The child often wakes up and sleeps poorly at night - recommendations from Dr. Komarovsky

As the results of scientific research show, a baby almost constantly dreams in the womb from 25-30 weeks of pregnancy. It is still not clear why these dreams occur and what their role is in the development of the child.

According to one theory, dreams in children are their genetic memory, which is viewed like in a movie theater and ensures that the brain is loaded with the necessary information, and also develops feelings and thinking.

As a rule, children are not born with regulated circadian rhythms. At first, a 90-minute sleep-wake cycle predominates. At 2-8 weeks of age, a 4-hour cycle appears, which is fairly stable until approximately 3 months. And finally, to the great relief of the parents, the baby begins to sleep through the night. About 10% of babies sleep through the night from the age of one month, however, another 10% of babies do not sleep through the night until six months of age.

Restless sleep at six months

A six-month-old baby needs a long rest - 14-16 hours a day. During this period, important changes occur in sleep patterns - a transition from 3 daytime sleeps to 2. The total duration of daytime rest is 3.5-4 hours, and nighttime - from 10 to 12 hours.

Children's sleep is significantly different from the sleep of an adult. About 50-70% of a baby's sleep occurs in the active phase, during which the baby sleeps shallowly, so it is very easy to wake him up. Gradually, as we grow older, the ratio of active and deep sleep changes in favor of the latter.

On a note. Deep sleep in newborn babies does not last long, so the risk of problems in the form of frequent awakenings and restless behavior during rest increases significantly.

A sharp jump in his physical development has a strong impact on the quality of rest of a six-month-old child:

• children become more active, constantly move, learn to sit and even crawl;
• “training” skills can often occur during sleep, which leads to restlessness and constant awakenings in the middle of the night.

Mental development also largely determines the quality of a baby’s sleep:

• By the sixth month, the child, regardless of gender, reaches a new stage in mental development: he begins to understand that surrounding objects occupy a certain place in space and are at a certain distance from him;
• When a baby makes such a “discovery,” he feels fear, helplessness, and confusion;
• Such sensations directly affect the baby’s behavior during night and daytime rest - sleep becomes anxious, restless, the baby begins to spin and toss and turn in bed.

Another common factor is fear of distance from mom. A six-month-old baby reacts very painfully to the absence of parents nearby. Just leaving the children's room for a couple of minutes can cause a real hysteria in the baby. Such a reaction is normal - the baby has grown up and now understands that the mother is a separate person and cannot always be nearby.

The duration of one day's rest ranges from 40 minutes to 2.5 hours. Sometimes the third sleep at six months still persists, then each of them lasts 1-1.5 hours. However, closer to 7 months, a gradual “reset” of the third dream will begin to occur. A signal for this is the reduction of the last day's rest to 30-40 minutes or refusal of it in some cases. If the baby is able to stay awake for 3 hours without a break, then he is ready to switch to 2 naps.

On a note. If the third nap pushes bedtime later, this is another sign that it's time to give up the third nap.

Six-month-old babies only have a long rest without a break once a day. As the baby gets older, the frequency and number of night awakenings gradually decrease, and the duration of continuous rest increases. At six months, a child can sleep continuously for 6-8 hours, since up to 10 months he needs night feedings (wakes up at night to eat).

Night feedings may interrupt a 6 month old's sleep at night, but this is not a problem at this age.

Why does a child wake up and cry?

9 month old child - sleeps poorly, often wakes up at night

The causes of restless sleep and frequent awakenings can be divided into 3 groups, each of which includes several sub-items:

1. Physiological factors:

• Developmental leaps and other changes characteristic of this age in the baby’s body;
• Health of the baby and his mother.

1. Sleeping conditions:

• Temperature, air humidity in the nursery;
• Comfortable clothes, comfortable bed;
• Sounds, lighting.

1. Psychology:

• Organization of rest and wakefulness (daily and nutritional regimen, bedtime rituals, etc.);
• Independence;
• Motivation.

The result is a kind of pyramid of reasons, distributed according to the principle “from simple to complex,” if you go down the list from bottom to top. The factors influencing the quality of sleep are very numerous and most often occur together, regardless of the level of location in the “pyramid”.

Causes of restless sleep

Child 10 months old - sleeps poorly at night, often wakes up and cries

The most common causes of sleep disturbances in 6-month-old infants are:

• Incorrect daily routine or deviations from it. Too much or not enough sleep;
• Non-compliance with rituals;
• Formation in the baby of negative associations associated with going to bed;
• Uncomfortable environment in the room in which the child sleeps;
• Negative psychological atmosphere in the house;
• A sharp change in activity;
• A leap in development, learning new skills, active study of the world around us;
• Late bedtime in the evening;
• Lack of parental attention;
• Diseases and other disorders related to the health of the infant;
• Inconstancy and inconsistency of parents in their actions;
• Early “movement” to a big bed.

Active games with a baby before bedtime are unacceptable

Learn more about each of the following factors:

1. Wrong schedule and amount of sleep. According to research by specialists, special cyclical processes occur in the human body, including an infant, at certain times. At these moments, the hormonal background changes, which contributes to easy and quick falling asleep (metabolism slows down, body temperature decreases). The sleep hormone reaches its highest concentration during the following periods:

• From 8:30 to 9:00 (first sleep for babies under six months old);
• From 12:30 to 13:00 (daytime nap);
• From 18:00 to 20:00 (ideal time to prepare for a night's sleep).

On a note. Each child has his own norms for the total duration of rest and intervals of wakefulness. They should also be taken into account when creating and executing your daily schedule. If you ignore this point, the baby will become overtired and will not be able to fall asleep soundly (untimely bedtime leads to the release of a large amount of the stress hormone - cortisol, which does not allow the small child to calm down and fall asleep).

1. Failure to comply with usual rituals. Babies are not able to tell time by a clock, so they have to rely on the repeated actions of mom and dad that precede rest. It is necessary to create rituals and accustom your baby to them from the very moment of his birth. In the future, all that remains is to slightly modify the procedure, adjusting it to the age and needs of the baby. The standard bedtime ritual includes hygiene procedures, changing clothes, massage, reading books or listening to music, hugs and kisses. An interruption in these processes can occur due to travel, sleeping in an unusual place, etc. As a result, preparation is disrupted, which leads to crying, capricious behavior, and restlessness of the child before bedtime.
2. Negative associations. Parents often resort to a variety of ways to put their baby to sleep, namely:

• The presence of mother nearby;
• Rocking in a crib or in your arms;
• Breast-feeding;
• Dummy;
• Traveling in a car;
• Sleep only in a stroller.

Rocking a baby to sleep as a prerequisite for falling asleep is a negative association for the baby

All of the above examples can become a “crutch” for the baby to fall asleep, but, in fact, they will only hinder the baby’s strong and peaceful rest. As a result of getting used to such associations, the child will not be able to fall asleep on his own - he will call his mother, ask him to eat, demand rocking and other types of help from his parents. It is necessary to get rid of a bad habit at six months of age (up to 4 months, such associations are quite acceptable).

1. A sharp change in activity. Babies do not know how to quickly switch from one activity to another - they need time to prepare for bed. That is why it is very difficult to put a child to sleep when excited by games or other active activities. In addition, as the baby grows up, it becomes more interesting to spend time with mom and dad, develop, and learn something new. Therefore, six-month-old children can consciously refuse sleep.
2. Uncomfortable environment. This category includes loud sounds, bright light (especially important for daytime sleep), fresh air (you need to ventilate the room at night), temperature (should not be higher than 21 degrees).
3. Late bedtime. An overtired baby is much more reluctant to go to bed. The child's sleep becomes restless and is interrupted by frequent awakenings and crying. Having woken up, the baby cannot fall asleep on his own. The ideal time for bed is from 19:00 to 20:30.
4. Diseases and other health problems. At six months, babies are no longer bothered by colic, but it often happens that the child wakes up at night and cries. 6 months is the age when newborns begin to actively cut teeth. This process causes severe pain to the baby. Also, babies often experience allergic reactions that are accompanied by itching. A cold can cause difficulty breathing, coughing and other symptoms that prevent your baby from sleeping peacefully.
5. A leap in development, active learning of new skills. At 6 months, the child learns to sit, tries to stand up in the crib, and moves a lot. Daytime wakefulness is not enough for him to “train” his skills, so he begins to be active in the middle of the night. It usually takes about 2 weeks to master one skill.
6. Lack of parental attention and care. If a child feels a lack of maternal love and affection during the day, then it is not surprising that at night he wakes up and begins to call for his mother.
7. Inconsistency in actions. It is important that all family members adhere to the same rules of behavior with the child and maintain the same day and night routine. Otherwise, the baby will get confused about what is correct in his behavior and what is not.
8. Premature “relocation” to a big bed. A 6-month-old baby is clearly not ready for such changes. The most suitable age for this is 2.5-3 years.

A six-month-old child sleeps poorly due to abdominal pain

Digestive problems. Most parents begin to introduce “adult” foods into their baby’s diet between six months and nine months. Fruit and vegetable purees, and other complementary foods. By the way, they are not always easy to digest the first time they are consumed.

Each new product requires at least one week of adaptation. Therefore, during the period of introducing complementary foods, many babies, especially those who have previously been fed only breast milk, may have digestive problems that prevent them from sleeping peacefully.

ADVICE. You can help your baby adapt to food. In order to relieve abdominal cramps and relieve bloating, you can use products available at the pharmacy or a decoction of chamomile, coriander seeds, dill or fennel.

Try a gentle tummy massage. But also don’t forget to give your baby some water, at least a little.

How to improve your child's sleep schedule

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

In order for the baby to be able to rest normally, sleep without awakening, not toss around, not to cry, it is necessary to establish the cause of the problem and select the appropriate solution for it:

1. Form a correct day and night routine, taking into account the physiological characteristics and biorhythms of the baby. When drawing up a schedule, it is necessary to comply with the norms for the duration of sleep and wakefulness for six-month-old babies.
2. If the reason for poor quality rest is a violation of usual rituals, then it is necessary to come up with a new unique family ritual for going to bed and strictly adhere to it. Active games and watching cartoons should be completely excluded from this procedure.
3. It is important not to allow a sudden change in your baby’s activities before bedtime. 10-15 minutes before putting the child to bed, you need to pick him up and try to calm him down. Toys are put away so that they do not distract the baby. It is better to fill the time before bed with quiet games, listening to “white noise”, and reading books.
4. An uncomfortable environment requires adjustment. In the children's room, it is advisable to install a thermometer, hang dark curtains, and install air conditioning.
5. Some parents put the child to bed later than the scheduled time so that the father, who returns from work, can communicate with the baby. As a result, an overexcited baby cannot sleep properly. Therefore, it is better to allocate time in the morning to communicate with your father or include your father in the ritual of going to bed at night.
6. If the cause of poor sleep is health problems, then you need to seek help from a pediatrician (he will examine the baby and prescribe medications, if necessary). Teething is a temporary phenomenon, so parents and the child can only wait out this moment. During periods of exacerbation of diseases, it is important not to deviate from the regime and adhere to the usual ritual of preparing for bed.
7. During the training period, it is necessary to ensure that the child has enough daytime time to “train” the acquired skills.
8. It is important to give the baby enough attention and care.
9. All family members must adhere to the same rules of behavior, maintain a daily and nightly routine, and be consistent and persistent in their actions.

Interesting. According to Dr. Komarovsky, “the child must adapt to the family model,” and not vice versa.

1. You should not replace the cradle with a large bed if the baby is not yet ready for such changes.

At six months, babies learn to sit and stand

Advice for mothers from Dr. Komarovsky

According to Dr. Komarovsky, parents often independently create problems associated with falling asleep and staying asleep. This is due to the presence of unacceptable things in behavior. So, the pediatrician advises against the following actions:

• Long-term motion sickness if the child is already one year old.
• Shared daytime and nighttime sleep with parents.
• Night feeding after 6 months.
• Outdoor games and manifestations of negative emotions in the evening.
• Irregular feeding schedule, baby falling asleep with nipple in mouth.

According to Komarovsky, these factors influence the fact that the child has difficulty falling asleep and sleeps restlessly at night. If mistakes have already been made, parents are advised to be patient as they implement changes in sleep patterns and habits.

It is also not recommended to allow screaming or irritation, because... With this approach it is difficult to achieve positive dynamics. Show patience, love, care, restraint in behavior and emotions. In this case, it is possible to normalize the child’s sleep without damaging the psyche.

Useful tips

If your baby is learning to sit and stand, you need to show him how to properly return to a lying position. Then the baby will be able to go to bed on his own and fall asleep without the help of his parents.

A sharp leap in the baby’s mental development requires constant physical and emotional contact with the mother. A close bond will restore confidence and calm to the newborn within a few weeks.

If the baby is afraid of moving away from his mother, you should demonstrate to the baby that his parents are always there. This period is not the best time for a child to develop independence.

The situation when a 6-month-old child sleeps poorly at night, often wakes up and cries is a completely natural phenomenon. However, sometimes the reason is the wrong actions of parents and other family members. In any case, it is always possible to, if not eliminate, then at least reduce the manifestation of negative factors affecting the baby’s sleep.

Normalization of sleep in adolescents - physical activity

Physical activity can restore the natural physiological process of falling asleep in adolescents. In this case, it is important to show balance and moderation so as not to cause overwork, stress from excess fatigue, which will only worsen the situation. Moderate physical activity will not only help you fall asleep quickly in the evening, but will serve as a preventive measure for the following chronic diseases:

• cardiovascular;
• diabetes;
• obesity;
• osteoporosis;
• hypertension.

Physical activity can mean not only playing different sports, but also active, outdoor games at home. It can also be outdoor activities and homework.

The main thing is that physical activity has a positive effect on the emotional and mental state of the child. At the same time, during the exercises, I experienced only positive emotions, and afterward I felt a little tired.