Why does a 2-month-old baby sleep poorly and what can be done?

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Ekaterina Rakitina Doctor Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany

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Article last updated: 03/27/2019

Little children are little troubles, children grow up, but troubles do not go away. It seems that the child will grow up, and by the year it will become easier. He will fall asleep on his own, sleep through the night, and feel better. It happens, but not often. Attentive parents of a one-year-old baby notice that he sleeps poorly and constantly wakes up. Why is this happening? And what needs to be done to correct the situation?

Restless sleep is normal

Let's return to the question, does the baby really sleep poorly?
Why do parents decide that their child’s sleep is poor at night? The child screams from time to time and spins around, jerks his legs and arms in his sleep (sometimes he wakes himself up and needs to be put down again), cries in his sleep, and makes moaning sounds (that’s how he laughs). This is not a bad dream, but a restless one. And this is the norm.

Physiological crying, sounds, facial and motor activity in the fast phase of sleep occur in completely healthy children.

If the child is sleeping with his mother, you can put your hand on his tummy, hold his moving limbs (so that he does not wake himself up), and he will continue his sleep. If motor activity is weak, the child whines in his sleep, there is no need to rush to take any action, your baby is sleeping, and his nervous system is “processing” new information.

By the end of the 3rd month and the beginning of the 4th, children are more actively interested in the world around them, begin to participate in its development more intensively, play more and sleep less. The process of adaptation to a large flow of data is actively underway, the nervous system is learning to recognize, filter and sift it out. For such a baby, short hours of wakefulness, massage and exercise with mom, bathing and playing with arms and legs are a big burden.

Probably, the baby’s condition can be compared with the condition of a person leading a sedentary lifestyle, who suddenly finds himself in the Amazon forests and is forced to wade through thickets of vines in conditions of heat and high humidity, while pythons, poisonous spiders, etc. crawl around him. In terms of physical and emotional stress, this will be comparable to what an infant feels just learning to live in this world. It’s good if parents spare the psyche of their baby and don’t watch TV in his presence, don’t listen to loud music, and get along with each other. Even in this case, the baby’s psyche is tested.

And little people can sleep restlessly. If his loved ones are fans of loud music, fans of watching TV, and even talk to each other in a raised voice, you can be sure that their child’s sleep will not only be restless, but very poor (both during the day and at night). At night, sleep may suffer more, because the family gathers at home in the evening and all the main emotional stress on the child falls precisely during this period of time, just when it should be minimal.

Not all children are born with balanced nervous processes; for some, inhibition predominates, for others, excitation prevails. All cases are variants of the norm. But excitable children are more difficult to calm down. And getting them to sleep is also more difficult. They often have trouble sleeping at night. They need a special approach and not only at three months of age

For these kids, it is especially important to create a calm, comfortable environment, concentrate active activities in the first half of the day, minimize vivid impressions in the evening, introduce new toys, and avoid visits from strangers

If dad bought an interesting new product for the baby, show him the toy the next day. If your relatives really want to come visit, and for some reason you cannot offer them to visit the baby when he gets older, let them come before 16.00 in the evening so that the baby has time to experience new experiences and calm down. But this, most likely, will not help, and restless sleep is guaranteed that night.

At the age of three months, babies who sleep separately from their mothers begin to sleep restlessly or poorly. Why is this happening? This has to do with the baby's sleep pattern. Deep and restful sleep is shorter in time than shallow sleep, and if some factor has caused the baby to wake up, he will most likely need help (some babies fall asleep on their own, others wake up and cry in the absence of their mother). Sometimes her mere presence nearby is enough for the baby to feel safe and fall asleep.

Day or night

Depending on the time of day, sleep problems are caused by various reasons. Thus, an infant does not sleep well at night, most often due to the fact that he experiences some kind of discomfort. And the quality of daytime sleep usually decreases due to severe psychological overload

Therefore, it is very important for the mother to find and maintain a balance between active and passive wakefulness of the baby.

For a one-month-old baby, absolutely everything is new. Therefore, if you constantly entertain him, carry him in your arms and try to occupy him with something during a fairly short period of wakefulness, he will very quickly become overtired. The child's psyche is simply not capable of processing such an amount of information entering the brain. And it takes much more time to slow down than to get excited.

It turns out to be a vicious circle, which creates problems with sleep: a tired baby cannot fall asleep, then sleeps longer, then it is impossible to put him to sleep again, and so on all the time. Many mothers cannot get out of this abnormal cycle for months and find themselves extremely exhausted from constant lack of sleep.

But in fact, solving this problem is quite simple. After playing with your child a little, leave him alone for a while. Let him lie quietly in his crib and maybe even fall asleep on his own. In this case, you don’t need to wake him up, just slightly adjust the time of his next nap.

You should regulate the amount of daytime sleep. After a night, the baby always wakes up on his own - the child’s body knows how much sleep is enough for him. But in the first month of life, daily biorhythms are just being established. Therefore, during the day the baby can calmly sleep for several hours.

This should not be allowed, otherwise you will be guaranteed a sleepless night. 2-2.5 hours for one of the periods of daytime sleep is quite enough. Therefore, if you see that the sleep has been prolonged, carefully wake up the baby, but in such a way as not to scare him. In this way, you will help the body establish the correct intervals between sleep and wakefulness.

Causes of sleep disturbances in children after a year, why sleep worsens

As adults, we have trouble sleeping at night when we face certain physical or emotional challenges. A child, just like any adult, can suffer from insomnia if overexerted. A similar situation often arises when a baby learns to get up and walk on his own feet. To alleviate the condition and help the baby, parents will need to introduce as many useful substances into the diet as possible, and also make sure that the baby eats well, since during this period the body spends too many calories.

After a year, sleep problems can also be caused by the following factors:

Insufficient calcium intake into the body

It is extremely important to remember that at this stage the body is rapidly growing and developing, so a lack of calcium can lead to a variety of complications. If the required amount of a microelement is not supplied with food, the most reasonable thing is to purchase the safest drug at the pharmacy and use it in accordance with the attached instructions

Experts assure that if children drink the drug regularly, strictly following the rules, the likelihood of complications will be minimized. Insufficient intake or improper absorption of vitamin D. The occurrence of dreams. No matter how surprising it may be, babies don’t always have good dreams. If a child suffers from nightmares, he will awaken at regular intervals. Long rest during the working day. Experts warn expectant mothers that after a year the child needs to be switched to a different regime. If a child sleeps for a long time during the day, in the evening he will not want to rest at all, which will cause insomnia. If the mother does not dare to wean the baby from daytime sleep, he can be put to bed only once a day, and it is advisable that sleep occurs before 12 noon.

Sleep standards for babies at three months

If, after being discharged from the maternity hospital, the baby can sleep up to 20 hours a day in the first month. The further development and duration of sleep in a three-month-old baby depends on the innate temperament. Even at three months, he can already scream loudly if you decide to put him to sleep without wanting to.

There are standards for how long a child should sleep, but you need to understand that everything is purely individual. A baby's sleep at 3 months is 16-18 hours. This time is divided between daytime and nighttime.

If there are deviations from the norm in any direction, but the child eats well, develops normally and looks cheerful and cheerful, then there is no need to panic, it means that this time is enough for his body.

Causes of sleep disturbances

There are several reasonable and rational options for the causes of sleep disorders, each of which has the right to exist as a reasonable explanation. But the main ones are the upcoming age-related changes:

• formation of the sleepy center in the brain;
• changed muscle tone;
• a different order of alternating superficial and deep phases of sleep;
• changing their duration;
• early teething.

Often, in the understanding of parents, sleeping poorly means that they do not have much time to do their own things.

From insufficient care he can be capricious, from the absence of his mother, whose presence he feels in the superficial phase of sleep - wake up, an unusual situation, which the baby is already well aware of - cause crying.

But there are also everyday and personal characteristics that can also contribute to disruption of the usual rhythm of sleep and make the child restless. At a stage that in pediatrics is considered transitional and problematic, each mother can take into account individual circumstances and eliminate them from the life of her beloved child.

Character

A child at this age already has a character formed by experienced emotions, increasing brain activity and personal characteristics inherent in him genetically. How else can we explain that one calmly outgrows this period, while the other cries and screams to the point of hysterics. The mother of the baby should know in what ways it is easier to calm and pacify him, and use the available means.

Environment

The baby acutely senses the presence of his mother, to whom he is very emotionally attached. Its absence, a nervous state, a scandalous situation in the house - all this can cause him discomfort, irritability, nervousness, anxiety, which disrupts both nervous inhibition and the ability to fall asleep without problems, the habit of fidgeting and frequently changing position in sleep arises. This is especially pronounced if the child used to sleep next to his mother, and not separately in a crib.

Well-being

Good health is one of the main conditions for restful sleep. Starting or continuing to get sick, a baby, by definition, sleeps restlessly if he has difficulty moving into one or another sleep phase due to pain, discomfort or difficulty breathing.

Wrong mode

An incorrect daily routine is a relative concept, but still, staying awake at night and instead sleeping during the day is an abnormal phenomenon. It is necessary to gradually accustom the child to a certain duration of sleep at night, observe how many times he is comfortable sleeping during the day, and try to minimize night feedings.

Physiology

Age-related restructuring of a child’s body is not an easy thing both for the child himself and for his parents. This is the most likely explanation, and it must be overcome through joint efforts, and there are still many difficult age periods ahead for mother and son or daughter.

Physiological norm and its deviations: how to consider this line?

Leading domestic and foreign pediatricians claim that the sleep of a one-year-old child plays one of the most important roles in life and health. At this age, sleep duration should correspond to approximately 14 hours, 12 of which are allocated to night rest, and the remaining two to daytime siesta. Sleep is not only necessary for the proper development and growth of the baby, but also so that the baby can “process” the information received during the whole day of an active and busy life. The child’s brain experiences enormous stress, first absorbing information in limitless quantities, and then carefully “ digesting” it.

That is why it is very important that the baby’s life activities correspond to the regime, and that a clear bedtime ritual is developed. Every child should know the ringing of his personal “bell”, signaling that it is time to sleep. It could be a mother's lullaby, a father's fairy tale, a warm bath or warm milk with honey.

Why does a newborn sleep little?

The causes of poor sleep in infants may be associated with abdominal pain, teething, increased body temperature, etc. Any of these reasons requires attention and contact with a pediatrician.

As a rule, teething or intestinal colic go away without specialist intervention. However, if sleep disturbances caused by these reasons last more than 2 days, it is better to consult a doctor.

Now let's take a closer look at the reasons why a newborn sleeps little.

One month old baby doesn't eat much

Due to malnutrition, the baby becomes anxious, which leads to sleep disturbances. It is easy to determine whether your baby is eating enough: in this case, the child begins to be capricious after feeding. Accordingly, if the baby is not full, he will most likely sleep poorly.

Colic in the stomach

A month after birth, the baby should have bowel movements on its own. Sometimes the baby doesn't succeed. As a result, constipation, bloating and colic appear. Gases accumulated in the intestines lead to pain, followed by crying and frequent awakenings at night.

In some cases, the cause of constipation is prolonged breastfeeding and the lack of solid food in the baby’s diet. Milk is instantly absorbed in the baby's digestive tract. Because of this, there is simply nothing to empty the intestines with, and the process of defecation itself becomes rare for the baby. The child is not yet used to doing this on his own.

During the feeding period, mothers need to eat less food that promotes the formation of gases. For example, it is worth reducing the amount of bananas, peas, cabbage, dairy products and pasta you consume.

Diseases

A newborn also sleeps little when he is sick with something. For example, with a cold or high temperature, sleep is disturbed, which is why the baby often wakes up at night.

Congestion and pain in the ears also interfere with good sleep. At the age of 1-2 months, the baby's ear canal, which is connected to the nasopharynx, is enlarged. During regurgitation, some of the food enters the hearing organs. This in turn leads to otitis media - inflammation of the auditory system. Ear pain prevents the baby from sleeping. And worry about their child does not allow parents to sleep either.

Parasites

A crib, especially one purchased second-hand, may contain lice, bedbugs, and even worm eggs. They can also be kept by pets, with which it is better for the baby not to come into contact until a certain age.

Close attention should be paid to the nipple. Constantly disinfect it with boiling water, otherwise it will turn into a source of bacteria and parasites

Parasites, like other infections, disrupt sleep, which is why the newborn sleeps little both at night and during the day. To protect your baby from parasitic infestation, maintain hygiene and maintain order throughout the house. Do not forget that every thing that the child comes into contact with must be disinfected regularly.

If you find worms or other parasites in your child’s stool, visit a doctor immediately!

Diaper rash

Also, the baby sleeps little due to the appearance of rashes and diaper rash in the perineal area. As a rule, skin manifestations are associated with prolonged wearing of diapers and insufficient hygiene. As a result, both of these factors lead to diaper rash, which causes the baby to sleep little day and night.

Diaper rash and skin rashes in the baby's perineum occur due to the fact that mothers do not use special ointments and powders after washing. Therefore, if your newborn sleeps little and is often capricious, carefully examine his skin. If dermatological problems are detected, use powder more often. Better yet, before using powders, consult a specialist.

Other reasons

For good rest, the baby needs to adhere to the regime. To do this, put your child to bed at the same time every day. Falling asleep after 22:00 disrupts the child's sleep pattern. In addition, late bedtime increases the production of stress hormones in the baby's body. This in turn interferes with the onset of sleep.

Light and noise in a child's bedroom can have a negative impact on sleep. However, children under 1 year of age usually fall asleep well in daylight and even in noisy environments. However, if an infant sleeps little, before putting the baby into the crib, close the curtains more tightly, turn off the night lamps and try not to make noise while the baby is sleeping.

Low or high temperatures in a child's bedroom impair falling asleep and quality of sleep. It is most comfortable for a baby to sleep at a temperature of 20-23 degrees Celsius.

We teach the child to the regime

In order not to constantly be tormented by the question of why a child does not sleep well, the first thing self-respecting parents need to do is, as they say, “from the cradle” to accustom their child to a correct, healthy mode of existence. This is a very complex, painstaking and tedious process, but the main thing is to start it - and very soon you will notice the result and positive changes not only in the behavior of the baby, but also directly in yourself.

1. Show your child that he is completely safe at night. Very often the following situation occurs: the baby eats with appetite, falls asleep quickly enough, but after some time, literally after about 30 minutes, he wakes up and begins to whine capriciously. In this case, the key point in parental behavior is to prevent the baby from completely waking up: hold the child with your hand, say “quiet” or say a long “shhh”. You can hold a baby in your arms, but it is still not advisable. It’s better to put your favorite toy with your son or daughter.
2. Teach your child independence. Don’t make the fatal mistake of most inexperienced parents who too often take their baby in “for a while” so much so that it becomes a habit. It is not at all surprising that soon after the baby has fallen asleep in his mother’s arms or in his father’s bed and has been transferred to his sleeping place, he wakes up and begins to show his small, but already persistent character “in all its glory.” Is it any wonder why a child does not sleep on his own at night or does it poorly, constantly tossing and turning? He just doesn’t want to sleep without you - that’s all! He often wakes up, whines, is capricious, demanding water, and even screams very loudly - he does everything to be taken back to him. What to do? Anything, just to distract the little tomboy: sing lullabies, tell fairy tales in a quiet monotonous voice, but in no case follow your child’s lead: if the fault is due to elementary whims of character, and not real fear, the child should stay in his room at night and on your bed. Moreover, such subtleties of education should be undertaken from birth - the earlier, the more effective the effect will be.
3. “I want to go to my mother!” Sometimes a baby doesn’t sleep well at night just because he wants to make sure his mother is nearby. Or is it important for him to simply look, “check” where exactly she is at a given moment in time. In such cases, having some mother’s thing nearby that stores her scent will help: a scarf, for example.
4. Mode adjustment. A child aged 12 months and older is already developing his own individual regime: he gets used to feeding at a certain time, games, bathing and other aspects of infant life. Come up with a unique ritual for a child who doesn’t sleep well at night according to a clear pattern: play - swim - sing a song - say good night to the toys - fall asleep. If the baby wants to drink at night, give him a bottle, but under no circumstances feed him.
5. Regulating physical activity. We have already talked about excessive loads, but it can be exactly the opposite: the baby does not sleep well simply because he is not tired, but this happens because you constantly carry him in a stroller. Why not? There are no strict prohibitions, the main thing is to take everything in moderation. One cannot but agree that moving a one-year-old baby in a stroller is convenient and practical, but still, whenever possible, try to lead your child by the hand - believe me, both the baby and you yourself will notice many positive changes. Just don't get overtired and control your own overload.
6. You can believe in this, you can be skeptical, but the mother’s condition, like in a mirror, is reflected on her child due to the child’s emotional sensitivity. Don’t keep the hurricane of feelings to yourself, share your worries, problems and fears with your family and friends - and you will notice that the nights have become much calmer.

Useful video about how and how much sleep a child should sleep

Cases when a child at 3 months sleeps poorly is not uncommon. A large number of mothers and fathers face this, so you should not be afraid of this phenomenon. But experts do not advise ignoring the restless sleep of your beloved child, especially in the first year of life. To clarify the situation, parents should clarify the very wording of the question “sleeps poorly.” Often, this hides indications of the baby’s intermittent sleep and frequent night awakenings, which are completely different from the usual full night’s rest for an adult.

According to available data, the total sleep duration of a baby up to a year, aged 1 to 3 months, is 18-22 hours a day. However, these are just numbers. And if a three-month-old child at this age sleeps somewhat less, but is still active, gains weight well and develops according to age standards, do not worry.

Because the quality of a baby’s sleep is greatly influenced by:

• intrauterine development and course of pregnancy;
• birth process;
• individual characteristics (type of nervous system, temperament).

It is also worth considering the different sleep structure of babies from adults.

It has been established that in children during the first time after birth, the REM (paradoxical) sleep phase occupies up to 80%. While for two-year-olds this figure is 30%.

Therefore, the motor activity of a baby in the third month of life observed during sleep, facial expressions, eye movements under closed eyelids, various sobs and smiles - all this is considered by experts as a variant of the norm in infancy.

In order to make it easier for parents to normalize the sleep of their beloved child, they should know where to look for a solution to the problem. The given number of possible reasons that prevent the baby from sleeping will help moms and dads navigate the current situation.

So, from what can have a negative impact on the sound sleep of a three-month-old baby, experts note:

A similar list of reasons can be applied when a child does not sleep well during the day.

Typically, at this age, practically healthy babies who are developing according to age do not experience persistent and long-term sleep disturbances. Especially with the close attention of loving and caring parents.

It's no secret that every parent dreams of making their beloved baby's sleep as comfortable and sound as possible. However, do not despair if something suddenly goes wrong - panic is not the best companion of common sense. A calm attitude and the intention to sort out the situation that has arisen will be a much more profitable option.

To summarize the above, we note that a baby’s sleep is useful and extremely important for his full and harmonious development, good health, and active wakefulness. As a rule, by the age of three months, babies sleep relatively normally, in accordance with their characteristics. However, if for some reason the baby fell asleep and slept well, and now his sleep is disturbed, do not panic. A balanced analysis of the situation, taking into account the above recommendations, in most cases leads to success within a few days. To paraphrase the famous philosopher’s statement: “I sleep, therefore I exist,” an established rest regime will serve for the benefit of all family members.

For nine months, mothers have been eagerly awaiting the birth of their long-awaited child. How much happiness and joy parents experience when they hold their newborn child in their arms.

Advice for parents from experienced mothers and Komarovsky

Getting a good night's sleep is not as easy as it might seem. The first year of a baby’s life is quite eventful for both the child and his parents. You need to gain strength and patience.

In this case, Dr. Komarovsky offers the golden rules for a child’s healthy sleep:

1. Even after arriving from the maternity hospital, you need to establish a daily routine and decide what period of sleep is suitable for all household members. It is not the parents who adapt to the child, but the child who intuitively adapts to the parents. If it is more convenient for everyone to put the child to bed from 21.00 to 5.00, then that is what should be done. But it’s not bad if sleep shifts from 23.00 to 7.00. Everyone is required to be disciplined about the chosen schedule so that the child gets used to it. Of course, the baby first wakes up at night to eat. But by the age of six months, you can teach your child to go without night food for 8 hours.
2. You need to decide in advance where the baby should sleep. Ideally, this is a crib in the parents' room. It will be convenient for the mother to feed the baby at night, change clothes and monitor him. Co-sleeping is not the best choice, as neither the child nor the parents will get enough sleep. There is no need to teach your baby to rock in your arms. If this happens, then it is the parents’ fault - they need to be retrained.
3. If doctors have not found neurological or physical pathologies in the baby, and the child sleeps for half an hour and wakes up anyway, then most likely, daytime sleep is disturbed. There is no need to be afraid of waking up a child who has fallen asleep during the day, in favor of night rest.
4. In the first year of life, sleep and food are very important for a child. You need to pay special attention to your diet. Up to 3 months, the baby needs night feedings 2-3 times. Then you can reduce this number to 1-2. After 6 months, try to go without feeding at night. If the baby is used to eating on demand, then it is the parents’ fault. A child who eats every half hour begins to have a tummy ache due to overeating.
5. To sleep well at night, your child needs to have a good walk during the day. You need to take your baby for walks in the fresh air more often, engage him in educational games, do gymnastics, bathe him in the bath, exercise him and give him a massage. Before going to bed, you need to calm your child down, read a book, and sing a lullaby an hour before bedtime.
6. The room should be comfortable. It is better if the air temperature is +18 +20C. Before going to bed, you need to ventilate the room where the baby sleeps.
7. For a child’s healthy sleep, it is important to carry out evening bathing procedures in a large bath with a decoction of chamomile and valerian, and then do a soothing massage.
8. When choosing a baby's sleeping place, special attention should be paid to the mattress. It should not be too soft or hard. It is better to choose mattresses marked “hypoallergenic”. The sheet and blanket should also be made of natural fabrics; a child under 2 years old does not need a pillow.
9. A baby may have difficulty sleeping due to a wet diaper. It is better to choose diapers from trusted companies that will make your baby as comfortable and safe as possible.
10. Children can be weather sensitive. Even if you follow all the recommendations in the world, sleepless nights can still happen. Especially if the atmospheric pressure “jumps”, the weather and temperature conditions change. This is especially true in the off-season. Here you need to be patient, remain calm and be there for your child.

Experienced mothers agree with the recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky. If the child suddenly confuses day and night, then you need to limit daytime sleep.

Dr. Komarovsky about the rules of children's sleep:

Before going to bed, your child needs to reduce mental and physical stress, sing a soothing melodic lullaby, and stroke his arms and legs. A child under one year of age especially needs the love, affection, and tenderness of his parents. His mother's kisses and attention are much more important to him than mountains of toys.

If the child is too nervous, you can give him a bath based on decoctions: motherwort, valerian, mint.

In order for your child to sleep well at night, you need to follow all of the above recommendations. Until one year of age, a child acclimatizes to a world unfamiliar to him; everything is new and strange to him, and sometimes scary. Therefore, parents should make every effort to help the baby adjust.

Have a good night's sleep for you and your baby!

Read: Choosing children's furniture for a newborn

08 Oct 2021 Valeria 451

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Discussion: there is 1 comment

1. Anna:
   10/16/2017 at 03:14

   It seems to me that little children generally sleep restlessly, especially in the first year of life. During the first months, digestion improves, gases bother you, then the teeth begin to grow. Therefore, of course, you need to consult a doctor, but you shouldn’t be too scared.

   Answer

Tips for parents on how to put their baby to sleep

A child under one year old does not yet know how to consciously relax when he wants to sleep. And children want to sleep, just like adults, they just don’t know how to do it yet. Therefore, you need to teach your child to fall asleep on his own and without crying.

It is important to understand that all children are different and everyone's bedtime will be different.

The importance of daily routine

After birth, a tiny baby does not adhere to a specific daily routine. He usually sleeps most of the time and wakes up to feed. But a three-month-old baby becomes more active, spends more and more time awake, exploring the world around him. And the mother’s main task is to gradually accustom him to a certain daily routine.

However, one should not discount the individual characteristics of the child’s body. But even if an infant at three months behaves actively after a long period of wakefulness, this does not mean at all that he does not need sleep. The little one just doesn’t know how to realize this yet, so the mother’s task is to put the baby in the crib on time and make every effort so that he gets at least a little sleep.

The importance of daytime and night sleep

If adults have enough sleep at night, then the baby’s rest at 3 months should include nighttime and daytime hours.

Rest is important for a child’s body because during this period:

• all growth processes are actively underway;
• the nervous system is formed;
• the received information is being actively processed;
• the foundations for the physical and mental development of the baby are laid.

If a child constantly has poor rest, this may indicate the presence of diseases that require medical intervention. Mothers should definitely be wary if their baby is capricious before bed, and when falling asleep, often wakes up and tosses and turns.

Long-term sleep disturbances are fraught with mental and physical disorders for the baby.

The main reasons for poor sleep in a 3 month old baby

• hunger;
• violation of the sense of security due to the absence of the mother;
• external stimuli (sounds, flashes, high air temperature, etc.)
• malaise;
• overwork.

A 3-month-old baby sleeps poorly; during the day, for one reason or another, he received a smaller portion of food (or less calorie) than he needed. Many children up to six months or up to a year (some longer) need night feeding. If you give a breast to a half-asleep baby, he will not wake up completely and will soon fall asleep peacefully. If mom sleeps separately, or even in another room, she simply won’t have time to do this. It will look as if the child is not sleeping well.

Many children under one year old urgently need the presence of their mother. Experts recommend practicing co-sleeping with a baby up to one year old (some up to 2-2.5 years). Until what age parents allow their child to “occupy” the parental bed is up to them to decide. But it should be remembered that sleeping together with a child from 0 to 1 year old reduces the likelihood of sudden baby death in a dream, allows mother and baby to rest better, and satisfies the baby’s need for maternal presence. Why this happens and what the mechanisms of this process are, unfortunately, is not yet known for certain. In this case, experts operate with sociological data. They also indicate that sudden death during sleep occurs less frequently in families where children sleep with their mothers. This is especially true for boys (their frequency of death before the age of one year is higher than for girls).

If the room in which the child sleeps faces a nearby road (cars brake loudly, light penetrates the windows), sleep will be disturbed if sharp sounds or flashes coincide with the transition of the baby’s sleep phases, or coincide with shallow sleep. When a child is sleeping soundly (in the calm phase), such factors cannot wake him up, but in the shallow sleep phase, especially if the mother is not nearby, loud bangs or the sound of a braking car can frighten the baby.

Many mothers ask why a child throws up his arms in his sleep at night? In 3-month-old children, the Moro reflex (a protective reflex, a manifestation of fear) has not yet faded away, which is expressed in a sharp throwing of the arms up with fingers outstretched. A way to trigger this reflex is to knock on the changing table next to the baby. If it is caused in this way, then any sharp sound can cause it. With a jerk of her arms, the baby wakes up. Very excitable babies with a pronounced Moro reflex are recommended to be swaddled at night in order to maintain proper sleep. But, however, only up to 3 months.

Sometimes a “wonderful neighbor” prevents a baby from sleeping. Today it is unlikely that you will meet someone who will play the trombone and trumpet behind a wall, but loud music from passing cars equipped with powerful buffers is by no means uncommon. Family members who cannot be torn away from the TV are no exception. In such conditions, a small person will have trouble sleeping.

Good plastic windows and tightly closed doors can improve the situation a little. Many people believe that if a person cannot sleep in noise, he does not want to sleep. This is not entirely true. Sleep at a noise level of more than 40 dB will not be complete. The normal noise level in an apartment at night is 30-40 dB. With such noise, the child is able to fully relax. Higher numbers will affect the quality of sleep at night.

If your baby has congestion (due to allergies, infectious or vasomotor rhinitis, dry and overheated air), he will wake up often, it will be difficult to put him to sleep, and his sleep will be poor. Any discomfort, such as from an overfilled disposable diaper, or feeling unwell can impair the quality of your sleep.

The child is fed, the diaper has been changed, he is healthy, intestinal colic no longer bothers him, why does he sleep poorly? Perhaps this is due to one of the most common reasons that a 3-month-old baby does not sleep well - overtiredness. Fatigue can occur for several reasons:

• lack of regime;
• short and inadequate rest during the day;
• strong emotional or physical stress in the evening;
• time was lost, fatigue was lost, and the child “got a second wind.”

There may be other reasons why your baby doesn't sleep well. A lot, for example, depends on the emotional state of his mother. Even adults can feel other people's emotions. For children, the method of infection is one of the main mechanisms for learning about the world of emotions. They actively use it. And the person closest to them is their mother. Therefore, her mood is conveyed very quickly, and no matter how hard she tries to smile, if cats are scratching at her soul, they will soon visit the baby. Maybe that's why he doesn't sleep well at night.

Signs of violation

Sometimes parents groundlessly think that a child has been sleeping poorly for 2 months. The fact is that mothers most often count down their rest time from the moment the baby is in the crib. This is completely wrong. The baby often falls asleep during feeding - out of the 30-40 minutes allotted for a meal, he actively suckles for only 10-15 minutes, the rest of the time the baby can simply sleep without letting the nipple out of his mouth. If you see that the baby’s eyelids are closed, his body is relaxed, his breathing is even, this means that he just fell asleep. This is a completely normal phenomenon, since children quickly calm down next to their mother, and a state of peace is conducive to rest.

However, there are times when the child does not sleep well, and the total number of hours is far from what is worth relying on.

If you notice that your child does not get enough rest, you need to record for 3-4 days when he is awake and when he is resting. This will help you find out in detail why the violation occurred and how to deal with it.

The following deviations are cause for concern:

• the child does not sleep well at night;
• the total amount of sleep is less than 14 hours;
• the baby wakes up every 10-15 minutes;
• The waking time between sleep sessions is 4 hours or more.

Causes of sleep disturbances

Many factors can disrupt a baby’s sleep, the most common include:

• Feeling of hunger due to feeding disorders.
• External stimuli, for example, loud voices, bright lights, noise outside the window.
• Overwork and overexcitement.
• A feeling of discomfort that may occur due to an overfilled diaper or an uncomfortable room temperature.
• Diseases.
• Feeling lonely because my mother is not around.
• Conflicts between parents.
• Lack of daily routine. If the child is not accustomed to going to bed at the same time, then gradually this will become a problem for the parents.

Many causes can be easily eliminated, so make every effort and your little one will sleep soundly.

Associations with sleep

Very often, when a problem arises that a 3-month-old baby does not sleep well during the day, it may be associated with the associations that the baby develops. For example, in the first months of life, children immediately fall asleep as soon as they find themselves in a stroller or car. But with age, sleeping for a long time in this position is no longer possible, and the habit, unfortunately, has formed. Thus, a problem arises in which the mother puts the child in the crib after a walk, and he begins to yell. In such a situation, the baby no longer has time to sleep, fatigue and irritability appear.

Parents must make an effort to either ensure that their baby gets plenty of sleep in the car or stroller, or to prevent it.

If this can be done during the day, then before resting at night it is important not to allow the baby to fall asleep in a crib other than his own.

Errors in feeding

It is necessary to adhere to a certain diet, especially in the afternoon. A 3-month-old baby may have trouble sleeping at night if he hasn’t had enough to eat. And this can happen due to receiving a smaller portion, for example, you fell asleep in your mother’s arms under your breast without being full, or the calorie content of the food does not allow you to sleep soundly throughout the night.

It must be taken into account that some babies, especially those who are underweight, need night feeding, but the mother’s quick reaction is important here. If she hears the baby begin to spin and gives the half-asleep baby the breast, then he may not wake up completely, but will continue to sleep soundly.

The influence of diseases on the baby's rest

Sleep can be disturbed by the child’s poor health; if the baby cannot fall asleep or wakes up and cries, then it is possible:

• colic or tummy pain;
• temperature increase;
• teeth are being cut, and the pain does not allow you to sleep;
• There are other pathologies that cause pain in the baby.

Children cannot yet communicate what is bothering them, so mothers should carefully monitor the child in order to show him to the doctor in a timely manner.

Useful tips: effective remedies for childhood insomnia

To eliminate childhood sleep disorders of various origins, the following folk remedies are effective:

• decoction of chamomile;
• infusion of valerian root;
• bath on the grass of real bedstraw;
• dill juice To prepare it, you need to thoroughly chop the plant, wrap it in gauze and squeeze it. Mix the resulting juice with a spoon of honey and stir in a glass of warm honey. Single dosage - half a glass, preferably immediately before bedtime. Don’t forget to check first to see if your baby has any allergic reactions to bee products.

By carefully following all the above recommendations, the question of why your child is not sleeping will very soon not worry you. If, despite taking all the measures, positive changes do not occur for a long time, consult a doctor. Remember that only patience, calmness and sincere parental love are your main helpers.

Note to mothers

The process of transitioning into a state of sleep at 4 months can be greatly facilitated if you create a comfortable environment - stay nearby, sing a song, turn on soft, calm music and dim the lighting. Thus, the child falls asleep faster and sleeps much more peacefully.

At a difficult age, when the baby begins to grow up, problems invariably arise. If there is reason for concern, you should consult your home or local pediatrician. But in most cases, restless sleep at 4 months is a cost of the difficult growth process of the child’s body.

How to help your child fall asleep

In the case of a child, you need to ask the same questions. And eliminate the cause.

1. Too short a time of wakefulness preceding night sleep.
   For example, a child got up late after a nap. Then it’s logical to shift your bedtime a little. Of course, you need to adhere to a certain daily routine, but don’t follow it fanatically. You should not keep a child in bed who, for reasons known to you, does not want to sleep at all. There is no crime in the fact that a child falls asleep an hour later. It is more important that he falls asleep with pleasure.
2. Difficulty switching from activity to sleep.
   If a child who is jumping around the room on a ball is removed from this ball and placed in bed, then the child will jump there too. It's like pulling an adult out of important negotiations and saying: “Sleep!” No, he won’t fall asleep. He will go over the arguments of his opponents in his head and calculate the consequences of disrupted negotiations.

The fact that it is time to sleep is clear to an adult, but not clear to a child. For a child, the phrase “It’s time to go to bed!” - a complete surprise. And surprise is stress: you didn’t have time, you didn’t finish. Give your child a chance to finish the game. Warn in advance that it will be bedtime soon. Teach your child to finish the game by playing out the story with him: “The cars went to the garage,” “The dolls went to bed.” Switch your child from active games to calm ones in advance, since calm games make the transition to sleep easier. Consider a falling asleep ritual - a familiar sequence of actions that will set you up for sleep.

1. The presence of an external stimulus that interferes with falling asleep (light, sound).
   Try to remove the irritant or reduce its impact.
2. The irritant inside is an obsessive thought, fear, doubt.
   Talk to your child about this topic. Just ask a question and then listen carefully. The baby will tell you what is bothering him.
3. Physical discomfort
   (new pillow of unusual height, scratchy pajamas, hot, stuffy). The simplest solution is to create comfortable conditions.

True, a tired child is able to fall asleep sitting on the threshold in outerwear or on a rug near the sofa, curled up on top of Lego pieces, or even with a spoon in his hand over a bowl of soup... If a child does not want to sleep, maybe he lacks physical activity?

1. Stressful situation, new conditions
   (you have to fall asleep in a new place, there are new people in the house for the child, the usual ritual of falling asleep is not performed). This happens when you travel. Give your child time to adapt and get used to an unfamiliar situation. Let him get used to the new place, communicate with previously unfamiliar people, explore everything that is of interest to him, and make sure that he is safe. And then try to follow the ritual of falling asleep - if not all, then at least some elements.
2. Tension, overexcitement.
   Wash the baby. Get a relaxing massage. You can say something quietly. Calm, measured, monotonous speech has a calming effect. Read a book of fairy tales. In any folklore there are “soporific” works.
3. The child has formed a negative attitude towards sleep, and he “turns on” resistance.
   To sneak out of bed, a child can come up with a thousand and one reasons. He may actively sabotage your request to go to sleep or manipulate you. Jokers say about this behavior: “At the word ‘sleep’, the child is attacked by thirst, hunger and constipation...”

In this case, make sure that the bed evokes only positive emotions in the child. Together with him, figure out how to decorate it, choose bed linen together, preferably with a pattern that evokes sleep (I have children’s linen with sleeping bear cubs in pajamas, with owls against the background of a starry sky - dark, restrained colors). Let there be a “sleepy” toy in the bed that is already bored and calls the baby to join.

With sufficient daytime activity, quiet playtime before bed, adherence to the bedtime ritual, and a positive attitude towards the place of sleep, the child easily falls asleep. Don't make him sleep. Create conditions for falling asleep.

Common reasons

These include all kinds of “interference.”

• For example, uncomfortable sleeping conditions (stuffiness, dry air, dusty room, uncomfortable bed, bright light, loud noise, wet diapers);
• Perhaps the baby is hungry or not healthy: allergies, colic, fever, runny nose, rash, and other problems also do not contribute to proper sleep (read the current article: Flowering in a newborn >>>).

If at 3 months your child does not sleep all day, work to eliminate these interferences. For information on how to help your baby with colic, see the online course Soft Tummy>>>

Keeping in mind the adaptation period, know that now your baby still falls asleep best in the conditions to which he is accustomed in utero (warm, humid, rocking, half-noisy, cramped).

In other words, a 3-month-old child does not sleep (or sleeps little or poorly) during the day, not having gotten used to the new state of affairs. Therefore, create the necessary conditions for him: swaddle him, rock him, turn on white noise (read: White noise for a newborn >>>).

Important! There is no need to be afraid that this will all become a habit. Until 13-16 weeks, the child does not form stable habits to the conditions of falling asleep

And there is no need to be afraid that you will continue to download it before school, all children grow up, the nervous system matures and sleep will be more restful. In the meantime, you will have to make some concessions and help your baby sleep in ways that work.

Why else is daytime sleep disrupted?

Perhaps you decided that the baby should learn to fall asleep on his own, and suddenly stopped helping him, leaving him to “harass” himself;

However, at this stage of children’s lives, their nervous system is still very imperfect, inhibition processes are poorly developed, so it is difficult for them to fall asleep on their own. They are capricious and cry, which leads to overexcitation.

The baby, even if he manages to fall asleep, will sleep very lightly, constantly checking if his mother is nearby. Do you need such a dream? For this age, it is still quite normal for the baby to sleep under his mother’s breast, enjoying her closeness and sense of security.

Study the article: Sleeping of a baby up to a year, with or without breasts?>>>.

Another reason why at 3 months a child does not sleep during the day may be over-walking - exceeding the waking time;

After this, overexcitation sets in and, as they say, see point 1.

It happens that a child gets used to falling asleep during the day only while walking in a stroller, with constant movement, but at home, without rocking, cannot sleep in the crib;

Keep in mind that such sleep is superficial; it does not bring the baby proper rest. Current article: The child sleeps only on the street>>>.

A fairly common reason for lack of daytime sleep is increased child anxiety.

It is associated with disruption of the nervous system. The reasons for this could be a difficult pregnancy, with complications and frequent stress of the mother, toxicosis, difficult or rapid labor, infectious diseases of the baby in the first weeks of his life.

The consequences of these problems can be felt for up to 6 or even 9 months.

In addition, the baby reacts very sensitively to the mother’s emotions. If she is constantly angry, nervous, lacks sleep, and tired, the child will also be excited and will not be able to sleep normally either day or night.

Read the current article: Sleep standards for children under one year>>>.

How to help your baby cope with this condition, as well as all the most important points about the development of the child, his age-related needs, see the online course My Favorite Baby: Secrets of the Development and Raising of a Child up to One Year >>>

Features and routine of the rest regime

The “quiet hour” of a two-month-old baby is practically no different from the mode of existence of the fetus. During this period of growing up, the baby spends most of his time sleeping, and walking, feeding and bathing are additional elements. It is worth noting that during the first months of its existence, a healthy baby can wake up up to five times at night and this is considered the norm.

The sleep schedule is selected individually for each child and depends on the following factors:

• physiological state of health;
• compiled daily routine;
• pediatrician recommendations;
• behavioral characteristics;
• specifics of feeding.

Note: Often a completely healthy child behaves restlessly during sleep or falling asleep - you should not immediately seek help from a doctor. Make sure that external factors do not irritate your child.

At night

A 2-month-old child does not sleep well at night for many reasons, which are not always related to physiological abnormalities. External irritants, such as increased noise in the room, a wet and uncomfortable bed, an overfilled diaper, hunger, physiological discomfort - all this can directly affect the baby’s sleep. If a problem occurs, try to determine by elimination the factor that is causing the grunting and lack of sleep.

Note: If you cannot find out the source, be sure to consult a doctor. Perhaps the child suffers from a disease that causes pain and discomfort.

During the day

Often, newborns' daytime rest is more restless than during the night. This is due to the fact that there are more external stimuli that affect the nervous system. A 2 month old baby does not sleep well during the day for the following reasons:

• During the daytime nap in the fresh air, a street that was too noisy was chosen.
• Daylight rays are too bright, causing him to wake up more often.
• Insufficient activity.
• The daily routine and sleep periods for the baby are incorrectly selected.
• Unstable adherence to the schedule - the baby’s body simply cannot get used to what it should do and when.
• Physiological deviations from the norm can cause poor sleep during the daytime “quiet hour”.

Attention! If external factors cannot influence the baby in any way, but he continues to cry often, consult a doctor. Perhaps the source of the occurrence was age-related colic and other physiological factors

What does E. O. Komarovsky think about a baby’s good sleep?

Pediatrician and author of many famous books on children's health, E. O. Komarovsky, believes: the whole family will have healthy sleep only if the baby has healthy sleep. Only parents can help their baby sleep soundly and well. To do this, you just need to properly organize feeding, spend as much time as possible with the baby in the fresh air, monitor the air humidity in the house, and also clean the room in a timely manner.

To normalize your baby’s sleep, Komarovsky recommends following several rules:

maintain a friendly and calm atmosphere in the family circle, show attention and care towards the child; immediately decide where the baby will sleep: in bed with you, in his own crib in your room or in his own crib in the children's room; choose a daily routine that is convenient for you and stick to it constantly; When choosing a mattress for your baby, pay attention to the fact that it is dense and even, and bed linen should be made only from natural fabrics; monitor the air temperature in the baby’s room (it should be 18-20 degrees) and humidity (within 50-70 ºС); use high-quality diapers and never skimp on children's health; do not forget that the child should be most active during the day, in the evening it is worth replacing noisy games with calm ones, you can read a book or sing a song; if the baby likes to sleep a lot, then reduce his daytime sleep; before an evening bath, give your baby a massage or do gymnastics with him, and after that, bathe him in lukewarm water in a large bath, then dress the baby warmly, feed him and put him to bed; In order for the baby to eat as much as possible before going to bed, you should try to slightly underfeed him at the previous feeding.

The conclusion is simple: a child’s sleep, especially in the early stages of his life, requires close attention from his parents. If you follow all the rules and regimes, then not only the baby, but also mom and dad will sleep peacefully and safely.

Why is children's sleep disrupted?

How often do young parents hear the phrase from strangers: just be patient a little longer, a year will pass - and the condition will normalize, it will become easier. Indeed, in most cases, upon reaching the age of 12 months, the child’s nervous system comes into order, and constant and painful intestinal colic subsides. But why then does it happen that it doesn’t get easier, even though the child is already one year old? The baby may be bothered by:

• night terrors and nightmares;
• psychological protest due to banal whims and reluctance to go to bed;
• teething, less often colic, which is rare, but still observed in children of this age;
• a wet diaper that irritates your skin or an uncomfortable crib;
• breathing problems caused by a runny nose, cough (cold), or allergic reaction.
• poor microclimate in the children's room - uncomfortable temperature and humidity;
• presence of loud or sharp sounds.

Lack of sleep at night

Some parents complain that their children have trouble sleeping at night. In many cases, this is explained by the fact that infants in the first and second months of life develop an individual schedule; during this period they do not care when to go to sleep. Experts say that it is considered normal for a child under one month to often wake up in the dark. Babies need to wake up three to four times a night to feed, and some small children interrupt their sleep even more often.

Sometimes toddlers confuse night with day, and in the dark they cannot sleep for a long time. In such cases, parents should wake up the child more often during daylight hours to play with him or perform some developmental exercises. Thanks to frequent awakenings, children rest much better and longer at night.