How to accustom a newborn to a routine and how to establish a baby’s daily routine

From birth, it is recommended to accustom the baby to a daily routine. This is beneficial for the baby and parents. A child who follows a sleep and activity schedule is in the most comfortable conditions.

At the same time, parents can allocate time for themselves to rest, but for this, they must master the basic concepts of how to accustom a newborn to a routine.

The role of a proper daily routine for a baby

A daily routine is a plan of actions that are regularly performed at the same time. A properly designed regime disciplines a person. A child brought up according to a routine will no longer need to be forced to collect toys, eat, or get ready for bed. It is desirable that the plan corresponds to the biological rhythm of the baby’s life.

Also, the advantages of teaching a child to a daily routine are as follows:

getting used to falling asleep, waking up, eating, walking at the same time, the baby grows healthy and develops correctly;
no problems with falling asleep, overwork, reluctance to eat;
family ties are strengthened. The daily routine is part of the general rules. Parents instill in their child an interest in joint actions and respect for family traditions;
no stress. The baby gets used to performing certain actions at the same time. Therefore, he will not have any worries when the walk ends or when it’s time to feed or sleep;
a child accustomed to a daily routine grows up responsible and independent. After waking up, the baby will go to the bathroom to wash, rather than sit down to play;
a person develops a healthy habit of using time rationally. Such a child is unlikely to be late for school. In the future, he will build a good career and his personal life will be successful. The absence of fuss, nerves, and planning your day help you achieve success in many things.

For newborns, the daily routine should not be too busy. Parents should allocate time for the main activities: washing (bathing), feeding, walking, playing, sleeping.

How to properly create a sleep and feeding schedule?

Previously, there were many opinions regarding how to properly create a sleeping and feeding schedule for a newborn.
There has been controversy surrounding this topic. Today we managed to find a middle ground. Pediatricians offer a daily routine that will suit the newborn and parents equally. Experts advise taking into account:

child's biological clock;
optimal timing, duration, and frequency of sleep, activity, and feeding that are age-appropriate;
interests, temperament, activity of the baby;
the baby's health status;
what type of feeding the newborn is on (artificial or breastfeeding);
parents' employment.

When creating a sleep and feeding schedule for a newborn, you should take into account the following recommendations from pediatricians:

Give artificial animals food about 6-7 times during the day and 1-2 times at night. Infants fed breast milk should be fed every 2-3 hours;
put the baby to the breast on demand;
ensure daily sleep duration of about 18-20 hours;
The optimal time for wakefulness should be 4-6 hours a day.

As you get older, your need for sleep and feeding frequency decreases. At the age of six months, a child needs 14.5 hours of rest. And a year old baby only needs 13.5 hours of sleep.

How to develop a daily routine for a one-month-old baby?

Many parents are interested in how to accustom their newborn to a daily routine. It is necessary to find an individual approach to the baby. Regime rigidity and punishment for violating the routine are prohibited. It is important for parents to establish relationships with their children.

Getting used to the regime is easy to achieve by following these recommendations from psychologists:

If the baby is crying and there is still a lot of time before breastfeeding, then you can give him some water from a bottle. The child is probably not hungry, but simply lacks attention. In this case, you need to take the baby in your arms, talk to him, and sing a lullaby. The baby will calm down and fall asleep;
massage during the day, organize walks, bathe the child;
During the daylight hours, you should communicate and play with the baby, and during the dark periods, talk in a whisper. This will help the baby understand that he needs to be awake during the day and rest at night.

There are times when a baby begins to eat, sleep and walk on time, but soon the routine goes astray. This is possible if parents did not take into account the recommendations of pediatricians and child psychologists when drawing up an action plan for the day. Until a month of life, the baby’s daily routine will be set. Therefore, we must start by observing the baby.

During the first week after birth, you should not force your child to do anything according to a schedule. It is recommended to record on paper what time the newborn prefers to eat, when he wakes up, and when he falls asleep. Based on this information, you can develop a daily routine that the child will quickly get used to.

If the spread between feedings or rest is too large or short, then you need to find out what is causing this. You may need to make an appointment with your pediatrician.

In the second week, you should begin to accustom your baby to a routine. If he sleeps longer than required, then you should wake him up. Over time, the baby will wake up at the same time.

It is useful to teach your baby to fall asleep quickly. To do this, you need to perform certain rituals. For example, a quarter of an hour before bedtime, ventilate the room, bathe the child, sing lullabies to him, rock him in his arms, and tell him fairy tales.

It is better to teach a routine from birth. Then there will be no questions about how to establish the daily routine of an infant or an older child.

Sample routine for a newborn:

6.00-6.30 – first breakfast;
6.30-7.30 – activity time;
7.30-9.30 – rest;
9.30-10.00 – second feeding;
10.00-11.00 – period of activity (games, walks);
11.00-13.00 – baby’s rest;
13.00-13.30 – third feeding;
13.30-14.30 – activity time;
14.30-16.30 – sleep;
16.30-17.00 – fourth feeding;
17.00-18.00 – activity time;
18.00-20.00 – rest;
20.00-20.15 – carrying out water procedures before bedtime;
20.30-21.00 – feeding before falling asleep;
21.00-6.00 – night rest;
24.00 and/or 3.00 – feeding.

Indicative daily routine for infants:

6.00-6.30 – breakfast;
6.30-8.00 – activity time;
8.00-10.00 – baby’s rest;
10.00-10.30 – second feeding;
10.30-12.00 – time for games, walks;
12.00-14.00 – day rest;
14.00-14.30 – third feeding;
14.30-16.00 – time for games, walks;
16.00-18.00 – evening rest;
18.00-18.30 – feeding time;
18.30-20.00 – period of activity;
20.00-21.30 – sleep;
21.30-22.00 – water procedures before bedtime;
22.00-22.30 – feeding before falling asleep;
22.30-6.00 – sleep;
3.00 – feeding (if required).

Artificial babies get used to the daily routine much faster than breast-fed babies.

Feeding at night: features

How to accustom a newborn to a feeding schedule? At this time, you should not turn on bright lights, and it is best to communicate with your baby in a whisper. In order for mother and child to have a good rest, it is necessary to organize joint sleep. And the baby will sleep better if he feels her nearby.

Some babies may wake up at 2 a.m. to get food. If this does not happen, then there is no need to wake him up; perhaps the feeling of hunger is not so strong and does not bother him.

If a child is capricious in the middle of the night, then the mother should not feed him; it is better to give him some warm water. Perhaps he will calm down and fall asleep. If the baby cannot fall asleep within 30 minutes, then he needs to be fed.

Advice from Dr. Komarovsky

Pediatrician Komarovsky believes that the baby needs to be accustomed to a daily routine in the first 30 days after birth.
Then it will be much easier to establish a sleep, nutrition and wakefulness schedule for two-month-old, three-month-old and one-year-old children. A famous doctor gives parents the following advice:

pay attention to feeding. A baby who is fed breast milk needs food every two hours, including at night. Artificial babies should be fed less frequently and on a schedule, not on demand. Otherwise, there is a risk of excess kilograms;
strictly follow the diet. If a child eats food at the same time, he will not have problems with the stomach and intestines;
monitor the temperature and humidity in the room. The microclimate significantly affects the baby's behavior and sleep. It is not recommended to wrap your child tightly in a blanket at night if the apartment is warm;
provide comfortable conditions in the crib. If the baby is comfortable, he will wake up less often in the middle of the night and will be active during the day;
postpone introducing your baby to a routine if he is sick;
be patient. Not everything will work out the first time. Children are different: some may resist the established regime for a long time. You need to be patient and understanding;
closer to two months, bring the diet closer to the routine that applies in kindergarten. This will help simplify the child’s adaptation when registering him in an educational institution.

How to properly organize routine moments?

It is important for your child that the daily routine you create takes into account his individual biorhythms.

Among children, as among adults, there are “larks” and “night owls.” Some people wake up early and go to bed late. Some are the opposite. Some eat more and less often, while others eat less and more often. One toddler is active, mobile and spends a lot of energy. Another prefers peace and contemplation, which means his energy consumption is less. All this must be taken into account when planning routine moments.

The first thing you need to do is watch the baby a little. How is the baby active? When does he sleep, before feeding or after? How long is the time between feedings? Pay attention to your sleep at night. Does he wake up at night and how often?

Video on the topic

Dr. Komarovsky about children’s daily routine and its necessity:

Thus, the daytime regime provides for a clear routine of actions during the day - alternating sleep and wakefulness. Pediatricians and psychologists advise teaching a child to live according to a certain plan almost from birth. When drawing up a schedule, it is necessary to take into account the baby’s biological rhythm, the type of feeding, and the individual characteristics of the body.

Few parents manage to accustom their child to a routine right away, but you shouldn’t despair. You need to be persistent. A daily routine streamlines family life, allows parents to get enough sleep, and allows the baby to develop normally.

Features of the diet

Nutrition is one of the main factors that determines the full development of a child of any age. The diet should be organized in such a way that the baby receives all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Then all the systems of his body will be ready for growth and various stresses that await him at school.

When a person eats at approximately the same hours, he soon develops a peculiar reflex. By the “usual” time, the separation of digestive juices increases, which means your appetite will be much stronger.

When compiling a child’s diet, you can build on the basic principles of a balanced diet. In this case, the diet will directly depend on the schedule of school lessons and the availability of sports training.

Basic rules of healthy eating for children of preschool and school age:

One of the important conditions is that from the age of 7, the child’s diet should include at least 4 meals. Ideally, this is: first breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner.
The diet must include meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. This will ensure that the body receives proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
You should immediately exclude foods that cause allergic reactions in your child from the menu.
Snacks between main meals should be light: fruit, a handful of nuts, etc.
It is important to minimize the consumption of refined sweets, fried, too salty and spicy foods, and carbonated drinks.
Portions should be small.
The calorie content of the dishes should “cover” the child’s energy expenditure during the day.
It is important to form healthy eating habits in a child without creating a “cult of food.”
It is not recommended to use food as a reward or, conversely, punishment.

Any deviations in the child’s feeding process can lead to undesirable physical and psychological consequences. Negative physiological consequences include nutrient deficiency (important nutrients, macro- and microelements), which leads to various diseases: low body weight, anemia, digestive disorders. Obesity can become a serious problem with “uncontrolled” eating. In the psychological aspect, eating disorders (selective appetite, reluctance to try new foods, complete refusal of any category of food) can lead to a decrease in cognitive function due to a deficiency of substances necessary for the normal development of the nervous system. [1]

Timely identification of the first distortions in eating behavior will make it possible to have a comprehensive medical and psychological impact on the child’s health. Objective conclusions about malnutrition can be made by a pediatrician.

In ICD-10

anorexia nervosa;
atypical anorexia nervosa;
bulimia nervosa;
atypical bulimia nervosa;
overeating associated with other psychological disorders;
vomiting associated with other psychological disorders.

At the same time, some eating disorders in children, which usually worry parents very much, have been moved to other sections in the 10th version of the ICD. For example, difficulties in feeding and introducing food, various appetite disorders. Obesity is included in a separate section.