The choice is, in fact, small: on the back, on the side, on the stomach.

Where to stop?

On the one hand, a number of scientists draw attention to the fact that in the stomach position, children sleep more soundly and wake up less often. Personal experience and the author’s observations show that a baby who sleeps on his stomach from the moment of birth begins to hold his head up earlier; During movements, he additionally massages his stomach, making it easier for him to pass gases. With a thick mattress and no pillow, any talk about the possibility of suffocation is simply meaningless. It is also unfair to say that without a pillow, a child lying on his side will break his neck. If you wrap it with a dozen diapers, maybe it will curl, but if there are only one or two diapers, it will never. When sleeping on your stomach, your head is turned to the side, and this side must be changed every time. Some babies sleep best in the middle position - between on their side and on their stomach - with a diaper placed under their side and folded several times.

On the other side, without exception, all modern medical guidelines do not even recommend, but categorically affirm:

A child of the first year of life should sleep only on his back.

What is the basis for such a categorical requirement?

The medical literature has repeatedly described the so-called “syndrome sudden death baby." The essence of this terrible and not at all rare phenomenon is as follows. Healthy child dies during sleep, and at autopsy no signs of illness are found.

Until now, medical science has not been able to unambiguously answer the question of why this happens. The root cause is a sudden stop in breathing, but why does breathing stop?.. Statistics only indicate factors that increase the likelihood of developing the syndrome, but the mechanisms themselves are not completely clear. More often - boys, more often - at the age of 2-3 months, more often - in winter. Unfavorable factors: prematurity, twin child, mother under 18 years old, less than a year interval between pregnancies, maternal smoking, soft bed, overheating.

Nevertheless a factor that statistically significantly increases the likelihood of sudden infant death syndrome is sleeping on the stomach .

Medical science, having convincingly proven the relationship between sleeping on the stomach and sudden infant death syndrome, still does not have an answer to the question: what actually causes this relationship.

Parents should know that in response to clenching of the nostrils, many babies, especially in the first three months of life, do not try to free themselves, and they stop breathing for 10-15 seconds. Not surprisingly, pillows and soft mattresses can contribute to nostril constriction. In addition, the slightest runny nose in combination with a room temperature above 23 ° C and dry air leads to the formation of dense crusts of mucus, which in turn block the nasal passages and lead to respiratory arrest.

It is very difficult to convince people that pillows are unacceptable, soft mattresses are unacceptable (and it is soft and even crooked mattresses that are often included in children's cribs!). Convincing people that a child should not sleep in a room with warm and dry air is even more difficult. It’s easier to write in means mass media that sleeping on your stomach increases the likelihood of sudden death syndrome.

A child sleeps more soundly in the tummy position.

if there is a pillow;

if the room is dry and warm;

if the mattress is soft and crooked;

if parents smoke;

if there is at least one of these if - It is strictly forbidden to sleep on your stomach!!!

Ekaterina Rakitina

Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany

Reading time: 3 minutes

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Article last updated: 01/20/2017

Healthy and sound sleep for a newborn baby is the key full development. The main task for young parents is to provide their baby with a calm and comfortable sleep. During the first months of its life, a baby sleeps almost around the clock. Sleep duration can last from seventeen to twenty-two hours a day.

Conditions for good rest should be comfortable. Moms and dads should take care not only of the environment, but also to ensure that the baby sleeps in a position that is comfortable and safe for his life.

Necessary conditions for good rest for unborn children

To provide the child necessary conditions For good sleep the following rules must be adhered to:

1. The room in which the sleeping child is located should be regularly ventilated;
2. The temperature should be maintained at eighteen to twenty-two degrees;
3. The air humidity in the room should be at least sixty to seventy percent;
4. The bed should be smooth and quite hard;
5. There should be silence in the room, there should be no loud sounds;
6. Bright lights should be turned off.

Babies tend to sleep on their backs. At the same time, their palms are bent into a fist, their legs are slightly bent at the knees and spread apart. The head is turned to the side.

This body position is natural for children, but not the only possible one. A small baby can also sleep on their tummy or side. When putting your baby to sleep, you need to choose a position that will be appropriate for this moment. Also be careful not to harm the baby.

Baby sleeping on his back

This position is considered the safest for a child. This way he can be put to sleep both during the day and at night.

When laying the baby on his back, be sure to turn his head to the side so that if he burps, the baby does not choke.

To prevent the baby from developing torticollis, the head must be turned in different sides. If he persistently turns to one side, then when laying his head on the other side, you can put a folded diaper on him. The material will not give him the opportunity to turn in the usual direction. Gradually, the layers of the folded diaper need to be reduced, while eliminating the obstacle to turning. This way you will gradually teach your baby to independently turn his head in different directions during sleep.

Although sleeping on the back is the most common position for children, it cannot always be used for daily rest. If a baby is diagnosed with hip dysplasia, then pediatricians recommend putting him to sleep on his stomach. It is also not recommended to sleep in this position if your muscles are hypertonic. In such a situation, the child very often flaps his arms involuntarily and can wake himself up. In order to calm the baby, they often resort to swaddling. True, not all babies agree to sleep in such conditions.

If the child suffers from intestinal colic, then in a position on his back he can sleep very restlessly. This is due to problems with the passage of gases from the intestines. You can save the situation with a warm diaper or a baby heating pad. It is very good to put your baby to sleep on his side.

Sleeping on your tummy

Every day the baby should be placed on his tummy at least once. In this position the child trains muscular system and learns to raise his head. This allows him to get acquainted with the outside world and develop spatial orientation.

Also, this pose is good for colic, as it promotes the release of gases and relieves pain syndrome. But putting a child to rest on his stomach can only be done under adult supervision. In this position there is a risk of sudden death of the baby. This is due to the fact that the child may bury himself in the surface of the crib, but will not be able to roll over on his own. Because of immaturity nervous system the newborn often stops breathing. When putting your child to sleep in this position, remove all pillows and blankets, as well as soft toys, away. Flatten the sheet so that there are no unevenness. You also need to constantly turn the baby's head. In this position, babies usually sleep much more calmly and soundly. But you should remember that if you cannot control the baby’s condition, then after falling asleep it is best to put him in a different position.

Rest on your side

This is a fairly safe sleeping position if you are sure that the child will not be able to roll over onto his stomach on his own. In order to protect the baby, you need to lay him not on his side, but in a “half-sided” state. You need to put a folded blanket or towel under the backrest. When a child sleeps in a position on his side, his arms are near his head and he can scratch himself. It is better to put scratches on your fists. It is very good to put babies who often spit up to sleep in this position. Babies with digestive problems and colic also feel great on their side. The legs in this position are pressed against the tummy, and gases are well released from the intestines.

If a baby is diagnosed with hip dysplasia, then sleeping on the side is contraindicated for such children until three months of age. Since the load on hip joints very big.

Relaxing pose with head raised

Some young mothers mistakenly believe that if the baby's head is raised while he sleeps, he will not suffer from intestinal colic or will spit up less. To avoid such troubles during sleep, after feeding, you need to hold it in a column for five to ten minutes. The head should be placed on your shoulder, and the baby should be pressed with his tummy to his chest.

Be sure to make sure that the crib on which the baby sleeps is level and sufficiently rigid. In this case, there will be no deviations in the development of the spine. Sleeping positions need to be changed regularly. And of course mom needs to take into account individual characteristics your baby and his preferences.

Then not only the child, but the mother herself will rest.

The first months of a baby's life are associated with risk. A young mother who has never had to take care of a child before goes to bed with fear, fearing that the baby will suffocate in his sleep or choke on the liquid that he regurgitates. Some practical advice will help you arrange sleeping area baby, create an optimal microclimate and provide him with sound, healthy sleep.

In the morning and evening, ventilate the room where the child sleeps. When ventilating, wrap the baby well or move it to another room for a while. Control the temperature, it should fluctuate between 18–22 degrees, optimally 20-21. Check air humidity. If a child breathes dry air, he will soon begin to cough, as the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and larynx dries out. It is recommended to buy a humidifier. If this is not possible, then resort to an alternative. Brew chamomile, linden or string, or better yet, take saline solution at the pharmacy. Moisten a diaper or piece of gauze with the prepared mixture and hang it on the radiators if it is winter outside. In summer and spring, hang gauze or a diaper near the crib or cradle. Evaporation of saline solution or herbal decoction will promote soft breathing and have a beneficial effect on general condition child. After all, he will breathe not dusty dry air, but natural herbal or salt extract. In addition, these concentrates act as antimicrobial substances. Don't swaddle your baby, give him space and the opportunity to move. Let the spine and limbs form, and do not atrophy. The child should sleep on a hard, flat surface. If the baby sleeps with his parents and the mattress is springy, then it should be orthopedic. In a baby crib, it is enough to lay a simple mattress with ecological filling. Remove the pillow from the crib and give up this idea. The fragile, immature spine will become deformed and twisted in this position. It is better if the child gets used to sleeping without a pillow. When your baby is sleeping, avoid bright lighting and loud sounds. At the same time, do not try to walk on tiptoes and speak in a whisper. If a child gets used to ideal silence, then it will be very difficult for him to get enough sleep, and you will suffer from constant whims at the slightest creak. Walk, talk normally, listen to music, watch TV (but don’t let the screen shine on the child if he sleeps in the same room with his parents). Do not take these recommendations as liberties, the advice is intended for a prudent person, and the noise should not be regular, powerful or deliberate. For several months after birth, it is recommended to use two positions for short and long sleep: lying on your back and side. If you place your baby on his back, be sure to turn his head to the side. This precaution is necessary for the flow of saliva and milk mass that babies regurgitate after feeding. If you put her to sleep on her side, then just make sure that nothing bothers the baby. Place a blanket under the back and let the baby lean on it. Change your sleeping position and head rotation regularly

On the one side to another. At 3 months you can already put your baby to sleep on his tummy, this will significantly reduce colic. Monitor your baby's sleep periodically. In the evening, after

warm bath

and feeding, the infant usually falls asleep without problems. This is not surprising - every day the little one is filled with work and new impressions, so after being tired, he happily goes to rest in the evening. Daytime naps are a completely different matter. Quite often, parents complain that almost no one falls asleep without tears. Are there really no reliable ways to put a baby to sleep during the day without tantrums? Of course, there is, but you can’t do it with clever tricks alone - it would be nice to know the baby’s physiology and the main reasons why he may refuse to sleep. Why do you need naps during the day? simply necessary. A newborn sleeps up to 20 hours, about half of which he sleeps during the day. With each month, the duration of daytime and night sleep is gradually reduced. By the age of one year, children already sleep 11-12 hours, of which at least 2.5-3 should be two naps during the day.

Particularly important normal sleep for a newborn, whose entire first month of life is spent practically adapting to the new conditions of existence into which he found himself after getting out of his mother’s tummy. At the same time, biorhythms begin to form that regulate periods physical activity and rest.

By three months, the baby has already managed to more or less adapt to the new life and begins to explore the world. A huge amount falls on him new information, which a small brain is simply not able to quickly process and assimilate. Therefore, after 2-3 hours of active wakefulness, the baby wants to sleep.

But here a conflict arises between his desire to sleep and the ability to do so - an overexcited child’s psyche needs much more time to calm down than an adult. A very tired baby simply cannot fall asleep and needs his mother’s understanding and help.

During any sleep they turn on vitally important processes, which has a direct impact on the growth and development of the baby:

• growth hormone is produced;
• physical relaxation occurs;
• the nervous system is stabilized;
• information is processed;
• energy reserves are replenished.

Imagine what will happen to a small organism if it is deprived of all this?! If you don’t put the baby to bed in time, he simply changes before your eyes - from a cute smiling toddler he suddenly turns into a loudly screaming creature wet with sweat that simply cannot be calmed down.

A baby who has not rested for the required amount of time during the day becomes so tired in the evening that it is impossible to fall asleep again.

Therefore, the mother’s first task is to choose the regime of alternating sleep and wakefulness that is optimal for her and meets the baby’s needs and strictly adhere to it. Within a few days, the baby will get used to the schedule, and it will be much easier to put him to bed.

Laying features

You've probably already heard that preparing for evening sleep should be accompanied by certain rituals that, repeated day after day, help the baby relax and prepare for a night's rest. During the day, these rituals can also be present, but in a shorter version and in a different form.

So it is necessary for the baby to understand that now they are preparing only for a short rest. Then he will go to bed more calmly.

1. Changing clothes. It is better to have separate pajamas for nighttime sleep. During the day, the baby can sleep in panties or diapers and a light T-shirt or vest.
2. Soft light. You should not create complete darkness in the room where the baby will sleep. This can throw off his biorhythms, causing him to sleep for several hours and then be impossible to put him to bed in the evening.
3. Moderate noise. There is also no need to ensure complete silence, just avoid sharp sounds that can frighten the baby. Let him get used to the fact that his mother is nearby and goes about her business while he rests.

A great option to put your baby to sleep without scandals is a walk. What could be better than a relaxing holiday in the fresh air? Moreover, in a stroller that moves slowly and rocks smoothly, lulling the baby to sleep. If it’s more convenient for you, combine a walk with one of your daytime naps.

But remember that it is impossible to teach your child to sleep only outside during the day for several reasons. Firstly, for him this is a way of understanding the world, so walking while awake is more useful and informative for the baby. He gets acquainted with the world around him and gets new impressions that develop the brain and train the psyche.

Secondly, what will you do on those days when weather conditions do not allow you to go out for a walk for an hour and a half, which is necessary for a nap. If you teach your child to sleep only in a moving stroller, then be prepared to run around the apartment with it in case of bad weather.

Finally, sleeping in a crib is healthier for your baby, as it teaches him to be independent and develops an awareness that the bed is a place to sleep. But then try so that after learning to crawl and sit, the baby spends more time in active movement - on the mat or in the playpen. This will develop him physically and contribute to more falling asleep quickly when he gets back into bed.

Mom's little tricks

A single recipe for how to properly lay infant sleeping during the day does not exist. All children have different temperaments and psychological characteristics. What works great with one child may not work at all with another.

Mom will have to experiment a little to find effective means or come up with a few little tricks of your own.

Here are some techniques and tricks that many mothers have already successfully used:

1. Cool bedroom. Fresh air acts as an excellent sleeping pill, not only during a walk. In a well-ventilated bedroom, your baby will fall asleep faster and sleep longer than in a stuffy room. The air temperature should be moderately cool - no higher than 18-20 o C, preferably even in summer. But the baby should not be in a room with the air conditioner running - he can easily catch a cold.
2. Warm sheet. Often, even sleeping children wake up and start crying at the moment when their mother tries to put them in their crib. The reason for this is cold sheets, upon contact with which the baby experiences discomfort. Put a heating pad in the bed, and then the child will dive into it with pleasure, and pleasant warmth will help you relax and partially replace the presence of your mother.
3. A toy with mom's scent. Another trick that can deceive the baby's senses. All babies have an excellent sense of smell and unmistakably distinguish their mother’s smell from many others. Sleep for a few days with little soft toy, and then give it to your baby. Let her be his crib companion. Hugging a plush pet, the child will not feel lonely, and the presence of his mother’s scent will calm him even in his sleep.
4. A cozy nest. All parents try to buy a spacious crib for their baby so that it is more comfortable for him to sleep in it. But sometimes it works reverse side, especially in the first months of a baby’s life. Accustomed to close contact with his mother and a small living space in the womb, he feels lost in a large bed. Therefore, if you practice swaddling before bed and your baby likes it, do it, but do not wrap him too tightly to allow him to move and breathe normally. Or simply twist a “nest” out of another blanket and place the baby there - he will really like it.
5. Uniform noise. Surprisingly, some children fall asleep much better during the day than in the evening, precisely because that ringing silence that often frightens a child is absent. Quiet humming washing machine, a quietly working TV, the sound of water flowing in the kitchen or the hissing of food in a frying pan calm the child and help him fall asleep faster.
6. Tactile contact. Even a short-term separation from the mother is very difficult for the baby. But you can put the baby in your own bed only in extreme cases - when the child is very sick, or the mother is so tired that she cannot get up to him. For tactile contact, holding the baby's hand or stroking his head is enough. For some children, even having their mother sit next to them is enough, while others need to be held in their arms before going to bed. Do not deny your child closeness - this is extremely important for him now.
7. Quiet melody. If you often listened to classical or meditative music during pregnancy, great! Be sure that the same disc will have a calming effect on the child - because the melody will be familiar to him and will remind him of that serene time when he was in the womb. You can simply hum a song quietly, but not the same lullaby that you usually hear before going to bed.
8. Tummy massage. Full relaxing massage before nap There is no need to do this - leave this pleasant and very effective procedure for an evening ritual. But a five-minute tummy massage is just what you need. This is affection for a child, help digestive system and excellent prevention of painful colic, which often prevents infants from sleeping.
9. Aromatherapy. Beautiful folk remedy to improve sleep. But not all essential oils are beneficial for babies. And their concentration in the air should be lower than for an adult. A few drops of anise or lavender (quality!) will help you fall asleep faster. essential oil, added to an aroma lamp or ultrasonic humidifier.
10. Carousel pendant. Works great in most cases. But when the child is awake, it is necessary to remove it. Being in front of your eyes all the time, the baby will quickly get tired of the pendant, and he will lose all interest in it. Following rotating objects with your eyes quickly calms you down; usually within 10 minutes the child falls asleep.

These are just 10 examples of how you can put your baby to sleep without unnecessary scandals and tears during the day.

Surely every mother has a few more tips that we haven’t mentioned. Therefore, it is useful to consult with each other, but we must remember that each child is individual. And if, having tried new method, you see that it doesn’t work - look for something of your own.

If the baby is sick

The most difficult times for any mother are those periods when the baby is sick. At this time, the child becomes unusually capricious, but maintaining a daily routine is extremely important for his recovery. The course of any disease, even at first glance completely harmless, in children under one year of age should be monitored by a doctor. Especially if the child is the first-born and the mother is not familiar with childhood diseases.

During illness, to ensure your baby's peace of mind, you can make some concessions when putting him to bed during the day or evening.

For example, allow him to fall asleep in his arms (but do not rock him to sleep if the baby is older than three months!) or take him to his bed at night (when he wakes up so often that it greatly exhausts the mother).

While the child is sick, he does not perceive this as a bonus or concession; such actions of the mother simply alleviate his condition. But once he starts to recover, everything should go back to normal. Otherwise, you will then have to spend a lot of time and nerves weaning him from the unwanted habit you provoked, which will form in a newborn in just a couple of weeks. You should also consult a doctor if your child has constant sleep problems, although most often they are not related to physical health

baby. If a child does not rest properly during the day, he always sleeps worse at night. And constant lack of sleep provokes neurosis and psychosomatic illness , is one of the reasons strong decline