With the appearance of the child in the family, parents face many problems associated with caring for him. Sleep and wakefulness in newborns has a special rhythm that is programmed by nature itself. In order not to violate biorhythms, you need to remember the basic rules.
In the first month, the baby is not yet able to distinguish between day and night. The signal for awakening is a feeling of hunger. A newborn wakes up when he wants to eat. Due to the fact that his stomach volume is still too small, this happens every 2-3 hours. Parents should not expect that he will be able to withstand a 6-hour interval. Therefore, children wake up to feed not only during the day, but also at night. This is a completely normal mode. It is night feedings that contribute to the establishment of stable lactation. Mom at this time is the production of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the production of breast milk.
What affects the daily routine
By the end of the first month, the sleep and wakefulness of the newborn baby begins to be established. The baby increases the amount of night sleep, while daytime sleep decreases. The time when he is awake also changes in a big way. When he does not sleep, he begins to show interest in the toys that his parents show him.
Mom needs to try to accustom the baby to a certain regime of the day. After all, each of the babies, regardless of the type of feeding, must adhere to a specific schedule. This will allow him to correctly distinguish between day and night, protect against overwork, allow him to stay awake and active. After all, all this is the key to proper physical and mental development.
Constantly repeated actions can calm the baby and create a sense of security. This forms discipline and lays many positive character traits for the future.
Sleep rates
The regimen of the day of the month-old baby on breastfeeding is special. At this time, he sleeps a lot. An average of 20 hours a day. From the second month, sleep time moves to night, wakefulness to day. Gradually, these periods change.
From 3 months, newborns sleep 17-18 hours a day, and by six months - 16 hours. The night's rest also changes. It takes about 10-11 hours. True, the sleep and wakefulness regimen is not being established immediately. All this is individual and depends on many factors.
Many mothers ask how much a baby should sleep. Approximate sleep rates are as follows:
| Age | Total amount of sleep per day | Night sleep | Daytime sleep | Number of afternoon breaks |
| 0-3 months | 16.5-20 | 10-11 | 1,5-2 | 4 |
| 3-6 months | 16-18 | 10-11 | 1,5-2 | 3-4 |
| 6-9 months | 15-17 | 10-11 | 1,5-2 | 3 |
| 9-12 months | 14.5-16 | 10-11 | 1.5-2.5 | 2 |
The daily regimen is set for a child aged 6-9 months. He sleeps during this period 2-3 times a day, and at night - 14-15 hours.
Why the baby sleeps restlessly
If the baby’s behavior during sleep is not typical, then parents don’t need to worry right away. His eyelids may not be completely covered, his eyeballs move and he tosses and turns.
Waking the baby in this situation should not be. The REM sleep phase can take up to 25%, so this reaction is quite natural.
The duration of sleep is affected by many factors. Among them, the weather, the change of natural cycles. Violation of sleep and wakefulness may be associated with the duration of daylight hours. In spring and summer, babies wake up earlier than in autumn and winter. Due to the immaturity of the nervous system, they are sensitive to eclipses of the sun or moon, and atmospheric pressure drops.
Environmental conditions may also affect quality. In large cities, due to a lack of oxygen, newborns sleep worse than their peers in safe areas.
Optimal sleeping conditions
In order for the baby to have a good rest, it is necessary to create all the necessary conditions for him:
- Before going to bed, you need to ventilate the room. It is allowed to leave a window or window open, but only if the newborn is not in a draft. The optimum temperature for sleep is 20-22 degrees.
- Parents do not need to create absolute silence in the apartment. The baby does not respond to monotonous sounds. It is best to avoid sharp and loud ones. It is these sounds that can scare the baby.
- Many parents cannot decide where it is best for the newborn to sleep. If he is with his mother, then at night she will be able to feed him without getting up. Many experts are sure that after the parental bed the baby will be difficult to relocate to her own.
The most optimal conditions include the ability to sleep a newborn in a baby crib. For convenience, it can be placed next to the parent bed.
The correct position of the baby in his crib
The correct sleep and wakefulness of a newborn baby is influenced by many factors, including whether it is conveniently located in its crib:
- In the first months of the baby, it is best to lay on its side. Putting on the back should not be, because it can burp and choke. Parents should lay the baby on the right, then on the left side.
- In the first months of life, a newborn does not need a pillow. It can lead to negative spinal formation.
If the baby constantly burps, then the position of his body should be slightly raised from the side of the head. For this, a folded diaper is placed under the mattress.
Daytime sleep
In the first year, the baby sleeps several times during the day. Parents need to do everything possible so that his sleep is complete, at least 1-2 hours, and not for 20-30 minutes. This will allow the child to restore his strength well.
Many mothers are interested in how to quickly put their baby to bed during the day. The best conditions for this can be arranged by strolling in the fresh air. At this time, the kids are free to oversleep for 1.5-2 hours.
Some babies need motion sickness to fall asleep. But parents should not abuse it. If the baby can fall asleep on its own, then you do not need to constantly resort to this method. In the future it will be difficult to wean from motion sickness.
If mom does not have the opportunity to go out with her newborn for a walk, you can put his stroller on a glazed balcony.
Daytime sleep is important for crumbs. If he does not finish, then this does not mean that he will make up for the missing at night. Many children are overexcited, and then they cannot fall asleep.
How to put a baby to sleep
Often, a newborn is disturbed in sleep and wakefulness. Mom can help him. There are several methods that help newborns fall asleep quickly:
- Some children have a good bath effect. Warm water perfectly relaxes the baby, beneficially affecting its nervous system. True, not every bath has a positive effect, sometimes it causes the opposite effect. It is best to bathe such babies in the morning.
- Some babies are best swaddled before bedtime. After all, the movements of the hands at this time are still spontaneous, so the child wakes himself up with them. The tight swaddling used by our grandmothers should not be done. It’s best to stay free so that he moves his arms and legs. True, not all children need swaddling.
- Before going to bed, it is important to breastfeed. Satisfying the sucking reflex can quickly calm the baby. Sometimes the problem of falling asleep disappears immediately. If the baby only slumbers under his chest, and wakes up as soon as he is put into bed, then you can give him a dummy. And when he is fast asleep, pick her up.
- You can shake the baby. Swinging movements lull him. Mom can shake the newborn not only in her arms, but also in the cradle or cradle. If he does not need this, then he should not be accustomed.
- Music for sleeping children. For the baby to fall asleep, the lullaby of his mother will help him. Parents can play some cool music. Best of all - the sounds of nature in the form of birdsong or the sound of the forest, sea. Sometimes the baby is helped to fall asleep by the “Lullaby” of Brahms, the “Light of the Moon” by Debussy and others.
Sometimes the child is overexcited and cannot fall asleep. This may be affected by new experiences, such as going to the clinic and more. Therefore, parents should not expect the baby to fall asleep quickly. You need to create a calm environment, dim the light and walk with it around the room, quietly singing a lullaby.
If the baby has mixed up the daily routine
Infants often confuse day and night, not only in the first months, but throughout the year. If the baby has violated the sleep and wakefulness regimen at 6 months, then he begins to actively behave, agukh, play with toys. This upsets parents who want to relax.
Mom tries to rock the baby, but this does not always lead to a positive result.
Most often, such problems appear with a decrease in the need for daytime sleep. And also this manifests itself with overexcitation of the crumbs, non-observance of the correct regime of the day and with a long period of wakefulness (more than 3-4 hours). The baby, of course, will fall asleep, but parents need to pay attention to his sleep during the day.
If the child sleeps 2-3 hours, and before night rest 3-4 hours, then parents should definitely wake him up. It must be done carefully so that the child does not react negatively to this. You can take the crumbs in your hands, pat him on the back, talk in an affectionate voice. Sometimes parents play music for their children.
After active awakening, the child can actively express their emotions, be capricious. To distract him, mother should breastfeed him or just swear around the apartment.
During daytime sleep, the baby should not be isolated from domestic noise. No need to close the curtains, it is necessary that he understands that it is daylight outside.
During the day, the child must be occupied with various games, songs, walks in the fresh air. Before going to bed, all active exercises must be stopped, otherwise the baby will not be able to fall asleep.
Last feeding to mothers should be made the most satisfying. If the baby falls asleep under the breast, then it is necessary that he suck it as much as he wants. Some mothers are helped by a joint sleep with the baby. Mom’s warmth and warm breath play a huge role here.
Family atmosphere
Newborns are sensitive to all the changes that occur around them. If the mother behaves uneasily, then this is transmitted to the baby. If she experiences negative feelings, then the newborn also feels similar discomfort.
Therefore, if the mother wants the baby to sleep well, then initially she should calm down herself. If a woman has postpartum depression, and she can not cope with this condition on her own, then you need to contact a specialist.
If you have trouble sleeping
When parents noticed a child with sleep problems for up to a year, they should contact a pediatrician. In 90% of cases, they occur due to colic, malnutrition or violation of the regime. The pediatrician will be able to find out the cause and advise how to fix it. Sometimes a child needs to consult a neurologist to rule out diseases of the nervous system.
In some situations, problems with sleeping a baby are associated with parents who go to bed late. Because of this, his daily routine is also changing. In this case, parents should change their daily routine.
Conclusion
Proper sleep and wakefulness plays an important role in the life of a newborn. Subject to the optimal daily routine, it will actively develop and grow. If a child has trouble sleeping, then a pediatrician’s consultation will help get rid of it.