Why doesn't the child sleep during the day?
For many parents, naps are the hardest part of sleep training. When a child does not sleep during the day or sleeps very poorly during the day, it is very tiring for parents, they do not have time to do their business and even get a little break.
Many parents do not know that daytime sleep improves only after a night's sleep. And they believe in the following myths about daytime sleep:
- You need to wind the child up harder, not let him sleep, then he will sleep better at night
- The child needs to play until he falls asleep on his own
- Does your child not sleep during the day? Get a good night's sleep!
We ourselves have heard about all these myths more than once, but we know for sure that in practice they do not work. In fact, a child who is rested during the day will sleep well at night.
Daytime and nighttime sleep are interconnected. And the better a child sleeps at night, the better his daytime sleep. Conversely, a child who does not get enough sleep and is overtired during the day will sleep worse at night.
Our team has prepared for you several sleepy tricks that will help you better understand how naps work, why a child resists naps, what parents should do and how to help a child sleep better?
Day and night sleep
Daytime sleep differs significantly from nighttime sleep both in function and in how daytime sleep changes as the child grows. This is due to the development of the child’s brain and nervous system. The child endures increasingly longer periods of time awake, and the need for daytime sleep decreases.
Many studies confirm that naps are very important for children's health!
Daytime sleep:
- replenishes the reserve of strength - children from 0 to 4-5 years are not suitable for long periods of wakefulness;
- reduces stress levels, improves emotional state, reduces excitability;
— improves the ability to perceive new information;
- prevents the accumulation of sleep deprivation due to intermittent/insufficient night sleep;
- improves the quality of night sleep!
VIDEO LESSON
How to improve your baby's daytime sleep?
More details
Daytime sleep mode
The daytime sleep schedule is established after one continuous period of night sleep has been established.
- Morning naps are usually the first to be established, at around 4-5 months.
- up to 6 months, be guided by signs that the baby is ready for sleep; daytime dreams may “float”
- after 7-8 months it is better not to wait for signs of fatigue, but to stick to the chosen “clockwise regime”
Short naps
Clients often come to us with the problem of short naps during the day. We consider short dreams to be all dreams lasting less than 45 minutes, when the child sleeps during the day for 20-30 minutes and wakes up. The only exception is newborn children, for whom sleep of any duration from 15 to 60 minutes will be normal, provided that the child is in a good mood after waking up.
Why is short sleep a problem? Because a child does not go through one sleep cycle during a short nap, so he wakes up tired.
For a child older than 3 months, a short nap is an indicator that something is going wrong and the baby will most likely be sleep-deprived and cranky until the next bedtime. And the parents, when putting them to bed, greatly exceeded the child’s comfortable waking time.
What to do if you are faced with the problem of short naps? Just three simple steps:
1) avoid overwork
2) adjust sleep patterns and conditions
3) prolong short sleep by any means!
Morning dream
Morning nap or first daytime nap should not exceed 1.5 hours. Wake your baby if he sleeps too long in the morning. Why do you need to wake up your child? This also contradicts the rule of many parents “never wake a sleeping child,” but otherwise the entire rhythm of sleep and wakefulness will be disrupted and you will miss the best time to go to sleep at night - the “sleep window.” This can easily get your child into a cycle of sleep deprivation that will be difficult to get out of.
Avoiding daytime naps
Your baby is growing and constantly testing the boundaries of what is permitted. Daytime sleep can often be tested. Don't give up, continue to put your baby to sleep according to the established schedule. Remember that your child's need for naps continues until age 4!
Consistency is the key to your baby's good naps.
Daytime sleep is very different from nighttime sleep. And falling asleep and staying asleep during the day is more difficult than at night for several reasons:
- firstly, during the daytime the “sleep hormone” melatonin is produced at a minimally low level
- secondly, sleeping conditions are very different from night conditions - light, household noise and noise from the street
- thirdly, it is more interesting for a child to be awake than to sleep, and during the day there is so much going on!
It is for these reasons that it is very important to maintain a routine and constant preparation for daytime sleep. Bedtime routines or rituals will help your child transition from active wakefulness to sleep, and are especially important to maintain before naps.
Use a shortened version of your evening rituals before bedtime.
Sleep conditions are very important!
The statement “a child can sleep in any conditions” is not true. For most children, sleep conditions are important in order to fall asleep: darkness, silence, coolness, comfortable clothing. This is especially true for very sensitive, anxious children.
For newborn babies, sleep conditions play a secondary role; waking time comes to the fore. But children grow up, and from the age of 3 months they become more and more sensitive to the conditions in which they sleep. Especially during the day.
If your baby is used to sleeping during the day while moving, such as in a stroller or in the car, remember that sleeping while moving is not good quality sleep. The baby does not fall into deep sleep and does not rest properly. And this can affect sleep at night. What to do if the baby sleeps only while moving? Place your baby in the crib to sleep, and while awake, go for a walk and explore the world!
Daytime naps for babies 0 – 6 months
The main rule for babies under 6 months is “take your time with naps.” Daytime sleep is established only after nighttime sleep, and up to the age of 5 months can be very chaotic. Help your child fall asleep, prevent overtiredness, and monitor sleep conditions.
Daytime sleep in children 6 - 8 months
For all babies over 6 months old, the rule “ no sleep before 8 am!” Even if the baby woke up at 5 am. Such morning dreams form the habit of waking up very early in the morning!
Babies aged 6-8 months sleep during the day for at least 3 hours over 3 naps: a morning nap, an afternoon nap and a short evening nap, which helps them last until bedtime and fall asleep at night without overtiredness.
Daytime sleep in children 9 - 12 months
At the age of 9-12 months, children give up the 3rd nap during the day, and morning naps become shorter. Despite the fact that the afternoon nap lengthens. Afternoon sleep begins 2-3 hours after the end of morning sleep.
Daytime sleep in children 13-18 months
Most often, between the ages of 13 and 18 months, the transition to 1 daytime nap occurs. Daytime sleep is now 2 hours and begins between 12:00 and 13:30 hours.
For many parents, the transition to one nap can be very challenging. Take your time with the transition, watch your child, he may show signs of transition to one dream:
- the baby can already sleep 10-11 hours at night without waking up
- the baby finds it difficult to fall asleep in the morning and it takes more and more time
- morning sleep became very short
- or, conversely, too long so that it interferes with afternoon naps
- you are stuck in a situation where “two dreams are too many, but one dream is not enough”
All of the signs mentioned above indicate that your baby is ready and it’s time to switch to one nap during the day. When making the transition, try to delay the start of morning sleep to a later time, act gradually: for three days, start morning sleep at 11:00, 3 days at 11:30, then at 12:00. And so, gradually, you will shift your morning sleep to the afternoon. But during the transition to one nap, it is very important to adhere to the principle of “early bedtime.” Why? In order not to overtire the baby in the evening and not to disturb the night's sleep.
Daytime naps in children over 18 months
It is important to maintain daytime sleep in children until at least 4 years of age. Already at 2 years old, children make attempts to give up daytime sleep, but this does not mean that they do not need daytime sleep. It is important to continue to persistently put your child to sleep during the day until he is 4 years old.
After 4 years of age, children can no longer nap during the day without negative consequences for nighttime sleep. BUT! provided that the parents organize a “quiet hour” for the child.
Switching to "quiet hour"
Children grow so quickly, you won’t notice how the need for daytime sleep fades away.
When your baby turns 4 years old, he will no longer need naps during the day, but it is very important to maintain “quiet time” for as long as possible!
“Quiet hour” is a quiet time after lunch, without active, noisy games, without TV and cartoons. Ideally, read while lying in bed.
“Quiet hour” plays an important role - it gives the baby’s nervous system a short break from external stimulation, after such a break it is easier for the baby to last until the night’s sleep and go to bed at night without overtiredness.
You can learn more about daytime sleep from our Video Lesson How to improve daytime sleep? From this lesson you will learn how to adjust the conditions in which your child sleeps, select a comfortable sleep and wakefulness mode, and build a relaxing preparation for bed
DaytimeSleep FrequentWake Up NormsSleep Routine
Short Dreams Signs of Fatigue Time Wakefulness Conditions Sleep Quality Sleep Sleep On Motion
Causes of sleep disturbances
There are several reasons why a child began to sleep poorly at 6 months.
- the child begins to teethe;
- the body's reaction to new foods;
- the environment in the room is uncomfortable for the child;
- possible illness.
During teething, the baby’s health deteriorates sharply. He becomes more susceptible to infections and begins to have trouble sleeping at night.
At this time, you should monitor the cleanliness of your child’s toys to avoid infections getting into open wounds, and use cooling gels at night to reduce discomfort during sleep.
If you do not feel well, you should consult a doctor, as this process is often accompanied by complications.
We recommend reading! Click on the link:
For what reasons does a child sleep poorly and what can be done?
If the cause of poor sleep in a six-month-old child is improper feeding, it is worth stopping the introduction of new complementary foods to check which of them had an adverse effect. Subsequently, it is necessary to gradually add new foods to the children's diet. Possibly malnutrition. Very often, children wake up at night due to hunger; in this case, you need to increase the portions or the number of feedings, but only if absolutely necessary, since overeating can also cause discomfort in the child.
The third reason why a six-month-old baby does not sleep may be an uncomfortable environment for him, namely: high temperature, lack of fresh air or high humidity. The room in which it is located must be clean and regularly ventilated. The air temperature should not exceed +23 degrees.
Diapers are also an important component of baby's sleep comfort. It is important for a baby to feel confident and safe, and a poor-quality diaper can cause irritation and additional discomfort.
It is also important to monitor the baby’s well-being. Perhaps he has a cold or something hurts. In this case, the child not only has difficulty falling asleep at night, but also does not eat well.
Correct sleep pattern
If a 6-month-old baby sleeps poorly at night and wakes up frequently, this may also mean that the baby has a disturbed sleep pattern. Perhaps he has exceeded the number of hours of sleep during the day. Sleeping during the day is essential for babies, but lack of activity can lead to wakefulness at night.
We recommend reading! Click on the link:
The main reasons why a 1-year-old child sleeps poorly at night
Six-month-old children sleep up to 15 hours in separate sleeps of 2-3 hours each phase.
The reason why a child at 6 months sleeps poorly may be his maturation, restructuring of the body and a decrease in the necessary hours spent in sleep.
The reasons that a child over 5 months sleeps very poorly may be the following:
- emotional overload;
- problems with neurology;
- characteristics of the child's body.
As children grow up, they become more emotional and impressionable, they begin to wake up more often at night, the baby does not sleep well during the day and is increasingly capricious.
He learns to sit, crawl, and later stand, distinguishes your speech and begins to experience new emotions. All this is a lot of stress for a weak child’s body. It is necessary to give him more time to rest and assimilate new information, otherwise constant emotional and information overload will lead to neuroses and stress.
