What to do if your child doesn't sleep at night. What to do if your child does not sleep well at night or during the day

Every parent faces the problem of sleep disturbance in their baby. Therefore, this phenomenon is the rule rather than the exception. Doctors associate a baby’s restless sleep with ill health, so he is prescribed various medications. However, you should not rush to give your baby medicine. After all, there are certain reasons why an infant does not sleep well at night and often wakes up. Let's look at this problem and what to do if it exists.

There are many triggers for sleep disturbances in infants. In some cases this is due to physiological characteristics. However, if the baby develops normally, the reason why an infant wakes up at night or takes a long time to fall asleep is often associated with improper sleep organization, namely:

Sleeping too long daytime days. If your baby sleeps almost all day, you can’t count on normal sleep at night. Therefore, you should keep a sleep diary and not let him sleep for more than two hours at a time.

Bright lighting. Children don't sleep well in front of him. However, many of them suffer from restless sleep even with a small light source. To solve this problem, you should draw the curtains tightly and turn off the night light.
Late bedtime. As a rule, a baby's biorhythms are set in such a way that falling asleep should occur at 7-9 pm. If you put your child to bed later, he may not be able to sleep.
Lack of daily routine. One of the reasons why an infant stopped sleeping normally at night is a violation of the “baby” schedule. Children quickly get used to waking up and going to sleep at the same time. If you disrupt this regime, then sleep disorders will not take long to occur.
Overexcitement. Before going to bed, you should take a relaxing bath and reduce the lighting. You can also enter special mode evening ritual, associated in a child with sleep. Active games and laughter overstimulate the child, disturbing his sleep.
Falling asleep in your arms or rocking in a cradle. Many parents prefer to rock their children to sleep to help them fall asleep faster. Therefore, babies wake up at night, demanding the usual action. Moms and dads must teach them to fall asleep on their own.

If you normalize your routine, create a special evening ritual, and also eliminate too much rest during the day, you can return to normal. night sleep.

Other causes of sleep disturbance at night

There are other reasons why a baby doesn't sleep well at night. They are related to the effects on the body various stimuli. In addition to external factors, the child’s condition can also be influenced by internal reasons. Other reasons include:

Hunger. The baby can also wake up because he wants to eat. Even though he was full before bed, his stomach is quite small. Therefore, during the night he can wake up several times to eat. In addition, on the chest or with a bottle, the baby falls asleep much faster and more soundly.
Cold or hot. For normal sleep The temperature in the room should be about 21 degrees. If there are significant deviations from the norm, he wakes up, becomes capricious and cannot fall asleep for a long time. Therefore, it is important that the room where the newborn sleeps is maintained at optimal temperature and humidity.
Wet diaper or nappy. If your baby is having trouble sleeping at night, he may simply need a diaper change. If parents prefer to swaddle rather than use diapers, they should wear a disposable diaper at least overnight.

Noise. Some children cannot fall asleep in the presence of extraneous noise. Therefore, parents should turn on movies, music, or talk while the baby sleeps.
Teeth are being cut. A newborn baby cannot cut teeth. However, already one month old baby may suffer due to teething. This condition accompanied by elevated body temperature, painful sensations, the baby becomes restless.

Therefore, if infants or one year old child sleeps poorly at night, often wakes up and behaves restlessly, known children's doctor E. Komarovsky recommends reviewing the daily routine and eliminating all irritating factors. Healthy children should wake up at night only from hunger. If the reason is different, consult a pediatrician. The doctor will be able to determine the reason why a newborn or one-year-old child is not sleeping well and will help eliminate it.

How to put your baby to sleep

If your child begins to sleep poorly, you should follow simple tips to help put the baby to bed:

do not put your child to bed hungry;
in the evening you should create a special algorithm of actions, including bathing, light massage, feeding, a fairy tale or a lullaby. This will help the baby calm down and get ready for sleep;
organize the most comfortable conditions: humidity, temperature and lighting. Too bright lighting or heat can have a negative impact on the baby;
the baby’s mattress and pillow should be quite hard and even;
If the baby sleeps very poorly, colic may be the cause. Therefore, you should give the child a lung massage of the abdomen;
If a one-year-old child does not sleep well at night and often wakes up, it is necessary to spend as much time as possible walking with the baby in the fresh air.

E. Komarovsky recommends contacting a pediatrician if all conditions for good sleep and parents do not know what to do if the child does not sleep well at night and often wakes up. The sooner appropriate measures are taken, the sooner peace will come for parents and their children.

Folk remedies for improving sleep

If parents don’t know what to do, if their one-year-old child doesn’t sleep well at night and often wakes up, you can try traditional methods to improve sleep quality. Their use is allowed only after consultation with a specialist.

The most effective of them:

Chamomile. A decoction from it - the best remedy to reduce nervousness. It is enough to give the baby 50-70 ml of drink. It is best to bathe newborns in a decoction of this herb.
Pumpkin and honey. Children over one year old can be given pumpkin decoction with the addition of natural honey before bedtime.
Bedstraw. A bath with the addition of bedstraw infusion helps overexcited babies fall asleep faster.

Young babies may wake up several times a night to nurse or bottle.. If the reason the baby wakes up is not hunger, you need to carefully consider this problem. Parents should show calm and patience in this matter, and a soundly sleeping baby will reward them for this good mood and healthy sleep.

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For small child A strong and healthy night's sleep is very important. A lot happens in dreams important processes. In particular, the growth of the baby. And if a child doesn’t sleep well, then it can’t help but worry loving mother. The woman begins, not wanting to put up with this state of affairs, but it’s not so easy to figure it out. However, the reason is still worth finding out. After all, unhealthy sleep can lead to bad consequences.

What causes sleep problems in newborns?

Unstable sleep can cause disruption at work immune system. Inadequate sleep greatly affects the baby’s nervous system, hence whims and poor sleep even during the day. Someone will think: “Well, it’s okay, I’ll be patient, everything will get better later, we’ll get some more sleep.” But you shouldn’t leave everything to chance. It is important to know that no sleep disorders appear without reason. This is clear evidence of an incorrect lifestyle and daily routine of the child, or of problems in the child’s health.

If the baby sleeps poorly from birth, then the reason should be sought in the state of health. If your child has always slept well, and sleep disturbances occurred suddenly, then the reason most likely lies in a malfunction in the sleep-wake pattern, but in this case, the health version must also be considered.

If the reason bad sleep your little one is in the wrong organized mode day, then you need to try to fix it. It’s worth creating an optimal regimen for you and your baby and sticking to it strictly. Gradually your baby will get used to it and the nights will become calmer. And the stable repetition of everyday procedures and actions will give the baby peace of mind and confidence.

How to establish a regime? The most important moments!

A child under six months usually needs three meals a day. nap, and after 6 months, babies most often switch to two times. If at this age your child has still not switched to two naps a day, then try to gently help him with this by stretching out the time of leisure and games so that the child does not oversleep a lot during the day.

In the afternoon, stick to quiet games so as not to overstimulate the child’s still fragile nervous system. Otherwise oh Good night you can forget about sound sleep.

If you previously went to bed closer to 12 at night, then you will not be able to immediately put your baby to bed at 21-22.00. The training will have to be done slowly. Every day, put your child to bed a little earlier and eventually you will get to the desired time.

Swimming in the evening is a great way to improve night's sleep at any age.

Poor night sleep in a healthy baby

It is best to formulate a routine for your baby during the newborn period. Of course, you won’t be able to do this until you’re a month old, because at this age wakefulness and sleep are chaotically mixed. But even in this case, there may be a semblance of a regime: the baby eats, then stays awake a little and after short time falls asleep, wakes up just before the next feeding. At this age, nothing can disturb the sleep of a healthy baby except hunger, wet diapers and tummy pain due to gas. You can fix these problems.

If all the rules are followed, the causes of poor sleep are eliminated, but sleep does not improve, then it is possible that the child is sick. Most often these are infectious and viral diseases(flu, acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections, various childhood infections). Less commonly, helminthiasis, dysbacteriosis, or congenital diseases(brain tumors, hydrocephalus, etc.). In any case, consultation and examination with doctors, and further treatment are necessary.

Reviews from young mothers

Irina:

My son is now 7 months old. Periodically he sleeps very poorly, just as you describe. There were times when I fell asleep during the day for 15-20 minutes. Many children under one year old sleep like this. Their regime is changing. Now we have more or less a regime during the day. I started feeding him formula instead of breastfeeding at night. I started sleeping better. In the middle of the night I also supplement with formula. Then he falls asleep instantly. And if I give breasts, I can hang on them all night. Try also to feed him better at night, or put him to bed during the day after 2-3 hours of wakefulness. In general, adapt to your child :)

Margo:
Veronica:

It’s worth trying to tire your child out during the day. With an 8-month-old baby this is not very easy, compared to a child who is already walking with all his might, but you can try the pool or baby gymnastics, for example. Then feed and go out into the fresh air; many babies sleep well outside, or you can go to bed with the child. Tested - mine falls asleep more soundly and rarely wakes up if I’m next to her. If you still can’t get daytime sleep, then you won’t really get any sleep at night either... Then you’ll have to go to the doctors and get some tests.

Kate:

During this period, I gave my daughter a painkiller (Nurofen) for about a week before bed and smeared the gel on her gums! The baby slept just fine!

Elena:

Eat homeopathic medicine“Dormikind” for normalizing sleep in small children (from the “Dentokind” series, you know if you’ve used something for your teeth). It helped us a lot in combination with a fifth of glycine 2 times a day. We took it this way for 2 weeks, my sleep returned to normal and the child became calmer.

Lyudmila:

At that age we also started having trouble sleeping. My son is very active, he got very excited during the day. Then he woke up at night crying 2-3 times, he didn’t even recognize me. The same thing was repeated during daytime sleep. Children during this period have a lot of new impressions, the brain is actively developing, but the nervous system cannot keep up with it all.

Natasha:

I had similar symptoms when my son was constipated. It seemed like he didn’t cry that much, didn’t even tuck his legs, farted normally too, without tension, and woke up every hour at night. Apparently nothing hurt, but the discomfort was very disturbing. This was the case until the problem of constipation was solved.

Faith:

We had this situation - when we turned 6 months old, we became capricious with or without business, our sleep became simply disgusting, day and night. I kept wondering when this would go away - I told the doctor about it, and we took tests. And this continued for us until 11 months, until I discovered from Komarovsky that calcium deficiency can cause similar problems. We started taking calcium and after 4 days everything went away - the child became calm, not capricious and happy. So now I’m thinking - either the calcium helped, or they just outgrew it. I took these drugs for 2 weeks. So look, Komarovsky has a good topic about a child’s sleep.

Tanyusha:

If a child sleeps very little during the day, then he will sleep poorly at night. Therefore, during the day, try to let your baby sleep more and longer. Well co-sleeping for breastfeeding this is an excellent option.

How to swaddle a baby and put him to sleep

Conversations with Dr. Komarovsky: Newborn

Video guide: After childbirth. The first days of a new life

If you liked our article and have any thoughts on this matter, share with us! It is very important for us to know your opinion!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When should you worry?

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

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

Hunger.

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

Discomfort.

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

Colic.

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

Bright lights and loud sounds.

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

Loneliness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Violation of the daily routine.

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

Refusal of daytime sleep.

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

Overexcitement before bed.

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

Teeth cutting.

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

Hunger.

Many children aged 12 months are still breastfeeding or drink artificial mixture. If complementary feeding is not most of diet, the child may simply remain hungry at night. Without eating during the day, the baby wakes up at night in search of his mother’s breast or a bottle of formula. Reconsider daily diet your baby - maybe it’s worth increasing the amount of food or shifting dinner time?

A 1.5 year old child often wakes up at night

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

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

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

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

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

Create a bedtime ritual. Let the baby know that certain time It's time to finish everything and go to bed.

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

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

Invite your baby to fall asleep with his favorite toy.

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

Don't forget to ventilate the room before going to bed. IN cool room falls asleep much better.

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

When should you see a doctor?

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

In what cases should you see a doctor?

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

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

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

Sleep disturbances are accompanied by sleepwalking.

The baby is bothered by frequent nightmares.

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

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

There is marked weakness throughout the day.

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

The reasons why a 2-year-old child does not sleep well at night can vary greatly in a particular case. Sleep disorders manifest themselves in poor sleep, nervous behavior of the child, impaired appetite, etc. In some cases, there is danger, so it is important to recognize the signs of the disease and contact a physician promptly.

Causes of sleep disturbance in a 2-year-old child

Before understanding how to help a child with sleep disturbances, whether it is worth contacting a pediatrician or a neurologist, pay attention to the causes of the disorder. Conventionally, they can be divided into 2 groups – physiological and psychological.

Physiological factors

If a child aged 2 years or older begins to have trouble falling asleep, this does not always indicate that problems have occurred in the body. Therefore, treatment is required only in some cases.

Among physiological reasons, which are associated with the characteristics of the baby’s body, the following are distinguished:

The baby has problems falling asleep, begins to lie down for a long time and starts crying because the bedroom environment is not well created. the right conditions. This concerns various factors. For example, the room temperature is optimal in the range from 20 to 22 degrees. A child does not sleep well at two years, as at other ages, because the bed sheets. For example, down-based pillows can cause allergies. Synthetic clothing or blankets deprive the body of the ability to breathe freely and evaporate excess sweat. Improper conditions in the bedroom also include the presence of bright light. It enters from the street (through a window) or from the corridor (through doors). Therefore, parents monitor these places - purchase light-proof curtains, close the door tightly.
By age 2, some children continue to erupt baby teeth. The process is accompanied by pain, which also affects the quality of sleep.
Disturbances in the normal lifestyle lead to the fact that a two-year-old child not only sleeps poorly, but also begins to wake up frequently, demanding feeding or simply attention. Waking up in the middle of the night is due to the fact that parents constantly violated the regime before this age. Therefore, already in the first year of life, they strive to feed and bathe at the same time. Before nightfall, a kind of “ritual” is observed. They stop actively playing and talking with the child already at 16-17 hours. Best time to start sleeping is 19-21 hours. Therefore, by late evening all types of activity are excluded. The gradual formation of a routine occurs naturally and unnoticed by the child. Thus, normally the body itself will adapt to normal rhythm, and no medications will be needed.
Physiological characteristics that explain why a child sleeps poorly at night (at 2 years or at another age) are also associated with meteosensitivity. This is not a common cause, but it occurs in isolated cases. Parents monitor the connection between a noticeable change in the weather and the baby’s sleep habits. For accuracy of observations, pay attention to the barometer indicators.
Children of 2 years of age and other ages lead to poor sleep various diseases and associated fatigue of the body. The reason here is also related to the physiology of the body. For example, due to infectious diseases or colds, the baby begins to toss and turn for a long time and often wakes up. Sleep may become superficial – i.e. The baby reacts sensitively even to faint sounds and may flinch and wake up. Parents are concerned about situations when the child appears to be healthy, but begins to have difficulty falling asleep, is capricious, and eats intermittently. This is often associated with digestive disorders, intestinal colic. They give a tummy massage and give activated carbon to remove toxins and metabolic products from the body as much as possible. It is enough for the child to simply recover. However, after any disease comes recovery period when the disease has already passed, but individual consequences are noticeable. Later, 2 weeks pass.

Parents are trying to figure out why a 2-year-old child does not sleep well at night. If we talk about normal duration, then for this age it is 12-13 hours a day (of which 2-3 hours are during the daytime). Deviations from the norm in both directions require a visit to the doctor, since it is impossible to make a correct diagnosis at home.

Psychological factors

Disorders in the functioning of nerves due to emotional experiences, tense situation, and also due to age reasons also serve as a factor explaining why a 2-year-old child does not sleep well at night. These can be diagnosed as follows:

The age stage from 1 to 4 years is considered difficult in terms of how a child falls asleep. This conditional two-year period is characterized by a change in biological rhythms. In addition, a child aged 2 years has difficulty falling asleep in the evening or at night because children's fears are formed at this time. They are associated with a fear of the dark, as well as cartoon characters, toys, paintings and other visual images. The baby does not sleep well at night, may spin for a long time and even moan. Therefore, experienced mothers and psychologists recommend not leaving large toys in the bedroom and not putting up wallpaper with large images. The design is chosen as calm as possible, with warm tones and without unusual patterns.
If the baby’s lifestyle is normal, then on some days he behaves very actively - summer walks, visits to the pool, circus and other exciting events affect the psyche. The resulting emotions lead to overexcitation. In the coming nights, the baby sleeps restlessly, and the lack of night rest leads to a slight disruption of biorhythm. Normally, there is no need to do anything, since the body quickly recovers on its own.
At night, a child, like an adult, has nightmares. And if this happens too often, he wakes up, cries, and is capricious during the day. As a result of complications, nervousness, reluctance to play, or frequent fears are observed. Normally, nightmares are rare, and if they occur frequently, they contact not only a neurologist, but also a child psychologist.
The fear of loneliness, separation (i.e. separation) manifests itself in the fact that it is difficult for the baby to be left alone in the bedroom. He cries when mom comes out for a long time. Parents make the mistake of sleeping with their children, which quickly becomes a habit. Therefore, it is better to immediately understand what conditions in the bedroom (design, objects, toys, bed, air temperature) are comfortable for the baby so that he can normally spend the night hours alone.
Finally, psychological reasons, associated with the fact that the child does not sleep well at night, manifest themselves in the baby’s temperament. Character begins to form in early childhood, and some features are visible at 2 years old. IN similar cases A consultation with a psychologist and a detailed analysis of the reasons is required. Providing a comfortable ritual before bed, comfortable conditions in the bedroom, and sufficient attention to the baby guarantee a gradual elimination of the disorder.

Sudden changes in environment, moving, changes in the bedroom affect the mood, behavior and characteristics of the baby’s night rest. Therefore, if a child does not sleep well at night or often wakes up after, for example, moving, this is normal. It will pass as you get used to the new environment, which takes 3-4 weeks.

IN different situations the solution to the problem of falling asleep is own characteristics. However, there are general tips that are useful for parents who are faced with a problem. If your child sleeps well at night, these recommendations will help prevent abnormalities.

Daily routine and biorhythms

The basis of health is maintaining a constant daily routine. Minor changes are allowed, but in general, bedtime occurs around 20-21 hours. Therefore, the day before evening hours better to refuse loud sounds, bright lighting in the bedroom, as well as visits from guests and other events that cause a strong emotional reaction (including a positive one).

Note: do not sleep too long during the day (more than 2-3 hours). In the evening, they follow a constant ritual before falling asleep. Ventilating the bedroom and taking a warm (but not hot) bath with relaxing aromas (lavender) help a lot.

Nutritional Features

The last feeding should take place at 19:00. Food is given 4-5 times a day, depending on the baby’s appetite. If he begins to be capricious, you can ask him to “help” prepare dinner so that he himself puts the necessary ingredients on the plate.

For your information: The nutritional proportions are approximately as follows: for every 4 grams of carbohydrate there is 1 gram of protein and fat. If your child sleeps poorly and periodically refuses to eat, you should consult your pediatrician.

Conditions in the bedroom

As already mentioned, a comfortable environment is created in the bedroom:

temperature about 18-20;
humidity no more than 60%
lack of direct light;
complete silence or muffled sound (surf, sound of rain).

The conditions largely depend on the character of the child. Therefore, one should proceed from how it reacts to any changes.

How to help you sleep

For have a good rest The following tools help:

Evening walk (at 18-19 hours) - they leave the house even in bad weather, but within reasonable limits. Duration within an hour.
Active games during the day, but not in the evening.
A calm environment in the bedroom - the baby should associate it only with sleep, and not with games, guests and other “irritants”.
Relaxing bath before bed.
The pleasant sound of rain or surf while falling asleep muffles other noises and puts you in a calm mood.

As for motion sickness, psychologists do not have a consensus. On the one hand, the baby calms down, on the other hand, when he is transferred from his arms to the crib, he may wake up. Parents should try this technique and then act according to the circumstances.

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

If such advice does not have an effect, parents consult a doctor. Be wary if you have the following symptoms:

Significant sleep disorders - the child does not sleep well at night, biorhythms are confused, insomnia is observed, early awakening is observed.
Violations are accompanied by deviations in behavior - the baby exhibits increased anxiety, is capricious, afraid of everything new, toys, does not allow anyone except his parents, etc.
During the day, the baby behaves sluggishly, often falls into short-term sleep, avoids communication and active games.
Finally, it is difficult for the baby to sleep if there are somatic disorders, as well as frequent illnesses, infections, nutritional disorders, etc. This is also a reason to visit a doctor.

Contact a pediatrician who will provide appropriate consultations. If necessary, you will also need to take:

neurologist;
psychiatrist (or psychoneurologist);
child psychologist.

In particular severe cases Doctors conduct an EEG of night sleep - i.e. a special procedure for recording brain activity in order to clarify at what stage the disturbances are recorded.

Sleep rules according to Komarovsky

Experienced pediatrician Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky recommends first contacting a pediatrician to establish the specific cause. In case of severe, long-term violations, the following remedies are used:

Sleeping pills or sedatives, which are made only from natural plant ingredients. Komarovsky draws attention to the fact that only one specific drug will affect the baby, while others do not give desired effect. Besides natural medicines they don't give side effects, so it is safe to experiment within reasonable limits.
Pay attention to whether the body receives normal amounts of calcium. The lack of this element has a bad effect on the development of teeth and bones. Another consequence is increased irritability, frequent shifts mood, insomnia. Along with calcium, they provide normal amounts of vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of this element. If you do not take into account the balance, then there will be no benefit from treatment.
Sleep disorder is also treated with a drug based on sodium bromide (solution). It is prescribed by a pediatrician, since the drug is not available without a prescription.
Komarovsky recommends gradually increasing physical activity, because with its deficiency, a child of 2 years and other ages sleeps poorly at night.
And one more thing important condition– in the bedroom the air does not overheat above 20, and the optimal temperature is about 18 degrees.

Thus, with minor disorders, parents cope with the situation on their own. It is more difficult to diagnose psychological reasons that are associated with the baby’s character and the characteristics of his temperament. If the advice considered does not produce results, contact a pediatrician.

Many young parents are faced with a situation where the baby is naughty all night, often wakes up or does not sleep at all. Mom and Dad feel tired and exhausted the next day. To prevent this situation from recurring day after day, it is necessary to find out the reasons for the child’s sleep disturbance and try to return everything to normal.

The main reasons why a child does not sleep well at night

1. Fear is one of the reasons that can bother a baby at night after he reaches one year old. The child may be afraid of any sounds coming from neighbors above or below, the noise of a passing car or other sounds from outside the window. The baby is frightened by the absence of his mother in the room, and there is a fear of loneliness.

2. Colic is a problem for all children in the first weeks and months of life, which also interferes with normal sound sleep. Signs of bowel discomfort include loud screaming and constant worry child, pressing the legs to the tummy and twitching the arms. Excessive gas formation causes discomfort and requires necessary assistance from the parents.

3. The appearance of teeth is a painful and unpleasant process for children. If during the daytime a child can be distracted with toys and entertainment, then at night he is left alone with itchy and inflamed gums, which hurt a lot and make it difficult to sleep.

4. New crib larger size It also takes some getting used to. The baby may feel uncomfortable and too spacious in a new place. Parents should not rush into such a relocation of their child. Let him sleep longer in his usual cradle or small crib.

5. It is necessary to create all conditions for comfortable stay and the child’s presence in the nursery. You need to choose the right mattress that will suit the baby’s age and bedding made from natural materials. Great value has the air temperature in the room. Too high or low temperature unacceptable.

6. Emotional day or overwork. Both of these factors indicate that the baby is overly active or overexcited. It is very difficult for a child who is in this state at the end of the day to relax and fall asleep soundly in the evening and even at night. Most likely, his sleep will not be deep, and the child will wake up from time to time.

7. Fever body and other signs of a cold irritate and prevent you from falling asleep peacefully. And if at the same time you have a headache or something else, a cough torments you and a stuffy nose prevents you from breathing normally. A sick child often does not sleep well at night.

8. The baby acquires new skills. For example, he learned to sit independently or turn in all directions, crawl, stand or walk. Each new achievement can cause new sensations, a surge of emotions, and this also interferes with night's sleep.

9. Children are especially sensitive to changes in weather or to any natural phenomena(for example, the full moon) makes them lethargic, painfully passive. The child may complain about headache, which arises due to changes blood pressure. Sudden changes in temperature, rain, thunderstorms - these are things that can prevent the baby from falling asleep.

10. Fear of being left without a mother. Some babies begin to cry and act restless when mom is out of sight. This fear arises in children even when mother goes into the kitchen for a while. Children need to be gradually accustomed to such independence. For a child, the feeling of losing his mother is very painful, and at night this is felt especially acutely.

11. Positive and negative emotions. These include going to the cinema or the zoo, holding a holiday with a large number guests or new people, visits to the dentist or other doctor. Any worries or worries, and even more so severe stress or fear cause sleep disturbances in children.

12. Changing the diet of infants. The baby who began to receive less during the daytime breast milk, will require it at night.

13. Lack of vitamin D in the child’s body. To be sure, it is necessary to carry out special tests, on the basis of which we can begin to eliminate the cause. Special drops with vitamin D will give their effect very soon positive result and the child’s nighttime sleep will be restored.

14. Other reasons. Often the cause of a baby's poor sleep can be an ordinary lamp - a night light or the barely audible sound of a working TV or computer. Sound and light can make it difficult for your baby to fall asleep on time.

1. Daily observance of a peculiar ritual before bed. The child receives during the day large number new information, emotions, experiences and sensations that make him active and excited. In order for the baby to sleep peacefully and soundly, he should relax and calm down shortly before bedtime. Every mother should choose suitable activities for her child that will set the baby up for a night's sleep. Some children require a mother's lullaby or an obligatory bedtime story, light stroking and a mother's kiss. For others, it’s enough to say: “Let’s pack up our toys and go to bed.” Each child needs to find an individual approach.

2. Avoid overtiring your child. If the baby is a little tired during the day, then he will sleep soundly and sweetly, but if he is overtired, then the night's sleep will be intermittent and short-lived.

3. Proper evening bathing is essential. Taking a bath in itself should relax you and make you sleepy. For some babies, a bath has the exact opposite effect - the child becomes cheerful and cheerful, ready to run and play. In order to get the desired effect from an evening bath, you need to use herbal infusions, decoctions and essential oils. Plants such as lemon balm, mint, and chamomile promote relaxation and relieve nervous excitement.

4. Preventive measures. So that the baby’s body does not develop a deficiency of necessary and very important microelements, you need to give your baby vitamin D drops every day.

5. Comfortable conditions indoors. Professional pediatricians have proven the importance of compliance temperature regime in the children's room within 18-22 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the child will sleep soundly and sweetly, and to enhance the effect, it is necessary to ventilate the room for 20-30 minutes before going to bed. Fresh air promotes deep night sleep.

6. Child's posture during sleep. Notice what position your baby sleeps in most often. Place him in this position immediately. Most babies sleep on their tummy, as this relieves them of excess gas and intestinal colic.

7. Pain and cramps in the abdomen. Espumisan drops will quickly help your baby get rid of bloating and pain. The drug must be given to the child shortly before bedtime - this will be a guarantee good sleep baby and his mother.

8. Teething. Unpleasant sensations in a baby at the teething stage, it can be eliminated with the help of a special gel for the gums, which has an analgesic effect.

9. Avoid overtiring your child during the day. The baby should definitely sleep during the daytime. Follow recommendations for sleep duration relative to your baby's age.

10. To avoid causing fear and anxiety about loneliness in your child, put him to sleep next to you. Mom’s warmth will not only soothe, but also quickly lull the baby to sleep.

11. In some cases, the presence of the mother prevents the child from falling asleep. Try leaving him alone in the room. Perhaps he will fall asleep faster this way.

12. Remember that a heavy dinner is the cause of restless sleep. Do not feed your baby just before bedtime. Evening feeding should not be plentiful and some time before bedtime.

13. The key to a good night's sleep is a daily routine.