A three-month-old baby is already showing its own temperament and habits. It seemed that very little time had passed since the pregnancy test confirmed the parents’ hopes. And the little one is already rapidly changing, growing, reacting emotionally to his surroundings.
Over the course of three months, a certain sequence was established in the daily routine: sleep is replaced by wakefulness during the day, feeding is replaced by a walk, etc. Most parents strive to streamline these processes, create a useful and predictable daily routine for the baby, fitting it into the routine of other family members.
What is the mode for?
Proper alternation of types of activity and rest throughout the day helps normal physical and mental development, teaches discipline, and develops strong-willed qualities. Following a daily routine creates predictability and stability, giving the baby the strength to endure various irritants. The daily change of household chores creates a cyclical nature of the body’s processes, which has a beneficial effect on children’s health.
According to the observations of doctors, children who are initially accustomed to the regime get sick less, tolerate stressful situations more easily, and adapt to a new environment more quickly.
Why does a three-month-old baby sleep little?
Doctors note that many children begin to wake up more often at night by 3 months. In this regard, the mother may have associations with the fact that the baby is not sleeping well. However, in reality, we can say that a three-month-old child sleeps little if the duration of rest is 2-3 hours less than the norm. Among the possible causes of this disorder, doctors identify:
- improperly planned baby's daily routine;
- excessive excitement of the child as a result of prolonged games;
- the presence of problems with the nervous system, which requires additional diagnosis and correction.
Why does a three-month-old baby sleep poorly during the day?
At this age, many mothers notice changes in their baby’s sleep patterns. Mothers complain to the pediatrician that their three-month-old child does not sleep during the day or gets very little rest during this time. In such cases, doctors pay attention to a jump in mental development. It has been established that by the 12th week of life, a “world of gradual changes” opens up before the baby, in which the senses are actively involved:
- the baby learns to distinguish changes in voice timbre;
- the coordination of the movements he makes improves;
- the baby uses his hands to explore the world around him.
Why does a three-month-old baby have trouble sleeping at night?
Normally, a 3-month-old baby's sleep at night should last 11 hours. This is facilitated by melatonin, which reduces muscle tone, relaxes them and has a calming effect on the body as a whole. Its production increases in the dark, so active synthesis occurs at night. However, for certain reasons, there is a decrease in hormone production, which negatively affects night sleep. Possible reasons include:
- using bright light in the room;
- creating a noisy environment (working computer, TV);
- active games with the baby just before going to bed.
Baby schedule at 3 months: feedings
The baby still eats quite often: 6 or even 7 feedings per day. It is too early to select porridge for the first complementary feeding, since the baby only needs mother’s milk or an adapted milk formula. The famous pediatrician Komarovsky says about complementary feeding that children should be introduced to adult food no earlier than six months of age.
To get used to the daily routine, the break between meals plays an important role. This period normally ranges from 3 to 4 hours. If a child whines and asks for food, he is distracted with toys or some pleasant activity
Over time, most children easily manage the three-hour period. During this time, the child’s body completely processes the milk and prepares to receive a new portion.
Regime of a 3 month old bottle-fed baby
If parents teach their baby to a routine from birth, the daily routine of a 3-month-old bottle-fed baby looks quite clear. The baby gets used to alternating procedures, eats well and sleeps according to schedule. This way, parents can better plan their affairs, leaving time not only for caring for the baby, but also for personal matters and relaxation.
Table of contents
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What does a 3 month old baby's daily routine look like?
By three months, the life of parents becomes more orderly and calm. For most babies, the period of colic is behind them.
They become calmer, less capricious, and do not confuse day with night. There are fewer night awakenings.
With a chaotic daily routine, frequent whims, overexcitement of the baby, and a nervous atmosphere at home are inevitable.
Table of approximate daily routine for 3 months:
| Times of Day | Action |
| 8.00-8.20 | Washing, feeding |
| 8.20-9.30 | Active time (games, massage, communication) |
| 9.30-11.30 | First nap |
| 11.30-11.50 | Feeding |
| 11.50-12.30 | Active time |
| 12.30-15.00 | Second dream (walk) |
| 15.00-15.20 | Feeding |
| 15.20-16.30 | Active time |
| 16.30-18.30 | Third dream |
| 18.30-18.50 | Feeding |
| 18.50-20.30 | Active time |
| 20.30-21.00 | Bathing |
| 21.00-21.30 | Feeding |
| 21.30-8.00 | Night sleep |
Sleep of a three-month-old baby on artificial feeding
On average, at 3 months, children sleep 15-16 hours a day. About 10 of these are nighttime sleep.
With each month, the duration of sleep decreases slightly. By six months it is about 14 hours.
Since colic no longer torments the baby, and the time for teething has not yet arrived, sleep should be sound.
Especially when feeding with formula. It takes longer to be absorbed by the body than breast milk, so your baby feels full for a long time.
To ensure that sound sleep is not disturbed by external factors, it is important to take care of comfortable conditions in the room.
The air temperature should be between 18-22 degrees, humidity - at least 50-70 percent.
During the heating season, when the air is often dry, it is recommended to use a humidifier. Frequent ventilation of the room has a good effect on the health and sleep of the baby.
In artificial babies, the sucking reflex may not be sufficiently satisfied.
Useful tips for mothers: NUTRITION AND NOT ONLY BY MONTH
To help your child fall asleep, you can offer him a pacifier and carefully remove it after he falls asleep.
Rocking and stroking the back also helps you fall asleep quickly. The main thing is to wean the baby from motion sickness so that you don’t have to carry a one-year-old child, who already weighs a lot.
It is not recommended to place a child's bed near a window or radiator.
At 3 months, as immediately after birth, it is recommended to do wet cleaning in the apartment or at least in the children's room every day.
To heat a cold room, it is best to use convection heaters. Their work is based on natural air circulation.
Equipment with a fan or coil burns oxygen, which can impair children's sleep.
What else affects a baby's sleep?
Biorhythms . The duration of sleep depends on the individual characteristics of the baby. Some babies can sleep most of the day and night in the first months, while others need more time to be awake.
Season . Often children's sleep depends on the length of daylight hours. In spring and summer, the baby may wake up earlier than in autumn and winter.
Parents' daily routine . If the mother gets up early and goes to bed late, the baby may follow the same routine.
The child should not be put to bed later than 22.00. Otherwise, it will not be possible to create a normal daily routine.
Ecology . There is an opinion that children living in clean cities and areas sleep better than their peers in large cities with poor ecology.
Lack of oxygen and severe air pollution can impair sleep quality.
Baby's nutrition at 3 months
For children who are bottle-fed, their diet is especially important. In the first weeks of life, it is enough to feed the baby 7 times a day.
The interval should be at least 3 hours during the day and 6 hours at night.
By 3 months you can feed your baby every 3.5 hours, and after 4 months - once every 4 hours.
If he is clearly hungry and the established interval is too long for him, you need to adapt to the baby’s needs.
Hygiene procedures
There are 3 basic hygiene procedures that must be carried out with a 3-month-old baby:
- washing in the morning;
- washing after defecation;
- swimming before bed.
Washing
As soon as the child wakes up, he needs to be washed. The most convenient way to wipe your face is with a cotton pad soaked in warm water.
In addition to your eyes, you need to wash your cheeks, nose, and neck. The skin behind the ears also requires cleansing.
Washing this part of the body serves to prevent diaper rash.
Washing
The procedure is mandatory after each bowel movement. It is recommended to use wet wipes only when walking or visiting.
While at home, it is better to wash the baby. If you constantly use diapers, it is advisable to rinse the groin area before the next diaper change.
After washing the baby under running water, blot all the folds on the body with a towel and cover the skin with powder or cream.
This will prevent diaper rash and irritation from appearing on the skin.
Bathing
It is better to bathe your baby before the last feeding. To do this, you can use a baby bath or add a small amount to a regular bath.
For the convenience of parents, you can put a special circle around the baby’s neck, which will hold the baby’s head above the water.
Then you can take a full bath. Children love to swim with this device, floundering in the water on their own.
An evening bath helps your baby relax before bedtime.
Especially when adding soothing herbs (for example, chamomile) or essential oils (for example, pine) to the water.
Massage for a 3 month old baby
This procedure can be carried out not only by a doctor, but also by parents. Of course, if the baby has no contraindications.
They can send you to a massage therapist if there is evidence.
For example, to relieve increased muscle tone and prepare the child’s spine for the necessary skills: sitting, rolling over, crawling.
Mom can massage after waking up and feeding the baby. At the same time, he should be calm and cheerful.
If something worries him, he is whiny and capricious, it is better to postpone the procedure to a more favorable time.
It is best to learn massage techniques from a pediatrician.
Be sure to do it only with warm hands, without pressure. You can lubricate your hands and baby's body with baby cream.
The abdomen, back, legs, feet and palms should be massaged with light stroking movements.
The procedure lasts 10-15 minutes. Before the massage, the baby can take an air bath. The main thing is that the room is warm enough so that he does not freeze.
Gymnastics
At this age, gymnastics consists of bending and extending the child’s arms and legs.
To prevent hip dysplasia, it is useful to spread the baby’s legs by holding him by the knees.
The arm exercise consists of gently lifting the child by the arms, spreading them wide, and then crossing them in front of the chest.
After gymnastics, it is recommended to lay the baby on his tummy.
If he likes gymnastics, he should do it every day for 10-15 minutes.
Walks
You need to take your child for a walk every day. The more time he spends outside, the better.
Mom can take the stroller out into the yard, walk to the nearest park, or send her and her family to the dacha. Many go with three-month-old children even to the sea.
The duration of the walks depends on the weather and time of year.
Winter . You can walk with your baby even in frost and snow. The main thing is that there is no strong wind and the temperature is higher - 15 degrees.
Even the winter sun helps the body produce vitamin D. It is simply necessary for full growth. Walking on frosty days also strengthens the baby’s immunity.
If the baby was born in winter, you need to start with minimal time outside, gradually increasing the duration of walks to one and a half hours a day.
Summer . During this period, walks are especially long. It is advisable to walk with a stroller at least 2-3 hours a day.
In this case, it is better not to keep the child in direct sunlight for more than 10 minutes. His skin is very delicate and can quickly burn.
Spring, autumn . This is the time when it is better to go outside after lunch. At the beginning of spring and at the end of autumn, the air is often very damp, and strong winds are not uncommon.
After lunch, the temperature outside is optimal. In bad weather conditions, you can take the cradle or stroller with the child to the balcony.
There he will also receive the necessary amount of fresh air, but will be protected from strong winds.
How to accustom your child to a daily routine
If the baby is not accustomed to the regime before 3 months, you need to pay attention to this. A number of tips will help make this painless for parents and baby.
Individual characteristics . Before drawing up a routine, it is recommended to observe the baby’s biological regime.
When he is very active, at what time does he tend to sleep? If his regime generally suits the mother, only minor adjustments can be made to it.
This is easier than completely breaking the existing pattern and accustoming the baby to something new.
Feeding is the basis of the regimen . If you don't know where to start introducing a routine, it's best to tie it to feeding times.
When a baby eats at the same time, his body absorbs food better. By the due time, gastric juice is produced, the child eats with appetite and sleeps well.
And this has a positive effect on his well-being.
It is important not to skip bedtime . Once you have established a routine, it is important to stick to it. If it's time to sleep, don't skip going to bed, delaying it for an hour or longer. The child becomes overtired from being awake for a long time, becomes capricious and irritable.
The baby must see the difference between day and night . He will soon notice that during daytime wakefulness he is actively entertained, doing gymnastics, talking, and there is enough light in the room.
If your baby wakes up at night, you need to show him that this time is not intended for entertainment. You should not turn on bright lights or play games.
So the child, on a subconscious level, will begin to distinguish between the times of sleep and wakefulness.
It is better to teach your baby to fall asleep on his own from an early age . Soon he will get used to the fact that his mother puts him in his crib and leaves.
If you wait to fall asleep at the crib at 3 months, you may not be able to part with this rule even at 3-4 years.
Rituals are important . The child gets used to the regime better if a certain sequence of actions is maintained daily.
For example, after bathing it is time to sleep.
Routine is important and necessary for a 3 month old baby. Especially if he eats formula.
It is important to draw it up taking into account the baby's needs and then follow the accepted time frame.
It happens that the child independently develops the correct regime. Then the parents can only support him.
Arina Nagovitsyna
JOURNALIST Higher education: Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications
Baby's sleep schedule at 3 months
If an adult needs to spend about 8 hours in bed for proper rest, then a baby needs to sleep 16.5-17 hours a day. Each daytime nap lasts about an hour and a half on average. If the mother has correctly chosen her own nutrition during breastfeeding, then the baby is not bothered by the tummy, and he rests calmly 3-4 times a day. Night rest lasts longer: 10-11 hours.
If a child falls asleep briefly during the day (an hour or less), then he may not be spending enough energy while awake. Try to spend this time more actively: do massages, gymnastics, show your baby different objects and name them, let's touch different surfaces. Having active time filled with different experiences and activities throughout the day will help you fall asleep well.
As for the process of falling asleep itself, infants, as a rule, fall asleep during the feeding process itself. Then the fallen asleep little one can be carefully transferred to the crib. A pacifier helps an artificial baby satisfy its sucking reflex.
Create conditions for good rest:
- ventilate the room so that there is enough fresh air in the room;
- monitor the humidity: wipe the floor every day, turn on a humidifier or hang a damp towel in the room;
- if the baby waves her arms and wakes herself up, then use a loose swaddle to limit movements during sleep;
- provide a calm environment, but do not maintain complete silence, as in this case the child will wake up from the slightest rustle. Of course, a loud TV will not help you sleep better, but soft household sounds will create a kind of soothing background;
- some children like calm, quiet music as a background;
- The same bedtime ritual helps prepare for rest: a lullaby, a poem, a fairy tale. This repeated action will put you in a “sleepy mood” and help you quickly adapt to your schedule.
Sleep of a 3 month old baby
A three-month-old baby sleeps at least 15-16 hours a day. Of these, about 10 hours are spent sleeping at night, and the remaining 6 hours are spent sleeping during the day. After 12 weeks of life, sleep duration undergoes changes. The baby begins to sleep less during the day, spending more time awake. By six months of life, the duration of daily sleep will be reduced to 14 hours.
Baby's sleep at 3 months (video):
Basic sleep standards for a three-month-old baby
| Night sleep | 10 hours |
| Daytime nap | 5 o'clock |
| Time to stay awake | 9 o'clock |
| Time to sleep per day | 15 hours |
Basic rules for a comfortable baby's sleep
- The air temperature in the room where the child sleeps should be 18-22 degrees. An influx of fresh air will help the baby fall asleep faster, so it is advisable to ventilate the room before rocking. Keep an eye on air humidity, especially during the heating season. A compact humidifier or a wet towel that needs to be hung indoors will help maintain optimal humidity.
- Sometimes healthy, sound sleep can be interfered with by an unsatisfied sucking reflex. When putting your baby to bed, you can give him a pacifier, and he will soon fall asleep. If the baby does not recognize the pacifier, then you can lull the baby by rocking him in your arms or stroking his back. Breastfed babies usually get their mother's breasts to help them fall asleep.
- It is better to place a crib for a three-month-old baby in the bright part of the room, but no closer than a meter from the windows and radiator. Do not place soft toys or other objects in your child's bed that he or she may bury his or her face in while sleeping.
- Regardless of the time of year, carry out daily wet cleaning in your child’s nursery. If your sleeping room is cool, avoid using heaters with open coils or models with fans. They are unsafe and burn oxygen, which will affect the baby's quality of sleep. Give preference to convection heaters.
What can influence the strength and duration of sleep?
| Mom's habits | If the mother is used to going to bed late and getting up early, then the child will unconsciously inherit this rhythm. Although this is not physiological. The optimal time for putting a child to bed at night is from 8 to 10 pm, this is the only way to keep the entire daytime routine at the right level. |
| Natural biorhythms | The sleep pattern of three-month-old infants is also associated with the length of daylight hours. It has been noticed that children in spring and summer wake up an hour or two earlier than in autumn and winter. |
| Ecological background | In the largest cities with high populations, due to inhalation of polluted air and lack of oxygen, babies sleep worse than their peers living in cleaner and more prosperous areas. |
Wakefulness
The total waking time by the third month reaches 1.5-2 hours. Moreover, the baby now doesn’t just lie passively in the crib all day. By three months, the baby learned to hold his head well, roll over onto his tummy and back, and put his fingers in his mouth. Therefore, while awake, the little man has many activities:
- sitting in the arms of the parents, turn your head and look at everything around;
- look in the mirror, enjoy the funny faces of adults;
- listen to various surrounding noises, react emotionally to pleasant and unpleasant sounds;
- lying on your back, play with your hands, shake a toy placed in your hand;
- roll over from back to side and onto tummy;
- carefully look at mobiles and other toys hanging above the crib.
Important! Once your baby has learned to roll over, do not leave him on an unguarded surface, even for a short time. After all, the little one is quite capable of making several turns and ending up on the floor.
Use your waking hours to do massage and exercise. Pediatricians recommend spending at least 15 minutes every day on these procedures. During physical exercises, talk to your baby and accompany the movements with rhymes or nursery rhymes.
By 3 months, at the request of the parents, you can teach the baby to swim. The time of classes is set depending on the effect of swimming on the baby: if the child is overexcited, then classes are carried out in the morning, and if swimming is relaxing, then they are done before bedtime.
Activities with an awake baby
When a child is awake, he needs to be occupied with something. There are a number of activities that will stimulate and entertain the baby and contribute to the development of emotional connections with parents.
Useful procedures such as massage and gymnastics can turn into an exciting game for your baby. Physical contact is very important for him, and here kisses and caresses play a big role.
Of the gymnastic exercises, you mainly need to practice extension and bending of the legs and arms. You can do this together and alternately, and also use the “bicycle” exercise.
Important! Physical exercises with your baby should be done only when he is predisposed to them and feels comfortable. If the baby is nervous and crying, they should be stopped.
To strengthen the neck muscles, it is better to place the baby on his tummy. Coordination of vision with hand movements improves day by day, so it will be useful to place bright toys in the baby's field of vision so that he reaches for them.
Baby reaches for a toy
You can also keep your baby busy while bathing: give him small objects to explore and splash around with, talk to him quietly, sing a song.
To stimulate vision, hearing and movement, the child should be occupied with musical games. Listening to music and voices begins in the mother's womb; a three-month-old baby may already prefer certain sounds. Musical and sound toys will be useful here.
Important! Mom or Dad's song is the best sound game a child could wish for.
Creating comfortable sleeping and waking conditions for the child is the main task of parents. If the baby feels good, he will smile often, surprising and delighting moms and dads with his achievements every day.
Walks
Pediatricians agree that at 3 months, a daily long walk in the fresh air remains a mandatory part of the routine. Being in the air, the child receives the necessary dose of sunlight, is enriched with new impressions, and is strengthened.
Walking rules:
- It is recommended to walk 1-2 times a day;
- most children fall asleep well on the street, so they try to coincide the time of the walk with the time of daytime sleep;
- in the warm season, from 11.00 to approximately 16.00, the sunlight is especially aggressive, so shady places are chosen for a walk during the day;
- In winter it is not recommended to walk if the temperature drops below 15 degrees.
Newborn sleep habits
3 months
At three months, parents may experience that the child:
- I started taking short naps during the day and as a result there is no stable dream schedule
- Reacts to any stimuli
- Wakes up very often at night
- Doesn't come off your hands while styling
- Requires a breast or pacifier every time you wake up
- Sleeps only when moving in a stroller
- Refuses to sleep in crib or wakes up when changing sleeping location
Therefore, now is the time to establish useful sleep habits:
Introduce a bedtime and bedtime routine if you haven't already. A ritual is a day-to-day, repeating pattern of actions that helps children relax and get ready for sleep: washing/bathing, massage, putting on a diaper and pajamas/swaddle, feeding, reading a story/singing a lullaby, curtaining the windows and turning on white noise. For a three-month ritual, 10 minutes during the day and 20-30 minutes in the evening are enough.
Create comfortable sleeping conditions: darken the room with thick curtains, use white noise, which will muffle extraneous sounds and help prolong your child's sleep. Make sure the room is no more than 25 degrees in summer and no more than 23 degrees in winter.
Try to spend your naps at home in your crib. The last nap of the day is possible in the stroller in the fresh air.
Give your baby the opportunity to try to fall asleep on his own. If you are feeding, rocking, or holding your baby, try not to do this until he or she falls asleep. Then put the half-asleep baby in the crib - he should fall asleep on his own. But don’t insist if he can’t fall asleep right away. This method of putting him to sleep will help the baby learn to independently cross the last line to sleep, which will become an important basis for future sound sleep.
Check our chart to see if your child is getting enough sleep
Approximate feeding schedule for a three-month-old baby
Babies at 3 months will need about 2-4 feedings per night - depending on whether your baby is breastfed or bottle-fed.
The baby has already grown up and can eat a larger volume of breast milk or formula at one feeding. This means that he stays full longer and the intervals between feedings will be longer, and the duration of one feeding will become a little shorter.
The feeding schedule for this month is still being built on demand. Your baby will likely eat every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night.
If a three-month-old baby wakes up very often at night and you think that introducing complementary foods will change the situation, then this is wrong. At this age, children are not yet ready to switch to adult food - now mother's milk and formula are the healthiest food for a newborn.
Baby development at 3 months
A three-month-old baby can already do a lot:
- smile and laugh
- hold your head steady
- repeat some movements and facial expressions after an adult
- put hands in mouth
- recognize the face of mom and dad
- push off with your hands when placing it on your tummy
- grab toys and shake them
Mastering these skills occurs at your own pace, taking into account the individual characteristics of the individual child.
While walking on the street, tell your baby everything you see around him, because he is already very interested in it. Respond to his emotions with care to build trust.
Play with musical and light-up toys and rattles. Feel free to sing. All this will help the child develop hearing. Talk to him, respond to his requests to make it clear that you are nearby and hear him.
Tell us, what kind of routine has your baby developed this month?
For the harmonious development of the baby, it is important for parents to adhere to a daily routine. Three-month-old babies sleep most of the day. The rest of the time should include regular feedings, walks in the fresh air, active games and communication with parents.
Hygiene procedures
Hygiene procedures at 3 months include: washing, bathing, changing diapers. Washing and bathing at 3 months occurs every day. These actions, performed regularly, help the baby distinguish day from night.
Morning toilet necessarily includes the following actions:
- The eyes are washed with boiled water using cotton pads. A separate disk is taken for each eye;
- the nose is cleaned with cotton swabs from secretions and dry crusts;
- wipe the cheeks with discs soaked in water;
- wipe with water and blot all the folds on the body with a soft towel.
When changing diapers, you need to wash the baby under running water or dry thoroughly with napkins. Apply moisturizer or powder to clean skin. To prevent irritation, it is useful for the little one to lie down for some time without a diaper, taking air baths.
Such a procedure as nightly bathing usually brings a lot of pleasure to the whole family. You can use a special inflatable ring in the bathroom. It fits around your neck and helps keep your head above water. When agitated, soothing infusions of herbs (lavender, chamomile) are added to the water. The head is washed about once a week.
Does the child need a regimen during this period?
By three months it is already necessary to accustom the baby to a certain regime. If newborn babies sleep a lot, and it doesn’t make much difference to them whether it’s day or night, then sooner or later they need to be taught a routine.
After all, the correct daily routine is the key to the physical and emotional health of the baby. Dr. Komarovsky claims that children who live according to a precise regimen are less likely to suffer from newborn colic. It happens that in the first months of its life a toddler falls asleep quite late, and if this does not cause discomfort to the mother, then she does not try to put her baby to bed early.
However, over time, this can develop into a bad habit. Therefore, try to put your little one to bed on time.
It happens that a child at 3 months does not sleep at all or sleeps poorly during the day. Some pediatricians, especially those of the “old school,” believe that if a toddler sleeps long enough at night and cannot be put to sleep during the day, then this is not a pathology.
The baby just got enough sleep and doesn’t need a nap during the day. However, other doctors recommend that mothers go to the hospital to consult with a specialist. If he doesn’t find any abnormalities, then you will have to stay awake with your little one all day. But some mothers enjoy relaxing during the day with their babies.
Disorders of the daily routine in infants
By the age of three months, a certain sequence is actually independently established for each child. You can verify this if you conduct written monitoring of everything that happens for several days.
However, cases when something changes temporarily will be normal: for example, yesterday a child slept three times during the day for an hour and a half, but today he played enough and slept for four whole hours. The baby is affected by the weather, well-being, new events, environment and other reasons. If the baby feels well, then there is no reason for concern, and small or short-term changes in routine moments are quite normal.
Sometimes parents are faced with a problem when the baby suddenly “confuses day and night.” That is, during the day, the baby sleeps for a long time, and at night he walks and never agrees to fall asleep.
To return to your normal routine, consult your pediatrician; you may need to take mild sedatives. During the day, it is recommended to wake up the baby at a regular schedule and engage in active, pleasant activities.
When waking up at night, show in every possible way that you need to sleep: do not turn on too much light, speak in a whisper, etc. Adjust the schedule so that the last feeding occurs around 11 p.m. This will help the baby sleep longer.
Tips for creating a daily routine
- While observing your baby’s behavior, try to understand in what mode his body lives. This can be noticed by paying attention to the child’s activity when it is more pronounced - in the morning or in the evening. When thinking about your schedule by the hour, take these features into account.
- If you don’t know where exactly to start establishing a routine, start with feedings. Orderly meals have a lot of benefits. Having gotten used to eating at the same time, the body begins to produce gastric juice and saliva, due to which milk is well absorbed and brings satiety to the baby, as well as good health.
- For some babies, it turns out that they themselves develop their own sleep, wakefulness and feeding patterns thanks to their “internal clock”. Other children may, on the contrary, take a long time to get used to the new daily routine, confuse day and night and live in complete chaos. A stable framework and predictability of the regime can be established for more than one month, up to a year. Your task is to be patient parents, everything has its time.
In native mode
Already observing a newborn, you can catch the child’s own rhythm. They try to adjust the daily schedule to this individual rhythm. And then they try to adapt the rhythm of the newborn family member to the parent’s, so that everyone’s life is easier and calmer.
However, in some families the balance shifts: even after 3 months, parents struggle to adapt to the children's schedule. Of course, this is done for the baby’s convenience, but parents also need rest and predictability. The lack of a routine during the day is fraught with inconvenience for the mother: the woman cannot plan her day, does not have time to complete all household chores, and gets tired.
The situation is even worse at night, when the baby does not want to sleep or sleeps very little, wakes up and demands entertainment. If this is an isolated case, then it can be survived, but if parents exist in such an unpredictable rhythm constantly, this has a bad effect on their emotional and physical health, on their relationships, on the family atmosphere itself.
Therefore, the best solution would be to try to adjust the regime of the youngest family member to the interests of everyone else. Of course, adjustment methods must take into account the individual characteristics of the little man and be gentle. So, if sleep is short, then increase the time of physical activity and walking. To bring the interval between feedings to 3.5 hours, the baby is distracted and given a pacifier or some water. In each case, it is worth consulting with your doctor and decisively starting to establish a healthy schedule for the whole family.
Sleep rules for a 3 month old baby
Sleep is a very important component for infant health. The quality of a baby's sleep affects not only his health. Restless sleep day and night, frequent crying of the baby lead to a general nervous state of all family members.
Parents often worry why their baby won't sleep if they are supposed to spend a certain amount of time sleeping. How much sleep is enough for little ones depends on their age and individual characteristics.
Important! Despite the average norms for daytime and nighttime sleep, some babies may sleep more than others.
This daily sleep schedule (in the figure below) contains average norms for infants of different ages.
Sleep standards for infants
From these standards it is clearly visible how, as the child grows, the hours of night sleep increase, and the hours of daytime sleep decrease.
Features of infant sleep:
- During the first two months, the baby's sleep consists of segments of 2-3 hours, since he must be interrupted for feeding;
- From the second month, the duration of night sleep increases slightly, the break between feedings stretches out;
- In the third month, children usually begin to sleep 6-8 hours at night without interruption, which makes life much easier for parents.
Video about the mode
In the video, the Ukrainian “Doctor Spock” - famous pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky , talks about the regime as a phenomenon. In the studio, they discuss the pros and cons of systematizing daily actions, and also discuss whether it is necessary to stick to a schedule during times of illness.
The established order makes the baby’s life healthier and makes the life of parents easier. But setting the desired schedule can sometimes be very difficult. Maybe you or your friends have some secrets of their own? How did you cope with the daily routine? Was it possible to immediately accustom the baby to order, or did the baby prefer to live at his own pace? Share your stories in the comments.
Daily rest routine
A three-month-old baby sleeps 14-16 hours a day. By this age, the baby exhibits a rhythmic pattern of alternating periods of activity and rest. The child sleeps longer and wakes up less often in the dark. The duration of wakefulness during the day increases, but does not exceed 2 hours in a row.
Lack of sleep affects the child’s well-being and behavior: he yawns, becomes lethargic, or is capricious. It is better to lull the baby to sleep at the first signs of fatigue, otherwise overexcitation will set in and it will not be easy to put him to bed.
Too much napping during the day disrupts the schedule and makes it difficult for your baby to fall asleep in the evening. In this case, the child is made to understand: daylight hours are more suitable for wakefulness. You should not immerse him in a sleepy environment, muffle sounds and create complete darkness. Daytime rest includes 4 cycles: two shallow sleeps of 40 minutes each and two deep sleeps of 1.5 - 2 hours each.
It is useful to combine long periods of rest with a walk or place the child in the fresh air - on the balcony, veranda. The hourly mode depends on the time of morning awakening. It is better to stick to a schedule that makes your baby feel comfortable.
Night sleep
At night, a three-month-old baby sleeps 9-11 hours. Some babies don't wake up for 5 hours straight before their first night feeding, others wake up every 3 hours and want the breast or bottle. These indicators are considered the norm.
It is advisable to go to bed between 20-00 and 22-00. The exact time is determined by observing the child. Here are tips from experienced parents to help make it easier to fall asleep and improve sleep quality:
- Put your baby to bed at the same time every day to develop a habit.
- Half an hour before falling asleep, dim the lights and sounds, talk more quietly.
- Give your child a warm, relaxing bath.
- Feed well, otherwise the baby will quickly wake up from hunger.
- At night, after falling asleep, turn off the lights. At 3 months, the baby already produces melatonin. This hormone improves sleep and is formed only in complete darkness.
- Organize a cozy sleeping place and clothes.
- Maintain a suitable microclimate in the nursery: temperature 20-22 ℃, humidity 50%, ventilate the room.
- Avoid overstimulation in the evening.
At 3 months it is still too early to teach your baby to fall asleep on his own. This often has the opposite effect: the child is afraid to be alone. It is better to lull him in your arms and transfer him to the crib in the deep sleep phase. It occurs 15-20 minutes after falling asleep.
An established routine with optimal duration of sleep and wakefulness makes life easier for parents and improves the well-being of the child. When drawing up a schedule, it is important to find a middle ground between the baby’s needs and general standards.
