Why does a 2-month-old baby not sleep during the day and what to do?

Babies at 2 months still sleep a lot. Their nervous system continues to develop, and this requires long, high-quality sleep. However, its phases are still very far from those of “adults”; more time is allocated to shallow sleep, and it is during this that the baby’s brain develops. It is important that at this stage of life the baby gets quality and complete sleep, because it is during sleep that he produces growth hormone. If a 2-month-old child does not sleep well during the day, you must find out why this is happening and find a solution to the problem.

Sleep during the day

For normal development, the baby must sleep not only at night, but also during the day. It is important to know that a 2-month-old child cannot be awake for more than 120 minutes at a time. Each such time interval should smoothly transition into sleep. It also happens that the baby can sleep all day, occasionally waking up to eat. In such situations, try to wake your newborn after 3-4 hours of continuous sleep.

While playing with your baby, monitor his activity, mood and gaze. The baby should not be overtired. In a good mood, a newborn can be lulled to sleep within 15 minutes. If the baby is emotionally overloaded, then this interval increases to 40-50 minutes.

Remember that the newborn's nervous system is still developing. He receives new emotions through his eyes and sensations. This greatly overloads the central nervous system, and sleep serves as an excellent relief. Therefore, you should not leave problems that arise with your sleep and wakefulness to chance.

Sleeping too long

Normally, 1-month-old babies should sleep for about 16-19 hours per day, three-month-old babies should generally sleep about 15 hours per day, and toddlers from 4 months to six months usually rest for about 14 hours. During this time, their nervous system and brain actively develop and a special hormone necessary for growth is produced. If the baby rests much more than the allotted time, and at the same time eats poorly, looks weak and lethargic, then this is a cause for concern.

Experts advise waking up babies more often for short periods of time to eat, so that the little body receives the required amount of food in small portions. If a toddler at 5 months or at any other age is allowed to sleep soundly for many hours in a row, and at the same time sacrificing nutrition, this leads to dehydration, a decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood, and jaundice often begins. But if the sleep is long enough, and the baby is gaining weight well and eats little, then there is no reason to worry, and there is no need to wake up your son or daughter once again.

Night sleep

Some babies aged 6-8 weeks can sleep through the night without waking up. But most babies tend to wake up every 3-4 hours to eat. The frequency of sleep can vary depending on the emotional overload of the baby. The more stress and emotions a child has received during the day, the more restless his sleep.

In children under six months of age, nighttime sleep begins closer to midnight. Fluctuations are typical from nine in the evening to twelve at night. After reaching 6 months, it shifts to 22 hours and earlier.

In order for the baby to have a sweet sleep, it is necessary to maintain silence and communicate in a whisper. Try not to provoke him into activity.

What's wrong with him? Why is my sleep so bad?

Thousands of parents have asked similar questions. Why can't a child rest properly? Is it impossible to do without qualified help from specialists? Of course you can!

It is worth paying attention to the following reasons for poor sleep:

1. Environment.
2. Family lifestyle.
3. Condition of the home.
4. The spiritual component of each “close” relative (living in close proximity to the baby).

By eliminating all possible troubles from the above, no one is exempt from force majeure circumstances. Remember: the body of any child also depends on the lifestyle of the carrier (mother), partly the character and stressful situations endured - the fewer of them, the less likely the likelihood of poor sleep becomes.

Basic facts should not escape the minds of adults - this is still a one-month-old child, incapacitated and dependent on his parents. His dream does not represent “nothing” - it is a process that defies explanation, directly repeating the lifestyle of those around him. If mom and dad sleep for 8 hours, enjoy life and do not disturb public peace, then the child will be sincerely happy (fortunately, he simply cannot hide his feelings at this stage). Despite full compliance with the “mother’s” standards, the baby will need professional advice.

Sleep standards

If a child of 2.5 months does not sleep during the day, it is necessary to look for causes of concern. Since the baby from the day of birth until 3 months should be in a state of sleep from 18 to 20 hours a day. But do not forget that each child is individual, and 16 hours in some cases is also normal.

Until the newborn's routine is established, the total time is divided into daytime and nighttime sleep. But a lot depends on how you feel. If the baby is not bothered by colic or intracranial pressure, then sleep can last up to several hours.

Please note that if the baby sleeps for more than 4 hours, this is not a good symptom. The body can compensate for hunger through sleep. Therefore, it is better to wake up the newborn and feed him.

Interference with healthy sleep

Often, a child has trouble falling asleep during the day due to the following unfavorable conditions:

• violations of sanitation. In many cases, in order for a baby of 3 months or older to rest uninterruptedly, it is necessary to ventilate the children's bedroom, perform wet cleaning, and also monitor the humidity and air temperature. All people, including small children, find it unpleasant to fall asleep in a hot room; the best temperature for children is 20-21 degrees;
• psychological discomfort. If a month-old baby or an older baby takes a long time to fall asleep, or refuses to sleep at all, the cause is sometimes too bright lighting. It is important to curtain the windows while sleeping so that sunlight does not disturb the baby. In addition, children stay awake for a long time due to turmoil in the house, constant guests or excessive activity of the mother. Parents should make sure that one or two hours before the daytime rest the house is calm and quiet; there is no need to allow the little one to play active games; it is important to do everything that will help the baby calm down.
• in some cases, babies refuse to nap after breaking contact with their mother. In such a situation, you can normalize sleep in a couple of months if mommy takes the little one in her arms more often, spends more time petting him;
• Due to certain physiological factors, rest can be restless. If a child at 6 months gradually gets used to new food, then gas and colic appear in his tummy. In many cases, he begins to regurgitate food, hiccup, fart, and asks to be held. This condition causes discomfort and pain in the baby, sleep suffers, the baby often cries and looks lethargic. To help in this situation, many parents place their babies on their tummy, give a light massage, or apply a heating pad to the little tummy;
• if a child 1 month or older sleeps very poorly during the day, but there are no longer any negative symptoms, then some kind of neurological pathology could develop;
• Usually, children start teething at six months, this causes them pain and discomfort, in some cases teeth appear even in the third or fourth month of life, so it is not surprising that sleep becomes poor and restless;
• Sometimes it’s a matter of reluctance to go to bed because of an interesting game. If a baby at one year or at another age does something interesting, plays enthusiastically, and mommy calls him to go to bed, then the reaction is often negative.

Possible causes of lack of sleep

Why a 2-month-old child does not sleep during the day worries most parents. Most often, several factors can be the cause of a baby's restless behavior.

1. The child is 2 months old, sleeps little during the day? First of all, check if he is fed, maybe his diaper or diaper is very wet.
2. Air temperature in the room. The optimal level is 20-23 degrees Celsius.
3. Perhaps the newborn is hot. Many parents tend to wrap up their baby out of fear that he will freeze. But you shouldn't do this. However, you can’t leave them naked for a long time either. In children at this age, thermoregulation is still poorly developed, so it is necessary to monitor their well-being. The fact that the child is hot will be indicated by slightly pink cheeks, and active movements of the arms and legs, on the contrary, indicate that the baby is cold.
4. Bright light during the day prevents the baby from relaxing and falling asleep. Close the curtains or blinds a little tighter to create the appropriate ambiance.
5. Colic, unfortunately, is one of the most difficult moments for a newborn. He feels pain in his tummy caused by the accumulation of gas. Give your baby a massage and give him special remedies aimed at reducing unpleasant symptoms.
6. Extraneous noise, loud conversations and a running TV also negatively affect the quality of children's sleep.

Daytime sleep disturbance in a two month old baby

Young parents often worry unfoundedly about the fact that the baby rests for a long time or hardly sleeps. If your baby is breastfed, consider the time he spends at the breast. To be completely satisfied, he needs to actively suckle milk for 10-15 minutes. For the remaining half hour or hour, the child dreams with a pacifier in his mouth.

During feeding, it is recommended to periodically encourage the baby. To prevent him from falling asleep, immediately gently rub his arm or leg and call him calmly. This is not necessary if you have enough time and you can relax together.

Daytime rest: determining the norm

The concept of sleep norms for the second month of life is blurred. But basically, the baby needs 2 full “sleepy” periods of 1.5-2 hours each and 2-3 short periods of 30-40 minutes each. Daytime rest periods are intermittent at night due to external stimuli (sunlight, car noise, TV, parents talking). The most common reason for their interruption is the absence of the mother nearby.

When calculating daytime sleep norms, pay attention to its duration at night. If the baby suffers from colic and teething, the pain intensifies at night and rest becomes incomplete. Therefore, at lunchtime he can sleep soundly for 2-3 hours.

A failure in the regime may occur due to illness; in this case, the baby needs a lot of rest, because his body needs strength. If you miss one nap, the next one will last longer than usual.

This sleep duration gradually decreases. At six months, a child will need 13-14 hours of rest. This will allow you to more clearly formulate your daily routine.

Crying and other behavior abnormalities during naps

During the deep sleep phase, children and adults sleep soundly, breathing is even, and the body is most relaxed. When the superficial period begins, parents notice how the baby sobs, smiles, begins to grimace, or even cries. All this is connected with the pictures, images seen and the experience of vivid emotions that the baby experienced while awake.

Attention! Startling during sleep or while falling asleep is also normal. This is due to the immaturity of the nervous system and slight muscle tone, when the arms and legs are not completely relaxed. In order for the baby to gradually prepare for daytime rest, it is recommended to put him to bed calmly, in a good mood and in silence.

Causes of problems

A 2-month-old child sleeps poorly day and night due to the fact that he still does not know how to control his body and mind. This is also why awakenings occur. Mom needs to lay him down, sing or give him breastfeeding to calm him down. Manipulations such as motion sickness are contraindicated, as parents develop the wrong habit in the baby. With age, the situation may worsen, and swinging on your hands will last up to two or more years.

Typical age and general factors

The main reason for sleep disturbance in a 2-month-old baby is rapid growth and development of the brain. It is from the 8th week that most physiological changes are observed. Intermittent rest or lack thereof is also provoked by the following age-related factors:

• low activity during wakefulness;
• absence of mother;
• long night sleep until 10-11.00;
• staying awake for more than two hours;
• abdominal cramps or other pain;
• overfilled diaper;
• immaturity of the nervous system and biological rhythms;
• features of sleep structure (rapid phase predominates)
• underfeeding or overfeeding.

It is possible to name other general reasons that disrupt the sleep of children at any age:

• uncomfortable position (stiff arm, leg, neck pain);
• too dry or humid air;
• cold or hot room;
• uncomfortable clothes;
• extraneous noise;
• emotional overexcitation;
• psychological stress in the family;
• bright sunlight.

Some babies, whose arms are not wrapped in a swaddle, constantly wake up from involuntarily hitting themselves in their sleep. For this reason, a two-month-old baby sleeps poorly not only during the day, but also at night.

It is important to know! Gaziki are a deviation from the norm, but at this age they almost always become the cause of capriciousness and non-compliance with the regime. With colic, the baby begins to toss and turn, sleep poorly, kick his legs, and try to tuck them under him. To reduce discomfort, the mother needs to follow a diet or choose a suitable mixture.

Dangerous situations

The disorder occurs not only due to age, but also in the presence of deviations in the development of the baby. It is especially important to be on alert for parents whose child has suffered a birth injury, was born prematurely, or with congenital diseases. In this case, it is necessary to register and visit a neurologist more often.

Contact your pediatrician if the following pathologies appear while your baby is sleeping:

• apnea, runny nose, snoring, wheezing and other breathing disorders;
• heat rash and irritation;
• convulsions;
• throwing back the head;
• blue discoloration of the limbs and nasolabial triangle;
• frequent regurgitation;
• hyperactivity;
• lack of sleep the whole day;
• problems with daytime sleep longer than 3 days.

If your baby is capricious while awake, falls asleep and wakes up hysterical, he may have a headache or teething. Poor health also affects appetite.

Advice! When, while crying, the child grimaces, grunts, smells unpleasant, tenses, and you notice that he has not pooped for a long time, it means he is constipated. It is necessary to get rid of feces using a microenema. If the situation repeats, consult a doctor.

Tracking the rhythms

When a child does not sleep during the day at 2 months, this is alarming. Observe the baby; perhaps he is too active before sleep and begins to cry when they try to lull him to sleep. In this case, swaddling or rocking can be of great help for the mother. Once the newborn has calmed down a little, you can put him to the breast. In fact, maternal warmth, motion sickness and breastfeeding are enough for the baby.

If after such maternal rituals the baby still does not fall asleep, then you need to look for the reasons for the rhythm failure. First of all, the mother should be in a calm state and enjoy the fact that a small and beloved person is lying in her arms. There is no need to be nervous because your baby can’t go to bed. Feel his emotions, perhaps he is just afraid.

Remember that until the baby’s sleep is restored, it is necessary to avoid emotional overload and minimize visits from guests.

Main reasons

There are several reasons why a child refuses to rest during daylight hours. While in the womb, the baby develops a nervous system, character and temperament. After birth, a baby at 1 month, younger or older may get very little rest, perhaps because he has no such desire and wants to explore everything around him. However, if the baby has such a temperament, then sooner or later he will doze off during the day due to fatigue. If the baby continues to stay awake almost the whole day, and even refuses to sleep on the street, then it is necessary to find an explanation for this condition. The problem is caused by the following factors:

• psychological or physical disruptions, due to which a one-month or two-month-old baby, as well as an older child, may experience sleep disorders;
• individual characteristics of the baby.

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We looked at why a 2-month-old baby doesn’t sleep well during the day.

If you feel that your baby is seriously worried, and this is not due to emotional stress, contact your pediatrician. It’s better to double-check the baby’s condition one more time than to miss something.

Try to regularly walk with your child in the fresh air. Babies fall asleep well in the stroller.

Decoctions of herbs such as string and chamomile can be added to bathing water.

As soon as it's around 9 p.m., talk in a whisper and eliminate the sounds from the TV or music playing.

Create comfortable sleeping conditions. There should be no nervousness in the relationship between parents. You must remember that good sleep is the key to your baby’s health.

Features of the daily routine at two months of age

By 2 months, the baby sleeps less and less. In some cases, the baby completely refuses to rest during the daytime, because the instinct of the researcher does not allow him to fall asleep. But parents should try to maintain a daily routine. It is different for every little person.

Therefore, you will have to stick to approximate values:

1. From 7.00, after waking up, the period of wakefulness and the first feeding begins.
2. Between 9.00 and 10.30 – morning sleep. It will be useful for the baby to spend this time in the fresh air.
3. From 10.30 the period of wakefulness begins, which lasts about 2 hours. At this time, the baby eats, plays, and walks.
4. Daytime sleep lasts from 12.30 to 14.00.
5. From 14.00 follows the third meal, developmental activities (reading poetry, singing songs).
6. At 16.00 – going to bed.
7. From 17.30 the fourth meal, games, activities.
8. At 19.30 evening sleep is scheduled, which lasts 1.5 hours.
9. At 21.00 the child wakes up. Followed by the fifth meal, preparation for bed, bathing.
10. At 23.00 the baby goes to bed. Night rest continues until 7 am.

During the night, the baby may wake up several times for a snack.

Breastfeeding and sleep

A child under 2 months of age spends a lot of time in a state of shallow sleep. This can be seen by the way he immediately wakes up due to sudden extraneous noise. And also his eyes under the eyelids can move, and this is a factor that is absent during deep sleep. The most common reason why a baby wakes up frequently is the desire to eat. As soon as you put the baby to your breast, he begins to snore sweetly and falls asleep.

According to pediatricians, a baby who is fed breast milk sleeps much longer and more soundly, especially next to his mother.

How to normalize daytime sleep

It is important for all children to sleep during daylight hours, thanks to this they actively develop and also fully rest. In the absence of daytime naps, the nervous system will be overly excited, which in many cases becomes the cause of a difficult and restless night's rest. To normalize sleep during the day, you need to do the following:

• keep an eye on the little one. He will show himself when he is tired, and an observant mother will understand that it is time to put him to bed. Even when a baby cries, it is advisable not to teach him to fall asleep in his mother’s arms, because children quickly get used to this, and then it will be quite problematic to teach him to fall asleep in bed. When the child falls asleep, mommy just needs to be next to him, you can sing him a lullaby, stroke him, caress him. Thanks to such actions, he will develop a conditioned reflex, and subsequently he will understand that when he is put in a crib, he needs to fall asleep;
• strictly adhere to the daily routine. Experts give the following advice: do everything according to the clock, including going to bed; thanks to a well-coordinated schedule, children learn to fall asleep peacefully much faster. Psychologists say that before going to bed it is useful to say sweet words to babies, for example, “it’s time for bedtime.” If you repeat a certain phrase every time before falling asleep, the baby will get used to it and will know that it is time to close his eyes;
• sometimes babies fall asleep in the house for a very long time, in this case you can try rocking the baby in a stroller outside;
• for strong and healthy children's sleep, you can do a soothing massage and take baths with relaxing, natural herbs;
• You should not play active and noisy games before motion sickness; you should refrain from them 1-2 hours before falling asleep;
• Before bathing and rocking, you need to take a walk outside and ventilate the children's bedroom. Fresh air helps you fall asleep faster.

Blend and sleep

Most parents are confident that bottle-fed babies sleep much better than breast-fed babies. In fact, the regimes between children are practically no different. There may be slight fluctuations in time, but they are only due to the fact that breast milk is digested faster, and accordingly, the baby on breastfeeding will get hungry and wake up earlier.

But babies on formula take longer to fall asleep. A bottle is not enough for them, and after satiation they still want to receive affection from their mother’s hands and rocking.

Preparing your baby for a healthy sleep

What to do if a child stops sleeping during the day at 2 months? Each parent has the power to help their baby acquire the right habits. Thanks to a number of rules, the child will be accustomed to the correct daily routine from infancy.

When your baby has a period of activity, maintain his spirit. Try to play with your baby, do not turn off extraneous noise (music, TV). This is how the entire waking period passes. As soon as it's time to sleep, dim the lights and talk in a whisper. Soon the baby will understand when it is time to sleep and when it is time to play.

From the age of 8 months, give your baby the opportunity to fall asleep on his own.

Understand your baby's rhythms. From the age of 2 months, children cannot remain awake for more than two hours. Watch until you notice that the baby wants to sleep. Then send him to his crib. These simple techniques will help you learn your baby's routine, and you will intuitively feel when he wants to sleep.

Teach your baby by example. Lie down next to his crib and close your eyes so he can see you.

Other ways to improve your baby's daytime rest at 2 months

If a 2-month-old baby does not sleep well during the day, it is necessary to find out the cause of the disorder. Provide him with comfortable conditions, a separate crib with a comfortable mattress and high-quality linen. Also, before going to the doctor, use the following recommendations:

1. Do regular wet cleaning, remove flowers and soft toys from the room.
2. Dress your baby according to the temperature in the room and ventilate the bedroom.
3. Avoid swaddling so that your baby can freely spread his arms and legs.
4. After feeding, hold the baby upright for 10-15 minutes.
5. Keep quiet while sleeping.
6. If you wake up screaming and crying, try to calm the child down by picking him up.
7. Communicate with your baby while he is awake, take him to you, carry him around the apartment, talk.
8. Darken the room, protecting the baby from direct sunlight.
9. If possible, leave your baby in the stroller on the balcony or in your yard while sleeping.

Advice! The famous doctor Evgeny Komarovsky recommends that young parents follow the regime and introduce it from the first weeks of life. But don't wake your baby, even if he should already be awake. Now you adapt to the baby’s biological rhythms and plan your day based on his needs.

For full development, a person needs to get enough sleep from birth. At two months, many parents experience disruption to their baby's daytime sleep. This is due to its active growth. During such a period, it is important to gradually introduce a regime and try to control the time allotted for rest and wakefulness.

Recommendations from pediatricians

In order for your baby to have a sound and long sleep, you need to familiarize yourself with the advice of pediatricians:

1. The baby's waking time should not exceed 120 minutes at a time. The baby cannot remain without sleep for a longer period.
2. To help your baby sleep peacefully, let him sleep on your chest. After all, this is normal for a baby.
3. At bedtime, try to close the curtains, thereby creating a comfortable environment for your baby.
4. Swaddling the baby promotes a feeling of protection, as it was in the mother's womb before birth.
5. Slowly rock your baby while softly singing a lullaby to him.
6. Until your daily routine is fully established, try not to get nervous about not getting enough sleep. This is all temporary, and the little man feels all his mother’s experiences.

conclusions

Correct mental and physical development in the early months of a baby’s life lays the foundation for the baby’s future life. Therefore, the problem associated with the fact that a 2-month-old child does not sleep during the day must be resolved in a timely manner.

Do not panic during the period of colic, this is a physiological process. And when a baby’s tummy hurts from accumulated gases, he has no time to sleep.

My baby is 2 months old and doesn’t sleep all day, what should I do? In this case, you need to consult a doctor, as the baby may have serious problems.

Other factors that negatively affect sleep may be disruption of the digestive tract, dysbiosis or thrush. Parents should always remember that if there are any problems associated with the baby, they should immediately consult a doctor.

Sleep disorders associated with the digestive process

A baby at two months often does not sleep well due to spasms in the intestines caused by the accumulation of gases. With rare exceptions, this is not a manifestation of the disease; the problem is associated with imperfections in the digestive system and improper feeding of the baby.

Usually the pain appears soon after feeding, often in the late afternoon. If the problem is not addressed, attacks of stomach colic can continue in a child for up to 4-5 hours a day.

The mother should follow a diet and avoid foods that contribute to increased flatulence, such as legumes, black bread, pickled vegetables, and spicy seasonings. When artificial feeding, you should not overfeed the baby and you must strictly follow the instructions for preparing the formula. Excessively concentrated food causes increased gas formation, which leads to colic. Foods with high fat content also cannot be fully absorbed at an early age; in this case, the newborn needs to be given water between feedings.

You should also avoid swallowing air during feeding. To do this, you need to monitor the correct attachment to the breast, and after feeding, hold the baby in an upright position in a “column” for several minutes.

To help a child with colic, it is often enough to place a warm mother’s hand or an ironed diaper on the tummy; you can also massage with light circular movements clockwise and give the baby some dill water to drink.