A 5-year-old child spins in his sleep

The baby's main responsibilities are to eat well and sleep well.

After all, in the “embrace of Morpheus” children not only relax, they grow, strengthen their immune system and process a huge amount of information received during the day.

But there are situations when a child sleeps restlessly and tosses and turns a lot, and this magical process is disrupted for a variety of reasons. Then both the baby himself and the parents who are looking for a way to help him suffer.

Stages of life accompanied by “restless sleep”

There are several stages in a child's life when sleep problems arise.

The first stage is a week after birth. At this age, the baby is bothered by new, unfamiliar sensations. He is often malnourished due to the fact that his mother’s milk production has not yet improved. Therefore, the baby often wakes up and demands food. In addition, before the first bowel movement, he may be bothered by abdominal pain. Within a week, these first difficulties end: intestinal function improves, the mother's milk comes in - sleep becomes more restful and longer.

The second stage is the age from three to six months. This is the time when most children begin to experience flatulence and intestinal colic. Increased gas formation causes severe discomfort to the child. Also, at this age, the first teeth most often begin to cut, causing severe pain to the baby. These unpleasant sensations worsen at night, so restful, sound sleep is out of the question.

The third stage begins at three years of age. The child develops his first childhood fears. He begins to be afraid of the dark, negative heroes of fairy tales and imaginary monsters. And also - he gets acquainted with such a feeling as jealousy. The baby is jealous of mom and dad for everyone and often worries. All these fears cause nightmares, which often wake the child in the middle of the night.

The fourth stage is five to seven years. At this age, the child is visited by serious adult thoughts. For the first time he thinks about death, begins to fear catastrophes and natural disasters. In addition, he becomes a schoolchild, and this new role adds excitement to the person. All these experiences negatively affect the quality of sleep.

A child’s sleep, just like an adult’s, is divided into two phases:

REM sleep is a superficial and active phase, during which a person moves, smiles, dreams and processes knowledge acquired during the day. During this phase, even minor discomfort or external irritation can wake a person.
Slow-wave sleep is deep and calm, the body rests and grows, and the immune system is strengthened.

Causes of poor sleep

Accordingly, to look for the reasons why at night, Komarovsky advises starting not with an examination and finding out what is wrong with the baby, but with carefully building an optimal mode of alternating sleep and rest and eliminating all external causes that reduce the quality of sleep. And if even after this your sleep does not return to normal, you should seek help from a doctor.

When looking for the reasons why the baby does not sleep well at night, mothers should not forget that at this age children do not yet know how to act up consciously. The first attempts at conscious manipulation by adults usually begin closer to the one and a half year mark.

If a baby wakes up and cries or cannot fall asleep for a long time, it means that something is bothering him. The cause of this concern must be identified and, if possible, eliminated.

As you can see, most of the reasons why a baby doesn't sleep well at night are not related to health. They are external and quite easily removable. Helpful advice from Dr. Komarovsky can help you sort them out.

Not all parents like the advice from Dr. Komarovsky. What can we say about grandmothers who generally try to protest against them, citing the fact that they raised their children - and nothing! But if you don't think that jumping to the crib every half hour is normal and want to get a good night's sleep, maybe it's worth at least trying? Moreover, all of Komarovsky’s recommendations are based on a thorough knowledge of child physiology and psychology.

So, how does Komarovsky advise parents to behave in order to give themselves and their baby the opportunity to sleep peacefully:

As you can see, Komarovsky’s advice is simple, understandable, logical and, if desired, easily implementable. Yes, some parents will have to give up the stereotypes that have been ingrained in their heads about how to behave with a child. But the end result is worth the effort.

A good, sound sleep is a guarantee of the physical and mental health of the baby and the excellent well-being of the mother.

Main causes of restless sleep

Anything can disrupt a child's sensitive sleep.

Its quality depends:

from well-being;
lifestyle;
age characteristics;
temperament;
the environment in which he sleeps;
global changes in life.

In fact, there are many more reasons for restless sleep . They are divided into three groups:

physical;
psycho-emotional;
pathological.

Experts recommend early bedtime - about seven to eight hours. It is believed that this is the best time for the young body to rest and grow.

Physical reasons

The most common natural problems associated with the characteristics of the human body or irritating external factors:

Moro effect (a baby’s natural reaction to fright - he shudders, throws up his arms and opens his palms, and if the baby sleeps without diapers, he will wake up from each such shudder).
Feeling hungry or thirsty.
Wet diaper.
Teething, colic.
Uncomfortable position.
Uncomfortable clothes.
Maturation of reflexes - during periods of mastering new skills (rolling over on his tummy, sitting up, crawling, etc.), the baby can hone them even in his sleep, waking up from his own movements.
External factors - too high or low room temperature, insufficient air humidity, bright light, loud sounds.

What not to do

But there are also things that should never be done. Komarovsky believes that most parents themselves create problems with children’s sleep, and then heroically overcome the difficulties. It’s worth giving up once and for all:

Moreover, it is better to abandon these actions immediately, from the first day of the baby’s life. Otherwise, you will then have to wean him off “bad” habits, and this is extra stress for the baby and his mother.

And try to remain calm in all situations. Sleep problems happen to everyone from time to time. They are also associated with the physiological characteristics of the baby’s development.

All parents experience age-related sleep regressions about once every few months. Nothing can be changed here and you will just have to be patient and overcome this difficult period for them and the child.

If difficulties with falling asleep are present constantly or every day the baby wakes up crying several times a night, do not try to solve the problem yourself. Most likely, it lies much deeper than just the wrong actions of the parents and, perhaps, the child needs medical help. Therefore, do not be afraid to consult your pediatrician once again.

Some new mothers and fathers complain that their children have trouble sleeping. Babies constantly toss and turn in their sleep, while the child himself sleeps poorly and does not allow adults to get a good night's sleep. A child can jump up, spin around, kick his feet, stretch his arms and legs, abruptly roll over to the other side, in a word, develop very real physical activity even in complete darkness. What is the reason for such restless sleep in a child and why does the child toss and turn in his sleep?

One of the reasons for sleep disturbance in a child is his emotional activity. When a child is in continuous movement throughout the day, even at night the baby’s brain does not stop processing the information that he received during the day. Therefore, sometimes involuntary movements of the arms and legs occur, this is a kind of imitation of the movements that the baby made during the day.

Pathological problems causing sleep disturbances

Pathological problems include various diseases that affect well-being:

elevated temperature;
ear pain caused by otitis media;
difficulty breathing with a runny nose;
dysbacteriosis;
Itching during allergies and other ailments can deprive a little person of sleep.

Pain during teething and colic do not belong to this group, as they are natural for a small child.

How to fight

The first and easiest step to healthy sleep for a child is to create comfortable conditions for him and eliminate the physical causes of restless sleep.

You need to take a responsible approach to choosing a crib, mattress, and bed linen. It is better to choose wallpaper and textiles in light, calm colors, as bright shades are tiring.

In the children's room, the temperature should be maintained at 18-20 ° C and the humidity around 60%, and the room should be regularly ventilated. Newborns can be frightened by complete silence; older children also fall asleep more easily to quiet monotonous melodies, so during “quiet hour” you can turn on a recording of the sounds of nature: rain, the sound of the sea, birdsong and others.

Before going to bed, the baby should be fed and changed. It is recommended to have dinner no later than an hour and a half before lights out. Drinking heavily before bed is not advisable. Newborns sleep better in diapers; for older babies, you need to choose comfortable pajamas that do not restrict movement. After falling asleep, you should ensure peace, protect from loud sounds and bright light. Try not to wake up if the baby overslept during feeding time: an extra half hour of sleep, even on an empty stomach, will not do any harm, but the baby will wake up on his own and in a good mood.

In the first months of life, the baby is still learning to sleep, so often during the active phase of sleep he opens his eyes and begins to whine.

You should not rush to your child at the first sign of awakening; you need to give him the opportunity to calm down and fall back into sleep.

During night feedings, nothing should disturb the baby or attract his attention. If, waking up in the middle of the night, he sees a familiar picture - his room, a night light, his favorite toy - then he will quickly and easily fall asleep again.

Solving psycho-emotional problems will require more effort. First of all, you need to take care of maintaining your daily routine. It can be formed starting from the age of one and a half months, because at this time the little person already pays attention to the difference between day and night. And even in the short time when a two-month-old baby is awake, this difference can be emphasized. Night feedings and changing clothes should be carried out in silence, without talking to the baby, by the light of a night lamp.

During the day, you can play with him, entertain him with songs and nursery rhymes, and during the daytime rest, do not darken the room so that the difference from what the child sees at night is clearly noticeable. For the same purpose, some child sleep consultants advise putting the baby in a different place during the day. The regime must be strictly observed: firstly, the child gradually gets used to falling asleep at the same time, and secondly, children feel much more confident and calm when the day goes according to their usual scenario.

Every family should have a strict rule: wish each other good night only in a good mood.

A person - both an adult and a child - should fall asleep in a relaxed, calm state.

Therefore, all grievances and quarrels should be resolved and forgotten long before bedtime. Otherwise, worries will bother the little impressionable person all night.

Joyful shocks can play the same cruel joke. It is better to move good news, new clothes, a visit from a beloved relative and other joyful events to an earlier time of day.

It is very important for a child to follow a certain familiar ritual before bed. Reading fairy tales, singing lullabies, discussing the events of the day, or another evening tradition will help you calm down and get ready to relax. When choosing such a ritual, you need to take into account the baby’s temperament: someone can be lulled to sleep by a short lullaby, while others need a whole hour to fall asleep.

For the same reason, it is not recommended to organize noisy active games in the evening. The parent who puts the baby to bed should be in a good, calm mood. The child feels his parents’ feelings very well, and if mom or dad are in a hurry or nervous, he unwittingly copies their behavior and then bedtime can take hours.

An 8-month-old child does not sleep well at night: causes and solutions

Acquiring new skills. By 8 months, the child becomes more active and begins to move more, sometimes even in his sleep. This phenomenon is temporary. As soon as the baby adapts to new skills, his sleep will improve.
Overexcitement. If in the evening the child played too much and was impressed by various events, then it will be difficult for him to fall asleep. In the evening, you should choose quieter games.
Too much nap during the day. The baby will have difficulty falling asleep at night if he has slept for a long time during the day. By 8 months, he should have a fully formed daily routine.
Overwork. If the child moves a lot during the day, then in the evening he may experience muscle pain. His ligaments have not yet strengthened, his bones have not fully hardened. Don't get on your feet too early.
External stimuli. At such a young age, children sleep very lightly. The light of a night light, the sound of a TV from the next room, or noise from the street can prevent them from falling asleep.
Physical discomfort. An uncomfortable mattress, bedding made of synthetic fabrics, or a bed that is too soft bring discomfort to the child.
Wrong time for feeding. The baby is used to waking up to kiss his mother's breast. However, by this age it is time to wean him off night feedings.
Teething. At 8 months, the upper central incisors are cut. The child experiences pain and his temperature rises. You can give him a painkiller prescribed by the pediatrician.
Binge eating. When adding complementary foods to your diet, you need to ensure that the nutrition is balanced. You cannot overfeed your child.
Fear of loneliness. By turning over on the other side at night, the baby may wake up and be afraid that his mother is not nearby. By this period, you need to teach your child to fall asleep on his own. You can put a soft toy in the crib so that he doesn't feel lonely.
Allergic reaction to complementary foods. Nutrition should be reconsidered.
Lack of vitamin D. Experts believe that this may be the cause of a child’s restless sleep. You need to regularly spend time with him in the fresh air, under the sun. Due to a lack of vitamin D, rickets can develop. Its signs are increased sweating, softening of bones in the chest area.
Serious illnesses. If the baby does not sleep well for a long time, you should consult a doctor. The cause of insomnia can be serious health problems: increased intracranial pressure, pathology of the digestive system, tumors in the brain, neurological diseases. The specialist will prescribe a comprehensive examination to make sure everything is okay with the child.

If your 8-month-old baby doesn’t sleep well and tosses and turns at night, don’t panic and create a nervous environment. It is necessary to find out what the reason is and try to eliminate it. If parents calmly and pay attention to the situation that has arisen, the baby’s sleep will soon improve.