How to teach a baby to sleep through the night: at what months can you teach a newborn to sleep at night, book, Komarovsky

At what month does a baby start sleeping through the night?

What medical professionals say does not always coincide with reality. Each organism is special, and even infants are completely different from each other. Therefore, there is no single answer to the question of what time children start sleeping through the night. You can only divide the babies into the following groups, based on their behavior during the night's rest:

The baby sleeps soundly all night. When, from the moment of birth, the baby sleeps at night without interruption, this does not happen often. If the little one does not wake up on his own, then experts recommend waking him up for feeding, or feeding him in a sleepy state;
the newborn wakes up and asks to eat (1 to 2 times during the night). This is a more common category of babies who ask for their mother's breast at night and need hugs for a restful sleep;
The baby wakes up more than 2 times. For such children, sleep may be interrupted due to extraneous sounds that frighten them. Or the child wakes up due to his arms suddenly thrown up. It is recommended to swaddle such children during the night's rest;
the baby hardly sleeps and behaves restlessly. It is difficult for a child to fall asleep in a row, even for several hours, and he exhausts his parents with his behavior. In such a situation, it is important to find the reason that prevents the baby from resting.

For some mothers, the child sleeps all night starting from the first months, while for others, as a result of disturbances in night rest, the entire day and night routine is disrupted.

But, in any case, do not despair. There are various techniques developed by pediatricians to help teach infants to sleep through the night. Let's talk about them in more detail.

How to stop night feedings

A small child is unable to sleep through the night

Most young parents mistakenly believe that a small child is not able to sleep through the night, which is completely wrong. To form the correct regime of rest and wakefulness, it is necessary to ensure the correct approach to the baby, taking into account the peculiarities of his temperament and individual characteristics. First of all, it is necessary to stop feeding at night.

Most often, children sleep poorly and often wake up before the age of one and a half years. Some cases are characterized by restless sleep for up to three years. Despite the discomfort it brings to everyday life, a disrupted routine is not considered a deviation in the baby’s development.

It should be noted that forcibly instilling sleep habits in the dark will not have a positive effect, but by forming the correct regime in infancy, it will be easier for the child to get used to future life, that is, going to school and kindergarten.

The primary task in establishing standards is to determine the reason that influenced the failure of rest. Abnormal associations can arise under the influence of external stimuli or due to problems in the body. It is very important to fix the problem, because this will allow you to install the desired mode without critical problems. Some cases are quite easy to alleviate, while others will require lengthy and fruitful work.

If an infant does not have enough daily food intake and wakes up at night from hunger, it is necessary to slightly increase the portion, which will increase the daily intake.

Also, the child may be restless if there is no acceptable climate in the bedroom. If it is stuffy and hot, it is recommended to dress the baby lighter and provide fresh air.

Read: Swimming ring for infants

The baby may also suffer from diarrhea and bloating. In such situations, it is strongly recommended to seek help from a competent specialist and follow his instructions. Ensure that necessary medications are taken and place the baby on the tummy for longer periods.

Often, improper sleep patterns persist after all irritating factors have been removed. This indicates the formation of false stereotypes and the need to change them.

Improper sleep patterns

First of all, a reduction in night feedings is ensured by replacing one of the meals. Children's food is replaced with adult food, and one of the feedings at night is replaced with boiled water. Probably, the baby will stay in the household at night due to an incorrectly formed habit and the feeling of hunger is completely alien to him. In this case, water will be the best way out of this situation.

The age mark of nine months is an improvised threshold from which the abolition of night feeding will be most acceptable. If the baby was fed breast milk, then the recommended mark is moved to the twelfth month. After this period, it is advisable to stop feeding.

However, reaching certain age indicators is not a sign of voluntary refusal of night meals. Children do not have the ability to tolerate hunger at such an early age. They can limit daily food intake in cases where there is sufficient moral and physical preparation provided by parents.

Causes of a restless night's rest

To normalize your baby's sleep at night, it is necessary to understand the causes of interrupted sleep. The following are the main reasons why a baby wakes up at night:

I'm hungry. But, this reason applies to children under 3 months. The older the baby gets, the less night feedings he needs;
overfeeding The digestive system cannot cope with large volumes of food, and the baby has a tummy ache at night;
overfilled diaper;
in the children's or parent's bedroom it is very stuffy, or, on the contrary, cold;
overwork;
overstimulation from too active games before bedtime;
the child feels unwell;
extraneous sounds (music from neighbors, the sound of an elevator, conversations).

Any of the above reasons can disrupt your baby's nighttime rest. Therefore, before teaching your baby to sleep through the night, first eliminate any irritating factors that may affect the quality of rest.

When to start eliminating night feedings

Swimming from the first days: the pros and cons of such development

Weaning is an individual process. Some babies sleep through the night already at 6 months, while others require mother’s milk or formula until they are 2-3 years old. This is not considered a pathology. Any child will sooner or later give up late-night snacking - it's only a matter of time.

Important! It is worth accurately tracking whether the baby needs food or tactile contact with his mother.

For the first three months, during the “gestation” period, there can be no weaning. If something is bothering the baby, and he is not getting enough food, and then often wakes up at night, it is worth identifying the cause of the worries, and then starting to wean him off from night feedings.

Advice from Dr. Komarovsky

Use the advice of pediatrician Komarovsky to teach your child to sleep through the night. You must adhere to the following 9 rules:

decide what comes first for you. Parents do not need to pretend to be heroes and abandon their personal lives in order to fully devote themselves to their child. Such sacrifices are not needed by anyone, and will not lead to positive results. If the parents are unhappy, the baby will not be happy either. It’s better to think about how to quickly teach your child to sleep through the night and get enough sleep yourself;
create a daily routine . It is important that the baby’s routine coincides with the parents’ routine. It is advisable to prepare for the night's rest all at the same time, this will make it easier to teach the baby to sleep all night;
Next, you need to decide where the newborn’s sleeping place is , and with whom he sleeps (alone, with his parents). The following options are possible: until the child is one year old, place his crib next to your sleeping place. After a year, you need to teach your baby to sleep alone in the nursery. Sleeping in your parents' bed is possible, but not recommended;
control your sleep during the day . At a certain age, a newborn should sleep a specific number of hours. Based on these indicators, do not allow the baby to rest during the day for more than the prescribed time, and wake him up to eat and during active activities. It happens that the baby sleeps during the day most of the time needed for rest, then it will be difficult to teach the child to sleep all night;
When the baby is six months old, he wakes up less often at night, feeling hungry. The reason for interrupted sleep may be a desire to communicate with mom , or the baby wants to be rocked. There is no need to immediately feed him every time the baby jumps up. It is possible that overeating causes restless sleep. Also, you should not indulge all the baby’s nightly whims, otherwise he will wake up and demand communication;
Make active use of daytime . Play, walk, communicate. Try to get the baby to move more and experience only positive emotions. Before bed, on the contrary, games and conversations become calmer. Teach your baby to listen to your lullabies while falling asleep;
A properly prepared sleeping place will also help to teach your baby to sleep all night . The child’s bed and bedding should be chosen so that they feel comfortable and cosy. Until the age of two, do not place a pillow on your baby, but choose a mattress so that it is smooth and without wrinkles. Buy sleeping accessories for your baby only from fabrics of natural origin;
ventilate the nursery while preparing the baby for sleep. Try to do daily wet cleaning of the children's bedroom, while ventilating and humidifying the room. The best temperature for a baby's quality sleep is from 18 to 20 degrees;
High-quality and correctly selected diapers are important for a good night's rest .

Komarovsky’s main advice boils down to the following points:

it is important to provide the baby with feeding, good air in the nursery, a comfortable crib and atmosphere, bathing before a night's rest;
To teach your baby to sleep through the night, you don’t need to wait until a certain age. After the little man appears, you need to immediately decide when everyone will go to bed;
Komarovsky does not welcome putting the baby into the parent's bed. It is better to temporarily place a crib nearby;
stick to a specific feeding regimen. Only up to three months the baby needs three nightly feedings. Then it is enough for the baby to eat once during the night's rest. Once the baby reaches six months, he should not be fed at night;
The more active the day is, the more sound your night's sleep will be.

Activities such as an evening bath, a relaxing light massage before bed, and a well-chosen diaper will help make your baby sleep through the night.

The importance of sleep in infancy

Every person needs a good night's rest, and in the first months after birth this is most important. A good night's sleep should be deep and sound. It is at this time that the development of the child’s nervous system occurs. Problems with sleep can lead to increased excitability of the baby or, conversely, to lethargy or apathy. Proper sleep patterns have a beneficial effect on the health and development of the baby.

A well-rested baby is cheerful and content, perfectly perceives others and responds adequately to external stimuli. Such children have an excellent appetite, they grow and develop quite well, and also have great potential for the further formation of a high level of intelligence.

Scientists conducted an experiment: one group of newborns slept in complete silence, while for the other they played the recorded sound of a heartbeat. The second group of babies slept much more soundly, since they had felt this rhythm for nine months.

When your baby doesn't sleep well, you need to pay attention to some subtleties. The quality of your sleep can be affected by many different things.

Type of feeding. If the baby is on the chest, then he should wake up every 2-3 hours to satisfy his hunger. When the baby stops waking up at night, the mother's milk production begins to decrease. If this happens by 2-3 months, then there is a risk of a milk crisis.
Baby's environment. Doctors do not recommend putting children to sleep with the curtains drawn during the day, or with the night light on at night. Children who are in constant twilight can easily confuse night with day. There is a disturbance in the perception of the outside world.
Extraneous sounds. There is no need to maintain complete silence while a newly born baby sleeps. Infants who are protected from various types of noise will subsequently wake up under the influence of any, even the weakest, stimulus. While the child is sleeping, doctors recommend playing soft music and talking in a quiet voice, but not in a whisper.

However, no matter how hard the parents work, in the first days the newborn’s sound sleep will not last more than an hour.

Book

In addition to the advice and recommendations of specialists, the book How to Teach a Baby to Sleep Through the Night from the authors G. Ezzo and R. Bouknam will help you cope with disturbances in nighttime rest.

The authors have developed their own system to help parents regulate their nighttime rest. Read an excerpt from the work (a greeting from the authors) on how to teach a child to sleep through the night: “Our book is not about fortune telling on coffee grounds, but about specific principles. A calm child is not an accident, but the fruit of reasonable upbringing. Your actions in the first days, weeks, months of a baby’s life will determine your attitude towards him for all subsequent years. Let me make a reservation right away: this book is not only about newborns’ nighttime sleep. Accustoming a baby to sleep from evening to morning by the sixth or eighth week of life is the easiest part of educational work. It is much more difficult to raise a child to be a responsible person.”

Specifics of a child's sleep

A child's sleep is different from an adult's sleep. This largely depends on the baby's daily routine. Thus, a newborn baby sleeps about 80% of the time in a day.

Experts say that a baby’s sleep has several phases:

strong (lasts approximately an hour);
empathetic or superficial (most of the sleep period).

During the superficial phase, the baby from birth to six months can wake up from various irritants.

Among these irritants are:

hunger;
the desire to feel your mother nearby;
sharp sudden sound;
loud conversations from adults.

After six months, the baby can already adapt to constant external stimuli, but not to the feeling of hunger. Children at any age want to eat, and if they are not fed a high-calorie and filling dinner, they will wake up every night.

Habits before bed

When the baby turns one year old, you can already talk to him, explaining why he needs to rest at night without interruptions. With babies up to this age it is a little more difficult. But by following simple rules, you can normalize their night's sleep without any problems.

The following recommendations regarding food and daytime routine will help you train your newborn to sleep at night:

create a comfortable atmosphere for the baby, show more affection and patience;
when the baby wakes up at night at 4 months and is capricious, then try feeding him more generously before bed;
Plan your main meal for the first half of the day;
try to stick to your daily routine. Feed your baby at the same time, and follow the daytime sleep schedule;
if at night the baby is capricious and asks for milk, then gradually replace the milk with juices, or give plain water;
try to get your baby to fall asleep without a bottle on your own;
If the baby is used to falling asleep only in your arms, then rock him until he falls asleep. Then be sure to put him in his crib.

Use little parenting tricks to help your baby sleep through the night without interruptions:

You should not be happy when the baby sleeps for a long time during the day. Many mothers enjoy using this time for household chores. But, having slept during the day, the child will not want to sleep at night, or his sleep will be intermittent;
Parents themselves are often to blame for a child’s restless night’s rest. So, dad, who came home late from work, brings the child a new toy. As a result, the baby gets excited before going to bed, he is overwhelmed with emotions, and a restless night is guaranteed. There are many such examples, and therefore parents should monitor their behavior;
Do not teach your baby to go to bed late. To do this, pay more attention to him during the day. When resting during the day, do not cover the windows with curtains. So the baby will learn to distinguish between rest during the day and at night;
exclude high activity of the baby in the evenings;
For overly active children, you can add infusions of soothing herbs (chamomile, string) to the bathing water;
sing lullabies to the baby in the crib, tell fairy tales;
If a baby under 3 months is too active, you can swaddle him during the night. This way he himself will be calmer and more comfortable;
When a baby starts teething, it is difficult for him to fall asleep. Before going to bed, use a special gel that soothes aching gums;
If your baby is bothered by pain and colic in the tummy, consult a doctor about medications that soothe the intestines.

It happens that despite all the recommendations listed, parents are unable to normalize their child’s sleep. The baby still wakes during the night's rest and then fusses during the day. In this case, you need to seek medical help. It is possible that consultation with specialized specialists (neurologist, child psychologist) will be required.

The main thing is to be patient and not despair if the first attempts to teach your child to sleep at night do not bring results.

Let's sum it up

Moms and dads, believe me, your child needs happy, well-rested parents. And this can be achieved if you adhere to several principles in your child’s daily routine:

Walks in the fresh air several times a day.
Active games.
Evening swimming in cool water.
Heavy feeding before bedtime.
Make sure you have a quality diaper.
Cool damp air in the room.

Accept that a 6-month-old baby has a vital need to be and sleep next to his mother. He will not be able to do without breastfeeding or a bottle at night. At 2 years old, children's sucking reflex disappears and they stop needing their mother so much.

I wish you good nights, healthy sleep and strong nerves! Be sure to share in the comments your experience of accustoming your baby to a separate crib, as well as sleeping without night feeding.

Have pleasant dreams!

Causes of a child's interrupted night sleep

To figure out why your baby wakes up at night, interrupting his sleep and yours, you need to find out the reasons for his anxiety. The main reasons have already been discussed in this same article earlier. But there are a few more:

Uncomfortable crib (uncomfortable pillow or mattress, blanket too heavy).
Unsuitable temperature in the room for sleeping (too cold, hot or stuffy).
An overexcited state (this happens when the games with the baby were too active before bedtime).
Painful condition (may be a result of teething or colic in the tummy).
Various external stimuli (presence of animals, insects, strangers in the sleeping room, etc.).

To find out the main cause of a child's anxiety during his night's sleep, parents need to closely monitor his reaction, gradually eliminating each of the possible causes.