An 11-month-old child does not sleep well at night: what to do with the “transitional” infancy?

Sometimes an 11-month-old child does not sleep well at night, and often wakes up and cries. Parents should make sure that he is healthy and does not have a fever. Next, you need to check the diaper and evaluate the conditions in which the baby sleeps. The quality of sleep depends on whether he is comfortable or, for example, hot or cold. It is necessary to exclude all factors that could interfere with the child’s proper rest.

Baby at 11 months

Six main causes of childhood insomnia and methods for eliminating them

If your baby doesn’t sleep well at night, don’t rush to immediately stuff her with medications and panic. The main thing is to correctly identify the cause of the problem.

1. Age characteristics. Many babies 11 months of age or older require regular night feedings. The baby’s behavior in such situations depends on the individual characteristics of the body: someone will fall asleep independently and quickly again without much hassle, while another baby will constantly require vigilant attention to himself. The simplest way to solve this problem is to co-sleep with your parents. Scientists confirm that when an infant sleeps in an adult’s bed at night, he wakes up at night, cries and is capricious much less often. It’s not surprising, because in order for mom and dad to pay attention to the child, he just needs to move. And it’s much easier to survive the first meeting with nightmares in the presence of an adult. But, unfortunately, this method of dealing with insomnia is not suitable for all children. In such cases, it is important not to leave the baby alone; you will have to come to the rescue at the first request. An 11-month-old baby is simply not yet able to cope with a changing world, so pay more attention to tactile contact. Also, just talk to your child and find out the reason for his fears and do everything possible to drive out phobias. This can be done by turning on a night light, a plush toy on a pillow, or a “wind chime” above the door.
2. Specifics of temperament. When transitioning to the one-year mark, infants very often experience the phenomenon of hyperactivity, which is expressed through mild excitability, a quick “wind-up” from a half-turn and a prolonged “cooling down.” The baby becomes overly demanding of the world around him and its conditions, as well as of the adults who are nearby. American pediatrician William Sears even coined a special term for such patients - “children with increased needs.” Such newborns need special care at any age, be it a month, a year or five. It is for these reasons that babies may not sleep well at night, primarily due to the inability to relax on their own, and at an older age - due to excessive impressionability and nightmares. If in the previous case, co-sleeping was proposed as a recommended measure, then in this situation it is almost the only correct solution. In most cases, a child with special needs simply cannot be put into his own crib, so all that remains for his exhausted parents is to take the situation philosophically and purchase a new three-size bed or a special children's sleeping place designed for co-sleeping. Adjusting the baby’s lifestyle is also important: adults must carefully ensure that overexcitation is kept to a minimum, but the child’s energy is not wasted. Do developmental activities in moderation, walk in the fresh air more often, do gymnastic exercises and visit the pool. Don't forget about evening bathing with motherwort tincture or pine extract and a relaxing skin massage.
3. Wrong lifestyle. Insomnia in children can also occur due to the fact that an 11-month-old child expends too little energy and practically does not get tired. On the one hand, it may seem that the baby is quite active: he plays with cars throughout the entire walk! But you need to take into account the fact that small children are so full of energy that they really get tired only after running for hours. What to do? It's not all bad. It’s enough to simply increase your time spent outside, keep your offspring engaged in sports activities, and play outdoor games more often.
4. Uncomfortable environment in the bedroom. Yes, such a banal reason can also become a prerequisite for serious problems. Sometimes loving mothers, overly fearing for their child’s health, wrap him up too much and put on pajamas that are not suitable for the weather. The delicate children's skin may not like too hard sheets, stuffy air in the living room or a strong draft.
5. Changes in well-being. Even a strong adult body with any discomfort, for example, abdominal pain and erupting wisdom teeth, refuses to sleep peacefully at night. What can we say about a small, fragile baby? When reaching the age of one year, “problems” in the system are almost constant, so the baby’s well-being leaves much to be desired, so she sleeps poorly. Therefore, all that needs to be done in this situation is to minimize pain and alleviate discomfort. Depending on the cause of its occurrence, it can be an antipyretic, analgesic, gels to reduce pain in the gums, etc.
6. Changes in lifestyle. The child's body is a subtle psychological structure that reacts sharply to the slightest changes in the environment. Such factors may include moving to another city, changing place of residence, the appearance of another child in the family, or a sudden change from sleeping together to sleeping independently. A little toddler can even worry about a quarrel between his parents, no matter how fantastic it may sound. In cases where adults cannot change anything, you just need to be patient and not deny your offspring the affection he needs. In such cases, insomnia will go away on its own, it just takes a little time.

How do you know when it's time to go to bed?

To prevent daily bedtime from turning into a real and very painful “execution”, both for parents and for their precious child, as already mentioned, you need to focus on the temperament and individual character traits of the little man. Every child should ideally sleep according to biorhythms, so the mother’s first priority is to organize the correct feeding, sleep and wakefulness regime, which will help determine when exactly to go to bed. When an 11-month-old baby is “almost” asleep, he acts like all children - he becomes lethargic, capricious, yawns and constantly rubs his eyes. It is important not to miss the key moment of the “I want to go to bed” stage, otherwise you will have problems falling asleep.

Massage in the form of stroking will help to relax the child's body and set it up for a comfortable sleep - first on the tummy, then on the back. You can sing a quiet, calm lullaby, or turn on soothing music. Don’t wrap your baby up too much, following the principle: “When he gets warm, he falls asleep.” An unformed organism exhibits noticeable sensitivity to overheating. Also refrain from stimulating games before bed.

Preventing sleep problems

In order for your baby to sleep peacefully and sweetly, you need to help organize his daily routine. To do this, you need to adhere to a certain schedule, this applies not only to sleep, but also to nutrition and walks. Children quickly get used to the routine.

The child should be in a calm environment. Quarrels between parents, constant screaming and showdowns can affect the child’s psyche and lead to problems with sleep. In addition, babies adopt the mood of their parents. If they are tired and exhausted, then the baby begins to suffer from this. Therefore, when planning your daily schedule, you need to take into account the interests of all family members.

Note! Rituals whose purpose is to help the child fall asleep have proven themselves to be effective. Every day the baby repeats the same actions with mom or dad. For example, he bathes, then eats, changes clothes before bed and goes to bed, where he listens to his favorite fairy tale or lullaby.

Part of the ritual

When a child at eleven months does not sleep well, what his parents should do depends on the factors affecting the baby’s rest. It is not always immediately possible to understand why the baby constantly wakes up. Perhaps you just need to choose more comfortable clothes for your baby and change the underwear. Sometimes you have to revise your daily routine to help your baby sleep peacefully and sweetly.

What to do if you cry at night?

If at night an 11-month-old baby not only sleeps poorly, but also cries pitifully, it is absolutely impossible not to approach him - he must feel that his parents are nearby and will always come to the rescue, he must learn to trust his family and friends. The main task of adults in this situation is to do everything so that the child returns to sleep just at the moment when they come to his call. How to do it?

1. Wait a few minutes before approaching the crib. During this time, nothing bad will happen to your child, but the child will improve the skill of falling asleep independently. Put your own fears aside: just move the crib further away or lower the volume of the baby monitor. When the baby is really feeling bad and she needs you, believe me, you will know about it.
2. Does your baby not calm down for a long period of time? Try to completely eliminate all factors of possible disturbance for him: extraneous noise, too bright light, unfavorable temperature conditions (hot/cold), dirty diaper and teething.
3. Solve children's problems as quickly as possible so as not to wake up the baby even more. You can pick it up, but it’s not advisable to do it too often. Replace the next “bastards” with gentle stroking on the back or tummy, conversation, and reassurance.

Some useful tips for parents

If a little person suffers from colic at night and standard massage techniques do not help, use modern effective remedies from a pharmacy such as espumisan. Such drugs have not only a therapeutic, but also a preventive effect. Don’t forget about dill water - it can also be useful for a baby at 11 months old. Brew a teaspoon of fennel or dill seeds, leave for a while, and then give it to your baby.

Does your child wake up hungry? Feed him, give him breastfeeding or bottle water. Perhaps the main reason that a baby does not sleep well at night is simple malnutrition. Then it is necessary not only to supplement the baby’s feeding, but also to completely reconsider his feeding regimen. Also check the diaper. And not only for fullness, but also for hypoallergenicity. Perhaps the baby feels uncomfortable because the diaper does not suit him. Babies also often experience heat rash. Special ointments and powders will help to cope with this phenomenon.

In cases of nervous overexcitation due to too active games or severe fright, as well as an abundance of impressions, even positive ones, try to adjust the daily routine and, at least temporarily, until sleep more or less improves, eliminate the phenomena that give rise to troubles.

Teething is one of the most painful and intractable problems. The anxiety can last for months and there is little that can be done about it. The only help is special homeopathic remedies, such as “Dantinorm Baby” or pain-relieving suppositories.

If an 11-month-old baby spends too little time with his mother during the day, the cause of insomnia may be a lack of tactile contact. Because of this, the child does not sleep well at night, constantly demanding the presence of his mother nearby, even during sleep. The solution to the problem is active communication with the child during the daytime, walking in arms while awake and simply demonstrating your love.

Considering the fact that at the age of 11 months several factors of insomnia cannot be ruled out simultaneously, you can try using herbal teas with a sleeping effect, for example, based on chamomile, motherwort or valerian. If your child already drinks cow's milk, try adding a little natural honey to it.

Folk remedies for treating restless sleep

Pour 1 teaspoon of dill juice and 1 teaspoon of honey with 1 glass of milk. Store in the refrigerator for no more than a day, at room temperature for no more than half an hour. Give children 1 teaspoon after meals, warmed, to improve sleep.

Place valerian root wrapped in gauze at the child's head to help the child sleep more peacefully.

Pour 1 dessert spoon of chamomile flowers with 1 glass of boiling water and leave for 1 night. Strain and give the child 1 teaspoon 5-6 times a day so that the child sleeps more peacefully.

Pour 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill or dill seeds with 2 cups of water. Infuse, strain, give the child 1 teaspoon at night.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

A well-known pediatrician today outlined the basic rules that parents must adhere to in order to improve their offspring’s sleep, regardless of what age the baby has passed. These principles are as follows.

1. Correct prioritization. A child will never sleep well, even with a healthy daily routine and proper nutrition, if his parents are completely exhausted, exhausted and have not gotten enough sleep themselves. Love and take care of each other, enjoying every moment.
2. Determination of the daily routine, which must be agreed upon with all family members. You need to prepare your child for rest at night in advance: clearly define the bedtime time and try to stick to it with enviable regularity.
3. Designation of who sleeps, in what place and with whom. The ideal option for a child who does not have a good rest on his own is to place a bed in the parent’s room.
4. Oversleeps - wake up. If the baby turns into a real sleepyhead during the daytime, you should not allow excesses.
5. Feeding optimization. After passing the six-month mark, the baby no longer needs night feeding. Therefore, if in the dark the baby requires communication, rocking, etc., then the more often the demands are satisfied, the more actively they will be required next time. Therefore, at the penultimate feeding it is better to slightly underfeed the child. It is categorically not recommended to close a child's mouth with food at the slightest squeak, because overfeeding is fraught with pain in the tummy, and this, again, is insomnia.
6. A good day is an active day. During daylight hours, you need to walk more, play outdoor games and sleep in the fresh air. Give your offspring enough physical activity in the morning.
7. The air in the bedroom should be cool and clean. Regular ventilation, wet cleaning and artificial air humidification play an important role.
8. Organization of a sleeping place. The mattress should be smooth and dense. Up to two years of age you may not need a pillow at all. It is better to choose linen made from natural fabrics, washed with a special children's washing powder.
9. Using high-quality diapers, as mentioned above.

To summarize, it should be noted that, according to leading authorities in modern pediatrics, it is better not to teach a child to fall asleep for a long time. It is much healthier to stay active during the day. The best cures for insomnia are proper nutrition, care, help with the tummy and a ritualized bedtime. And remember that a healthy baby is, first of all, his healthy parents.

Restrictions

With a baby who is 1 year old, parents should behave differently than with a baby. Some adjustments are required regarding the actions of mom and dad, taking into account the age characteristics of their child.

Solving the problem of sleep disorders in a one-year-old baby does not allow their use, since they are fraught with even greater problems in the future. According to experts, parents should not do the following:

1. Rock and lull the baby. This is permissible for an infant under one year of age.
2. Feed your baby during night awakenings. It is harmful for a baby at this age to eat at night, as it negatively affects the digestion process. It is difficult for a sleeping baby's body to cope with any food, unless we are talking about mother's milk.
3. Scold the little one, make fun of him. This is fraught with the development of psychological problems in the child. He is not yet always able to understand what is to blame.
4. Send the baby to sleep in another room, where he will remain alone until the morning. At this age, a child’s biggest fear is the absence of parents nearby.
5. Place the baby in the parent's bed at night. A child who is already one year old needs to have his own sleeping place. His crib should still be in his parents' room, but he should already sleep alone. Moving a toddler to a nursery is recommended at the age of two (at the earliest - at one and a half years old).

Thanks to parents' compliance with simple measures aimed at improving the quality of their child's night's rest, the child will be able to successfully cope with the crisis of the first year of life and eliminate its negative manifestations in the form of sleep disturbances.