The baby does not sleep well at night - he spins and groans

If a 5-month-old child does not sleep well at night, it is worth thinking about why this is happening. After all, everyone is familiar with the statement that people spend a third of their lives sleeping. And for an infant, this is simply an integral part of successful and harmonious development. And well-rested parents feel much better and more cheerful than after a capricious and restless night. But sometimes it also happens that in addition to an inadequate night’s rest, parents notice a clear disturbance in the baby’s sleep during the day. Therefore, it is so important to identify in time the reason why the child sleeps poorly in order to take all necessary measures to eliminate it.

Age characteristics of infants and sleep norms

It is well known that the smaller the baby, the more time he needs to sleep. At night, when the baby sleeps, growth hormone is produced, a huge amount of new information received during the day is absorbed, and the body prepares for “work” during the waking period. However, with age, the daily pattern of activity and rest undergoes significant changes.

Here's what experts say about this:

• newborns sleep approximately 18-20 hours a day, interrupting for feeding every 1.5-3 hours;
• a child aged 1 to 3 months sleeps 18-19 hours a day, while night sleep, although an average of 10 hours, is also replaced every 3-3.5 hours by short periods of wakefulness;
• by six months, the baby sleeps less during the day - only 3 times, and night sleep lasts approximately 8-10 hours, in total the daily sleep requirement is 16-17 hours;
• by 9 months the baby can be active for up to 2.5 hours, daytime sleep also remains three times a day, but at night the child can sleep 10-11 hours, a total of 15-16 hours a day;
• By the age of one year, the daily duration of sleep fluctuates between 14-15 hours, gradually the number of daytime sleeps is reduced to two, and the length of night sleep averages 11-11.5 hours.

Usually, babies quickly get used to the daily routine if all actions - feeding, bathing, going to bed - occur at approximately the same time. It is important for the parent to adapt to the needs of the baby, showing patience, calmness and a friendly attitude.

Main causes of restless sleep

Anything can disrupt a child's sensitive sleep.

Its quality depends:

• from well-being;
• lifestyle;
• age characteristics;
• temperament;
• the environment in which he sleeps;
• global changes in life.

In fact, there are many more reasons for restless sleep . They are divided into three groups:

1. physical;
2. psycho-emotional;
3. pathological.

Experts recommend early bedtime - about seven to eight hours. It is believed that this is the best time for the young body to rest and grow.

Possible causes of poor sleep in babies

From birth, a child's sleep consists of an alternation of several phases that replace each other.

These are the so-called:

• the phase of slow (quiet) sleep, when the child is relaxed, his breathing is even and calm;
• the phase of paradoxical (rapid eye movement) sleep, when the baby's breathing becomes rapid, rapid movements of the eyes, arms, legs occur, the baby may even scream.

Moreover, in children, unlike adults, these periods can be chaotic throughout the entire night's rest, and the phase of fast movements generally prevails over the slow one.

Therefore, if the child has not yet fallen into deep sleep, you should not change his position - the baby may wake up. You should wait for the calm phase, when the baby is relaxed and does not feel his movements.

Unfortunately, not all parents of a five-month-old child can boast of a full night’s sleep for their baby. A fairly large percentage of mothers and fathers are faced with the fact that the baby often wakes up, sometimes cries, behaves restlessly and cannot fall asleep for a long time.

In order to help your child, you should pay attention to the following reasons:

1. 
   Hunger. One of the main reasons why babies wake up at night. It is important to pay close attention to the baby's weight gain, if it is minimal or absent - perhaps the child is not receiving enough milk or formula.

2. The baby is wet, cold or hot. It is worth checking the diaper and changing the blanket to a lighter or warmer one. External discomfort can also cause you to wake up.
3. Excessive overstimulation. In the evening, you should not “play” the child with active, outdoor games, and it is better to postpone watching TV or the arrival of guests until a more appropriate time.
4. The child simply does not want to sleep. This can happen if the daily routine is not followed, if less than three to four hours have passed between the child sleeping during the day and preparing for night rest.
5. Pain and signs of illness. Among the possible causes of this category are colic, fever, stuffy nose, teething (which is especially important for most five-month-old children), and neurological problems.

In addition to nighttime sleep disturbances, there may also be situations where the child does not sleep well during the day. Often, in addition to the above reasons, this happens when parents neglect to observe the basic daily routine, without paying due attention to the baby’s desires. Therefore, if a 5-month-old baby sleeps very poorly at night and during the day, you should also dose out vivid impressions and put him to bed in accordance with the age and needs of the baby.

Signs and causes of restless sleep

Baby sucks breast

A child sleeps restlessly if he:

• shudders;
• grunts and fidgets;
• spins;
• moans;
• often wakes up.

Baby crying is also a sign of restless sleep.

Newborn crying

Adults with established circadian rhythms wake up 8 to 10 times a night. Sometimes they change uncomfortable positions in bed or cover themselves with a blanket to keep warm. Most often these awakenings are very short. A person falls asleep again without even realizing it. This is not at all the case in newborns. They may wake up completely and cry.

Important! Most children's awakenings are physiological. With age they will disappear on their own.

Factors that determine why a baby sleeps poorly can be different:

1. The most common cause of restless sleep is intestinal colic in infants. They arise as a result of air entering the gastrointestinal tract, and can be caused by lactose intolerance and digestive disorders caused by the consequences of introducing complementary foods or an incorrectly selected mixture;
2. Teething, in addition to an increase in temperature and excessive salivation, prevents the child from sleeping peacefully, as the gums hurt and itch;
3. Pathologies of the central nervous system arising as a result of difficult childbirth or during intrauterine development;
4. Narrowness and dryness of the nasal passages;
5. Feeling of discomfort. It appears when the baby’s diaper is wet or dirty, the baby is cold or hot, he is wearing clothes that restrict movement, etc. The baby tosses and turns all night and may cry;
6. Emotional experiences. If the day before the baby’s usual rhythm of life was disrupted: an unexpected visit from guests, a family celebration, a trip, a prolonged absence of one of the parents, all this can become emotional stress for the baby, disturbing a restful sleep;
7. The need for closeness with mother is very strong in children. It happens that a child does not feel safe being alone in a crib;
8. Infectious diseases;
9. Severe fatigue often interferes with falling asleep and restful sleep;
10. In young children, discomfort is provoked by a feeling of hunger.

Important! You should not specifically wake up your baby so that he eats in accordance with clearly defined hours. If the baby is sleeping peacefully, you can feed him later.

The baby grunts and strains

If a child groans at night, he may simply feel the urge to defecate or urinate. However, he is not always able to defecate without problems. There are situations when the baby has constipation, which is accompanied by colic and pain. Then he will press his legs to his tummy, squirm and spin.

A newborn groans and does not sleep at night if he suffers from flatulence. Often he also pushes. When a 2-month-old baby grunts and fidgets in his sleep, this may indicate a feeling of discomfort that he experiences for one reason or another (cold, hot, uncomfortable clothes, dirty diaper).

The baby is pushing and groaning

The likely reason why a newborn writhes and groans in his sleep is allergic itching. It can also bend at the same time.

The baby is spinning

If a baby tosses and turns in his sleep and groans, it may be difficult for him to breathe due to the peculiarity of the nasal passages, which are very thin and narrow in infants. If they become inflamed due to a cold, they become even narrower. Groaning becomes especially noticeable at low ambient temperatures.

Important! If your newborn grunts frequently and won't fall asleep, it's wise to consult your pediatrician to check if he or she has an infection in the throat or respiratory tract that is causing swelling and making it difficult to breathe.

The baby is moaning

The child may twitch his arms and legs, and also make moans when sleep phases change. Every 40-60 minutes the phases of superficial and deep sleep alternate. During the period when the REM sleep phase begins, the baby is able to move and moan.

Moaning is likely to occur during infectious diseases associated with fever, teething, and intestinal colic.

Helpful tips for good sleep

Of course, the above reasons are relevant in the case when the child is practically healthy and behaves actively, cheerfully and according to his age during the day.

If a 5-month-old child does not sleep well at night for quite a long time, and all the conditions for his comfortable rest are met, you should definitely contact a pediatrician for qualified help!

Here are some tips to help improve your baby's quality of sleep and night rest:

• children get used to a strict sequence of repeated actions, so following a kind of evening “ritual” will be very useful;
• for the same reason, it is important that the baby falls asleep and wakes up in a familiar, familiar environment;
• if the baby falls asleep towards the end of feeding, you can transfer him in such a half-asleep state to the crib without rocking or rocking him;
• if the baby wakes up at night, you should not turn on bright lights and talk loudly; feeding by the light of a night light, laying him down next to him and talking in a half-whisper will help the baby not to get angry;
• Do not delay bedtime at the first signs of your baby’s fatigue (he may begin to act up or rub his eyes).

To summarize, we note that it will not be difficult for attentive and caring parents to find out why a 5-month-old child is restless at night. Whatever the reason for your baby’s poor sleep, it can always be found and eliminated.

The main thing is a positive attitude and a desire to help your beloved baby. Good night to you, may everyone sleep peacefully.

First of all, you need to calm down and understand that the child behaves this way because something may bother him, but not to spite you. The reasons may be overexcitation and incorrectly chosen regimen, teething, abdominal pain or problems with the nervous system, external irritants. First of all, you need to rule out painful problems, undergoing treatment if necessary. If the baby is healthy, but problems with sleep remain, you need to think about why the baby has trouble falling asleep or sleeps restlessly?

Stages of life accompanied by “restless sleep”

There are several stages in a child's life when sleep problems arise.
The first stage is a week after birth.
At this age, the baby is bothered by new, unfamiliar sensations. He is often malnourished due to the fact that his mother’s milk production has not yet improved. Therefore, the baby often wakes up and demands food. In addition, before the first bowel movement, he may be bothered by abdominal pain. Within a week, these first difficulties end: intestinal function improves, the mother's milk comes in - sleep becomes more restful and longer. The second stage is the age from three to six months. This is the time when most children begin to experience flatulence and intestinal colic. Increased gas formation causes severe discomfort to the child. Also, at this age, the first teeth most often begin to cut, causing severe pain to the baby. These unpleasant sensations worsen at night, so restful, sound sleep is out of the question.

The third stage begins at three years of age. The child develops his first childhood fears. He begins to be afraid of the dark, negative heroes of fairy tales and imaginary monsters. And also - he gets acquainted with such a feeling as jealousy. The baby is jealous of mom and dad for everyone and often worries. All these fears cause nightmares, which often wake the child in the middle of the night.

The fourth stage is five to seven years. At this age, the child is visited by serious adult thoughts. For the first time he thinks about death, begins to fear catastrophes and natural disasters. In addition, he becomes a schoolchild, and this new role adds excitement to the person. All these experiences negatively affect the quality of sleep.

A child’s sleep, just like an adult’s, is divided into two phases:

1. REM sleep is a superficial and active phase, during which a person moves, smiles, dreams and processes knowledge acquired during the day. During this phase, even minor discomfort or external irritation can wake a person.
2. Slow-wave sleep is deep and calm, the body rests and grows, and the immune system is strengthened.

In infants, the REM phase takes up up to 50% of all sleep time. Therefore, they wake up quite often.

5 month old baby doesn't sleep well at night

Nighttime sleep at this age is about 9-11 hours, with several awakenings for feeding. Artificial babies usually sleep without waking up until almost o'clock; infants wake up more often - once every 3-4 hours. But if a 5-month-old child wakes up every hour at night, this condition can significantly exhaust the parents and himself. Intermittent sleep at night does not provide adequate rest for anyone. First of all, you need to analyze why a 5-month-old child sleeps restlessly at night? Often the reasons for poor sleep can be noise from the street, loud sounds, and light. If these factors are excluded or the baby is accustomed to such an atmosphere, it is worth considering that the room climate may disturb restful sleep. If the air is too stuffy, dry and hot. This prevents the baby from breathing normally through his nose. The mucous membranes of the nose dry out, swelling and difficulty breathing occur, which leads to anxiety and awakening. Uncomfortable sleepwear and a warm blanket can also have an effect. Eliminate all these factors and watch your baby's sleep.

If your child is 5 months old and suddenly begins to have difficulty sleeping at night, analyze the events of the previous days. Children react by deteriorating sleep to stressful situations - for such a baby, stress can be the arrival of guests, strangers in the house, moving, and even your nervous state after a quarrel.

Therefore, for a good night's sleep, the baby's days should be calm and carefree. Protect him from excessive visits from family and friends, do not overstimulate him with noisy entertainment before bedtime; turn off the TV and music in the evening; excess noise also excites the nervous system.

A 5-month-old child does not sleep well during the day

For approximately the same reasons, a baby’s daytime sleep may be disrupted. If he is too tired or overexcited, it will be difficult for him to fall asleep. Therefore, dose out new impressions, do not disturb your sleep schedule, and at the first signs of fatigue, go to sleep immediately. Why does a 5-month-old baby sleep little during the day? He has become much more active, is exploring the world and no longer wants to spend a lot of time sleeping, therefore, he can significantly reduce the intervals of daytime sleep by lengthening nighttime sleep. Dreams during the day can range from 30-45 minutes to two hours at a time.

5 month old baby cries in his sleep

Signs of overexcitation and emotional overload of the baby will be crying and screaming, including during sleep. If a 5-month-old child screams in his sleep, cries, moans or wakes up, you should reconsider his daily routine and activities. Perhaps you overdid it with developmental activities, keeping your baby active, or visiting crowded places. The abundance of new information does not allow the nervous system to calmly assimilate everything new and manifests itself in peaks of cortex activity, which leads to crying or screaming. Also, screaming and crying at night can occur during teething, illness, or abdominal pain. It is worth taking your child to the doctor if nighttime crying has become too frequent or daily.

Some mothers may be worried that a 5-month-old baby doesn’t sleep well at night, rolls around and even cries. Parents know that quality sleep is necessary for any growing body. Therefore, it is useful to know what can cause the baby’s restless behavior at night. Some of them can be fixed on your own.

A 5 month old baby does not sleep well at night - reasons

There are a number of circumstances that can lead to the fact that mommy will have to regularly calm her child down at night.

First of all, you should remember the physiological characteristics of the child’s body at this age. In very young children, shallow sleep tends to prevail over deep sleep. This is why children wake up often. In addition, not only newborns, but also older toddlers need night feedings.

Sometimes it is difficult for a baby to sleep due to his temperament. This applies to easily excitable children. They find it difficult to relax and fall asleep on their own. Such children need increased attention not only in infancy, but also in older age. For this situation, we can recommend the following:

• Co-sleeping can be an excellent solution;
• You can try adding motherwort infusion to bathing water;
• It is useful to visit the pool with your baby.

If a 5-month-old child wakes up every hour at night, then it is important to objectively assess how comfortable the environment is for him. You will need to pay attention to the following details:

• quality of pajamas and bed linen;
• the air temperature in the room, because it should not be hot and stuffy;
• there is also no need to wrap your child up.

Poor health always leads to a 5-month-old child sleeping restlessly at night. Often at this age, a toddler may be bothered by teething. In this case, you should consult your pediatrician. He will prescribe medications that will alleviate the baby’s condition.

Every mother carefully monitors the health of her child. If she has any doubts or questions, then she should not hesitate to contact the doctor. After all, a number of pathologies can lead to sleep disturbances. These could be diseases of the nervous system or diseases of an infectious nature, and even pinworms. With timely treatment, the problem can be eliminated and consequences can be avoided.

When a 5-month-old child does not allow you to sleep at night, this leads to the fact that the mother also does not get enough sleep. Relatives should support the woman and give her the opportunity to rest during the day. For example, mommy can sleep while one of the relatives is walking with the toddler.

As children grow older, they sleep less and spend more time exploring the world around them. However, if a 5-month-old child does not sleep well at night, this is not the norm. The causes of insomnia can be both harmless and serious. To be on the safe side, it is recommended to visit a pediatrician.

Reasons for violating the rest regime

Before dealing with a problem, you need to determine the cause of its occurrence.

Typically insomnia is caused by:

• hunger;
• bad feeling;
• hyperactivity;
• first teeth

5 month old babies still need night feedings. If a child is full, he wakes up less often. Sometimes breast milk is not enough, so it is worth taking a closer look at formulas.

A child may also be capricious due to a stuffy nose. Measure your body temperature and apply drops if necessary.

If your child is overstressed or hyperactive, visit a doctor. The specialist will tell you what to do, select medications, massage, and may recommend relaxing baths.

The first teeth are usually cut at 5 months. Check this guess and start using cooling gels.

How to ensure your child has a restful sleep?

If your baby constantly wakes up at night, takes a long time to fall asleep, and this is not related to the above reasons, adhere to the following rules:

• Comfortable temperature. The bedroom should be around 23°C. In this case, it is advisable to heat the bed. Children do not tolerate both heat and cold well.
• Compliance with the schedule. It is important for parents to learn to do everything at the same time: feed, bathe, put to bed. The baby will develop a habit, and his biological clock will work flawlessly.
• Games suitable for the time of day. Control your baby's time. Outdoor games are appropriate during the day. In the evening it is better to choose something calm and relaxing. The more emotions, the worse the child falls asleep.
• Alternation of activity and rest. At least 4 hours should pass between daytime and night sleep.
• Taking into account the baby's needs. Ideally, a child should go to bed no earlier than 20:00. But if he is tired, do not disturb him to sleep. Distracting with games can completely interrupt your sleep.

If a healthy child has trouble falling asleep, try giving him relaxing baths. A light massage is also good for calming the nervous system. Such procedures are safe and very effective.

How to help your baby sleep peacefully

Complementary feeding scheme for breastfeeding and artificial feeding

In most cases, the anxious behavior of an infant during sleep is not associated with serious pathologies. Moms and dads are encouraged to take a number of steps to help reduce signs of anxiety:

1. It is necessary to avoid overfeeding the baby, as this can provoke indigestion, flatulence and intestinal colic;
2. If the cause of discomfort is a reaction to food, then when breastfeeding mothers should change their diet, reducing the consumption of cow's milk and dairy products, caffeine, fatty and fried foods. For infants fed an adapted formula, you need to think about replacing it with another variety;
3. An important point is to ensure comfortable sleeping conditions: the temperature in the children's bedroom should be 20-22 degrees, air humidity - 50-70%. The room must be ventilated regularly. During the heating season, it is recommended to use air humidifiers;

Important! Children are very sensitive to external stimuli. Extra sounds, colors, smells - all this can cause a negative reaction. Too many external stimuli can trigger anxiety and affect the quality of your sleep.

1. Babies fall asleep well to quiet music, lullaby singing, and gentle rocking;

Rocking a baby

1. It is necessary to exclude stimulating games before bedtime, it is better to replace them with a relaxing massage;
2. Children's clothing and bedding should be made from natural materials; diapers of dubious quality should not be purchased;
3. It is not recommended to use soft, bulky mattresses and pillows.
4. The baby needs daily exposure to fresh air.

Important! If your child’s sleep disturbance is associated with illness, you should contact your pediatrician in a timely manner.

Best sleeping position

If there are no special medical contraindications, then the best position for sleeping a baby is on the back. The baby can only be placed on the tummy while he is awake.

Baby sleeping on his back

As for the position on the side, after feeding you can place the baby in such a way as to avoid the danger of regurgitated masses getting into the respiratory tract. However, the side position is not suitable for long-term sleep, as it is unstable. The baby may accidentally roll over onto his stomach.

Nights when your baby sleeps restlessly won't last forever. This is a normal process of baby development. Parents should provide good sleeping conditions and try to reduce the influence of factors that disrupt restful rest.