Sleep is a physiological process necessary for the normal functioning of the body. It is especially important for children. However, the older your child gets, the more difficult it is to get him to sleep. Therefore, as soon as the baby turns 1 year old, many parents stop trying to put him to sleep during the day. Meanwhile, this is the only way he can process information and compensate for the loads he receives during the day. In this article you will learn about the importance of daytime rest for a one-year-old child and how much sleep he can take during the day at this age.
How long do one year olds sleep?
As soon as the child turns 1 year old, parents begin to think about how many times a day he needs to sleep. First of all, you need to deal with periods of wakefulness. As a rule, their duration in children of this age is 4-5 hours. During this time they:
· move a lot
· actively explore the world around them,
· play and try on different roles in the process,
· show curiosity
· willingly make contact with adults and children.
In order to rationally use the period of wakefulness, all active games, walks, developmental activities, visits to guests should be planned for the first 2-2.5 hours. In the second half, the baby’s activity begins to decrease and he can already be prepared for the fact that he will soon go to bed.
The daily sleep requirement for children aged 1 year reaches 13 hours. Most of them occur at night. During the day, a child can lie down several times, for a total of 2-3 hours. 1 year is the optimal age to transfer the baby to a single daytime rest. However, it all depends on what time he wakes up in the morning. If his awakening occurs at 6:00, then by 10:00-11:00 the period of wakefulness is already over. In this case, it is advisable to put him to bed before lunch. If he wakes up at 10:00-11:00, this can be done in the afternoon.
All these time boundaries are conditional. Parents first of all need to focus on the behavior and well-being of the child. There should be no cause for concern if during the day he:
· calm and balanced,
· Demonstrates vivacity and cheerfulness,
· Concentrates easily on games and activities,
· has no problems with appetite,
· falls asleep quickly and wakes up easily.
All these signs indicate that the baby is sleeping well and getting enough sleep. Constant anxiety, whims, refusal to eat can be signs of lack of sleep, and lethargy and constant malaise, on the contrary, of too much sleep.
12 to 18 months
Typical sleep at this age
Your baby is already quite big. But he also, as before, needs a lot of sleep. Until the age of two, a child should sleep 13-14 hours a day, of which 11 hours at night. The rest will go into daytime sleep. At 12 months he will still need two naps, but by 18 months he is ready for one (one and a half to two hour) naps. This regime lasts up to four to five years.
The transition from two naps to one can be difficult. Experts recommend alternating days with two naps with days with one nap, depending on how much sleep the baby slept the night before. If the child slept once during the day, it is better to put him to bed earlier in the evening.
How to instill healthy sleep habits?
At this age, there is almost nothing new that will help your baby become a good sleeper. Follow the strategies you learned earlier.
Maintain a consistent bedtime routine
A good bedtime routine will help your child gradually wind down at the end of the day and prepare for sleep.
If your child needs an outlet for excess energy, allow him to run around for a while before moving on to quieter activities (such as quiet play, a bath, or a bedtime story). Follow the same pattern every night—even when you're away from home. Children love when everything is clear and precise. Being able to predict when something will happen helps them control the situation.
Make sure your child has a consistent daytime and nighttime sleep schedule
Your child's sleep will become more regular if you try to follow a regular schedule. If he sleeps during the day, eats, plays, and goes to bed at the same time every day, he will most likely find it easy to fall asleep in the evening.
Give your child the opportunity to fall asleep on his own
Don't forget how important it is for your child to be able to fall asleep on his own every night. Sleep should not depend on rocking, feeding or a lullaby. If such a dependence exists, the child, waking up at night, will not be able to fall asleep on his own and will call you. What to do if this happens is up to you.
What difficulties may arise?
At this age, your child may have difficulty falling asleep and may wake up frequently during the night. The cause of both problems is new milestones in the child's development, especially standing and walking. Your baby is so excited about his new skills that he wants to keep practicing them, even if you say it's bedtime.
If your child is reluctant and won't go to bed, most experts recommend leaving him in his room for a few minutes to see if he calms down on his own. If the child does not calm down, you can “let the child cry it out.”
You will also have to decide what to do if your baby wakes up in the night, can't calm down on his own, and calls for you. Try to go in and see: if he is standing, you should help him lie down. But if your child wants you to stay and play with him, don't give in. He must understand that night time is for sleep.
Reasons for not taking naps during the day
According to pediatricians, until approximately 15-18 months, a child should sleep twice a day - at night and during the day. With this daily routine, it will be easier for him to adapt to a long period of wakefulness. If your baby goes to bed in the late afternoon, it will be more difficult to get him to sleep at night. In this case, it is advisable to wake him up early in the morning or put him to bed immediately after lunch.
Reasons why a 12 month old baby refuses to sleep during the day:
1. Mastering new skills. At the age of 1 year, the baby can already sit, walk, and talk. He actively explores the world around him, which causes him excitement, delight, and anxiety. All this leaves typos on his behavior. To avoid this, the process of learning new skills should be planned for the first half of the waking period.
2. Outside help. If at night a child is used to falling asleep on the chest, arms, with a pacifier or bottle, during the day it is more difficult to put him to sleep without them. The parents' task is to teach him to relax and fall asleep without outside help.
3. Unsuitable conditions. The child should be taught to fall asleep in a separate bed or room. The room should be quiet and well ventilated. To do this, it is undesirable to use a room that is too warm, dark and damp, a bed with an uncomfortable mattress, or pajamas made of low-quality materials.
4. Changes in the family. Moving, renovations, or the arrival of a new family member or nanny can become stressful factors for the baby. To prevent this from affecting the way he sleeps, he must be accustomed to new conditions and routines in advance.
5. Feeling hungry. Pediatricians recommend putting the baby to bed about an hour after the last feeding. This will be enough to digest food and will guarantee that the baby will not get hungry while sleeping.
In each of these situations, you should never scold your child for not being able to fall asleep or waking up quickly. He needs time to adapt to new conditions, wean himself off the breast or pacifier, and learn a new skill. The parents' task is to create favorable conditions in which he can calmly fall asleep and wake up at the right time.
What should a 13 month old child be able to do?
- Freely manipulate toys: pick them up, carry them from place to place, throw them, hide them.
- Build towers from cubes and pyramids from rings
- Turning pages in a children's book
- Laugh when an adult makes a funny joke
- Point a finger at the desired object
- Imitate the actions of adults
- Get to know family members
- Fulfill basic requests
- Respond to your name and understand speech addressed to it
- Hold a toy with one hand and play with it with the other
- Crawl quickly and stand firmly on your feet
- Drink from a child's cup
How to help your little one sleep more peacefully
- If your baby demands your presence and wakes up as soon as you leave, stay close to him. Talk, tell about tomorrow's plans and promise your baby that you will definitely come when he calls. Of course, you need to keep your promises; if you don’t do this, the little one may lose trust in you.
- Never forget about the daily routine and those procedures that tell the baby that it will soon be time to rest. If before this time he was not interested in books, then perhaps now is the time to try to get acquainted with reading again. In addition, some quiet games, for example, putting together puzzles or arranging toys in their places and saying goodbye to them, will help the baby calm down after a busy day. Another ritual - bathing in a series or simply in cool water is useful not only for newborns, but also for older children.
- Of course, if you know that something is bothering your baby, for example, teething, then especially before bedtime you should help the baby and relieve discomfort with a special medicine. Be sure to check with your local pediatrician which drug may be right for your baby. In addition, the baby may suffer from a runny nose, then you definitely need to pay due attention to cleaning the nose.
- A very important skill for a 1-year-old toddler is falling asleep independently. As soon as you see that he is already falling asleep, put him in the crib and let him fall asleep there on his own. If he falls asleep with you only after being rocked to sleep or with a pacifier, bottle or breast, then you should gradually wean him from such habits. For example, the baby fell asleep with the breast, after a while he wakes up, and neither you nor the breast are there. Of course, what further actions could there be?! Of course, he will start looking for you, get up in the crib, call, and your rest will be interrupted. Therefore, at this age it is very important to learn to sleep on your own.
- Now the baby is at an age when he wants to control the whole world and confirm his importance every time. In this case, he may demand to continue the game when it is already time to sleep. To avoid evening quarrels and arguments, provide your child with an alternative that, at the same time, suits you. For example, you can ask your child: “What pajamas do you want to sleep in today?” or “Are we going to bed right now or in 5 minutes”? Whatever answer your little one chooses, it will suit you, and the baby will feel important and independent.
- Spend your waking hours actively. If your baby can play on his own, great. If he doesn’t have enough of your company to have fun, don’t be lazy and give your little one this time. When he plays enough, his sleep will be much stronger and longer.
Possible problems
The baby does not walk on his own
13 months is not yet the age when you should sound the alarm on this issue. If the child is healthy, active, willingly moves by the hand and stands confidently on his feet, give him time. The skill of independent walking will not take long to develop. The borderline norm in this matter is considered to be 1.5 years of age.
Limited speech
Some children can communicate exclusively using sounds and syllables until the age of 2. Other children already speak in coherent sentences at 1.5 years old. Speech development is a complex and individual process. It is influenced by a huge number of factors. In most cases, boys speak slightly later than girls. And if a baby at 13 months says only a couple of words, but otherwise speaks his own language, this is not considered a deviation from the norm.
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If you don't follow a daily routine
If parents are illogical in observing the children’s daily routine, then they force the child to follow it, then they let everything take its course, this negatively affects the baby’s nervous system. He may have the following health problems.
- Moodiness, irritability, nervousness
- Fast fatiguability
- Changes in activity and rest
- Mood swings
- Lack of sleep, poor sleep
- Poor appetite
- Insufficient assimilation of information
- Reluctance to clean up after yourself or help your mother
Baby's daily routine at 13 months
Dream
The duration of children's sleep per day should be at least 12-14 hours. After a year, babies usually no longer wake up at night to feed and can easily sleep until the morning. Daytime sleep remains only once, but longer - about 2-3 hours. It is good if by this age the child already has a clearly established sleep and wakefulness schedule.
Walks
The baby explores the world around him, nature and space with interest, so it is preferable that he does not sleep during the walk. Daily access to fresh air will help maintain immunity and help the child gain new experiences. At 13 months, you can already stimulate the baby’s communication with peers: visit the playground, parks, public gardens. The duration of a walk in the warm season is limited only by compliance with the regime, and in cool weather a 1.5-2 hour stay on the street is enough.
Nutrition
Now you can gradually transfer the child to the common table. This means that the food intake needs to be carefully expanded. If your baby already has enough teeth to chew food, you can offer him food in small, soft pieces. In this way, the chewing reflex will be well stimulated and the articulatory apparatus will develop.
Breast milk or formula is still important in baby nutrition. Many mothers stop breastfeeding just after the age of 1 year. But you should understand that for now the baby will not have enough food from the children's table. Breast milk contains a huge amount of essential elements. And if you refuse it, you should think about choosing a mixture.
The Kabrita food line includes formulas for babies aged 12+ and 18+ months. They are ideal for providing your baby with the necessary nutrients if he or she stops breastfeeding. The formulas are made with goat's milk, which makes their composition as close as possible to the components of breast milk. This diet does not cause colic, constipation or disorders. But nevertheless, it is worth remembering that any new product, including formula, is introduced into the children's diet gradually.
How many times should I feed a child aged 1-1.5 years?
Feeding should not be less than four times a day. Approximately 3-4 hours should pass between feedings. After feeding, the baby should take a walk. And then you can get some sleep, and after sleep the baby is fed again. With this daily routine, the child grows and develops well. After sleeping and eating, the child is calm, plays well, is not capricious, his nervous system is calmer than those of those children who do not get enough sleep and are malnourished.
When you spoon feed your baby and teach him to use this device on his own, you can use a little trick. If a child cannot eat from a spoon, you need to put thick food into it first, and then, when everything starts to work out, you can scoop out liquids with a spoon: soup, jelly. There is no need to overexert the child: let him learn just a little, 3-4 spoons are enough, and then dad or mom will feed the baby. At the end of feeding, you can use a bonus for the baby - allow him to finish himself with a spoon when there is very little food left.
