Sleep is the best medicine, as the saying goes. For parents of a very young child, there is nothing better than a sound and healthy sleep of a child. Why? Yes, because during this period of time they themselves can relax.
Do kids see dreams? Let's talk about childhood sleep, about what children dream about, and about the rules for a good and restful sleep crumbs.
I want to sleep
When the child does not sleep, the young mother suffers the most. Firstly, she cannot understand why her well-fed and disguised baby is screaming. Secondly, constant insomnia is very painful. Who better than mother to know about it. I want to sleep constantly, at night the baby cries. And in the afternoon there is no time to lie down: affairs and cares. And there is practically no help. Husband works, grandmothers too.
Common situation? How can a poor young mother tolerate a decree and not go crazy with a lack of sleep? We seek advice from Dr. Komarovsky.
Doctor's advice
How are the sleep of the child and Komarovsky connected? He gives sensible recommendations for young parents. And I must say that his advice is quite easy to implement.
So, the golden rules for young parents, deprived of the help of grandparents. Not only information is useful to them, in fact. For all parents, without exception, the doctor recommends the following:
The child should adapt to the regime of parents, and not vice versa.
Adults need at least 8 hours to get enough sleep. Therefore, it is necessary to determine a convenient time for parents to sleep and wake up. Lie down at 21 and get up at 5 in the morning? You are welcome. Sleep from 23 hours to 7 in the morning? No problem. Set the time and set up your baby for a night's sleep, convenient for mom and dad.
Where is the crib? In the bedroom of her parents, her term is one year. Children over one year old should sleep in their crib, but in a separate room. Sleeping in the parents' bed is the worst option that tired mom and dad invented.
You should not allow your son or daughter to sleep long during the day. If the child sleeps, it will be more difficult to lay him down at night. So, parents will not be able to fully relax during the night.
Night feeding in the first three months of a child’s life is carried out no more than 2 times. Everything else is a baby’s whim. He does not want to eat, but attracts attention to himself. Why should mom sacrifice her vacation because the baby wants to be rocked in her arms? Or is dad awake at midnight, singing a lullaby? And he got up to work in the morning. Wean the kid from the vagaries. He ate and slept.
Daytime walks have a beneficial effect on the children's body. And if you can walk with the baby in the evening - that's fine. A sound and healthy sleep is guaranteed.
The bedroom should be ventilated. The optimum air temperature in it is 18-20 degrees.
In the evening, it is advisable to bathe the baby in cool water. After an active swim in the bathroom, he will sleep all night.
Do not forget about the high-quality diaper. Often, children wake up at night due to the fact that the diaper could not resist the attacks on him.
These are the recommendations given by the doctor so that the child’s sleep at night is strong.
How many children sleep?
A question that interests young mothers: how much should a child sleep? The need for sleep in children up to 3 months is 16-20 hours. Thus, the sleep of a month-old baby is interrupted only by feeding and changing diapers.
At six months, the baby needs 14 hours for a good rest. At the age of one, it’s already 13 hours.
What does sleep depend on?
A baby's calm sleep depends on a number of factors. Even what a child sees in a dream is affected by environmental influences. In particular, such a factor is the mother of the baby.
The child does not sleep well, but cries in a dream? It is worth paying attention to the emotional state of mom. Perhaps she is nervous for some reason, tired and irritable. Do not forget about the close relationship of mother and baby. Bad mom - the baby suffers.
Why do children have nightmares? It is possible that this phenomenon was provoked by the situation in the apartment. And it’s not at all necessary for the parents to swear. Sharp and loud sounds during the baby’s sleep, bright light, conversations in full voice - all this affects the quality of sleep.
Is breast milk the key to good sleep?
There is an opinion that the sleep of a child depends on the composition of milk. If the mother adheres to a strict diet, does not violate her, then her milk is good. After eating, the baby will sleep soundly. Such kids have good and good dreams.
It also depends on the state of the mother, as mentioned above. When feeding takes place in a calm mode, the mother is all drawn to the baby, humming a song to him, and twilight reigns in the room - the baby will relax and will sleep well.
If the mother feeds the baby, and at this time she is talking on the phone, watching TV or just crying from fatigue, this will hardly contribute to a good sleep for the child.
Others believe that babies fed with mother's milk sleep much better than their peers who feed on mixtures. But this is a very controversial statement.
What do kids dream about?
Scientists came to the conclusion that very tiny children in a dream see their lives before birth. The older the baby, the faster he forgets the "past." A child at the age of six months sees in a dream the people around him. This is what babies dream about one year old.
During the REM sleep phase, you can see how the child actively frowns, waves its arms and legs, tries to roll over. This phase begins before awakening.
If we talk about deep sleep, here the opinions of scientists are divided. Some insist that the child is growing at this time, the second claim that the baby’s body is relaxing.
Child's sleep per year
American scientist David Fulkes studied the dreams of babies of different age groups. Based on his observations, he came to the conclusion that one-year-old children have completely different dreams than very small ones. This is due to the ability to emotionally respond to environmental stimuli. This leads to both positive dreams and nightmares.
Two to three years
If we talk about the dreams of babies at this age, then they are usually sketchy. In the dreams of such young children there is no single storyline. They are based on emotions and impressions, and since children receive them in huge quantities throughout the day, their dreams are incoherent.
Three-year-olds can already talk. Most of them are able to tell what they dreamed about. Most children see themselves in a dream.
Five to six years
What are the dreams of babies at this age? Fabulous, magical. The girls dream good dreams in which they appear in the images of princesses, fairy-tale lords of animals. Ride on little ponies, meet with the characters of various cartoons.
And boys, oddly enough, most often dream of conflict situations in which the boys are the main characters.
By school, such differences in dreams disappear.
What affects the sleep of children?
Dreams of babies, as we have found out, depend on a number of factors. Mom affects infants, older children - the environment.
It is believed that "Sadovskiy" children see darker dreams than home ones. They are affected by stressful situations in the group that occur very often. Those children with whom mothers or grandmothers are sitting are in a more relaxed atmosphere. Therefore, their dreams are good.
We highlight the main factors that affect the dreams of babies:
Furnishings at home. If everything is calm in the family, they love the child and do not raise their voices again, then he sleeps sweetly and well.
The situation in the kindergarten or school, depending on the age of the child.
Stressful situation.
Impressions received during the day.
Weather.
The microclimate in the room.
Well-being of the baby.
When a child has a fever, this is reflected in a restless dream, for example.
Or, if the baby spent all day in the fresh air, played and naughty, then he will sleep very soundly. This even applies to adults, what to say about babies. Camping has not harmed anyone.
If the baby has lost sleep
Children also suffer from insomnia. But what should parents do in this case? Try to establish the cause. Maybe something is stopping the baby from sleeping normally. Even an insufficiently ventilated room can cause insomnia.
Remember if the child fell in the last few days? Wasn’t he injured? If the baby is older, it is possible that something depresses him to such an extent that he can not sleep. Talk to him, carefully find out the reason.
Nothing helped? Have to go to the pediatrician, nothing else remains. In no case give the baby a sleeping pill without a doctor’s prescription.
Summarize
In the article we talked about how important it is for parents to set the daily routine for the baby. We talked about the factors affecting children's sleep. And most importantly, they learned that children of various age groups dream about it. We highlight the main aspects:
Healthy and sleepy parents are the key to happiness for the child. Mom and dad should adapt the baby to their daily routine, but not vice versa.
Mother's night feedings are necessary for babies up to 3 months. And not 5-6 per night, but not more than two. Do not pamper your child with excessive attention if you do not want to forget about your own rest and sleep.
Children up to six months see in a dream their life before birth.
At six months, the child sees in a dream the people around him.
At the age of two, babies have episodic dreams that are not connected by any holistic line.
At three years old, dreams are already more emotional and structured.
Five to six years is a time of fabulous dreams with beautiful princesses and scary dragons.
The infant's sleep is affected by the emotional and mental state of the mother.
Older children are affected by environmental factors. Stresses, new impressions and emotions are reflected in dreams.
Conclusion
Readers now know what affects a child’s sleep. And what children can see in a dream.
How to protect your baby from a bad dream? Walking in the fresh air, minimal activity in the evening and a relaxed atmosphere in the family.
Do not neglect the advice of Dr. Komarovsky: parents should sleep at least eight hours. The child needs a happy and balanced mom and dad. One can hardly call a balanced mom who is annoyed at the baby due to the fact that she can not really get enough sleep. Or dad, who was forced to rock the child at midnight, and in the morning hurrying to work. Happy parents are happy children.