Poor daytime sleep in infants - causes and methods of elimination

A newborn baby needs strength in order to learn to exist in a new environment. The fragile body sleeps most of the time, waking up only when it gets hungry. While in the maternity hospital, the child does not cry often, even giving his mother the opportunity to sleep. But upon returning home, it seems that he was replaced - he often screams and seems to sleep less.

Newborn

The need to maintain a sleep schedule

All doctors talk about sleep patterns. The effectiveness of developing a daily routine for a baby is based on several parameters.

Physiology and sleep characteristics of a baby

According to experts, infant sleep should last from 18 to 20 hours a day. Every year the duration of sleep decreases.

All children are individual and it is not always reasonable to try to adjust the child’s regimen to the generally accepted one, because after birth his nervous processes are just being formed. According to pediatricians, the daily sleep requirement for a baby should be from 16 to 20 hours. Normally, the baby sleeps both day and night.

Sleep norms in newborns

The periods of sleep and wakefulness of the baby should constantly alternate and be the same in duration. With age, this trend changes. The duration of daytime sleep decreases, and nighttime sleep increases. So, you can track changes in sleep patterns depending on age:

• The first days of life – 18-20 hours.
• up to 2 months – from 17 to 18 hours;
• up to 4 months – 16-17 hours;
• up to 6 months – 14-16 hours;
• up to 12 months – 13-14 hours;
• from 1.5 years to 3 – 10-13 hours.

Modern view of sleep duration

If your baby is not sleeping well, try observing him and his behavior. If he is active and does not cause any suspicion, is not whiny or irritated, perhaps he is simply following his biorhythms.

There are norms for sleeping and waking in infants, but this does not mean that they are exclusively suitable for everyone.

If a child is restless, this is not always a manifestation of any pathologies, perhaps this indicates activity and curiosity by nature.

Danger, development of diseases due to sleep disturbances

An incorrect model of the dream phase can be fraught with the development of many neurological abnormalities:

1. The baby may wake up in the middle of the night. It occurs in children aged 4 months to one year. This happens due to the excessive attention of parents, who immediately rush to lull the child to sleep. The baby thus attracts the attention of the parents. Sometimes the reason lies in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and respiratory organs.
2. Tremors occur in babies up to one year old who suffer from congenital hypoxia or developmental disorders. May indicate central nervous system disorders or epilepsy.

Lack of sleep due to eating problems

A newborn baby laughs in his sleep - reasons and what parents should do

If the mother's lactation is insufficient, the unsatiated newborn will not be able to sleep soundly. He will wake up every 15 minutes and demand milk. If the mother, based on the fullness of her breasts, does not understand the volume the baby drinks, you can use a simple trick: weigh the baby before and after feeding. The difference in weight should be about 100 grams, since this is the weight of the portion of milk recommended for newborns.

If there is a lack of milk, the mother should supplement the baby with formula. When mixed feeding, you should adhere to the rules of priority: first the baby is given the breast, after he has emptied it, he is fed from a bottle.

Breast-feeding

There is also the opposite reason why a newborn sleeps little - overeating. This is a common problem faced by women who choose combined feeding, that is, on demand. They do not pay attention to time and put the baby to the chest every time he screams. The immature digestive system cannot cope with the load, gas formation, bloating and pain occur, from which the baby suffers, complaining of crying. In response to the cry, he receives another portion of milk from his mother.

Attention! This is precisely why free feeding is dangerous, as it does not give a single chance to establish a sleep-wake schedule. Thus, the woman dooms herself to lack of sleep, turning motherhood into a feat.

At the age of 3 weeks, you can notice that the child began to cry especially piercingly at about the same time of day, not calming down even in his arms, refusing to breastfeed. These are typical signs of infant colic. You can help your child in the following ways:

• massage the stomach strictly clockwise:
• use soft but deep pressure on the intestines from the right and left sides to help establish peristalsis;
• use drugs based on simethicone, which significantly reduce gas pressure on the intestinal walls, helping to painlessly remove accumulated air;
• establish a feeding regime.

Additional Information. Medicines based on simethicone are absolutely harmless to infants. They are not absorbed into the blood and do not put a strain on the liver and kidneys. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, the substance passes unchanged into the intestines, where it reacts with gas bubbles. It is completely eliminated from the body.

Causes

If an infant does not sleep well, the source of the problem may be one of several factors affecting the baby’s condition:

1. A sudden change in room temperature affects the quality of dreams in children of any age. Experts advise maintaining 20-23 degrees in the nursery. Do not wrap the child up, because overheating will not only create discomfort, but also weaken the immune system.
2. Children may not sleep due to gastrointestinal problems. Stomach and intestinal colic are accompanied by excessive gas formation and cause discomfort to the baby, which can cause him to start crying or groaning. To help your baby, give a light tummy massage in a clockwise circular motion.
3. Hunger is one of the main causes of anxiety for a little one. He can express his dissatisfaction with a loud cry. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor the baby’s diet and feed by the hour.
4. Noise and bright light have a stimulating effect on the children's nervous system. Therefore, avoid bright lights, loud sounds, and listening to music. Hang blinds or blackout curtains on the windows. If possible, soundproof the nursery.

Why doesn't my baby sleep?

As a result, expect your newborn to wake up frequently. But if the baby has trouble falling asleep and looks tired and becomes increasingly moody, you need to accurately determine the cause of the newborn’s insomnia and provide appropriate help.

An infant does not sleep because he is hungry

This is the most common reason why a newborn does not sleep well. An infant fed formula or breast milk requires feeding every 4 or even 2 to 3 hours. The baby may become hungry before the next feeding time comes and he will wake up during the night for the same reason. Because newborn babies have small stomachs, they need small and frequent meals. Breast milk will be digested faster, so if you breastfeed, your baby will be hungry more often.

You can schedule feeding times to occur just before bed. If your newborn doesn't sleep after feeding, his stomach is likely full and he's having trouble falling asleep. Continue to feed your baby more often in the evening, perhaps every 1 to 2 hours. Another option is to wake up your baby for feeding before going to bed.

An infant does not sleep well because he is overstimulated

A newborn needs a lot of sleep. He can only stay awake for a few hours. Babies under 6 months usually need a short nap after 2 to 3 hours of wakefulness. And that's the best case scenario. Some parents may assume that the more tired the child is, the easier he will fall asleep. In reality, everything is exactly the opposite.

Even a simple throw in the air can make your baby excited. More mature children may become hyperactive due to any exposure to noise, toys or the environment. When a baby is overworked or overstressed, he feels irritable, and as a result, the baby does not sleep day and night.

Create a calm environment that will help your child relax. Gently massage it and sing a lullaby. A relaxing bath, dim light, and skin contact are all helpful methods to help calm your baby. Parents should also pay attention to their mood, as children feel it very subtly.

The child does not sleep well during the day or at night, as he is accustomed to motion sickness

This is a common reason why a one-month-old baby does not sleep. If your baby is used to being rocked in your arms until he falls asleep, then when he wakes up an hour later, you will have to rock him again. This process can continue over and over again!

This happens because the baby does not yet know how to cope with feelings such as fatigue, hunger and pain. The movement while rocking helps calm the child's irritation and anxiety.

If your 1-month-old baby is sleeping little for this reason, provide a safe object, such as a stuffed toy or blanket, to help him develop the ability to fall asleep in his crib. The child will touch the object, which will mean safety and comfort for him. This method is quite effective when a month-old baby does not sleep during the day.

Newborn baby sleeps poorly due to Moro reflex

The Moro reflex often makes it impossible to fall asleep without problems. You've probably already observed this. The child begins to fall asleep, and then suddenly flaps his arms, thereby frightening himself.

Try swaddling your baby so that he does not disturb himself with sudden movements and can fall asleep deeply.

The baby does not sleep all day and all night due to pain or poor health

Another reason why a baby does not sleep well during the day or at night. Babies are very sensitive. Teething, abdominal pain, acid reflux, colds and coughs, and many illnesses cause discomfort for the baby.

Don't forget that kids can't tell us that they have a headache or a sore throat. And when the baby is restless, there is a reason for it. Try to find out the specific reason and provide appropriate help.

The newborn does not sleep at night because he did this a lot during the day.

It is normal if the baby sleeps a lot during the day and therefore does not want to sleep at night. In such cases, they say that the child has confused day and night. This can happen when the baby sees little daylight. Babies need to develop a sleep cycle.

Exposure to light during the day will help the child learn the appropriate time, and quiet games during the daytime wakefulness will allow him to “work up” his sleep at night.

Find a sunny spot in your home. Going for a morning walk with your child is also a good idea. Be sure to dim the lights in the nursery before bedtime. The child will logically associate light with activity time, and darkness with sleep time.

Signs of sleep disturbance

What behavioral characteristics can be used to understand that an infant is not sleeping well and whether it is worth seeing a doctor.

Definition of pathology

Primary recognition of the disease affects the quality of the parent’s reaction and, as a result, the health of the baby.

List of signs to see a doctor:

• the child is restless;
• sleeps less than 15 hours, and sometimes only a few minutes;
• sleeps more during the day than at night;
• cries in sleep;
• takes a long time to fall asleep, cannot fall asleep without motion sickness.

Basic rules for good sleep

The sleep of a newborn, like the sleep of children in the first year of life in general, directly depends on the regime. All the baby does is sleep, waking up only to feed. It is through feeding that you need to build a sleep pattern, which will allow all family members to get enough sleep at night and be alert during the day.

Child 7 months old - sleeps poorly, often wakes up at night and cries

Even though health visitors and pediatricians no longer require hourly feedings from new mothers, they still need to be adhered to. Only by accustoming the baby to hourly feeding will it be possible to develop a deeper and more restful sleep for the child. Pediatricians recommend keeping an interval of 3 hours during the day and taking a 6-hour break between feedings at night.

Baby crying has a strong psychological impact on parental behavior. Therefore, I want to stop screaming, especially at night, as quickly as possible so that silence can come. That is why most children sleep in a large bed on their mother’s chest. This is not conducive to proper rest for both. The child needs to be taught to sleep in his crib without waking up for 6 hours in a row. To do this, just organize the right sleeping place and be patient.

On average, it takes a child three days to stop screaming at night and let the whole family get some sleep. During this time, the instinct that triggers crying will fade away when the child next to him does not feel something big and warm - his mother. However, it is important for parents to be sure that nothing else bothers him other than the absence of his mother. For this it is necessary:

• use high-quality diapers that ensure dry skin and prevent leaks;
• the room should be cool, the air should not be too dry;
• the mattress should not sag under the baby, but be moderately hard;
• the mother is confident that the amount of milk during feeding was sufficient to satisfy the baby’s hunger.

Attention! It is better to wear an extra vest than to warm the air in the room above 22˚C. A child sleeping indoors does not need a cap.

Tips for moms

On online forums, parents share their experiences of instilling a daily routine in their children. Basically the advice boils down to the following:

1. The baby may not want to sleep when the mother thinks it’s “time.” Watch your little one and catch the moment when he is really tired. Put him to bed.
2. Teach your baby to sleep in a crib, and not in her mother's arms.
3. Follow a certain ritual so that the baby develops a reflex. We walked, ate, stood in a column, lay down in bed, listened to soothing music or a lullaby and went to sleep. Use magic words: “time to go to bed”, “let’s sleep now”, etc.
4. Please be patient. The baby needs time to get used to the crib. Until then, he will sigh, fidget, and constantly spin. If necessary, you can sometimes come up to him, calm him down, and pet him. But do not be near the crib all the time, so as not to form a psychological dependence.
5. Be confident. No one knows your child better than you. You can develop your own mechanisms that will help your little one fall asleep soundly.

Attention! Each parent decides for herself whether to use one method or another. If necessary, contacting a pediatrician can be of an advisory nature.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Honored Doctor of Russia E.O. Komarovsky claims that for each child it is possible to model a mechanism that will help normalize his sleep pattern. For example, load it with physical activity. The child will get tired and tune in to the dream more easily.

Additionally, the effectiveness of traditional methods is noted. For example, a herbal decoction of mint has a calming effect on the child. The dosage is calculated by the pediatrician.

If teeth are being cut and gums hurt, it is necessary to show the child to a pediatric specialist. The doctor provides professional assistance, incl. will give recommendations on how to reduce pain without harming the baby.

When to start getting nervous

To understand why a newborn sleeps little, you need to make sure that his rest really does not reach the required levels. In order to make the correct calculations, carefully monitor the baby for 2 days. Write down in a special chart how much and at what time he slept; if the baby is naughty or cries while awake, enter this data hourly into the chart, this will make it easier to determine the cause of the disorder. You need to worry if your observations give the following results:

• the child sleeps 4 or more hours less or more than normal;
• the baby constantly cries, screams, throws tantrums;
• the newborn eats little and loses weight;
• convulsions or sudden cessation of breathing appear during sleep;
• there are signs of a cold (fever, lethargy, wheezing, cough, runny nose, etc.);
• The baby became very irritable and nervous.

Methods for normalizing sleep

To help your child fall asleep soundly and sweetly, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Regularly wet clean the room and ventilate the room, especially before going to bed.
2. In the summer, you should give your child clean water to drink so that he is less thirsty.
3. Provide him with comfortable clothes.
4. Do not allow your baby to lie in wet diapers for a long time to avoid skin irritation.
5. Accustom your baby to a daily routine as early as possible.
6. Before bedtime, avoid active games, bright lights, and loud sounds to calm the baby.
7. Give him a relaxing massage, spend the evening in relative silence.

If restless sleep is associated with any disease, you should immediately consult a doctor. This will help not only normalize proper rest, but also prevent the development of chronic pathologies.

What reasons interfere with a baby's sleep duration?

Content

The fact that a child is not sleeping enough can be indicated by his behavior. Firstly, he wakes up within 15 minutes of falling asleep. Secondly, the child becomes capricious, begins to cry and, as a rule, the next meal and active rocking do not calm him down. For five hours the baby is awake, which is not typical for children in the first months of life.

The problem must be found and eliminated on your own or with the help of a pediatrician.

A child’s sleep disturbances should not be ignored, as this can have a detrimental effect on his or her development.

Among the reasons that contribute to sleep disorders are the following:

• External stimuli such as noise and too bright light.
• Uncomfortable conditions.
• Hunger or thirst.
• Inappropriate clothing.
• Need to change diaper.
• Disturbed regime.
• Overexcitability.
• Pathologies.

How to improve your newborn's sleep schedule

In order for the child to sleep and stay awake according to the schedule, the mother needs to start with herself, that is, with the feeding schedule. A very important element is understanding on the part of the father, because even when the mother has chosen the right path to build a relationship with the baby, to resolve which it is necessary to ignore the capricious cries for a couple of days, the father can nullify all her efforts. Wanting to sleep before work, he, as a rule, yells louder than the child, calling on his wife to at least do something about the cries of the baby, not realizing that it is better to wait two or three days and then sleep at night, instead of jumping up to the crib every three hours at night. within six months.

Sleeping area

Having organized the sleeping place correctly and fed the baby, you can be sure that an out-of-hour cry is a manifestation of an instinct that requires a hug. If you start accustoming to the regimen immediately after birth, before the baby is a month old, success can be achieved much faster. Of course, the parental psyche is not capable of treating the baby’s crying with composure. In order to make sure that the cry is not caused by health problems, it is enough to take the baby in your arms: if he is really in pain, neither hugs nor breasts will calm him down.

Medical scientists have found that it is enough for a child to achieve his goal no more than four times by crying loudly, and his behavior will be very difficult to correct, because the willpower of a newborn is much stronger than that of adults. If parents do not find the strength to raise their baby, he will be capricious more and more often and louder, demanding his own.

When preparing for the birth of a baby, you need, first of all, to think not about what fashionable stroller he will have, but about what kind of air he will breathe in his bedroom. Both parents should also learn the basics of caring for the baby. If there are no such courses at the antenatal clinic, you can turn to video lectures by famous pediatricians, who will teach you in detail and in simple language how to properly treat a newborn.