Sleep and wakefulness of children up to a year. How much sleep should a child

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

With the advent of a child in the family, parents face many problems related to caring for him. The mode of sleep and wakefulness in newborns has a special rhythm, which is programmed by nature itself. In order not to break 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 wake-up call is hunger. A newborn wakes up when he wants to eat. Due to the fact that the volume of his stomach is still too small, this happens every 2-3 hours. Parents should not expect that he will be able to withstand the 6-hour interval. Therefore, children wake up for feeding 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. At this time, the mother produces the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the process of producing breast milk.

What affects the daily routine

By the end of the first month, a newborn baby's sleep and wake patterns begin to set in. The baby increases the amount of night sleep, while daytime -decreases. The time when he is awake also changes upwards. When he is awake, he begins to show interest in the toys his parents show him.

Mom needs to try to accustom the baby to a certain daily routine. After all, each of the kids, regardless of the type of feeding, must adhere to a certain routine. This will allow him to correctly distinguish between day and night, protect him from overwork, and allow him to remain alert 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 norms

The day regimen of a one-month-old breastfed baby is special. At this time, he sleeps a lot. An average of 20 hours a day. From the second month, the time of sleep moves to the night, wakefulness - to the day. Gradually, these periods change.

From 3 months, newborns sleep 17-18 hours a day, and by six months - 16 hours. The nightlife is also changing. It takes about 10-11 hours. True, the sleep and wakefulness regimen does not improve 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 sleep per night	Night sleep	Daytime nap	Number of napsafternoon
0-3mths	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
9-12mths	14, 5-16	10-11	1, 5-2, 5	2

The daily routine is established in a child aged 6-9 months. He sleeps during this period 2-3 times a day, and at night - 14-15 hours.

Why does the baby sleep restlessly

If the behavior of the baby during sleep is atypical, then parents should not immediately worry. His eyelids may not be fully closed, his eyeballs are moving and he is tossing and turning.

You should not wake up the baby in such a situation. REM sleep can take up to 25% of his sleep, so this reaction is quite natural.

Sleep duration is influenced by many factors. Among them are the weather, the change of natural cycles. Violation of sleep and wakefulness may be associated with the length 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, changes in atmospheric pressure.

Environmental conditions can also affect the quality. In big cities, due to lack of oxygen, newborns sleep worse than their peers in prosperous areas.

Optimal sleep conditions

To baby wellrested, you need to create all the necessary conditions for him:

1. 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 optimal temperature for sleeping is 20-22 degrees.
2. Parents do not need to create absolute silence in the apartment. The baby does not respond to monotonous sounds. It is best to avoid harsh and loud. It is these sounds that can frighten a baby.
3. Many parents cannot decide where is the best place to sleep for a newborn. 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, it will be difficult for a baby to move to his own.

The most optimal conditions include the ability to sleep a newborn in a cradle. For convenience, it can be placed next to the parent's bed.

Correct positioning of the baby in his crib

Many factors influence the correct sleep and wakefulness of a newborn baby, including whether he is comfortable in his crib:

• In the first months of the baby, it is best to lay on its side. Do not lay on your back, because he can burp and choke. Parents should lay the baby on the right side, then on the left side.
• In the first months of life, a newborn does not need a pillow. It can lead to negative shaping of the spine.

If the baby is constantly spitting up, then the position of his body shouldbe slightly raised from the side of the head. To do this, a folded diaper is placed under the mattress.

Daytime nap

In the first year, the baby sleeps during the day several times. Parents need to do everything possible so that his sleep is full, at least 1-2 hours, and not 20-30 minutes. This will allow the child to recover well.

Many mothers are interested in how to quickly put the baby to sleep during the day. The best conditions for this can be arranged by walking in the fresh air. At this time, babies can sleep freely 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 the mother does not have the opportunity to go for a walk with the newborn, you can put his stroller on the glazed balcony.

Daytime sleep is essential for the baby. If he does not sleep, then this does not mean that he will make up for what is missing at night. Many children get overexcited and then cannot sleep.

How to put your baby to sleep

Sleep and wakefulness is often disturbed in a newborn. Mom can help him. There are several methods to help newborns fall asleep quickly:

1. Some kids do well with a bath. Warm water perfectly relaxes the baby, having a beneficial effect on his nervous system. True, not everyone has a positive effect on the bath,sometimes it has the opposite effect. These babies are best bathed in the morning.
2. Some babies are best swaddled before bed. After all, the movements of the hands at this time are still spontaneous, so the child wakes himself up with them. The tight swaddling that our grandmothers used should not be done. It is best to stop at a free one so that he moves his arms and legs. True, not all children need to be swaddled.
3. Before going to sleep, it is important to breastfeed your baby. Satisfaction of the sucking reflex can quickly calm the baby. Sometimes the problem of falling asleep disappears immediately. If the baby is only dozing under the breast, and wakes up as soon as he is transferred to bed, then you can give him a pacifier. And when he is fast asleep, pick her up.
4. You can rock the baby. It is lulled by swaying movements. Mom can rock a newborn not only in her arms, but also in a cradle or pendulum bed. If he does not need it, then he should not be taught.
5. Music for children to sleep. A mother's lullaby will help the baby fall asleep. Parents can turn on soothing music. Best of all - the sounds of nature in the form of birds singing or the noise of the forest, the sea. Sometimes the “Lullaby” by Brahms, “Light of the Moon” by Debussy and others help the baby to fall asleep.

Sometimes the child is overexcited and cannot sleep. This can be influenced by new experiences, such as going to the clinic and more. Therefore, parents should not wait for the baby to fall asleep quickly. You need to create a calm environment, dim the light and walk around the room with it,softly singing a lullaby.

If the baby mixed up the daily routine

Babies often confuse day and night, not only in the first months, but throughout the year. If a baby has a disturbed sleep and wakefulness at 6 months, then he begins to actively behave, coo, play with toys. This upsets parents who want to take a break.

Mom tries to rock the baby, but this does not always lead to a positive result.

Most often, such problems appear when the need for daytime sleep decreases. And also this manifests itself when the crumbs are overexcited, the correct daily regimen is not followed, 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 a child sleeps for 2-3 hours, and there are 3-4 hours left before night rest, 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 baby in your arms, stroke him on the back, talk in an affectionate voice. Sometimes parents play music for their children to sleep in.

After active awakening, the child can actively express his emotions, act up. To distract him, mom should breastfeed him or just vilify him around the apartment.

During daytime sleep, the baby should not be isolated from household noise. You don't need to close the curtains, you need him to understand that it's daytime.

During the day, the child needs to be occupied with various games, songs, a walk in the freshair. Before going to bed, all active exercises must be stopped, otherwise the baby will not be able to sleep.

The last feeding moms should make the most satisfying. If the baby falls asleep under the breast, then he needs to suck it as much as he wants. For some mothers, co-sleeping with a baby helps. Mom's warmth and warm breath play a huge role here.

Atmosphere in the family

Newborns are sensitive to all the changes that occur around them. If the mother behaves restlessly, then this is transmitted to the baby. If she experiences negative sensations, then the newborn 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 cannot cope with this condition on her own, then she needs to see a specialist.

If you have trouble sleeping

When parents notice a sleep problem in a child under one year old, they should contact a pediatrician. In 90% of cases, they occur due to colic, malnutrition, or a violation of the regimen. The pediatrician will be able to find out the cause and advise how to eliminate it. Sometimes a child needs a consultation with a neurologist to rule out diseases of the nervous system.

In some situations, a baby's sleep problems are associated with parents who go to bed late. Because of this, his daily routine also changes. In this case, parents should change their daily routine.

Conclusion

Correct sleep pattern andwakefulness 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 problems sleeping, then consulting a pediatrician will help relieve him of this.