Just recently, the house was filled with great happiness - the birth of a child. Carrying a baby in the womb is like expecting a miracle. The woman in this period is transformed and begins to look at the surrounding reality in a new way. After birth, the baby sleeps almost all the time, occasionally waking up to eat. However, over time this picture changes.
The kid, although still dependent on his mother, is already trying to show his individual character. The baby’s sleep at 9 months is changing. He no longer seems infinite to his parents. And the happy mother barely finds free time in order to complete all the household chores and sit down for a while for a cup of coffee. A baby’s sleep at 9 months begins to approach a schedule that resembles a one-year-old baby’s schedule. Let us consider this question in more detail. What is the baby’s sleep pattern at 9 months?
Norms
They are quite arbitrary for the reason that each family has its own rituals of falling asleep and the time of awakening. However, there are approximate rules that must be followed, with the intention to establish a healthy regime of the day. A baby’s sleep of 9 months consists of several periods. All must be respected. Otherwise, the formation of a healthy emotional sphere is impossible.
Early awakening
As a rule, young children do not sleep for long, like adults. Often they are called small "cocks", because they raise the whole family to their feet as soon as the sun rises. All because they still do not need to rest from a life that brings too much trouble and worries. Rarely, one of the babies wakes up their parents with their militant cries after seven in the morning.
Such cases are the exception rather than the rule. Some babies manage to sleep only until five or six in the morning, completely preventing the happy mother from having any rest.
First day's sleep
A baby’s sleep of 9 months is such that it takes an average of fourteen hours a day. The daily routine of the baby is divided into several intervals. Wakefulness is interspersed with sleep so that the baby manages to regain strength for an active knowledge of the world. A baby's 9-month sleep begins at about ten in the morning. This time is enough to feel good. That is, it turns out, on average, the baby needs to go to bed again four hours after waking up from a night’s sleep.
This stay in the kingdom of Morpheus continues until about noon. Then the beloved child is again full of energy for an intensive examination of all corners of the apartment. Usually by this age, children begin to crawl actively and quickly move in space.
Second afternoon nap
It usually occurs two to three hours after the main lunch. During this period, it seems that the baby sleeps harder. The second afternoon nap begins at approximately sixteen hours of the day and lasts until eighteen in the evening. As a rule, a caring mother manages to cook her child during this time, wash wet sliders, and even clean up the apartment. The second daytime sleep of the baby occurs at a time when some women themselves want to take a little nap.
In fact, this is the right of every mother, like any normal person. If a person experiences such a need, especially a woman who gets tired of household chores, there is nothing reprehensible. In the second dream, the child usually sleeps for at least two to three hours.
Night sleep
It is the longest in time. This is a crucial moment, on which depends how the baby as a whole will feel throughout the whole next day. Usually a baby’s sleep at 9-10 months lasts at least ten to eleven hours. During this time, the baby’s body has time to fully recover and is again ready for active movements. Some babies sleep peacefully at night, never wake up and do not disturb their parents with crying. This is an ideal option that everyone wants to strive for.
Other babies are constantly worried, looking for something or insistently demanding food. Such behavior does not indicate any pathology, just a child insistently wants to draw attention to himself. Whether a child gets enough sleep and sleep peacefully depends on adult habits. It should be remembered that a child always reflects the fears and doubts of adults. If the mother herself did not teach her child to eat at night, then the baby will sleep peacefully until the morning. The exception is cases when the baby is sick. A sharp deterioration in physical condition entails the appearance of irritability, moodiness. Feeling unwell interferes with normal sleep and a happy sense of well-being. Here, any normal parent is no longer up to their own daily activities. The baby cries because it is difficult for him to endure pain, fever, high temperature. An adult feels the need to help, do everything in his power.
Possible problems
Despite the apparent simplicity, certain difficulties may arise with the organization of sleep or with the behavior of the child. In addition, young mom and dad, due to their inexperience, do not always understand what should be done better. They are forced to start learning parenthood from their own mistakes. This is how individual experience is gained. Let us consider in more detail what difficulties may arise here.
Hyperactivity
This feature is more likely to relate to the personality of the baby itself than to the parents. If a baby has strong mobility from birth, putting him to sleep at all can be an overwhelming task. Even if all the conditions for organizing a healthy sleep will be strictly fulfilled, the baby still needs to be set up for rest. He will not fall asleep on his own just because the time has come. It is best in this case to try to avoid physical activity before bedtime. This can only hurt a child. It is not recommended to play it at the moment when the bed is being prepared, the bed is straightened. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to lay it. In some cases, young parents even have to resort to the help of grandparents. Of course, their experience will never be redundant.
Continuous change of mode
If the baby does not have any schedule for sleep and wakefulness, it can become extremely moody and whiny. The constant change of regime also does not bode well. The child gets used to the disorder, that you can go to bed when it’s horrible, and also get up regardless of time. Such behavior greatly interferes with the upbringing of character, contributes to the formation of an emotionally unstable personality.
In the future, parents usually catch on, realize that they made a mistake. However, to teach a child three to four years old to observe the regime when he opposes this is very difficult. That is why it is important to instill a desire for order in your own child as early as possible. It will be easier for everyone. Still, the regime is a great thing. It makes it possible to develop a specific schedule and adhere to it for a long period.
Habit of falling asleep with a parent
Sometimes mom takes the baby with her to bed. Just because she’s so comfortable: no need to worry and keep an eye on the child every minute. This is strictly not recommended. If a baby at 9 months old cries in a dream, adults have to watch at the cradle at all. Then it turns out such an unpleasant situation that the baby does not want to fall asleep at all without the presence of his beloved parent. He can throw tantrums or cry for a long time alone. Both that, and another is extremely unprofitable for mental health. Learning from childhood to suppress emotions, he will not be able to express them in the future. If a child at 9 months starts in a dream, in all likelihood, he experiences negative feelings. Perhaps he was worried about fears or uncontrolled anxiety. This is possible if the baby is used to falling asleep in an embrace with his mother, and then they put him in the crib alone.
Improper feeding
A baby’s night sleep of 9 months depends on how well the moments of eating are sustained. It is known that in no case should you overfeed your baby before taking to bed. Small portions threaten that the baby will constantly worry and whimper, demanding food. Improper feeding can generally lead to the fact that the baby becomes anxious and irritable. The process of digesting food should not interfere with a good rest. That is why parents should make sure that nothing prevents the baby. Only in this case can we talk about healthy sleep.
Thus, the norms of sleep for a child of 9 months show how much time the baby should ideally spend in his crib. If for some reason the regime goes astray, then the baby suffers as a result. Parents need to try to comply with the approximate schedule, plan all things in advance so that they do not affect the well-being of the child. Of course, it would be absurd to follow the regime to the nearest minute. Excessive fanaticism is absolutely useless. It is important to just stick to the main schedule and try not to break it much. Then the child will get used to a certain rhythm of life, and it will be easier for parents to plan their own time.