Why does a 4 month old baby cry and be naughty all day long: possible reasons

While in Ukraine experts especially highlight the crises of the first year of life and three years, in the West the term terrible twos (“terrible two-year-olds”) is quite widely used.

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During this period, the child is often upset due to unsuccessful attempts to do something on his own, adults’ misunderstanding of his speech, and also tests the strength of established boundaries. At the same time, children show extreme emotions and say “no” much more often than at other ages. That is why this time is also called the period of negativism. The child is just learning to live by the rules and cope with his feelings. And it is very important for his parents to know how to behave in order to help the baby get through this difficult time with minimal losses for their own psyche and maximum benefit for the development of the baby.

Why doesn't the child listen?

Parents of one-year-old children can be divided into two groups. Some rejoice at the growing independence and first steps of their baby. Others, chasing on the heels of the little fidget, remember with nostalgia the time when the baby was more dependent and less mobile.

A year later, both of them, rolling their eyes and clutching their heads, talk about manifestations of the child’s character. Tantrums, an indignant “no” in response to any proposal and a readiness to achieve what you want by any means - these are the difficulties faced by most parents of children aged about two years.

Hyperactive child or choleric? Psychologist tells

Have you ever wondered why they still say “no” so often? Is it because at this age they so often hear from us “no”, “you can’t”, “don’t meddle”, “don’t touch”. Of course, it is at this age that we introduce children to traffic rules and safety precautions. We teach not to run into the road, not to pick up cigarette butts and not to use a bookshelf as a ladder. We are doing everything right. Prohibitions are necessary, but independence, freedom, and mistakes are also necessary.

Do not protect your child from everything: without tripping or falling, he will not learn to look at his feet. Give your baby the opportunity to control his life: ask what he wants to wear, offer to choose a toy for a walk or a piece of fruit for a snack. But what if he’s still capricious and resists? Rejoice! This is better than silent submission (you dreamed of a happy child, not an obedient one, right?). And also... help him find a way out of hysteria, support him, show him that he can cope with emotions.

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Possible reasons

Health problems can affect the appearance of restless sleep in a child.
Restless sleep can occur in both a one-year-old child and infants. It is important to know what can provoke the occurrence of this phenomenon. We will look at the most common options.

Difficulty breathing. For example, in a situation where the baby has a stuffy nose or there is very dry air in the room where the child sleeps, which causes crusts to appear in the nasal passages.
The presence of infectious diseases of the nasopharynx.
Lack of vitamin D3. In addition to restless sleep, the presence of wet feet and palms may also be noted.
Lactase deficiency in the baby’s body, manifested by bloating, regurgitation, and night colic.
Presence of an allergic reaction.
A congenital anomaly manifested by the presence of a narrow nasal passage.
The result of reflex reactions. At 6 months, a baby has a desire to sit, walk, and even in a dream, the child’s brain can send commands to the muscular system, as a result of which twitching of an arm or leg will be observed.
Presence of the first Moro phase. There is a throwing up of the arms when changing position or a sharp sound, and the baby may wake up and cry.
Presence of gastroesophageal reflux.
Lack of proper drinking regimen.
The presence of somatic diseases, in particular acute respiratory illnesses, dermatitis, viral infections.
A restless night's rest may be due to teething.
The result of the presence of increased intracranial pressure.
In babies from three to five months, intestinal colic, caused by intestinal microflora that has not yet fully formed, is often the cause of restless sleep.
Restless sleep may indicate the presence of rickets, encephalopathy, or a brain tumor.
Hunger is another reason to worry at night.
The lack of optimal temperature and humidity in the room where the baby sleeps can affect the occurrence of anxiety. The child may be simply hot or cold, or uncomfortable if the air is too humid or dry.
Having uncomfortable clothes, a bed, or an overfilled diaper can also cause nighttime restlessness.
Emotional overexcitation can provoke anxiety in sleep.

A restless night's sleep may be due to the onset of the disease. Even when the appearance of the baby cannot yet suspect an illness, internally the child already feels unwell.

How to behave during a child's tantrum

Is your baby upset about something and has already become hysterical? Well, you should be patient and wait a little. Under no circumstances should you raise your voice, use physical punishment, or ask your child to stop crying. It is unlikely that this will help solve the problem faster.

Any hysteria is designed for spectators, and if there are none, it will subside on its own. If you are alone with your baby, it is enough to simply continue going about your business, avoiding direct eye contact. It is not necessary to leave the room (psychologists believe that isolating a child at such moments harms attachment and negatively affects relationships in the future).

Of course, if a baby hits his head on the floor, it’s difficult to stay away and not rush to his rescue. However, in this case, it should be remembered that the instinct of self-preservation will not allow the baby to cause serious injury to himself. But he will remember very quickly how to behave so that instead of porridge he gets cookies for breakfast, and after a while you will see a similar picture again.

For some children, a tight hug helps them calm down. The “magic” place of support is between the shoulder blades (you can stroke it there). In a quiet voice, calmly tell him that you understand and love him. But if physical contact only causes a burst of aggression in the child, it is better to postpone the conversation until the hysteria is over.

150 amazing ideas for early child development

The situation is more complicated if the hysteria occurs in a public place, where there are many spectators and compassionate passers-by who are not averse to giving advice on exactly how to raise the child. In this case, it is best to pick up the child and take him to a more secluded and calm place. Or... run there in a race, if it’s not next to the roadway.

At a moment of calm, when the child is able to listen to at least a couple of phrases, try to distract him. It’s better for parents to know what exactly can interest their baby in any condition: for some it’s cats or dogs, for others it’s trucks or airplanes, for others it’s food. The only thing you should not offer your child at such moments is sweets. Otherwise, this behavior can be a surefire way to extort candy or cookies whenever he wants.
Try to restrain yourself and speak calmly to your child. Raising the tone can lead to a new round of emotional outburst in the baby. Sometimes it wouldn’t hurt for parents of two-year-olds to take a mild sedative themselves, because a calm mother means a calm baby.
Don't follow your child's lead and don't give him what he wants just because he screams about it. This period is very important for setting boundaries and developing social skills. The baby can already explain his desires and remembers how to get what he needs. Show, ask.

Restless child? 4 reasons after birth

But what should those whose baby has already been born and is literally tormenting his mother with his anxiety do? First rule out tummy problems, neurological problems and other health issues. Before taking medications and doing massage courses, for any ailments of a newborn and a child in the first months of life, it is worth visiting an osteopath. And then... Take charge of yourself! There are four main reasons why children become anxious due to parenting problems:

Lack of sleep in parents.
Social isolation of parents.
Unequal distribution of workload between parents.
Depression of one of the parents.

Lack of sleep is detrimental to the psyche of mother and child. The baby is born with its own rhythm of life, not knowing that the mother needs to sleep for so many hours in a row. More and more experts believe that the characteristics of night sleep are inherent in genetics, but we cannot exclude the discomfort that the outside world causes in a newborn: he is unusually dry (after intrauterine exposure to water), atmospheric pressure periodically changes, he has parents who carry a certain mood . Immediately after childbirth, the brain begins to absorb information at a tremendous speed. All this prevents the child from establishing his own routine.

Mom and dad must be in adequate condition. If you can't cope on your own, ask for help. A big mistake parents make is to try to place all responsibilities on the mother. There is no need to strive for this; on the contrary, give the mother rest and the opportunity to sleep at the same time as the baby, if she has such a need.

If there are no grandmothers and there is no opportunity to hire assistants, then it is necessary, in modern language, to “give up on everything”! Talk to your husband, describe your condition. Remember that lack of sleep is detrimental to the psyche; it leads to depression and a lack of desire to contact people. Aggression towards a husband who manages to sleep longer will only increase.

Communication is essential for a young mother! Don't have the opportunity to communicate with people in real life? Do it virtually: write about yourself and your difficulties using social networks and forums for moms. You need this support. Don’t forget about communicating with your husband: take a day off together or at least spend a couple of hours alone to talk calmly and discuss all the news.
Share household chores. Many women relieve their husbands of worries in advance: “You provide for us, it’s hard for you, so at home I’ll do everything myself.” But the child is not interested in the level of income in the family; he needs parents who perceive the new stage of life joyfully, and not like torture! Everything can be done simply and clearly: mom takes care of the baby at night, and dad picks him up at 6 o’clock in the morning when he wakes up. Believe me, a man can get ready for work while his wife is sleeping. And, as a rule, children behave well under the supervision of their dad, because dad treats everything more simply.
If you carefully consider the following points, depression will not overtake you. Please note that the result will only come from daily work on yourself, and not from a one-time attempt.

Rules for parents

Those of you who understand that the goal of a child is not to drive you crazy, but simply to grow up, will enjoy watching this happen. You will notice that the child loves to “help” (whatever that means), he loves to learn (especially to carry out experiments - after all, to master and understand something, he needs 40 repetitions). By the way, if you want to teach English, start. It's easy for him now.

Don’t slow down creativity with your careful attitude to wallpaper and new clothes. If there is no real danger, let him walk up the steps himself, and you can also assemble a tower from a construction set without you. Every evening, look at the moon together and rejoice. The little one can do it! And you? Learn!

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Features of daytime sleep

Sleep is an important physiological process. It helps provide rest to the human body. For a positive physical and emotional state of the baby, healthy sleep is necessary. The first days of their life, newborns sleep 20 hours a day, waking up only to satisfy their hunger. Gradually, the duration of rest decreases, the time of wakefulness increases.

Before the age of one year, children sleep two or three times during the day. From 10 months to one and a half years, the baby fits into the daytime once. This regime lasts up to 7 years, the duration of sleep is gradually reduced. Sometimes three-year-old children refuse to rest during the day.

How long should a baby sleep during the day? Doctors consider minor discrepancies with the following indicators to be normal:

up to three months, children rest for 6 hours during the day;
up to 6 months - 4-5 hours;
up to 11 months and a year - 3 hours;
up to three years of age, daily sleep is 2 hours;
at 4-6 years old, children sleep 1-1.5 hours, more time is spent sleeping at night.

Rest in the middle of an active day is an effective prevention against neurological problems and hyperactivity. Restless sleep negatively affects the baby's health. Lack of sleep increases the risk of problems with emotional expression later in life. Children who do not get enough sleep are anxious, less happy, and perceive information worse. Their curiosity and independence are less expressed.

How to minimize your child's emotional outbursts

Maintain a routine A tired, sleep-deprived or hungry child is more likely to become upset and show his irritation. Therefore, a clear regime is the key to peace of mind for everyone. Hysterics can be avoided if you give your child a snack in time or change active play to calm play.
Don’t overload the baby emotionally Sometimes parents think that hysterics are a consequence of insufficient activity and that if you “load the child harder,” there will be no more strength left to roar. But that's not true. The nervous system of babies is just developing, and the baby is not able to react to fatigue the same way as an adult. New classes in development groups, visiting playgrounds with a large number of children, contrary to the expectations of parents, are more likely to lead to overload and hysterics in the child.
Increase physical activity in the fresh air. A large amount of oxygen improves appetite and sleep, and a well-rested and well-fed child is usually happy with life.
Limit TV viewing and electronic games The effect of such a restriction should not be expected immediately. As neurologists say, in emotionally excitable children, improvement in behavior can be expected two to three weeks after watching the last commercial or cartoon.
Encourage independence. Invite your child to choose clothes or food, show how important it is for you to know his opinion. Giving the right to choose will help the child change his anger to mercy and be more sane.
Smile The child adopts your way of looking at the world. Are you always unhappy? Him too!

Adviсe

Ensure that there is an optimal air temperature in the room where the child sleeps (around 18 - 20 degrees), also take care of the optimal humidity (50 - 70%).
You need to avoid active pastime in the evening. Try to keep your child busy with calm games a few hours before bedtime.
It is important to take evening walks, as fresh air has a beneficial effect on the child’s body and helps him fall asleep faster.
Great importance should be paid to the mattress and pillow on which the little one sleeps, as well as the material from which the baby’s bedding and clothes are made.
Before putting your baby to bed, be sure to put on a new diaper. Don't forget to feed and drink your child before bedtime.
Teach your little one to certain rituals, for example, reading a fairy tale before bed.
Carry out water procedures before going to bed. You can add decoctions of sedative herbs to the bath, for example, motherwort, valerian, mint.
If you suspect a pathology that affects the appearance of restless sleep, immediately seek help from a pediatrician. The specialist will identify the cause and prescribe treatment, if necessary.

Now you know what the causes of restless sleep in an infant may be. It is important to understand that in many cases, sleep anxiety is caused by health problems, which is why it is important to report any symptoms to your family doctor. Remember that untimely initiation of treatment can lead to undesirable consequences.