Reasons why a child wakes up at night
Baby's sleep can be one of the biggest concerns of parents. If your baby wakes up several times every night and cries, this could indicate a variety of reasons. Here are the most common ones.
Emotional overload
It can occur if, two to three hours before bedtime, the child continues to communicate, play active games, is in a noisy place, or listens to music. Such pastime will inevitably affect the quality of night's sleep. For a restful sleep, children, especially infants, need peace and a quiet, calm environment after 20.00.
Neurological problems
Often a child cannot fall asleep due to neurological diseases. Frequent trembling during sleep, grinding teeth, sobbing and unceasing crying at night are reasons to consult a doctor.
Intestinal colic
The main reason that prevents infants from sleeping peacefully at night is colic. Two-month-old babies can wake up precisely because of abdominal pain. Just be patient, and by the age of five months this problem will disappear.
Teething
Early teething can lead to waking up at night. Teething often interferes with babies' sleep. Some babies' gums begin to itch and itch as early as three months of age. Co-sleeping and breastfeeding can save you during this time.
Dry and warm air in the nursery
If your child is hot at night, he will sweat and may wake up frequently due to discomfort. Dry air can also cause mucus in a baby's nose to dry out and form crusts. The child will wake up with difficulty breathing. The problem will be solved by access to fresh air in the summer and humidification in the winter.
Normal night sleep for a four month old baby
A newborn baby, who has just been brought from the hospital, can sleep 20 hours a day, interrupted only by food and short periods of wakefulness. This behavior is normal - the child’s psyche is not ready for such serious stress as learning about the world. Therefore, a little person needs frequent rest.
At 4 months the situation changes. The baby sees better and is already trying to contact the outside world. He looks at people and toys with interest, learns to roll over on his stomach and back onto his back. He is already stronger, so he needs less sleep. The duration of rest (in total per day) is reduced to 15 hours. Of these, 9-10 occur at night.
Sleep is divided into phases:
- Deep;
- Superficial.
At four months the baby matures. Now his deep sleep phase begins shortly after falling asleep. Mothers may notice that it has become easier to transfer a child who has fallen asleep in her arms to a crib. This happens precisely because the baby is fast asleep. Deep sleep can change to shallow sleep after 30-45 minutes, then they will change back. When you go to bed at 10 p.m., the next alternation begins between 4 and 6 a.m. Then the baby sleeps peacefully until the morning.
Night sleep
Is the child waking up at night - normal or not?
Somnologists believe that waking a child up to six years of age at night is within the normal range. The fact is that children from birth to school sleep predominantly in superficial, shallow sleep.
If night awakenings appear suddenly, and the child is awake at night, then you should figure out with your doctor whether there is a sleep pathology in this case. Babies can wake up at night due to the passing shadow of car headlights or their parents tossing and turning in their sleep. A suddenly awakened child may be frightened if he is alone in the room, so in case of frequent awakenings at night, it is better to have an adult nearby.
Many adults suffer from sleep disorders that began in childhood. Poor sleep can even become an acquired habit. To prevent a sleep problem from dragging on for many years, you need to try to identify the cause of its occurrence.
In addition to the above, there may be other sleep-related problems:
- – tense relationships in the family (especially between spouses);
- – financial difficulties;
- – due attention is not paid to the child’s sleep patterns;
- – medical problems.
A child's healthy sleep is in the hands of his parents. Both family members and the nanny, as well as teachers in the nursery or kindergarten, must maintain the established regime.
Sleepwalking
You already know that your baby's deep sleep phase is interrupted from time to time by moments of incomplete awakening. Usually these moments go unnoticed. The child may roll over, mutter something, open his eyes for a short moment and, without any problems, fall back into deep sleep. But sometimes children linger in a similar state of half-asleep, half-awake. At this time, they may talk, walk and make other unconscious movements and actions (sleepwalking), as well as scream in fear without realizing it and without reacting to your presence (night fright).
Do not be alarmed - in most cases this condition is not dangerous and until the age of six it is usually not associated with any mental disorders, fears or problems. According to doctors, the predisposition to sleepwalking is transmitted genetically and is associated with a longer process of brain formation than in other children.
If your baby moves around the room in a similar state, then you must make sure that he cannot get hurt, open a window or front door, go out onto the balcony, etc.
In addition, he must get enough sleep at night and not be too tired during the day (tired children sleep especially deeply). Therefore, try to adhere to a clear daily routine.
Age table of causes of child awakenings at night
Many babies often wake up at night and are accompanied by loud crying, while others are able to sleep peacefully throughout the night. Not understanding the reasons for crying, many parents find themselves worried. Among the most common questions for pediatricians are: “What to do if the child often wakes up at night?”, “How to create comfortable sleeping conditions for the child?” The answers to them largely depend on the age of the child.
| Child's age | Cause of sleep disturbance | Features of behavior |
| Newborn | Physiological feature | In the first weeks of life, the child wakes up at night, feeling any discomfort. This may be a lack of maternal warmth or unexplained anxiety. Rocking your baby in your arms can increase his sleep time. |
| 1-3 months | Sleep-wake disorder | A one-month-old baby often wakes up at this age due to hunger. In this case, infants may not cry, but “whimper.” When your baby wakes up to eat, this is normal. Breastfeeding will help relieve anxiety. |
| 3-6 months | Lack of sleep, overexcitement | Active daytime activities can cause a four-month-old baby to have trouble sleeping. Such a symptom as waking up due to emotions and daytime impressions goes away on its own by 1.5-2 years. |
| 6-9 months | Fatigue, lack of sleep | A six-month-old child often gets up at night due to lack of sleep during the day. Perhaps you put your baby to bed too late or he sleeps little during the day (less than half an hour). |
| 9-12 months | Physical/psychological discomfort | If a child often wakes up at this age, there may be understandable reasons for this: teeth are being cut, the lamp in the nursery is too bright, an uncomfortable crib, a wet diaper. |
| 1-1.5 years | Discomfort, inconvenience | In addition to teething, changes in temperature in the room where the baby sleeps can cause disturbances in sleep. The blanket has fallen open, the clothes for sleeping are uncomfortable, it’s too hot - and it’s already difficult for the baby to fall asleep in the middle of the night. |
| 2-3 years | Overexcitement, fear | Light sleep and waking up every hour in two-year-olds indicates that the child is overexcited or scared. At this age, children can be frightened by the most common sounds, creaks and shadows. |
| 4-5 years | Impressions from the day's events | When a child wakes every two hours at age five, nightmares may be to blame. At this age, disturbing sleep may be the result of watching cartoons or hearing stories. |
Physiological reasons
Most often, a one-year-old child does not sleep well at night for physiological reasons, which are quite easy to detect and eliminate. This could be anything that makes him feel uncomfortable or prevents him from relaxing:
- uncomfortable body position;
- uncomfortable bed;
- clothing that restricts movement;
- physical fatigue;
- nervous tension;
- feeling hungry or overeating;
- external stimuli: bright light, noise, smells;
- unusual environment;
- the presence of strangers;
- violation of evening rituals.
Dealing with such reasons is quite simple. You just need to review and properly organize the child’s feeding and sleeping patterns, as well as provide him with a comfortable bed and clean, cool, moderately humid air in the room.
During this period of life, the child becomes very tired at the end of the day and it is very important that parents do not allow overtiredness, due to which the baby cannot fall asleep quickly. Some one-year-old children categorically protest against daytime sleep, and parents give in to them, believing that the baby will sleep better at night. This is a big mistake!
Every year, a child needs a full 7-8 hours of sleep at night and two daytime sleeps lasting about an hour and a half. Otherwise, the nervous system cannot cope with the heavy load on it, and the one-year-old child does not sleep well at night.
Try increasing your physical activity in the morning. Children who run around in the fresh air usually always sleep well during the day and rarely wake up at night.
How to eliminate the causes of frequent awakenings in a child?
You can stop your child from waking up frequently at night, first of all, by properly preparing the child for sleep. Depending on the age, the chosen methods may differ.
- Set a bedtime routine. It can be formed already from the age of four months of the baby. To help your baby fall asleep soundly and peacefully, create a daily bedtime routine. Try reading a fairy tale to your baby before bed, or sing a simple lullaby. A warm bath with lavender infusion before bed helps children sleep soundly throughout the night.
- Create optimal sleeping conditions for your baby. Do not play with the baby just before bed, turn on a soft light or lamp, and curtain the windows. In order not to disturb your child's sleep, it is better to put the phone on silent mode during sleep.
- Bring your routine in line with your child’s biological rhythms. This is an important criterion for healthy sleep. Try to put your child to bed at the same time every day.
- Put your baby in the crib 20-30 minutes before bedtime. You can sit next to your baby during this time and tell him a fairy tale. The child will calm down and quickly fall asleep.
- Don't eliminate daytime naps. Long naps during the day improve children's attention and learning abilities. The need to regularly rest during the day persists until the age of 3, but even after three years, sleeping for 40-60 minutes will not hurt a preschooler.
- If your baby goes to a nursery or kindergarten, then try to agree with the teacher to maintain the child’s sleep schedule at least at first.
- Is there a family holiday coming up? If a violation of the regime is coming, the child must be allowed to sleep before the upcoming event. A rested baby will be able to stay awake in a good mood and sleep better at the end of the day.
Night fright
If a child, in the first 3-4 hours after falling asleep, suddenly screams or cries in fear (sometimes he also waves his arms, sweats, and his heart beats rapidly) and does not let you near him, then he is in a state of night terror. He sees a terrible dream, but does not wake up from it. Do not try to wake up the baby at this moment. Make sure he doesn't get hurt. Don’t ask the next morning what the matter was—the child won’t be able to remember anything. A night terror may pass quickly, but can last up to 20 (or even 30) minutes. Then the child suddenly calms down, relaxes and falls asleep peacefully. Over time, night terrors go away on their own, so reassure yourself with the thought that this phenomenon is temporary and not dangerous.
Hygiene comes first
Teach your child to wash his face in the morning, starting from infancy. Let this procedure become as natural for the child as feeding. Explain that in order to be beautiful and healthy, you need to wash your hands, face, nose, ears, and eyes every morning. Accompany washing with nursery rhymes and jokes, for example: “Water, water, wash my face...” or an excerpt from Chukovsky’s poem “We must, we must wash ourselves in the mornings and evenings.” Smile and be calm and relaxed, do not rush or make sudden movements. The washing procedure should bring positive emotions to the child and give him a burst of energy for the whole day. People say: “How you start the day is how you will spend it.” So start it off positively!
Read also: Daily and weekly child care from birth to one year
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Causes of sleep disturbance in a one-year-old baby
List of main reasons
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- nasal congestion associated with allergies, the onset of a respiratory disease;
- violations of microclimatic conditions in the baby’s room;
- lack of sleep patterns (daytime, nighttime), its disturbance, incorrect associations with sleep;
- overwork of the child (physical, emotional)
- extraneous noise;
- wet diaper;
- violation of the diet, as a result of which the child wants to eat or drink at night;
- phobias, nightmares;
- teeth are being cut;
- neurological diseases;
- bad feeling.
These are the main reasons why a baby's sleep may be disturbed.
Stretch - stretch
During sleep, the body is in a relaxed state and after waking up it needs some kind of push for a surge of vigor. Starting from the age of two weeks, the child can begin to do light exercises. While the baby cannot consciously move his arms and legs, give him a small, gentle massage. Stroke the back, tummy, arms, legs. Gentle touches to the body will give a surge of energy and make blood circulate faster through the veins. And most importantly, they will give the baby a lot of positive emotions and cheer up the whole day.
