and during the day

During the day, a newborn sleeps from 8 to 9 hours, and at night - from 10 to 11. His sleep is interrupted in order to eat.

Please note that babies wake up after 1.5-2 hours. And those children who are fed formulas can sleep up to 3 hours.

Why does a baby sleep poorly or not sleep in the second week of life?

A baby may have trouble sleeping for several reasons.

• Firstly , he might get hot. Make sure he is warm under the blanket. To make it more comfortable, try swaddling your baby.
• Secondly , affects the room temperature. To prevent the room from being stuffy, it should be ventilated.

How and how much do newborn babies sleep in the third week of life?

Sleeping and waking patterns in infants aged three weeks

At this age, children begin to become active. They can consciously move their hands, raise their head for a few seconds and look for a long time at an object of interest. Moreover, children wake up before the allotted time calculated for feeding, and go to bed not immediately after they have eaten, but later.

To gain strength, children need 18 hours a day of sound sleep.

Phases and duration of sleep in a newborn three weeks of life at night and during the day

A three-week-old baby consistently sleeps 8 hours during the day and 10 at night. At the same time, he wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat and examine the external environment.

Many mothers notice that the most deep sleep for children from 11 pm to 9 am.

Why does a baby sleep poorly at 3 weeks of age?

The baby may not sleep due to discomfort.

• For example, he may be hot.

Usually babies are swaddled and covered with a blanket. To check if your baby is hot, put your finger in the collar. If the back does not sweat, then everything is normal.

• The baby may also be cold.

You can check this by looking at the frozen spout.

• By the way, the stuffiness in the room also makes it difficult to fall asleep.

How long does a baby normally sleep in the fourth week after birth?

Features of daytime and night sleep in infants of four weeks

At one month old, the baby already begins to understand what day and night are. He develops a sleep pattern.

In total, the baby rests 18 hours a day. This time is enough for the growth and development of the body, as well as to restore the energy spent on learning about the new world.

Duration and phases of sleep in a four-week newborn

Already in a month the baby develops 4 daily periods sleep, and one at night.

In total, babies sleep 8 hours during the day. This time is divided into two morning periods of 3 hours each, and two evening shallow sleep periods of 30-40 minutes each.

Many mothers have noticed that their children sleep 4 times for 2 hours. This habit negatively affects the child’s psycho-emotional state.

At night, children sleep for 10 hours.

Sleep disturbance in a newborn 4 weeks of life: main causes

A newborn may not sleep for several reasons.

• Firstly , he may be disturbed by an external stimulus such as music or conversation. It is advisable to monitor surrounding factors.
• Secondly , the child may be cold or hot. He needs to be swaddled so that he feels comfortable.
• Third , room conditions, such as stuffiness or humidity, may affect your sleep. It is necessary to ventilate the room before going to bed.

How do newborn babies sleep in the fifth week of life?

Five week old baby's sleep schedule

A child of this age sleeps 18 hours a day. This time is enough to replenish your reserves of strength and energy.

A five-week-old baby already requires more parental attention, as he can stay awake for up to 3-4 hours every day.

In addition, the baby adheres to 4 naps during the day and 2 naps at night.

Duration and phases of sleep in infants at 5 weeks of life at night and during the day

During the day, the child's sleep is divided into 4 periods and amounts to 8 hours.

As a rule, in the first two daytime periods the baby sleeps for 3 hours, and in the last two evening periods - for 30-40 minutes. This time is enough to get enough sleep and not go into deep sleep.

At night, mothers can sleep more peacefully, since within 10 hours the child will need to be fed 1-2 times.

Why does my baby sleep restlessly or not sleep at all at 5 weeks?

• A common cause of poor sleep is a stuffy room. Before putting the baby down, you should ventilate it.
• Also, the baby may not sleep due to an uncomfortable pillow or duvet. It is advisable to check whether he is hot or cold.
• Abdominal pain can also be a cause of restless sleep. They appear due to the fact that the nursing mother ate a product that she had not consumed before.

How much should a baby sleep in the sixth week of life?

Sleep patterns of a six-week-old baby at night and during the day

By 6 months, a newborn has a stable sleep and wakefulness pattern.

During the day the child continues to sleep 4 times. And at night it can be interrupted 1-2 times for feeding.

In total, the baby sleeps 18 hours a day. This time is enough to gain strength and begin to learn again the world.

At this age, the child already independently holds his head in an upright position, follows objects by turning his neck.

How much sleep should a 6 week old baby sleep?

The baby's daytime sleep is divided into 4 periods and amounts to 8 hours. The baby needs two deep sleeps of 3 hours each and two shallow sleeps of 30-40 minutes each.

A child's nightly sleep is limited to 10 hours. Moreover, it can also be divided into 2-3 periods, since the baby needs to be fed at night.

Why does a 6 week old baby sleep restlessly at night/day?

• The most common cause of poor sleep in a child of this age is incorrect sleep associations. That is, he can wake up at night, cry and fall asleep only after being rocked or picked up.

• The baby may wake up from shaking. Swaddling saves you from them.
• By the way, the reasons for poor sleep can also be a stuffy room or illness.

How much sleep should a seven week old baby normally sleep?

Sleep patterns in seven-week-old babies, day and night

At 7 months the child begins to express himself energetically.

Parents should accustom him to active games in the first half of the day, and to quiet activities in the afternoon. Then the baby will sleep well.

A child of this age needs 18 hours of sleep per day. If your child sleeps longer, he may feel unwell.

The baby should not be weaned from the sleep-wake schedule.

How much and how should a baby sleep at 7 weeks?

A 7-week-old baby's naps are no different from those of a 6-week-old baby.

Rest is divided into 4 periods: 2 for 3 hours and 2 for 30-40 minutes.

It is advisable that the first periods of deep sleep take place in the first half of the day, and the second shallow periods in the evening.

In just one day, a baby can sleep up to 8 hours. And he needs 10 hours to rest at night.

Why does a baby sleep poorly at night and during the day at seven weeks of life: reasons

About active games we wrote above, they should take place during the day.

Another reason for poor sleep is an uncomfortable pillow or mattress. Since the baby is already beginning to move, he can, of course, slide down during sleep and lie down as he wants.

In this problem, swaddling saves parents. Wrapped in a warm blanket, the child will not want to crawl or move anywhere.

By the way, swaddling also prevents the baby from flinching.

How long does a newborn baby sleep in the eighth week of life?

Sleep schedule for babies aged eight weeks - daytime and nighttime

The sleep schedule of 8-week-old babies does not differ from that of 5,6,7-week-old babies. As a rule, they need 18 hours of rest every day.

Babies can already hold their head upright or lying on their stomach.

In addition, children already distinguish between the concepts of day and night.

Sleep phases and duration in an 8 week old baby

At this age, babies sleep for 10 hours at night. Mothers get up to them only once to feed and change them.

And during the day, children have enough to sleep 8 hours. It is divided into 4 periods: 2 deep sleeps for 3 hours and 2 superficial sleeps for 30-40 minutes.

Sleep disturbance in a child at 8 weeks of life: causes

As a rule, at this age the baby sleeps peacefully. But if he is disturbed by an external stimulus, voice or music, he will wake up.

• Poor sleep can also be caused by illness. When a child feels bad, he will not sleep.
• In addition, if he is hot or cold, the baby may begin to cry.
• Another reason could be stuffiness in the room. Ventilate the room half an hour before bedtime.

How and how much does a baby sleep in the ninth week of life?

Proper sleep schedule for children 9 weeks of age

A stable 4-day rest period is also maintained in 9-week-old children. But in time it decreases by 1 hour.

But my night's sleep doesn't change. In total, babies need 17 hours to rest.

They need strength in order to study the world around them, learn to hold their head straight and lean on their forearms, lie on their stomach, and also turn on their side.

How long should a child sleep during the day and at night?

The duration of a child's daytime sleep changes by 1 hour and is 7 hours.

In addition, the child sleeps 4 times during the day: 2 deep sleeps for 2-3 hours and 2 shallow sleeps for 30-40 minutes. As a rule, the first ones take place before lunch, the second ones after.

And night time does not change. 10 hours is enough for a baby to sleep. Of course, at night mommy will have to get up once to feed.

Why does a 9-week-old baby sleep poorly during the day or at night?

• To ensure that your child sleeps soundly, wrap him in a soft, warm sheet, and then cover him with a blanket (if the room is cold).
• Pay attention to external stimuli - music, radio, TV. Turn them off.
• Before putting your child to bed, ventilate the room in case he feels stuffy.
• And, of course, teach your baby to fall asleep on his own. He shouldn't wake up to feel your hands or rocking.
• By the way, the cause of poor sleep can be abdominal pain and other diseases.

How should an infant sleep at the tenth week of birth?

How long should a child sleep at night and during the day?

As soon as the baby's viewing area has increased due to the fact that he has learned to hold his head while lying on his stomach, he begins to monitor surrounding objects.

In order for the baby to have a lot of strength and enough energy for 7 hours of daily wakefulness, he must sleep at least 17 hours a day.

Duration and phases of sleep in a child aged 10 weeks

A baby's daytime sleep is divided into 4 periods, of which 2 deep sleeps of 2-3 hours each and 2 shallow sleeps of 30-40 minutes each. It is advisable that the first ones fall in the day, and the second ones in the evening.

Babies need 10 hours to rest at night. During the night, a mother can disturb her child once to feed her.

Why can’t a child sleep during the day or at night, what bothers him?

Abdominal pain is often the cause of sleep disturbances. The mother of the baby should watch what she eats. A bottle-fed baby can be switched to another formula.

A child may also have trouble sleeping due to an uncomfortable mattress, a hot blanket, a stuffy room, or simply hunger.

How much should a baby sleep in the eleventh week of life?

Sleep patterns in children aged 11 weeks at night and during the day

A child’s sleep schedule at this age remains almost unchanged. A baby should sleep 16-17 hours a day.

He has been “walking” a little longer than usual, and may sleep less during the day. In addition, 4 naps a day are maintained. It is necessary so that the child has the strength for active games.

Sleep phases and duration in infants aged 11 weeks

In children of this age, daytime sleep is divided into 4 periods. Babies sleep 2 times in the morning for 2-3 hours and 2 times in the afternoon for 30-40 minutes. Please note that the nighttime routine for 11-week-old children does not change, it is 10 hours. You can also feed once a night.

Why does a baby at 11 weeks of age sleep poorly during the day or at night: reasons

The cause of sleep disturbance can be overwork. The baby can overwork himself lying on his stomach, holding his head. Overfatigue will also appear due to muscle tension, because a child at this age will try to crawl to toys and turn on his side.

Poor sleep can also be caused by hunger, a stuffy room, a hard mattress, an uncomfortable pillow, heat, cold, night tremors or illness.

Sleep of children at the twelfth week from birth

Features of daytime and night sleep in infants 12 weeks

By three months, the child should learn not only to hold his head, but also to move it to the sides: up, down, right, left. He should also rest on his forearms while lying on his stomach and turn on his side.

In order for the baby to be in a good mood and have enough strength and energy to develop his own abilities, he will need 16-17 hours of sleep.

At the same time, his 4-day nap should also be maintained.

Sleep phases and duration in children 12 weeks of life

Many mothers notice that a child’s sleep at 3 months does not last more than 4 hours in a row.

Despite this regime, daytime rest takes place in 4 periods. Babies sleep 2 times for 2-3 hours in the first half of the day, and after lunch 2 times for 30-40 minutes. The daily sleep norm for a 12 week old baby is 6-7 hours.

But the baby’s nightly schedule does not change; he needs 10 hours to sleep. In this case, the child may sleep all night and not wake up to refresh himself.

Causes of poor sleep in 12 week old babies

• By this age, children should sleep independently. They do not need to be rocked or picked up. The baby will not be able to sleep if the parents change their rocking tactics.
• Sleep can also be disturbed due to illness; children often have stomach pain.

Other causes of poor sleep are stuffiness or humidity in the room, cold, heat, uncomfortable bedding (pillow, mattress, blanket), external stimuli (music, TV, voice, telephone).

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 evening time For a day, exclude 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 will be able to help the 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 by evening sleep he will be capricious and whiny .
2. The main component of good sleep is favorable conditions created . Wet diapers or clothes, cold in the room, extraneous noise - all this affects the strong 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

For the full development of the baby, the correct formation of the baby’s daily routine and the competent alternation of wakefulness and rest cycles, it is important for parents to know what phases of sleep the child has. infant.

The main “work” of a newborn baby in the first days of life is feeding and sleeping. And if the issue of nutrition is clear (there is nothing better than breastfeeding), then the topic of sleep often confuses parents. There is no clear understanding of how long a child should sleep, why one baby sleeps peacefully all night, while another wakes up from the slightest noise. Of course, they play an important role individual characteristics infant, but still the structure and physiology of the baby’s sleep are subject to a certain model.

Sleeping for a newborn is almost the same as breathing

For a little person who has just been born, it is difficult to achieve strict adherence to the daily routine, because he does not have the function of an internal clock, and he is not able to distinguish day from night. The baby’s body adapts to the conditions of existence outside the mother’s womb, and this is a considerable burden for it.

But in order to adapt to external environmental conditions, the child’s rest should last 16-20 hours a day. Approximately every 2-3 hours, the baby wakes up to eat, then, having had enough, falls back into slumber. It takes less than an hour for a baby to digest food, which is why the break is so short.

Sleep, especially in the first weeks after birth, is a continuation of behavioral responses in the embryonic state.

Does the baby sleep in the womb?

Ultrasound scanning was able to prove that, while in the mother’s womb, the child spends a significant amount of time in a state of rest.

1. The first signs of rest, which can be described as real sleep, appear by the 28th week. At this stage, there are restless movements of the limbs, twitching of the eyelids and changing facial expressions.
2. Around the eighth month of pregnancy, the child's sleep becomes calm, during this period he remains motionless for a long time, his facial features are smoothed.
3. Immediately before childbirth, the cyclicity of the calm and restless state of this physiological process appears.

By the way, many mothers are worried that their baby in the tummy behaves “invisibly” during the day, but at night it starts real battles, kicking and tossing and turning. The fear is associated with possible confusion about the time of day after childbirth. But this is understandable: a pregnant woman, gently swaying while walking, simultaneously lulls and rocks the baby. At night, without feeling rhythmic movements, the child begins to become active. It’s not for nothing that almost all children fall asleep instantly when rocked in a stroller or in their arms.

Sleep after birth

The first weeks and even months after birth are a kind of continuation of intrauterine life, and being in the arms of Morpheus continues to be the baby’s main activity. Rest can last up to 5-6 hours during this period, and many parents wonder whether it is worth interrupting such a long pause between feedings; will the baby lose weight?

No matter how imperfect the baby’s body may seem, it obeys its natural biorhythms, and you should not interfere with them. The child himself feels when it is time for him to eat or sleep. For the first 2-3 months, if nothing bothers the child, long rest is normal.

The alarm should be sounded if long periods of sleep without waking up to feed become the norm. This regimen contributes to dehydration and exhaustion of the body and may indicate pathology. A pediatrician will help identify the cause.

Closer to 4-5 months, the little man begins to show interest in the world around him, and periods of revitalization become longer and longer.

Characteristics of daytime and nighttime sleep of infants

Ideally, a newborn's daytime rest should last 9 hours, and at night the child sleeps for at least 10-11 hours with breaks for feeding (3-4 times). Of course, these are average norms; it also happens that a child is awake a lot during the day, but then sleeps soundly at night.

For a baby, the days merge together, without division into light (day) and dark (night) segments. The task of parents is to teach the child to share these concepts and realize that the day is intended for active activities, and night is a time for rest. Frequent awakening of the baby after sunset is associated with a number of factors:

• child on breastfeeding, wakes up more often, as mother’s milk is absorbed faster than adapted formulas;
• the hot and dry climate in the room makes the baby thirsty;
• giving up diapers in favor of diapers will force parents to get up more often to change wet sheets;
• A baby sleeping separately from its mother feels discomfort from losing contact with a loved one.

A child's daytime sleep is divided into segments, the number of which decreases as the baby grows older. By four months there are 3-4 stages of rest, by 6 months morning, afternoon and evening sleep remain, and by 1.5 years children usually sleep once during the day.

To develop healthy skills, it is important to strictly follow the sequence of rituals. So, awakening, accompanied by hygiene procedures(washing, washing, cleaning the nose, ears) will be associated in the child with the morning period. Walks, as a rule, take place during the day, but going to bed is associated in the baby’s memory with evening bathing, feeding and quiet rocking.

Physiology of children's sleep: biological cycle and internal clock

Any human life activity, including a child, is subject to the cyclical processes occurring in the body, the name of which is biorhythms. Thanks to biological cycles, a person is able to adapt to the changes of day and night, seasons, and time zones.

Even before birth, a child’s biorhythms are established, and by observing how the system of cycles manifests itself, you can painlessly build the baby’s daily routine. You just need to correctly set your internal clock in accordance with the natural biological course. Here are some recommendations:

• The process of internal time can and should be controlled. Adults should strive to ensure that the child's wake-up, bedtime, and meal times remain constant from day to day.
• Sunlight is the main coordinator of biorhythms, so on a dark winter morning you can help your baby wake up on time with the help of electric light, and, on the contrary, on a bright summer evening you can darken the room with thick curtains.
• The human body responds to its internal clock by adjusting body temperature: during the period of falling asleep it decreases, and as it approaches getting up, it increases. A child will fall asleep easier in a well-ventilated, cool room.

According to Pavlov’s teachings, “sleep has a protective and life-saving significance for the brain,” and if it is complete, then the child is healthy, gains weight well and does not lag behind in physical development.

Based on the value of rest periods, a sleep chart for young children has been developed.

It should be taken into account that the given time is average and may vary depending on physical, psychological factors and the child's temperament.

Traits and distinctive features of the resting stages

Small children sleep differently than adults; the sleep phases of an infant differ in their order and duration. The functioning systems of an infant’s body, first of all, the brain, are imperfect, therefore the pattern of action of two important states of rest - fast and slow sleep - is specific.

Paradoxical phase

The REM sleep phase is dominant in the life of a newborn. Another name for it is the REM period (translated as “active eye movement”) or REM – “rapid eye movements”. The stage acquired a similar name for the trembling eyelashes and the rapidly moving pupils under them. Based on these signs, the paradoxical phase can mislead parents - they may consider the child to be awake.

At the stage of fast-wave sleep, processes that are very important for the baby take place:

• training and stimulation of brain development through vivid dreams;
• relaxation and relief of nervous tension;
• rethinking and consolidating new information;

Paradoxical sleep is a shallow state of rest; the child plunges into this phase immediately from a state of wakefulness.

The brain at this stage is active and seems to be drifting on the edge of consciousness. As the baby grows, the share fast phase is shrinking.

Orthodox or deep sleep

The stage of non-rapid (slow) sleep, or non-REM (translated as “without active eye movement”) is formed at the stage of more mature development of the cerebral cortex. She is the one responsible for a good night's rest. There are 4 degrees of the orthodox phase:

• Napping is a superficial rest; the baby reacts to all sounds.
• Falling asleep is a transitional state between dormancy and rest; the baby may wake up when there is extraneous noise.
• Deep sleep - the body is relaxed, the arms and legs become heavier, there is no reaction to slight interference.
• Very deep sleep - complete disconnection from the external environment, noises have no effect on the child, artificial removal from this state completely disorients the baby.

This rest phase is important for the full formation and normal development child. The baby's strength is restored, spent energy is renewed, and the body is rebooted. The slow stage is short-lived, no more than half an hour, but over time its duration increases as the baby becomes more active and gets more tired.

REM or what are you dreaming, baby?

The paradoxical phase of sleep in newborns, as noted, is colored with images of dreams. What visions and sights make the baby smile, wrinkle his nose, frown, twitch his arms and legs? After all, his knowledge of the surrounding reality is negligible.

There is no consensus on dreams in infants either among scientists or among neurosurgeons. But there is an idea that at the stage of formation of interneuron connections, a person sees spots of color, or the very first and warmest thing he constantly encounters is his mother’s breast.

In addition to visual images, components of dreams can include sensations: after all, the baby already distinguishes between cold and warm, wet or dry. And over time, as information is replenished, the child will already see familiar faces and familiar objects in his dreams.

Sleep phases in the first year of a baby's life

From about the 3rd month of life, the baby’s sleep is similar to the rest of the older ones, with the exception of the duration of the cycles. The full circle consists of four stages slow phase and one quick nap. In infancy, a single cycle is 45-50 minutes, after 5 years it approaches an hour, and only after 10-12 years it is equal to that of an adult.

Below is a table showing the change in the ratio of the paradoxical sleep phase in infants in the first year of life by month.

Most often, children wake up at the paradoxical stage, the quantitative component of which prevails over the supra-orthodox one. That is why the rest of infants is intermittent and short-lived.

Sleep is an indispensable condition for the physical and psycho-emotional development of a baby.

Undoubtedly, sleep, along with feeding, plays a primary role in the life of a baby. In a state of rest, the child’s body is restored, removing traces of fatigue and overwork. The brain “digests” the flow of information received during wakefulness and prepares for a new portion of knowledge and emotions. During the rest period, the baby gains height and weight, good rest promotes good appetite, equal mood and intellectual development.

Lack of sleep has an extremely harmful effect on a child’s nervous system and can lead to chronic disorders, up to neuroses. Professor N. Krasnogorsky found that even a two-hour sleep deficit leads to negative weight fluctuations. In the future, such children may have impaired behavioral reactions, for example, “disobedience syndrome.”

Sleep takes a direct part in complex process development of memory functions, attention, systematization. In addition, it has been proven that growth hormone, so important for the baby, is activated in the first two hours of night rest. The task of parents is to create all the conditions for full and healthy sleep for their child.

Every adult spends approximately one third of his life sleeping. Newborns sleep much more. Let's figure out together what and how happens during this very important process for everyone.

Theory about sleep

Although many people think of sleep as rest, it is actually a very complex and active process in life. Next, we will look at several aspects of the physiology of healthy sleep in order to understand its structure and the problems that may arise in this area.

Sleep phases.

During a night's rest, a person experiences two states of sleep. For the sleeper himself, these transitions pass unnoticed. But if you use an electroencephalogram, you can clearly see the difference between these two phases.

First- this is rapid sleep, or, as it is also called REM sleep (from the English “rapid eye movement”, “rapid eye movements”). A characteristic feature of this condition is that the sleeper’s closed eyes move. If you look closely, you can see how the eyeballs move under the closed thin eyelids of a sleeping baby. This type of sleep is also called active sleep. It is at this stage that blood pressure increases, and respiratory and heart rhythms may become disrupted. Muscle tone decreases, legs, arms, and facial muscles may tremble slightly. If you raise a person from the stage of REM sleep, he will abruptly move into a state of wakefulness. Dreams also come to a person during this period, although we do not always remember them in the morning. Most of the REM sleep occurs in the early morning. Newborns may well wake up for short periods of time during this stage, and this is completely normal. The child may toss and turn, look around, pull up the blanket or move his head to the other side, but then he will fall asleep again just as quickly and carefree. Changing the environment around him can stop your baby from falling asleep after a short awakening. Here, in order for the baby to fall asleep again, it will be necessary to recreate that primary environment. By the way, this is often where one of the most common sleep problems lies. This can be avoided if you initially teach your baby not to pay attention to the situation and to fall asleep after a short awakening in the REM sleep stage, despite its changes.

Second phase of sleep also called slow-wave sleep. During such sleep, rest actually occurs. During slow-wave sleep, breathing and heart contractions remain constant and rhythmic. A sleeping person lies motionless, his muscles are completely relaxed. Four stages of slow-wave sleep can be distinguished, from drowsiness (stage one) to deep sleep (stage four). The lion's share of slow-wave sleep occurs at the very beginning, namely in the first hours after falling asleep. Quite often, when falling into slow-wave sleep, hypnagogic fear occurs. This is a condition in which all parts of the body tremble, and these tremors can be so sharp that they can lead to a short-term awakening of a person. But still, if the sleeper has reached the slow-wave sleep phase, waking him up is not at all easy, especially in his deep phase.

Some babies, closer to the end of the slow-wave sleep stage, may wake up for a while. These awakenings occur somewhat differently than in the REM stage of sleep. The baby can sit up in bed, open his eyes, look around with an unseeing gaze, make chewing movements, even scream something or mutter incoherent words, and then fall asleep again. This phenomenon is quite normal, there is nothing wrong with this behavior of the baby.

Sleep structure.

The phases of rapid and slow sleep replace each other throughout the night, creating cycles. For newborns, the REM sleep–NREM sleep cycle takes about 50 minutes. Teenagers and adults are given about an hour and a half for this cycle. When babies reach 3 to 6 months of age, their sleep structure will be as close as possible to that of an adult. At the beginning, they will be immersed in slow-wave sleep, and after 10 minutes they will already be in the deep stage of this sleep. The duration of such sleep will be from 40 minutes to an hour, followed by a short awakening, which will take only a few minutes, and then REM sleep, which will last from 5 to 20 minutes. Then, within a few hours, the baby will fall into REM sleep, then into the second phase of slow sleep. Young children may additionally be in the third or fourth stage of slow-wave sleep in the morning. Dreams usually appear early in the morning. It is possible to recognize the structural specifics of sleep even during the period when the child is in the womb. Already in the sixth to seventh month of development, REM sleep becomes characteristic of the fetus. The slow stage appears somewhat later, in the seventh or eighth month, but it is still not fully developed at this time. Usually, all four phases of slow-wave sleep can be identified only in a six-month-old child.

Video of a child's dream:

Schedule

How does a child’s daily routine change at different ages?

After your baby is born, he will need to get used to living outside his mother's belly. A full-term baby will sleep 16 - 17 hours a day for up to three months of his life, a premature baby will sleep even more - about twenty. There is usually a clear distribution of sleep and wakefulness. Often after three hours of sleep comes an hour of partying. This is related to the feeding cycle. As soon as the baby satisfies his need for food, he falls asleep. Wakes up again feeling hungry.

Sometimes a newborn can stay awake for some time after feeding, but he cannot go without sleep for a long time. Closer to one and a half to two months, during the daytime there is also time for the baby to be active. This period is the most successful for a child to play with his mother. Such stimulation of activity will only play into the hands of parents, because the newborn will be more clearly aware of the difference between sleep and awakening. This will help reinforce your daily routine. Changes in the regime will occur by the age of three months. This will be noticeable by how the baby will fall asleep in the morning and at noon. And this precedes the emergence of a new daily routine, according to which the child sleeps two to three times a day. This regime will continue for up to 12 - 15 months.

When a baby reaches three to six months, his rhythm of life becomes more adapted to the general lifestyle of the family. The duration of his sleep is 14 hours a day, of which 9 - 10 hours are at night and about 5 during the day. The onset of sleep is almost identical and repeats from day to day: night sleep can begin from 7 to 9 pm, and the morning rise will be between 6 and 8 am. At this age, almost all children can sleep for about seven hours without waking up.

At six to nine months, the baby's daily routine becomes more complex. The child sleeps about 13-15 hours. Basically, morning awakening occurs around 6.30 - 7.00, then there may be two daytime naps lasting about an hour and a half and a night sleep from 19.30 - 20.00. Most children, about 80%, sleep through the night. Little by little the connection between feedings and sleep begins to blur. If you properly stimulate your baby's activity, he will not fall asleep immediately after eating. It is during this period that you need to try to develop a new option for putting your child to sleep in order to prevent all sorts of problems associated with this in the future.

With the onset of 9 - 12 months, the child spends 14 hours a day sleeping. 12 hours are at night and twice a day for an hour. Sometimes children may refuse their first nap during the day. At the same time, they either sleep longer in the afternoon or go to bed earlier in the evening. The different temperaments of children also make their own adjustments to the daily routine. Hyperactive children, and at this age their activity is always quite high, require longer rest. If a child is diligently learning to walk, then he can try to develop these skills even in the crib. Sometimes even a child can wake up and cry simply because he does not know how to lie down to continue sleeping. In such cases, mothers should try to develop this skill during the daytime.

Once the baby reaches this age, it will be necessary to make the time of going to bed longer. Now it should be at least 20 minutes, because it is necessary to give the child the opportunity to calm down. During this period, your baby may refuse to go to bed. His physical strength is already capable of surviving prolonged wakefulness. Very soon the child will make full use of this power, especially in those moments when he is nervous, when he does not want to interrupt a game that interests him, or when he does not want people he likes to leave.

Temperament and regime.

Each individual, as we know, has his own character traits and his own temperament. And all these features play a huge role in our lives, adjusting everything to suit our own needs. In particular, this affects the lifestyle, how long a person can stay awake, how much and when to sleep. Child psychologists, analyzing temperaments, distinguish three main types of children: difficult, flexible and slow children.

An easy-going child has a clear daily routine. Both wakefulness and sleep occur without change, every day, at the same time. Such a baby falls asleep on his own, without anyone’s help. As soon as you put him in his crib, he immediately begins to gradually fall asleep. Such children sleep for a long time and quite soundly; they do not tend to cry even during short-term awakenings during sleep. For difficult children, characteristic features are a tendency to bad mood and isolation, a chaotic daily routine, hyperactivity, and intense reactions. It would seem that such children do not have any inclination to even minimally regulate the periods of sleep and wakefulness. To establish this regime, you cannot do without the help of others. He needs much more time to fall asleep. If you connect external stimuli, the transition from wakefulness to sleep will be somewhat easier. For example, you can swaddle a child and rock him in your arms.

Just remember that when the baby gets used to this type of placement, then it will be much more difficult to wean him off. Such children usually sleep less by two hours at night and an hour during the day, compared to docile children. Also, such children are characterized by the prevalence of the REM sleep phase, which, in turn, is dependent on external stimuli. That is why such children are prone to frequent awakening and restlessness.

Children with a slow temperament are not characterized by increased activity. They often withdraw into themselves, especially when they find themselves in a situation that is unfamiliar to them. It is quite difficult for them to adapt to a new environment and they need additional help from their parents to get used to it. It should also be noted that the temperament of children does not depend on the upbringing of their parents; it is inherited by the baby from birth. Remember this, especially if you are going to engage in self-flagellation about the child’s not entirely adequate behavior.

A place to sleep.

Part of the room, or a room in the apartment where the baby will sleep, should become his fortress, his little planet, a place where he would feel calm and good. Parents should under no circumstances allow their child to associate negativity with this place. You should not punish him for disobedience, for example, by sending him to his place of sleep, so as not to create negative parallels.

The crib is the most important and central element of the “sleeping kingdom”. The main characteristic of this piece of furniture should be safety. Choose a crib made from environmentally friendly materials, preferably natural wood. It is also worth paying attention to the rods.

There should be neither too little nor too much distance between them; ideally, they should be within 2.5 - 6 cm of each other. This will be enough to prevent the baby from falling out or suffocating. Painted cribs must also meet safety requirements. The paint used should not contain heavy metal salts, especially lead.

The ideal crib design is one in which the bottom is adjustable, lowering to a lower height, which is convenient when the child grows up. The height should be such that the top of the crib is up to the shoulders of the baby standing on the mattress. The mattress itself should fit snugly to the frame of the crib, without gaps or cracks, so that the baby does not injure his arm or leg.

There are several types of mattresses: spring, foam and stuffed. Mattresses made using springs or stuffed with durable orthopedic material (coconut shavings, for example) will last you much longer, but they will also cost a pretty penny. Foam mattresses are much less expensive, but they need to be turned over from time to time to prevent deep dents. This must be done at least once a month. The basic requirements for a mattress are the correct hardness and a flat surface. This is an extremely important point, since the mattress is directly involved in the formation of the child’s spine; in addition, it should not block the access of air.

You should also remember that for a child under one and a half years old it is unacceptable to use pillows, folded diapers, etc. If you allow your baby to play with toys or other objects in the crib, be careful. Tie soft protection to the sides of the crib. Remove any objects from the crib that your child could use as a step to climb out of, especially if your child has already learned to stand. This also applies to large soft toys. Also, be careful that small toys, objects, laces and ribbons do not come into contact with the child - all of this can cause suffocation. If your baby takes a pacifier, under no circumstances hang it around his neck. There are special clamps for these purposes that are safe and will not harm the child’s health.

Baby sleeping position.

Quite often, parents doubt the correct sleeping position chosen by the baby. Most scientists tend to favor the supine position as the most suitable for newborns, as there is an opinion that cases of sudden infant death are associated with sleeping on the stomach. If you look at the situation from the other side, then, lying on his back, the child may burp, especially if he is predisposed to this. While in a state of sleep, he can simply choke on the products of regurgitation. Therefore, it seems to us that the most optimal position is on the side. There are special bolsters that can help secure the baby in this position.

There is no need to teach your child to sleep in absolute silence. There is absolutely no need to tiptoe around, turn off the TV, or shush anyone who is talking near the crib. There is also no need to artificially shade the room during daytime sleep. From birth, children have the ability to ignore external stimuli, especially when they want to sleep. And by striving for the ideal, you can form incorrect sleep habits in the baby; he will quickly get used to sleeping only if certain parameters are observed. By doing this, you will significantly complicate the life of all other family members.

Uninterrupted night sleep.

The long-awaited time for every parent is the time when he sleeps through the night, without sudden awakenings. For a child, the whole night means sleeping for 5 to 6 hours in a row. The maturity of the nervous system plays a very important role here, because it is in its power to connect several sleep cycles with each other during these 5 - 6 hours. There are no significant changes during sleep; the baby simply develops a good habit of coping with night awakenings on his own. And so, the phases of quiet and active sleep alternate, as before.

Until the baby reaches a weight threshold of 5.5 - 6 kg, he will not be physically able to withstand long intervals between feedings (more than 3 - 4 hours). Most pediatricians are inclined to believe that the child himself should refuse feeding at night.

In this situation there are two options. If your child, with all the ideal height and weight indicators for his age, wakes up in the middle of the night and actively suckles at the breast, then perhaps his body has not yet lost this need. But if he simply reflexively sucks on the breast and immediately falls asleep, barely waking up and not having eaten the proper amount of food, then this is most likely just a habit, one of the ways to ease the transition to sleep. In this case, you can try to rebuild his associations and reflexes associated with the sleep period in a different direction.

Daytime nap

Sleeping during the day will help you gain strength for the rest of the day in a great mood. Parents should remember that for children's daily routine, both the time and duration of daytime sleep are of great importance. If your child goes to bed too late, or sleeps longer than expected, this will definitely affect his night's sleep and it will be more difficult for you to put him to bed in the evening.

Bedtime ritual

If a child has a persistent reluctance to go to bed, parents should think over a special ritual that will help him come to terms with the fact that he needs to part with mom and dad for a while. As the baby grows up, this very ritual will become an indicator of independence in specially specified conditions. Parents have the right to decide how many books they will read to their baby before bed, but the child himself will choose which books they will be. The same is true with audio recordings; the child himself has the right to decide what to listen to today. With the help of such a ritual, we provide children with the opportunity to control the situation themselves. When the sequence of ritual actions is clearly developed, the child will be ready for this and will even be in anticipation of each element of the ritual.

You can determine which ritual to use based on the child’s level of development. As he grows up, the action itself will change. For newborns, everything should be extremely simple, or better yet, everything should develop naturally, as if by itself. If, when the child reaches six months, the ritual has not been developed, then the parents must create it. This may include calming activities such as rocking or swaddling, and music, singing or reading may play an important role. At the end of the short transition period, the child, not yet completely asleep, should be placed where he will spend the rest of his sleep. Objects that can be placed in your baby's crib can help you fall asleep completely. It could be a toy, or maybe even an item of mom or dad's clothing with their characteristic smell. Just don't forget about safety!

Co-sleeping with a child

Until this time, we talked about the fact that a child should sleep separately from his parents. But there is a completely opposite opinion on this matter. For many families, it is absolutely normal for the baby to stay in mom and dad’s bed while sleeping; this is considered very useful and, of course, the most convenient.

The place where the child will sleep is chosen in the first year of his life. It is not difficult for a newborn to adapt to both independent sleep and sleep with his parents. Once the habit of falling asleep is fully formed, it will be extremely difficult for you to change anything and do it in a new way. Therefore, when making a decision, take into account the opinions of all family members. In any case, your choice should not infringe on anyone.

Benefits of co-sleeping.

The main arguments in defense of co-sleeping include the fact that the baby has constant access to his parents at any time of the day. Such a pastime gives the child a greater sense of security, and he feels happier. For parents, this is another confirmation of their love and care for the baby.

This also makes it possible to quickly calm or feed the child before he starts crying. Next to mom and dad, the baby constantly feels their warmth, he is not afraid of bedtime, he is not annoyed by this moment, because he knows that he will not have to part with the people close to him. There are studies that have shown that babies who sleep with their parents wake up less often and are less prone to nightmares. There is also an opinion that when a child and his parents rest together, the sleep phases are synchronized.

Arguments against co-sleeping.

On the other hand, there is an opinion that sleeping together does not allow a child to acquire such a necessary skill as sleeping alone. Such children, according to opponents of co-sleeping, grow up to be more dependent, restless, and prone to infantilism. There are also certain concerns that such children, having become accustomed to the fact that their parents are available around the clock, become spoiled. Adults themselves also need at least some time alone to replenish their energy reserves. Many people are also concerned about how co-sleeping affects spontaneity. In addition, according to pediatricians, parents can infect their baby with various infectious diseases. Don’t forget about the danger of accidentally crushing your baby in his sleep.

To resolve the situation regarding co-sleeping, young parents can choose compromise solutions. They can determine a number of circumstances in which it is okay to take your child into your bed, such as in the early morning or at the weekend, or when your child is having a nightmare or is ill. With any decision you make, it is important to determine the motivation for this choice.

Often, mom and dad just out of desperation allow the child to sleep with them if he constantly wakes up at night. Sleeping together eliminates the need for them to get out of a warm bed and go into the next room to soothe a crying baby. Children often sleep more peacefully with their parents, but do the parents themselves feel comfortable? Quite often they experience irritation and anger in such situations. So isn’t it easier to solve the problem of the baby waking up, rather than adding a new one to it - the problem of personal dissatisfaction?