How much should a 1 month old baby sleep during the day and at night?

The first month of a baby's life is very important. The baby receives a lot of information from the environment and adapts to new living conditions.

A lot of effort is spent on this. The child's body is still very weak. He needs frequent rest to restore his energy reserves. It is useful for parents to know how much sleep a baby should sleep at 1 month.

The need for a daily routine for infants

For children in the first month of life, the day consists of eating, sleeping and socializing. There is no full-fledged regime for biorhythms yet.

An approximate daily routine is very important for a mother: no one canceled household chores, child care, or rest. It is necessary to include feeding the baby, walks in the fresh air, communication and accessible games, sleep, massage and hygiene procedures.

Advantages of the daily routine:

• the ability to plan important matters, household chores, personal sleep and care, relaxation, self-care, hobbies;
• If the regime is followed, the baby does not overeat and is less likely to experience abdominal pain;
• Mom devotes time and attention to her husband, other family members, and takes care of herself thanks to the established schedule.

Satisfying the needs of the baby allows you to raise a healthy baby. Then the child is less capricious, makes better contact with his parents, and falls asleep faster and better.

How many hours a day does a baby sleep?

There is no exact number for how long a baby should sleep at 1 month. The value varies from 17 to 20 hours and depends on the condition of the baby, his health, the characteristics of delivery, and the character of the newborn.

The first days the child can sleep up to 20-22 hours a day, the number of dreams during the day ranges from 4 to 8.

Duration of night sleep

A 1-month-old baby sleeps about 8-10 hours at night, waking up several times for feedings. Some children do not bother their parents the whole night - 5-6 hours.

For better sleep for your baby, many consultants recommend putting him next to you in the same bed. In such conditions, the child feels protected, as in the womb. According to reviews from mothers, when sleeping together (SS), they get better sleep and recover faster after childbirth.

To organize a SS, you need a bed with a firm mattress; there should be no extra blankets or bedspreads on it. The ideal option is an attached cradle to an adult bed. Co-sleeping is not recommended if the mother is a light sleeper, takes sedatives or sleeping pills, drinks alcohol, smokes, the house is crowded and there are animals.

When choosing a SS, the baby's head should be at the level of the mother's chest, not lying on the pillow. The ideal position for the baby is between the mother and the wall, not on the edge of the bed.

The use of “cocoons” or “nests” makes co-sleeping easier.

When sleeping separately, children wake up more often, are capricious, may cry, and have trouble falling asleep.

Daytime nap

In the first month, newborns sleep for about 8-10 hours during the day and are occasionally awake. The number of beds varies from 4 to 8, the time of each sleep may vary. The shortest is 20 minutes. Dreams of 1 hour 20 minutes and 2 hours predominate.

A healthy newborn at 1 month should sleep as much as his body requires. During periods of wakefulness, the baby needs nutrition, love, and favorable environmental conditions. If everything is enough, then the child sleeps peacefully for the time necessary for recovery and rest.

At this age, it is still impossible to accustom him to hands; the child does not know how to manipulate. The more often you carry him, hug him, kiss him, lie with him, the better he feels and sleeps.

According to the author of the books Carlos Gonzalez, carrying on the handles is the best cure for colic.

During the first month of the baby's life, sleep can be organized outside in a stroller, on the balcony. The main thing is to dress the child according to the weather, since thermoregulation has not yet developed.

Daily regime

The normal development of a child in the first month of life consists of timely receipt of nutrition and the opportunity to sleep as much as required. There is no need to torture yourself and your child by forcing them to go to bed if the baby wants to eat. And vice versa, feeding when he sleeps.

A newborn's daytime sleep occurs intermittently. A total of 6 to 10 hours are allocated for it. It is better that each sleep period lasts 1.5–2 hours. A child can sleep during a walk. They are carried out in the first half of the day or in the evening, an hour and a half before bedtime.

Between nap cycles, the baby is fed. This usually happens 6 times. Many babies fall asleep quickly while breastfeeding. At night, sleep takes an average of 8 hours. Feeding occurs at this time once or twice.

If the daily routine is correctly formed immediately after the birth of the baby, then there will be no problems with falling asleep and the development of the child. With such parents, children will be accustomed to correct behavior and raised according to their age.

How many times can a baby sleep a day?

The number of bedtimes depends on the sensitivity of sleep and parents’ compliance with basic requirements for the environment (silence, darkening of the room). On average, they go to sleep 4-8 times during the day and 1-3 times at night.

There are cases when children sleep at night for 5-6 hours without waking up.

There are also babies who sleep little during the day and at night. This may be their individual characteristic, not related to physical or mental problems. If the newborn is calm, eats well, and gains weight, then there is no reason to worry.

Sleep from 0 to 3 months

After the baby is born, he needs a lot of time to adapt to new living conditions. Therefore, for the first two months, a baby can sleep quite a lot, up to 18 hours a day. But by three months the number of hours of sleep decreases to 15.

Most children sleep at certain intervals; often a baby can sleep no more than 4 hours in a row, so at first it will be difficult for you to get up to your baby every 3-4 hours to feed him, change his diaper or change his diaper. But during the day, your waking minutes can be occupied by communicating with your child and playing with him. There are children who are able to sleep through the night without waking up. But there are very few of them. Most often, babies reach this indicator only by six months. However, parents have the power to improve their baby’s sleep and make it longer and of better quality.

Should you worry if your newborn sleeps a lot?

There are several reasons when a baby sleeps longer than a healthy newborn baby up to 1 month should sleep. Some are associated with illness and stress, others with improper sleep organization.

Causes:

• difficult childbirth - too rapid or prolonged, incorrect position of the child during delivery, injuries;
• malnutrition, as a result of which the baby is lethargic and drowsy;
• complications after vaccinations;
• past illnesses;
• external irritants that interfere with proper sleep (working TV, bright light, noise and screams);
• short-term stress – after visiting the clinic, guests.

Whether to wake up or not depends on the baby’s well-being. The main thing is to do it gently and carefully, not to scare him.

When you urgently need to see a doctor:

• dry skin;
• the fontanelle has sunk;
• dry diapers and diapers for 6 or more hours;
• sleep for more than 3 hours in a row is sound and deep, the baby does not flinch, facial expressions, body position, arms and legs do not change;
• gray or bluish skin;
• quiet crying, whimpering in sleep;
• heat.

Often, long sleep is associated with insufficient nutrition of the baby during breastfeeding.

Young mothers are afraid to wake up the baby for feeding or to organize it properly; as a result, he sucks sluggishly, falls asleep on the breast and gains little weight. The first month should be fed on demand, but at least once every 2-2.5 hours during the day and 3-3.5 hours at night.

From birth: how to teach a child proper sleep?

It is important to understand that the concept of “how much a child sleeps” is radically different at different ages: at a month the norm is one, and at four it is already different. The first rule of a newborn is that he sleeps as much as he wants: no more, no less. If the baby has a desire, he can fall asleep at any noise level and in any place, despite the presence of external unfamiliar stimuli. A single sleep cycle can last from 3 to 4 hours. Many babies rest according to the plans developed by their mothers, but if the newborn does not follow the plan, it’s not a big deal. For him now, “food” and “sleep” are very closely interconnected: the child wakes up every month because he is hungry and falls asleep because he is full. But remember the following nuances.

1. Crying does not always mean “I want to eat” in children’s language, although many mothers get used to calming their child down with just the next portion of food.
2. Give breast or bottle only when all other reasons have been ruled out:
   hot;
3. Cold;
4. wet;
5. wants to be held;
6. tired of noise;
7. tummy hurts;
8. is ill.

If you give food on demand, the baby will get used to calming down only if this factor is present.

9. Teach your baby to understand the difference between sleep and wakefulness. If he doesn't sleep, take him out of the crib and play. This way the little head will be able to understand that the cradle is a place only for sleeping.
10. Do not put your child to bed with bright lights or a night light on. If we are talking about daytime sleep, the child should get used to resting with extraneous sounds at home: a piano, a vacuum cleaner, steps and conversations - of course, within reasonable limits and not in the dark.
11. Swim before bed and ensure maximum comfort while you rest. If the baby has eaten, hold him in a “column” so that excess air comes out of the stomach. Change clothes, check the temperature of the room and crib, but do not rock him too much in your arms.

Sleeping and feeding

The organization of feeding directly affects the quantity and quality of sleep of a newborn baby up to 1 month. There are several types of feeding:

• chest;
• mixed;
• artificial.

Many experts recommend organizing breastfeeding on demand - giving breasts when the baby wants. This can be recognized by smacking, open mouth, shaking the head to the sides.

Frequent breastfeeding and effective sucking allow lactation to establish so that the baby will have enough food in the future. Breast milk is well digestible and consists of 95% water. They cannot be overfed. Children on breastfeeding do not need other liquids: water, juices, compotes, extra teas.

If the baby immediately falls asleep at the breast during feeding, you need to pat him a little on the cheek, wake him up and feed him. You can change your feeding position or offer the breast later.

It is undesirable to use pacifiers and nipples during breastfeeding. They spoil the grip and confuse the child. The result is ineffective sucking, small weight gain; Mothers don't understand when the baby is hungry.

The effectiveness of feeding can be assessed by weighing the gain. In 1 month the norm is from 400 g to 1 kg. The number of applications in the first weeks can be 14-16 times.

At night, a newborn can eat 2-3 times. If the baby is sleeping, he should be woken up every 3-3.5 hours for feeding, especially if there is little weight gain.

Formula-fed children are given formula on a schedule - every 2-2.5 hours.

Do I need to wake up my baby to feed?

The answer to this question can only be given taking into account several factors. If the feeding regimen that you adhere to involves breastfeeding strictly according to a schedule, for example, once every 3 hours, then the “sleep” baby should be woken up and fed. Pediatricians also recommend waking up a baby who sleeps for more than 5 hours in a row, since a long break in nutrition can cause a drop in his blood glucose level, and this is a potentially dangerous condition.

It is necessary to wake up premature newborns, as well as children who have been diagnosed with hypotrophy by the age of one month. But if your baby was born on time, with normal indicators and is gaining weight well, and you feed him on demand, do not rush to disturb the baby’s sweet sleep: he will wake up on his own as soon as he gets hungry.

Baby's sleep at 2 months

Reasons for lack of sleep in a month-old baby

With a lack of sleep, parents notice difficulty falling asleep and frequent awakenings. The reasons may be the following:

• ailments associated with digestion - colic and abdominal pain, constipation, bloating, diarrhea;
• colds – runny nose, otitis media, fever, cough;
• neurological disorders, consequences of birth trauma;
• physiological factor - there is an active developmental leap every month, the nervous system is not always able to cope;
• improper care - the room is hot or cold, clothes are tight, uncomfortable or warm, diapers are too tight;
• poor organization of sleeping conditions;
• no mode.

Some doctors talk about migraines in children as a cause of lack of sleep.

Basic conditions for a child to sleep soundly

Dr. Komarovsky has the answer to how much a baby should sleep at 1 month. In his opinion, 17 hours of rest is enough for a healthy baby, subject to basic conditions.

At this age, the baby may confuse day and night, and sleep phases change differently. Initially, the fast phase lasts 20-30 minutes, which is characterized by shallow sleep. During this time, the baby may wake up from noise, rustling, whispering, or being transferred to the crib. Motor activity is maintained - the baby wiggles his legs and arms, shudders, clenches his fists, and closes his eyes.

After 30 minutes, the fast phase is replaced by a slow phase. Sleep becomes deep. It is most useful and restores the children's body. The muscular system relaxes, and there are fewer involuntary body twitches.

Sleep Features

Sleep in a one-month-old baby, like in an adult, has several stages:

• NREM sleep phase. During this period, the body rests the most. All muscles are relaxed. Heart rate and breathing are smooth. It is difficult to wake up the baby in this phase.
• REM sleep phase. At this stage, blood pressure increases, and the heart and respiratory rhythm may become disturbed. Muscle tone decreases. Twitching of the limbs or facial muscles may be observed. At this time, the baby dreams. But the baby does not yet understand the difference between dreams and reality. It is easy to wake up a child in this phase.

REM and NREM sleep alternate each other, forming cycles. Unlike adults, in newborns and children up to three months of age it lasts about 50 minutes and only 20-25% of the entire cycle is occupied by the slow-wave sleep phase.

Therefore, if your baby falls asleep exclusively in your arms, then hold him for another 15 minutes before moving him to the crib so that he reaches the stage of slow sleep.

A baby's sleep, like an adult's, is divided into phases.

Waking time and how to understand that the baby wants to sleep

Normally, a month-old baby should sleep 17-20 hours a day.

The maximum waking time between dreams is from 15-40 minutes in the first week to 60 minutes in subsequent weeks. At this time, the baby can be occupied with nursery rhymes, massage, bathing and other procedures according to the daily routine. Children show particular interest in hanging objects, black and white rattles, and pictures.

A 1 month old baby is awake for 4-8 hours. When the baby is tired and wants to sleep, his actions become slower, he yawns and rubs his eyes with his hands. It is advisable to help the child fall asleep in accessible ways when the first signs appear - rocking him in his arms or on a fitball, carrying him around the room, turning on white noise.

How to help learn to recognize day and night

The baby begins to fully recognize day and night at 4 months. You can help with this by following these recommendations from birth:

• put in the same period of time;
• darken the room completely only at night, only dim the light during the day;
• while awake, turn on children's songs and classical music, do not drown out other extraneous sounds, turn on the light;
• introduce rituals before bedtime - singing a lullaby, bathing, saying good night.

A healthy baby should sleep 17-20 hours at 1 month. It is important not to let the regime take its course. A two-week-old baby learns to distinguish between daytime and nighttime.

What time should you put your newborn baby to bed at night?

It is recommended to put the baby to bed at night at the same time - from 20 to 22 hours after bathing and feeding. For better sleep, you can use white noise - sounds of nature, splashing water, sound of waves, heartbeat. Thanks to this method, babies calm down and do not hear extraneous sounds.

Safe sleep for a baby is on its side. To prevent it from turning over, you can apply a soft cushion to its back. There should be no large blankets, rugs, canopies or other items in the crib that are easy to get tangled in. The use of a “nest” is allowed. This is a specially made mattress with sides.

What prevents a child from sleeping peacefully?

Whims and prolonged crying indicate that something is bothering the child. The reasons for poor sleep lie in:

• hunger;
• colic;
• wet diaper;
• low air temperature in the room;
• sudden movements of the legs and arms when swaddling the baby incorrectly.

By eliminating the problem or anticipating its occurrence, you can see a positive result. Night and daytime sleep can then pass without crying and anxiety.

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How to feed

If a baby does not have enough milk before one month old, then he will wake up more often both at night and during the day. During one feeding, a baby consumes 20–60 ml of milk in the first days of life. By the 4th week, the volume increases gradually to 100–110 ml. A pediatrician will help set the norm for a particular baby. After all, the baby’s needs depend on his weight and developmental characteristics.

But you shouldn’t overfeed your children either. This may lead to:

• incomplete digestion of food;
• colic;
• constipation and abdominal pain;
• frequent regurgitation of food.

Formula-fed babies eat less formula per feeding than those who receive breast milk. They satisfy hunger with formulas faster, and the break between feedings will be longer.

Recommendations for organizing sleep

Why does my baby sleep little during the day?

A calm and deep sleep is provided to the baby by:

• going to bed at the same time;
• airing the room to 18 degrees Celsius;
• switching loud sound to quiet sound on radio and television equipment;
• dimming the light.

It is necessary to lay the baby down so that he does not open up and does not freeze. Envelopes are suitable for this purpose for one-month-old babies. If they are covered with a blanket, you should tuck it in so that the baby does not open up. Instead of a pillow, use a diaper folded four times.

The crib in the room should not be close to heating appliances. The baby will begin to sweat, become thirsty and wake up. It is best to cover the windows with thick curtains during the day. This way, children will develop the concept that they need to sleep because it’s already dark.

If the crib has a canopy, this will alleviate the problem. By closing the curtain, they will allow the child to sleep peacefully in semi-darkness. Don’t forget that the curtains must be breathable so that the baby does not feel stuffy.

The best sleep aids

Positioners are used by mothers to promote restful sleep for their baby. A one-month-old baby should sleep in it; at three months you should not put a baby there. Sleep positioners are simple in design. They consist of two rollers fastened to each other with a strong cloth.

By limiting your baby's movements, you don't have to worry about his restful sleep. Straps secure the position of the baby when he sleeps. Babies 1–1.5 months old sleeping in positioners do not feel colic in the stomach. Correct body position prevents the formation of gases in the intestines. The bones of the skull will grow together correctly. When burping, the baby will not choke.

There are more advantages to using a sleep positioner than disadvantages, especially for babies one month old. It is convenient to place the positioner in the bed next to the mother or in the crib. The baby will not roll off due to injury. Positioners are made from natural, environmentally friendly materials.

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