About good sleep for children. How much and how long should a child sleep, what to do if the baby has problems sleeping

Exercise therapy doctor, pediatric medical nutritionist

Sleep disorders can affect as many as two in five children or teenagers. Sleep problems can occur even in infants. Poor quality or quantity of sleep is associated with a variety of problems, including learning, behavioral, developmental and communication difficulties, weight problems and other health problems. Sleep disorders in children not only affect the child's health, but can also affect the sleep of parents and siblings, or even worsen family relationships. In addition, the normal development of a child is associated with the quality of sleep.

Children may suffer from problems falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up early. They may have serious physiological problems such as obstructive or central sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, abnormal or disruptive sleep behaviors such as sleepwalking, or other parasomnias that occur before the onset of sleep such as restless legs syndrome , early delayed sleep phase syndrome in adolescents, and daytime symptoms such as excessive sleepiness. Although similar disorders can occur in adults, the causes of sleep disorders in children and their manifestations in children and adolescents can be very different. To understand the child’s sleep disturbances, parents need to seek help from a doctor who will conduct the necessary diagnostics to establish the causes of the disturbances and determine ways to restore the vital function of sleep.

How long should you walk with a 4 month old baby?

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During the warm period of the year, most parents put the child to sleep on the balcony and, while awake, walk him outside, allowing him to explore the world around him. The walking schedule at four months is determined by the behavior of the baby. An excess of impressions helps some children to fall asleep in a stroller on their own, while others are first latched to the chest.

Breastfeeding is recommended for babies every hour, always before bedtime. For complementary feeding in winter, children have to be taken home; they can be breastfed outside in the summer. Some parents walk for 2.5 hours, others for 30-40 minutes. In the second case, you should go for a walk twice.

How long should children sleep?

Newborns (1–4 weeks of age): 15–16 hours per day

Newborns typically sleep 15 to 18 hours a day, but only in short bursts of two to four hours. Premature babies may sleep longer uninterruptedly, while colicky babies may sleep less. Because newborns do not yet have an internal biological clock and a well-established circadian rhythm, their sleep patterns are not related to the day and night cycles. Simply put, newborns do not yet “know” that they need to sleep at night. Therefore, babies may wake up 2-3 times a night. At the same time, babies can cry, moan, fidget and squirm, frightening inexperienced parents who do not know what a change in sleep phases looks like in a child. This is a natural physiological feature for age, which does not at all indicate that the child is unwell. Parents only need to calm and lull the baby to sleep. If the baby fully wakes up, then in most cases he will require the breast. After feeding, babies fall asleep again.

Ages 1–4 months: 14–15 hours per day

By 6 weeks of age, the baby begins to calm down a little, and his sleep becomes more regular and measured. The longest period of sleep lasts between four and six hours and now tends to occur more often in the evening. The baby's confusion of day and night is coming to an end. Ages 4-12 months: 14-15 hours per day

While 15 hours of sleep is ideal, most babies under 11 months of age only sleep about 12 hours. Developing healthy sleep habits is a top priority during this period as your child becomes more social and their sleep patterns become more adult-like. Babies usually sleep three times a day during the day, but at about 6 months of age they can already sleep only twice, and are already physically able to sleep through the night. The establishment of a regular sleep pattern usually occurs in the second half of this period, when biological rhythms are finally established. Morning sleep usually starts at 9 am and lasts about an hour. Early naps begin between noon and 2 p.m. and last an hour or two. And late afternoon naps can start anywhere from 3 to 5 p.m. and usually vary in length.

Ages 1-3 years: 12-14 hours per day

As a baby progresses from the first year of life to 18 to 21 months of age, he will likely no longer need morning and early evening naps, and will only take one nap during the day. While babies are recommended to get up to 14 hours of sleep per day, they typically only sleep about 10 hours. However, at this stage of development, babies love to test their independence and can sometimes be difficult to get them to sleep. Young children also become easily overtired and irritable. In this state it is more difficult for them to fall asleep. If your baby's naps are too long during the day, he may not be ready to fall asleep in the evening. Some babies like to get up at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning.

Most children between 21 and 36 months of age still require naps, which can last anywhere from one to three and a half hours. They usually go to bed between 19:00 and 21:00 and wake up between 6:00 and 8:00.

Ages 3-6 years: 10-12 hours per day

Children at this age usually go to bed between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm and wake up around 6-8 am, the same as at a younger age. New sleep problems usually do not develop after age three.

At the same time, it is considered useful to maintain a daytime nap lasting about an hour. When children sleep well, they feel happy and secure. Good sleep strengthens your child's immune system and reduces the risk of infections and diseases.

At this age, children often have terrible dreams and nightmares. Severe frightening dreams often occur in the first hours of deep sleep at night. The baby's eyes may be open or he may be moving, so parents may think he is awake. But at the same time, the child will not answer the parents. Although scary dreams can be frightening, they will not harm your baby. There is no need to wake him up because this may increase the duration of his nightmares. Instead, just wait until the baby stops crying and thrashing. If the child gets out of the crib, he must be returned to his place. After scary dreams, children usually fall asleep quickly, and in the morning they no longer remember anything frightening.

Nightmares usually occur in the second half of the night. Unlike nightmares, a child may remember a nightmare in the morning, which will lead to a depressed emotional state. In this case, the child will need consolation, “hugs” and assurances that dreams and reality are different things, different in the same way as, for example, reality and “cartoons”.

Ages 7-12 years: 10-11 hours per day

At this age, due to social, school and family activities, bedtime gradually becomes later, and most 12-year-olds go to bed around 9:00 pm. There is still a wide range of bedtimes: from 19:30 to 22:00. , and total sleep time varies from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is about 9 hours.

Ages 12-18 years: 8-9 hours per day

The need for sleep remains as vital to the health and well-being of adolescents as it is for toddlers and children. Many teenagers may need even more sleep than in previous years due to their academic workload. Unfortunately, often neither teenagers themselves nor their parents understand this fact, which prevents them from getting the proper quantity and quality of sleep.

How long should a 4 month old baby stay awake?

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The total period of the baby’s alert state is 8 hours/day. How long should a 4 month old child stay awake before each nap – 1.2-2.5 hours. An approximate schedule will help you adjust your child’s activity schedule:

7:00 - baby wakes up, takes water procedures, eats food;
7:30...9:00 - awake;
9:00 - eats;
9:00...10:00 - time for massage, gymnastics;
10:00...11:30 - having fun, playing;
11:30...12:30 - sleeps in the fresh air while walking;
13:00 - eats food;
13:00...14:00 - plays with educational toys;
14:00...15:00 - walking time;
15:00...17:00 - communicates with others;
17:00 - eats;
17:00...19:00 - listens to fairy tales, calm music;
19:00...20:30 - plays with toys;
20:30 - bathes;
21:00 - eats, goes to bed.

You should be prepared for the baby to make his own adjustments. If the schedule changes due to circumstances depending on adults, pediatricians advise returning to the original version or forming a new regimen with a doctor. When drawing up your baby’s daily schedule, you should take into account how much time is recommended for sleep, food, walks, entertainment, and communication.

How can you improve the quality of your children's sleep?

Sleeping mode. A regular routine with a consistent bedtime promotes good sleep. The ritual of getting ready for bed: washing, changing clothes, going to bed and reading a bedtime story, turns on the reflex mechanisms of falling asleep. For older children, the ritual may include a quiet conversation about the day and leaving the child alone without a smartphone for a while before turning out the lights.

Relaxation and rest before bed. The child needs to be taught to rest before going to bed. Two hours before bedtime, the child should not watch TV, work on the computer, or hang out on the smartphone. Offer children breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, reading a paper book or listening to calm music.

Regular sleep and wakefulness. Deviations from the sleep-wake schedule for a child should not exceed 1-2 hours, even on weekends, holidays, and vacations.

Avoid naps for older children. Most children stop sleeping during the day between the ages of 3 and 5 years. Naps can make it difficult for children over five to fall asleep early in the night. If children get enough sleep at night, they don't need naps during the day.

Make sure your child feels safe at night. If a child is afraid to go to bed or be in the dark, do not scold him or laugh at him. A child should not watch potentially traumatic programs on Russian TV, such as news and political programs, films and series about “siloviks” and bandits, describing the grim realities of life in Russia, talk shows that can have a traumatic effect even on adults. Some children with fears feel better when they have a night light, a favorite toy, or a pet in the room.

Check the lighting in your child's bedroom. A quiet, calm and dark room is important for good sleep. Check if your child's bedroom is too bright or noisy. The blue spectrum of LED light from energy-saving lamps, LCD TVs and computer screens, smartphones and tablets can reduce the level of the sleep hormone melatonin and impair sleep in children. It is better to turn off LED radiation 2 hours before bedtime. The optimal light source in bedrooms is ordinary incandescent lamps.

Put away the clock. The presence of a watch within a child’s visibility range can lead to additional neuroticism and anxiety. Move the clock to a place where the child will not see it from the bed.

Diet. Feeling hungry or full before bed can make it harder to fall asleep. The optimal time for sleep is 2-3 hours after dinner. In the morning, a healthy breakfast helps start the child's biological clock at the right time.

Lots of natural light during the day. Encourage your child to be exposed to as much natural light as possible during the day, especially in the morning. Bright light suppresses melatonin. This helps the child wake up, feel alert, and feel the need for sleep in the evening.

Cafein free! Caffeine is found in energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and cola. Teach your child to avoid these foods in general, and especially in the afternoon.

Physical activity. If your child is not active enough during the day, he may not feel physically tired enough to sleep well at night. It's a good idea to encourage your child to be more active during the day. For example, even a family walk before dinner can improve difficulty falling asleep.

How to create a daily routine for a 4 month old baby

Providing an individual regime for a baby is not easy. Parents need to monitor the child. The measure will help determine the daily routine used by the baby. If, during observations, adults have not formed a schedule, you should find out the reasons that prevent the baby from eating and resting at approximately the same time.

Pediatricians offer the following recommendations to help parents:

You need to develop the habit of resting on a schedule in your child. Clean air will strengthen your baby's sleep. During the warm period, children are put to sleep on the balcony, street or with open windows, in winter - in a ventilated room. It is advisable to freshen the air in the room 10 minutes before the baby goes to bed.
Control the lighting in the room. During the day, the light should be natural, in the evening – dim. It is important for a child to learn to distinguish day from night.
Apply to the breast more often. The baby will develop the correct daily routine and the nervous system will be strengthened.
Spend time actively. With a four-month-old baby, you can visit guests, explore the world around you, do massages, do gymnastics, and play. Finger games (“Ladushki”, “Magpie-Crow”) will also be useful. Soft books and teethers are a good choice for babies.
Stick to a routine as a family.

Important! Often, parents who introduce their baby to a certain schedule make mistakes: they do not allow them to sleep every 2 hours, they forget to take into account biorhythms, they teach them to sleep at night when traveling or on long journeys.

Sample daily routine for a four-month-old baby

If you use simple advice from pediatricians, establishing a child’s routine will not be difficult. The main thing is to remember the individual characteristics of the baby and be prepared for changes in the daily routine.