Should a mother sleep with a small child? How should a newborn sleep? How do small children sleep after

Baby's sleep duration

Duration and nature infant sleep directly depend on age. A newborn (up to 1 month) sleeps most of the day, waking up only at the time of feeding. Due to physiological characteristics, a newborn’s sleep can be very sound: he is not disturbed by various sounds and even tactile sensations (shifting, turning over, etc.). However, already at the age of about 1 month, the baby becomes more sensitive to external stimuli. Periods of wakefulness become longer and longer. By 3 months, the baby spends up to an hour and a half in an active state between feedings, and the total duration of his sleep is 18-20 hours a day. At 6 months, the baby sleeps for 16-18 hours. In this case, a long period of night sleep (up to 5-6 hours) and two or three periods of daytime sleep during the day are clearly distinguished. A nine-month-old baby needs 14-16 hours to sleep; most children at this age take two naps a day. By the age of 1 year, the total duration of sleep is 14-15 hours; during the day, the baby can sleep both once and twice.

The child confused day and night

Physiological rhythm newborn sleep not much different from the fetal sleep rhythm. Accordingly, a newborn does not have a “sense of night” as we understand it. Only some babies have a period of continuous night sleep of 5-6 hours and is established from the first weeks of life, while most newborns wake up every 2-3 hours at night, which is the norm for them. Already by 2 months, the baby begins to distinguish daytime activity from nighttime: he has a period of wakefulness that is clearly associated with daytime. This becomes possible due to the gradual maturation of brain structures that respond to light levels and are responsible for the formation of circadian rhythms. Finally, the process of establishing a period of long baby's night sleep ends only by 2-3 years. Nevertheless, adults are able to help the baby quickly establish the correct circadian sleep rhythm using various techniques. First of all, it is necessary to distinguish between daytime and nighttime activity levels. So, the daytime hours should be quite rich in a variety of activities, including massage, gymnastics, walks, communication and games. The level of illumination in the nursery during the daytime should be higher; louder adult speech, music, etc. are acceptable. Towards the evening, the atmosphere surrounding the child should become increasingly calm, and at night complete silence and darkness are preferable.

When to put your baby to bed

Departure dates night sleep are individual and depend both on the characteristics of the child, who sets his own regime, and on the lifestyle of the whole family. Physiologically, most newborns have a period night sleep occurs after midnight, gradually moving to 21-22 hours by 4-6 months. Thus, the best time for an infant to go to sleep can be considered the period between 20 and 24 hours.

Sleep disturbance

As already said, up to 2-3 months, when daily allowance baby rhythms are still just being formed, periodic failures in sleep mode and wakefulness are quite acceptable if their causes lie in the physiological characteristics of the child’s body. It’s another matter when the regime is violated due to the actions of parents. For example, adults are nocturnal and it is more convenient for them for the child to stay awake at night and wake up as late as possible in the morning. Another option is that parents cannot or do not want to organize all the necessary activities to care for the baby with a clear attachment to a certain time, as a result of which the baby is not able to quickly develop his own routine. Parents of infants should remember that for normal harmonious development, the child’s body requires a decrease in activity and prolonged sleep during the dark (night) time of the day, since at this time the production of special hormones necessary for the growth and development of all body systems occurs.

Children's room: temperature and humidity

Relatively optimal temperature Disputes often arise between adults in the baby’s room. Moreover, parents, as a rule, believe that the baby will freeze, while overheating is much more dangerous for him, which is explained by the still immature heat regulation system. The damage from high temperatures is aggravated by dry air, which is typical for houses with central heating and is aggravated when using electric heating devices. Dry air, like a sponge, absorbs moisture from the surface of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, disrupting the free flow of mucus and removing irritants, allergens, dust and germs from the body. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain optimal temperature and humidity, and to control these parameters, it is advisable to place a thermometer and hygrometer near the baby’s crib.

During sleep It is advisable to reduce the room temperature by 1-2 degrees. To do this, the room needs to be ventilated. Optimal temperature in the room for a newborn is 20-22°C, a baby 1-3 months old - 18-20°C, over 3 months - 18°C. A special temperature regime is maintained in the room of a child born prematurely or with low birth weight. In this case, the temperature should be 24-25°C until the baby gains body weight, which is an individual norm for him. A baby should not sleep with the air conditioner running, as it cools the air unevenly, promoting air movement and drafts, which can lead to colds. Recommended indoor humidity for sleep is 50-70?%. To create the required level of humidity, you can use humidifiers, or you can hang wet towels the old fashioned way.

Bassinet or crib

Since during the period of intrauterine development the baby was located in rather cramped conditions, many believe that it is easier for him to calm down and fall asleep in a cozy, warm nest - cradle. However, all children are individual, and if some prefer a cradle, others sleep just as well in a crib. Thus, the choice of place to sleep remains with adults. You just need to take into account that using the cradle is possible only in the first few months of life. In the future, the danger of falling out of the “nest” increases as the baby becomes more and more active.

By the way, baby stroller should only be used for sleeping while walking. Sleeping in a stroller if it is indoors is not recommended due to its poor ventilation. In this case, such negative consequences as overheating and insufficient oxygen supply to the baby’s body are possible, since he breathes “waste” air.

Where to put the crib

Ideally crib or cradle must be installed:

in conditions of sufficient illumination during the daytime. In this case, direct sunlight should be avoided, which can interfere with the baby's daytime sleep and contribute to overheating. For these purposes, you can use various screens, blinds, etc.;
away from heating elements (central heating radiators, radiators, etc.), since near them there is increased dryness of the air and a higher temperature;
away from places where mold forms (as a rule, these are dark and damp areas of the apartment), since inhalation of fungal spores can lead to the development of respiratory diseases and allergic reactions;
away from electrical appliances (TV, computer, fan, iron, etc.). Firstly, for safety reasons (the baby can pull the cord or knock over the device), and secondly, to eliminate the negative effects of electromagnetic radiation;
It is desirable that access to the crib be as free as possible. Excess furniture, large toys, etc. can be a significant hindrance. For convenience, the crib can be moved close to the parents’ “sleeping place.”

The decoration of the crib depends on the tastes of the parents. However, it should be noted that the use of a canopy and bumper may interfere with the observation of the child, impair air ventilation and contribute to the accumulation of dust, which the child ends up breathing. Over time, when the baby learns to actively roll over, and then sit down and stand up, the bumper will come in handy to protect the baby from impacts on the hard parts of the crib. You should remember the need to wash the bumper regularly, especially if the child has a predisposition to allergies. This should be done at least once a week.

Baby pillow

For an infant, sleeping on a flat, dense surface is optimal, which promotes the correct positioning of the vertebrae along the spinal column, free breathing and normal blood supply. To achieve this effect, you need to use a fairly dense and even mattress, and you do not need a pillow.

Blanket or envelope

Blanket or envelope can be used at room temperatures below 18-20°C. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the baby does not wrap his head in a blanket, as a result of which he may suffocate. To prevent accidents, you can use a special envelope or mesh blanket. At temperatures above 20°C, it is permissible to simply cover the baby with a diaper or light blanket.

What to put your baby to bed in

It is preferable to use clothes made of soft, air- and moisture-permeable natural fabrics, without rough seams, elastic bands and large hard parts (buttons, appliqués, etc.). It is advisable that sleepwear provided the ability to quickly change a diaper without waking up the baby. In this regard, it is convenient to use slips or sliders with unfastening buttons along the crotch seam. When the air temperature is above 20°C, there is no need to dress the baby much warmer during sleep than during wakefulness, or put a cap on him, since children who constantly experience overheating are more susceptible to colds.

On the back, on the side, on the stomach

A feature of infants is a tendency to regurgitate, which is explained by the weakness of the orbicularis muscle, which “locks” the stomach. Therefore, it is not recommended to put children under 1 year of age sleep on your back to prevent food from entering the respiratory tract. In any case, when lying on the back, you must ensure that the baby’s head is turned to one side. Provides greater safety for the baby in cases of regurgitation sleeping on your side. Currently, special clamps are produced that hold the baby in the desired position and eliminate the possibility of rolling over onto the back or tummy. In this case, it is advisable to periodically turn the baby to the other side to avoid deterioration of local blood circulation, especially if the baby sleeps in diapers. The advisability of sleeping a baby on the stomach has long been a subject of debate.

On the one hand, it is known that this position improves the baby’s well-being with intestinal colic, and also stimulates the development of the muscles of the back and neck. On the other hand, it has been suggested that sleeping on your stomach increases the risk of developing sudden death syndrome. In this case, the aggravating factor is sleeping on a pillow or a soft, uneven mattress, when the child’s nasal passages may be closed to fresh air. If your baby likes to sleep on his stomach, you need to make sure his bed is level and flat. It is not recommended to sleep in this position for children with signs of impaired nasal breathing (nasal congestion), for example, with a cold or viral infection.

Together with parents

It is preferable to put the baby in his own crib, since this allows adults to fully rest, eliminates the risk of pinning the baby down, and better meets hygiene requirements. However, often for various reasons (the baby is sick and often wakes up at night, he is teething, etc.) parents put the child with them. In this case, to ensure the safety of the baby, it is necessary to control that he does not sleep on a pillow or bury his nose in it, is not covered with a blanket or pressed against one of the parents. The child is not swaddled so that he can move his arms. The baby should lie on its own sheet under its own diaper, blanket or blanket, or be in a special envelope. A reasonable solution is also to position the crib with the side removed close to the adult bed, which ensures the safety of the child and the convenience of the parents.

In order for the baby to quickly fall asleep without outside help, it is necessary from birth to form in him the correct associations of falling asleep associated with certain environmental conditions under which the child feels comfortable, calms down and falls asleep. This is facilitated by compliance with the established bedtime ritual, for example: light massage, bathing, feeding, laying in the crib. It is important that the ritual is pleasant for the child, convenient for adults, and repeated every day at the same time. Associations for falling asleep can also be developed with the help of the so-called object intermediary. In this capacity there is a certain thing that is in the crib and serves as a kind of sedative. For a baby, it could be a mother’s scarf, which always retains a subtle “native” smell; for older children, it could be a toy. A good option would be to put your baby to bed with some calm music - a lullaby. However, it is worth considering that if the “assistant” is lost, broken, or replaced, difficulties may arise in falling asleep.

Motion sickness of a child

A child falling asleep while being rocked, in the arms of an adult, while fingering his hair, or with a bottle in his mouth are among the wrong associations of falling asleep. If such associations have already become entrenched in the psyche, with each awakening, which happens several times a night in infants, the baby will scream and demand the creation of the same conditions under which he was taught to fall asleep.

If the baby has established incorrect associations of falling asleep, parents will need a certain amount of restraint and consistency in order to replace the existing stereotypes with more acceptable ones. It is necessary to think over and begin a new ritual of falling asleep. At the same time, the calmness and confidence of parents will contribute to the child’s faster adaptation to the new rules. It is necessary to teach him to distinguish night time from day time, to do this, minimizing communication with the baby in the dark, creating conditions of peace and quiet.

Night light for a child

Is it possible to watch TV or listen to music in the room where the baby sleeps?

In this case, the doctors’ recommendations are clear: for proper rest and normal development of the nervous system, the baby’s sleep should take place in conditions of relative silence. Although a newborn may not outwardly react to sounds, the background noise does not allow the brain to consistently go through all the necessary phases of sleep, and therefore to develop normally. An acceptable option for adults is to use headphones.

The child starts in his sleep

It has been established that shuddering when falling asleep, as well as when changing phases of sleep are a natural process. With age, as the nervous system matures and inhibitory mechanisms of nervous regulation form, shudders become less and less frequent and, in the end, may disappear completely.

The child snores

In newborns snoring often due to the peculiarity of the structure of the nasal cavity, when, due to the narrowness and tortuosity of the nasal passages and poor development of the nasal conchae, air turbulences are created during breathing, causing the appearance of characteristic sounds. Another reason may be mucus accumulated in the nasal cavity. In this case, after toileting the nose, snoring stops.

Handles up

Why do babies often sleep with their arms up? This is due to the phenomenon of the so-called physiological hypertonicity of the muscles of newborns, which determines this position of the arms. During the first year of life, muscle tone gradually decreases and the child begins to hold his hands more relaxed while sleeping.

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A newborn baby spends almost all of its time sleeping. He is still very small and not accustomed to the world around him. Parents should take care of the baby and provide him with a healthy and comfortable sleep. In what position should a newborn sleep? The article will discuss the issue of creating conditions for proper rest for the baby.

How to sleep in a crib for a newborn

The baby may feel discomfort in the first days after birth. However, for safety reasons, he is given a separate place to sleep. For these purposes, a standard crib is suitable, in which he can rest for several years.

What should be the position of a newborn during sleep? The baby can sleep in the crib as follows:

The most comfortable position is on your back. The head should be turned to the side.
You should not cover your newborn with duvets. It is best to wrap it in a thin blanket or sleeping bag.
Can a newborn sleep on a pillow? The baby does not need it until the age of 1-1.5 years, so as not to cause spinal deformation.

For proper development, a newborn must sleep on a hard surface. She is the safest for him. The mattress must be elastic. If the child buries his nose in it, it will not obstruct his breathing. Co-sleeping with parents should also take place on a hard surface. After all, the formation of the skeleton and the safety of the baby depend on this.

An important issue is the choice of a children's mattress. The material must be hygienic and safe; it is better to use coconut fiber as a filler.

If the mattress is double-sided, then children under one year old need to sleep on its hard side.

Why does my child sleep poorly?

The main problems parents have with their babies are trying to get them to sleep. These include the following:

The baby cannot sleep more than 3-4 hours. He wakes up, cries and goes back to sleep.
It is impossible to put the child to sleep.
The baby wakes up at night and cannot fall back to sleep.

To understand why this happens, it is necessary to understand the structure of nighttime rest. It consists of several phases. Sometimes your baby can be woken up by a loud sound or bright light. To prevent this, it is necessary to provide him with comfortable sleeping conditions.

How to get good sleep

What position should a newborn sleep in? Before you fully decide on this issue, you need to create comfortable conditions:

The temperature in the newborn's room should be between 18-22 degrees.
The room must be well ventilated. In warm weather it is better to leave the window open. The main thing is not to put your newborn to sleep in a draft and dress him according to the weather.
The optimal humidity in the room should be 60%.
The mother of a newborn will have to face a choice between diapers and undershirts. A baby born in the summer can sleep in a light vest. A newborn will need diapers in winter. A hat is not needed indoors at temperatures above 18 degrees.

You need to create comfortable conditions in the room. To prevent the sun from shining into the baby's eyes, the curtains must be closed.

Which pose to choose

Can a newborn sleep on his back? It is necessary to choose the resting position correctly. A physiologically comfortable position for sleeping is the baby's pose with legs spread apart and arms thrown behind the head and clenched into fists. This position with the head turned to one side is safe and suitable for resting both during the day and at night.

Sleeping on your back

In what position should a newborn sleep? The position on the back is one of the safest and most acceptable for a baby. The baby's head should be turned to the side so that the baby does not choke if he burps.

Many parents practice placing their newborn in this position. The sides in which the head is turned must be changed. This is done to prevent torticollis from forming. If the baby turns to one side most often, then you can place a diaper folded in several layers under this cheek.

When the baby prefers to sleep towards the light, it is necessary to change the position of the pillow. To do this, alternate the headboard and legs, so the baby is turned towards the window, but at the same time sleeps on different sides. The direction of rotation must be changed constantly: day and night.

Can a newborn sleep on his back? Despite the convenience of this position, this position is not always the most suitable. With increased muscle tone, the child moves his arms and legs, so he constantly wakes himself up. In this case, some mothers use swaddling, but not all babies like the restriction of freedom and therefore are capricious. Then they change their sleeping position. With pathological development of the hip joints, sleeping on the stomach is suitable for the baby.

If a newborn is tormented by gases, then this position improves their release. A warm diaper is also placed on the tummy to ease the baby’s condition.

On the stomach

What position should a newborn sleep in? For the full development of the baby, experts advise placing it on the stomach every day, and it is advisable to do this several times. Baby in this position:

lifts and holds the head;
back muscles are developed;
sees the world around him from a different perspective;
the ability to navigate in space develops.

What is a safe sleeping position for a newborn? When he sleeps on his stomach, his intestinal gases pass normally. This helps to improve his condition with colic. It is possible for a child to sleep on his stomach, but only under the constant supervision of his parents. After all, the baby can bury his nose in the pillow and suffocate. SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) may also occur. Usually the danger increases if the surface under the head is soft. Therefore, babies under 1 year old should not sleep on a pillow; it is usually replaced by a diaper folded several times.

If a newborn sleeps on his stomach, then it is necessary to follow some safety rules:

Place the newborn on a smooth and hard surface.
No foreign objects (toys, clothes) should be left near it.

To control the breathing process, the baby must be under the supervision of parents. If they cannot keep an eye on the baby during sleep, then a less dangerous position should be chosen.

On the side

This position is quite safe for the baby, but it is necessary to prevent the possibility of turning over onto the stomach.

Can a newborn sleep on its side? To do this, the baby is laid down with a cushion of twisted blankets or towels placed under his back. When the baby lies on his side, he presses his legs towards his stomach, which helps the gases escape. In this case, the baby’s hands are in front of his face, and he can scratch himself. To avoid this, parents need to wear a vest with closed hands or special non-scratch mittens. This position is especially favorable for babies who constantly spit up.

When the newborn is positioned on its side, there is an increased load on the pelvic bones. This position is contraindicated for babies in the first 3 months, as well as for those with hip dysplasia.

It is imperative to regularly change the position of the baby’s body to avoid the development of torticollis.

How to place your baby correctly

Can a newborn sleep on its side? As we have already said, it is better to lay it on the half-side. This position reduces the risk that the baby will choke when burping, and reduces the load on his hip joints. This position combines the positive aspects of sleeping on the side and back, and also prevents negative consequences.

The child must be shifted on different sides to avoid the appearance of torticollis. To avoid confusion, parents can use a hanging toy that is repositioned when the baby’s position changes.

After feeding, it should be as follows: it is best to carry the baby vertically in your arms so that the air comes out. Only after burping can the child be placed in bed on his half-side or on his back, making sure to turn his head at the same time. This way, his sleep will become more sound, and the baby will not be bothered by colic and gas.

A newborn should not be swaddled tightly. You can use a sleeping bag, the baby will be able to move his arms and legs freely. At the same time, it is guaranteed not to open, and the mother will not need to worry that the child will freeze.

If parents cover the baby with a blanket, it should be at chest level.

Within 2-3 months after birth, the mother is recommended to use two positions for sleeping the baby: on the back and on the side. In the first position, you need to turn your head to the side. This is necessary so that saliva and milk mass flow out after regurgitation.

If you decide to place your baby on his side, you need to make sure that nothing interferes with him.

Baby's sleep duration

Newborns include babies whose age does not exceed 1 month. After this period, he becomes an infant.

How long does a newborn baby sleep before one month? The birth process has a stressful effect on the baby, so he needs to regain his strength as quickly as possible. The daily routine of a newborn is as follows:

in the first weeks after birth, the baby sleeps for 20-22 hours;
the rest of the time, until the month is completed, the baby rests for 18-20 hours, taking short breaks to eat;
gradually the duration of sleep decreases to 16-17 hours.

How long does a newborn baby sleep after feeding? If the baby is full and nothing bothers him, then he can rest for 4-8 hours, this depends on the amount of food eaten and the nutritional value of the mother's milk.

Very convenient if most of your sleep occurs at night. This allows not only the baby to rest, but also his parents. To achieve this, pediatricians recommend reducing the duration of daytime sleep.

How long does a newborn baby sleep for up to a month during the day? Babies do not distinguish the time of day very well; most often they wake up at regular intervals in order to eat. But it is worth remembering that every baby is individual.

Is it necessary to rock a newborn?

Many parents believe that the baby should sleep in his own crib. However, some children begin to be capricious, ask to be held and cry. This happens because the newborn is frightened by the world around him. Everything here seems unusual and dangerous to him. The dearest creature at this moment is the mother. In such situations, psychologists recommend picking him up and rocking him to sleep. Feeling the mother's presence and her smell, the baby immediately falls asleep. You should not put your baby straight into the crib. He needs to be given time to fall asleep soundly.

In the first months, he needs to be placed in a crib, which is located in the parents' room. The more time the baby feels his mother’s presence, the higher the chance that he will grow up healthy and balanced.

What will help your child sleep

From the first days of life, most babies quickly fall asleep immediately after feeding or begin to doze off already during the breastfeeding period. If this does not happen, then perhaps something frightened the baby or he was overexcited from new impressions.

Most often, problems with motion sickness of a month-old baby do not arise if he does not have any health problems.

Contraindications for various sleep positions

When putting the baby to bed, parents should worry about the safety of the position in which he is located. There are some contraindications:

Sleeping on the side and back is prohibited for infants who have been diagnosed with abnormal development of the hip joints.
Night and daytime rest on the back is prohibited in case of muscle hypertonicity (tight swaddling is recommended) and colic.
The head should not be higher than the body.

For proper formation of the spine, the baby is placed on a flat and hard surface.

Conclusion

To ensure that your newborn has sound, long-lasting sleep:

the bed should be firm and level, a pillow is not required;
it is necessary to surround the baby with care and attention;
It is imperative to create comfortable conditions for sleeping.

After the bustle of the day, the clock hands slowly move towards 21.00. Our baby, having played enough, begins to yawn, rub his eyes with his hands, his activity weakens, he becomes lethargic: everything indicates that he wants to sleep. What if our child does not want to sleep, showing great activity even in the late evening? There are children who are afraid to go to bed because they have terrible dreams. What then should parents do? And how many hours should our child sleep at different age intervals? Let's try to answer these and other questions.

What is sleep? Maybe this is an attempt to look into the future, or maybe a mysterious message from above or frightening fears? Or maybe these are just fantasies and hopes hidden in our subconscious? Or is it better to simply say that sleep is a person’s physiological need for rest? The mystery of sleep has always worried people. It seemed very strange that a cheerful and full of energy man, with the onset of darkness, would close his eyes, lie down and seem to “die” before sunrise. At this time, he did not see anything, did not feel danger and was not able to defend himself. Therefore, in ancient times they believed that sleep is a semblance of death: every evening a person dies and every morning is born again. It is not for nothing that death itself is called eternal sleep.

Not so long ago, scientists believed that sleep is complete rest for the body, allowing it to restore the strength expended during wakefulness. Thus, in V. Dahl’s Explanatory Dictionary, sleep is defined as “rest of the body in oblivion of feelings.” Modern discoveries by scientists have proven the opposite. It turns out that during the night the sleeper’s body does not rest at all, but “throws out” unnecessary garbage of random impressions from memory, cleanses itself of toxins, and accumulates energy for the next day. During sleep, the muscles either tense or relax, the pulse changes its frequency, the temperature and pressure “jump.” It is during the period of sleep that the body’s organs work tirelessly, otherwise during the day everything will fall out of hand and get confused in the head. That's why it's not a pity to spend a third of your life sleeping.

Sleep is necessary for the repair of body tissue and cell regeneration for both adults and children. A newborn baby, having just woken up from nine months of hibernation in a warm, slightly cramped mother’s womb, begins to learn to sleep and stay awake. However, some babies confuse day with night. A loving mom and dad can help the baby develop the correct physiological daily and night routine. During the day, a newborn baby can sleep in the light. Parents should not place special emphasis on eliminating all noises and sounds. After all, the day is filled with different sounds and energy. At night, on the contrary, the baby should be put to sleep in the dark, leaving the night light on if necessary. The place to sleep at night should be in a quiet, peaceful place. It is advisable for all relatives to speak in a whisper at this time. So, gradually, the newborn learns to distinguish day from night at the level of sensations and thereby redistribute sleep hours, concentrating them on the dark, night time of the day. Children need different amounts of sleep depending on their age (see Table 1).

Table 1. Average sleep duration at different ages

There is now a lot of debate among pediatricians about the duration of daytime sleep in young children. In the first one and a half years of life, children need to sleep a little in the morning and after the main meal. It is advisable that the total amount of such sleep be 4 hours a day for the first six months, and then gradually decrease. Many pediatricians recommend maintaining a one-hour nap routine for as long as your baby feels the need.

Thus, infants can sleep up to eighteen hours a day, children - from ten to twelve hours, teenagers need ten hours of night rest (and are content with an average of six). People of active age need seven to nine hours of rest (and sleep less than seven). The elderly need the same amount (and they sleep only five to seven hours due to the fact that their “biological clock” gives the command to wake up too early).

Numerous studies on sleep have proven that the most favorable time for putting a baby to bed is from 19.00 to 21.30. It is advisable not to miss this moment, otherwise you may encounter great difficulties. Having played enough during the day, the baby is physically tired in the evening. If a child is used to going to bed on time and his parents help him with this, then he will quickly fall asleep and wake up in the morning full of strength and energy.

It happens that the baby’s body is physiologically tuned to sleep, but there are no psychological conditions for this. For example, a baby does not want to part with his toys; or someone came to visit; or parents have no time to put him to bed. In these cases, the child is deceived: if the baby is forced to stay awake when he needs to sleep, his body begins to produce excess adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that is needed when faced with an emergency situation. The baby's blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster, the baby feels full of energy, and drowsiness disappears. In this state it is very difficult for a child to fall asleep. It will take about an hour before he calms down and falls asleep again. This time is necessary for the reduction of adrenaline in the blood. By disrupting the baby's sleep patterns, parents risk spoiling the regulatory mechanisms on which the baby's general condition the next day depends. That is why it is so necessary to offer calmer games in the evening, which gradually transfer to the crib, and the child falls asleep without any problems.

So, what does it take for our baby to want to sleep and fall asleep with pleasure?

Getting ready for bed

Time for sleep

Set bedtime: from 19.00 to 21.30 hours, depending on the age of the child and family conditions. But this should not be a purely mechanical action. It is advisable to create such conditions for the baby so that he himself learns to control when he goes to bed. For example, you can tell your child that evening is coming. Evening is an objective fact that is not subject to discussion. Parents can buy a special alarm clock, by which the baby will count down the time for quiet games and the time for falling asleep. For example, you can say: “My friend, you see it’s already eight o’clock on the clock: what is it time to do?”

Ritual for falling asleep

This is the transition point from the game to the evening procedures. The main task of this moment is to make going to bed a long-awaited and beloved ritual for parents and children. These moments greatly unite and strengthen the family. They are remembered for a lifetime. When a child falls asleep at a certain time and sleeps peacefully, parents have free time to be alone with each other. The total time for the ritual is 30-40 minutes.

Putting toys to bed

Each family chooses the content of the ritual depending on the characteristics of the child and the general family culture or traditions. For example, parents can address the baby with the following words: “Darling, it’s already evening, it’s time to get ready for bed. All the toys are waiting for you to say good night to them. You can put someone to bed, tell someone “bye, see you tomorrow.” This is the initial stage, it is very useful, because by putting toys to bed, the child himself begins to prepare for bed.

Evening swimming

Water relaxes the baby very much. All daytime experiences go away with the water. Let him spend some time (10-15 minutes) in a warm bath. For greater relaxation, add special oils to the water (if there are no contraindications). The child experiences great pleasure from pouring water from one container to another. It's good to have some toys floating in the bathroom. Washing and brushing your teeth is also included in this stage.

Favorite pajamas

After water procedures, which have already had a relaxing effect on the baby, we dress him in warm, soft pajamas. Something as seemingly simple as pajamas can make a huge difference in your overall sleep mood. Pajamas should be made of comfortable, comfortable fabric. It is desirable that it be soft, pleasant, perhaps with some children's drawings or embroidery. The main thing is that pajamas should bring pleasure to the baby - then he will be happy to put on them. While putting on pajamas, you can massage your baby's body with light, calm movements with some cream or oil.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that a light massage and putting on pajamas should take place on the bed in which the child will sleep.

Going to bed with music

When parents are preparing the baby for bed (namely, putting on pajamas), you can turn on soft music. Classical music, such as lullabies, which are included in the golden fund of classics, is best suited for this moment. Music with sounds of wildlife will also be appropriate.

Telling a story (fairy tales)

Quiet music is playing, the lights are dimmed, the child is lying in bed, and the parents are telling him some short story or fairy tale. You can make up stories yourself or tell stories from the lives of your parents, grandparents. But in no case should the story be instructive, for example: “When I was little, I...” It is better to tell it in the third person. For example: “Once upon a time there was a girl who liked to put her toys to bed herself. And then one time...” It’s good when children learn about the past of their grandparents from such small stories. They develop love for their loved ones, perhaps already old ones. Children also love stories about animals.

It is important to tell the story in a calm, quiet voice.

I would like to note that the proposed ritual for falling asleep is indicative. Each family can think through its own ritual, depending on the characteristics of the child and the general traditions of the family. But whatever the ritual, the main thing is that it is performed regularly. By devoting approximately 30-40 minutes every day to the ritual of falling asleep, parents will soon notice that children resist it less and less. On the contrary, the baby will look forward to this moment when all attention will be devoted to him.

Today, all young parents are faced with the question of the duration of their children's sleep. And this is correct, because sleep for a child, especially a newborn, is the most important indicator of development and health. Some lucky ones are lucky: their babies sleep diligently, regain strength after birth and prepare to become inquisitive whys. All that remains is to be happy for them. And for those mothers and fathers for whom the problem of a newborn not sleeping well, we offer some useful tips.

How long should a newborn sleep?

First, let's define what the concept of “newborn” means. According to most classifications, a child is considered a newborn until 30 days of his life, then the baby begins to be called a baby. The second question that requires an answer is how much should a newborn sleep? Again, there are a huge number of theories on this subject, but if we summarize them, we get approximately the following sleep pattern:

in the first days of life (up to two weeks), the newborn sleeps about 20 - 22 hours a day;
starting from two weeks and until the end of the first month of life, sleep duration is reduced to 17 hours a day.

It is best if the duration of night sleep is 13–14 hours, and the reduction occurs due to daytime sleep. Believe me, it is better to play more with your child during the day than to “have fun” with him at night, especially if you have nervous neighbors and a working husband who is tired from the working day and has to go back to work tomorrow. The question of how a newborn should sleep is quite individual. All children are different: there are sleepyheads who can sleep 23 hours a day, and there are those who feel sorry for wasting their time sleeping when there is a lot of interesting things around them. Therefore, first of all, you should watch your child and adjust him to yourself. Children generally have very strong adaptive abilities. And you, one way or another, need to get enough sleep at night.

Why do newborns sleep poorly?

There are 3 main complaints of new parents related to their children's sleep:

a newborn does not sleep well during the day when his sleep pattern is as follows: I sleep for 30 minutes, stay awake for 30 minutes;
the newborn does not sleep well at night, namely, often wakes up and does not want to fall asleep;
The baby finds it difficult to settle down in the evening.

In order to understand why newborns sleep poorly, let's study the structure of children's sleep. Human sleep consists of phases of deep and shallow sleep, which replace each other. In the first days of life, the baby's deep sleep phase lasts from 20 to 40 minutes, after which a period of shallow sleep begins, and at this moment the child can be awakened by any sound, light or movement. It is easy to determine this phase if you are nearby: the baby is tossing and turning, his eyelashes are trembling, and it is noticeable how the pupils move under the eyelids.

Now we propose to talk about what young mothers and fathers should do to prevent sleep problems in their children. Relatively speaking, all aspects can be divided into 3 groups:

1. Baby's sleeping conditions

temperature and oxygen saturation of the air in the room. Before going to bed, it is advisable to thoroughly ventilate the room to saturate the air with oxygen; with enough oxygen, sleep will be stronger and more restful. Experts advise maintaining the temperature in the newborn’s room at 18–20 degrees. By the way, it’s very good if the baby sleeps outside, regardless of the weather.
the level of illumination in the room in which the newborn sleeps. Experts recommend a little twilight, and the child should both fall asleep and wake up in the twilight; it creates conditions for falling asleep as quickly as possible. During the day, you need to close the windows with curtains or use blinds, and at night, use light-diffusing night lights so that the baby is not afraid of being in complete darkness;
comfortable mattress. Make sure that the crib and stroller where your newborn sleeps have comfortable, hard mattresses. All experts unanimously say that a hard mattress and the absence of a pillow is the optimal solution for developing the correct posture of a child.
There is another point that can ruin a baby’s sleep - this is his fear of being alone, not feeling the boundaries of his bed. A newborn does not perceive himself as a separate individual, and he is afraid to be without his mother in this huge world, therefore, in order for the baby to fall asleep as quickly as possible, it is recommended to put him next to you at least while he falls asleep, and then move him to the crib. If you decide for yourself that you want to teach your child to fall asleep right away in the crib, then just be next to the baby, stroke him, sing a song or quietly tell him a story. Then he will feel safe, and you will achieve your goal.

2. Physiological needs

feeling of satiety. You need to make sure your child has eaten well. Breastfeed your baby if he is breast-fed, or bottle-feed, and then give him a pacifier if your baby is bottle-fed;
Before putting the child to bed, be sure to change the baby’s diaper; if the baby is dry, it will be easier for him to fall asleep and his sleep will be more restful;
Until 3–4 months of a baby’s life, colic will most likely be tormented, so preventing its occurrence should become an integral part of your life. Do massages and exercises that promote the passage of gas, place the baby on the tummy in the intervals before feedings. By the way, infants are luckier in this regard, since they have fewer problems with the stomach and constipation than artificial ones. In order to prevent intestinal problems, parents of such children need to choose the right mixture, preferably containing prebiotics.

3. Psychological factors

the quality of the periods of wakefulness, namely, how fun and interesting the baby spends his time when he is not sleeping. Try to communicate with him more, talking like an adult, do exercises according to the child’s age, sing him songs, dance, read books. Having received a sufficient amount of impressions, emotions and information, the baby will fall asleep soundly. The only caution: do not overload your baby, he is still very small. After playing with him noisily at first, gradually reduce the level of activity so that he gradually calms down and gets ready to relax. Try not to allow late visits from relatives or friends, because for them this is entertainment, and you will start a “carousel” after they leave, because the child, having run wild, will demand more, and it will be very difficult to put him to bed. In this regard, introduce a moratorium on visits after 19 pm, then you will have the opportunity to calm your baby down over the next couple of hours and perform your bedtime ritual;
create a ritual out of your bedtime routine, especially when it comes to going to bed in the evening. For example, after returning from a walk, you can eat and take a warm bath. Then dim the light and, in the twilight, do a light stroking massage, while simultaneously telling a story or singing a lullaby. Just make sure that the room is warm at this time and there are no drafts! We put on pajamas, say good night to all family members and go to bed. In this way, the child will get used to the daily routine, and this will give him a feeling of confidence and calm, which is very important for a good night's sleep for the baby. Motion sickness is very good at putting children to sleep, but be careful with this because children get used to it very quickly and refuse to fall asleep any other way than in their arms! Good luck to you, dear parents, in the difficult task of creating a sleep schedule! We hope that our advice will make your life at least a little easier.

) and sleeping with parents. Dr. Harvey Karp honestly debunks the main myths about how babies sleep after one year.

Myth 1. Sleeping separately is the norm for a child

Fact. Who wants to sleep alone? In most countries, young children sleep with their siblings or parents for many years.

Parents are often surprised to learn that, according to statistics, the older the child, the more often he sleeps with his parents! At three years old, 22% of children sleep in their parents' bed, and at four years, 38% sleep with their parents at least once a week. Even 10-15% of preschool children continue to sleep in their parents' bed.

Myth 2. Children older than one year sleep all night without waking up.

Fact. In fact, videos have been made that show that children at this age wake up several times a night during light sleep. But most of us don't realize this, because usually children fall asleep on their own without a single squeak.

Myth 3. Children after one year need less sleep than babies.

Fact. Despite the fact that the child's daytime sleep will be constantly reduced, and he will sleep only once during the day, until he is five years old, he still needs eleven to twelve hours of sleep at night. And over the period from four to twelve years, the duration of night sleep will decrease insignificantly - from eleven hours to ten.

Myth 4. Children over one year old need to be weaned from sucking a pacifier, especially at night.

Fact. For toddlers, sucking is natural and very calming. In most primitive societies, children suckle until they are three or four years old. Pacifiers can give your baby confidence and help him self-soothe in the middle of the night.

Moreover, many babies have a strong craving for sucking, which is genetically determined. And such children are definitely better off sucking a pacifier rather than developing the habit of drooling their thumb, which is much more likely to lead to orthodontic problems in the future.

Myth 5: Sleep has no effect on young children's learning ability or health.

Fact. Lack of sleep not only leads to many behavioral problems such as temper tantrums, aggression, impulsivity and disobedience, but it is also responsible for three factors that interfere with learning: inattention, poor learning and poor memory.

Research shows that there is a link between not getting enough sleep in young children and health problems later in life. Surprisingly, missing just one hour of sleep a night in early childhood can affect school performance!

Canadian researchers, for example, report that children who sleep less than ten hours a night have twice the risk of obesity, hyperactivity and poor cognitive test scores later in life.

It seems that there is an extremely important period in early childhood, and if during this period the child sleeps less than normal, this will negatively affect his development, even if sleep improves later.

Myth 6: Children naturally fall asleep when they are tired.

Fact. Most of us (including small children) fall asleep when we are tired, but some kids, on the contrary, become even more active when tired! They start fooling around and fussing. In fact, their behavior resembles that of children who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

And this problem can get worse: the more tired they are, the harder it is for them to fall asleep and the more often they wake up in the middle of the night.

Myth 7. Having a night light on can damage a child’s vision.

Fact. Nothing of the kind! For generations, parents have left dim lights (4 watts) in the nursery at night. Night lights allow us to quickly assess the child's condition without having to turn on a flashlight or bright light in the room. Plus, many children feel calmer when they wake up at 2:00 a.m. and see a familiar environment... rather than a sea of darkness.

But a 1999 study at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia scared many parents into turning off their nightlights. Researchers said that 34% of children who slept with a night light went on to become nearsighted.

Fortunately, the results of two other studies conducted the following year refuted this claim. Scientists from Ohio found that only 18.8% of children who participated in their experiment and slept with a nightlight in the first two years of life became nearsighted, compared with 20% of children who slept in complete darkness. Scientists from Boston also confirmed that there is absolutely no connection between night lights and vision problems.

Myth 8. If you put a TV in the nursery, it will be easier to put the child to sleep

Fact. Almost a third of preschoolers have a TV in their room. (And for 20% of babies... wow!) In addition, a fifth of families include watching TV or videos as part of their bedtime routine. But using electronic assistants in the evening is a bad idea.

Children who have a TV in their room:

watch it more often (this means they see more scenes of an aggressive nature and advertising of junk food);
go to bed twenty or thirty minutes later;
struggle with sleep (in their case, they are twice as likely to fall asleep after 10 p.m.);
sleep less (they are twice as likely to have problems waking up in the morning);
do less sports;
suffer more psychological stress (and perhaps have more nightmares);
in their case there is a greater risk of obesity;
could cause serious injury if the TV is pulled towards you.

No, I am not an inveterate opponent of the “zombie box”. He can actually replace you in the short term... and sometimes we all need that. But use the TV in moderation (choosing quiet programs like Sesame Street or nature programs) and turn it off before bed. Better yet, save watching TV for special occasions - for example, on a weekend morning, it can be a real gift for your baby, and will allow you to sleep an extra half hour.

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