How to properly put a newborn to sleep: advice for young mothers

Required sleep time for infants

The amount of time a baby needs to sleep changes as they grow older. So newborns are practically not awake. They sleep about 20 hours a day and only wake up to eat. Sound and long sleep is the key to a baby’s growth and health. After just 6-8 weeks, the baby’s needs change. He develops an interest in the world around him, and his sleep time gradually decreases.

How much do babies sleep depending on age:

• At 3 months, the baby rests for about 12 hours at night and about 5 during the day;
• By six months, babies become more active. They require a lot of attention and communication. During the day, their sleep usually does not exceed 4 hours, at night it takes 10-11;
• From 9 months of age, children rest even less. The number of daytime naps is gradually reduced. The duration of the night's rest does not change. The less your baby sleeps during the day, the more time he will spend in bed at night. Children need about 10-11 hours to replenish lost energy and fully relax. This norm has been maintained for several years. During the day, by the age of one year, babies sleep only about two hours, some need a little more time to recuperate.

Sometimes young parents believe that their children hardly get any rest. This misconception especially applies to breastfed babies. The fact is that babies tend to have shallow sleep. They are immersed in it as soon as they close their eyes. Therefore, even while eating, children sleep, which means they rest.

Baby on Guards

To create the necessary conditions for development of the little one, we are ready to move mountains. Sound sleep is our best helper. While the baby is quietly snoring, a whole factory for the development of immunity, growth and restoration is launched in his body. But what time should the child be put to bed to ensure this start? If you start putting him to bed too early, you get whims, and if you put him to bed late, the little one won’t let you sleep and will also wake you up early.

Problems with what time to put a newborn to bed usually do not arise, because the toddler is active when he is offered the breast and sleeps until 19 hours. A couple of months pass and the rest time decreases, because you need more time to explore the world around you. In addition, the hormone melatonin comes into play. Thanks to it, fatigue appears in the evening, and sleep becomes deeper. But if you miss the period of production of this hormone, cortisol will replace it, and you are guaranteed to play for several more hours.

To find out what time it is best to put your baby to bed, watch your baby. Start keeping a sleep diary . You can do this both in a notebook and in a special application for your smartphone. This helps a lot to navigate and plan the day, analyze mistakes and successes. In addition, notes provide discipline.

Record periods of sleep and rest, and your baby's signals of fatigue. After six in the evening, the baby may rub his eyes, lean on the sofa, yawn, and move more slowly. It is at this moment that it is time for the baby to go to the world of dreams. And it’s better if before the trip he is fed, watered, washed and in bed. The drowsy mood does not last long, after which a second wind opens.

Each little one has individual characteristics, and children’s sleep time may differ by a couple of hours, either up or down. If the baby feels good, is active and settles down calmly, there is no need to look at the table with norms.

If you feel unwell or lethargic, it makes sense to compare your child’s sleep time with the recommendations. As a rule, the norms for what time it is better to put a child to bed depend on age and imply approximate indicators:

• Babies up to 3 months of age have a long, but superficial rest. It is unclear what time to put a one-month-old baby to bed, due to the fact that during the day the little one rests erratically. Besides, you are just getting to know the baby, getting to know his habits and character.
• After three months and up to six months, the ideal period for falling asleep will be from 7 to 8 pm. It is better to start the evening ritual at least half an hour in advance. The toddler is still reaching for his chest and having nightly festivities.
• What time to put a child to bed at the age of one to one and a half years will depend on how early the little one woke up and how long he slept during the day. Many babies still sleep twice a day. The best time to fall asleep will be 9 pm.
• In the period from 1.5 to 3 years, your child adjusts to one nap during the day. The transition can take months, so parents need to carefully monitor the little one’s condition and monitor his fatigue. Little ones often boycott attempts to put them to bed after lunch.
• In three-year-olds, catching signs of fatigue is no longer relevant; a routine is needed. Usually children are awake for 5-6 hours. If Butuz woke up at 7 am, then it is better to put him to bed at noon for a nap, and bedtime story time will come at 8 pm.

If you are looking for a universal schedule, there is none. Everything is individual. Some toddlers like to sleep after lunch, others refuse to rest during the day, but sleep sweetly until the morning. There is no need to accustom the toddler to the regime until there are two stable sleeps. When assessing sleep time, it is better to focus not on numbers, but on the well-being of your child.

Completing a sleep diary will greatly help you track the rhythm of your day. When you find the window for falling asleep, the problem of what time to put your baby to bed at night will be solved, but not immediately. At first it will require attentiveness, patience and discipline on your part.

Author: Tatyana Kremneva.

When to put your baby to bed

From infancy, you need to accustom your child to a routine, creating a schedule that is convenient for all family members. You can't assume that all babies behave the same way, going to bed and waking up at a certain time. Some have a longer daytime rest, others have a longer night rest. You can adjust the regime, the main thing is to act consistently and take into account the interests of your family. What time to put a baby to bed at night depends on his age and the established routine in the family.

First 3 months

How long does a one year old baby sleep?

In the first three months, the baby is just getting used to the new world. At first he sleeps a lot, after a few weeks he begins to distinguish between day and night, and his biological clock comes into play. Due to frequent daytime awakenings, characterized by a chaotic nature, the time of going to bed at night is constantly lost. We need to help the child establish a routine, this will make life easier not only for him, but also for the parents.

Note! The quality of a baby's sleep is affected by the emotional state of the mother, which the baby acutely feels. Increased nervousness and scandals in the family make the child easily excitable, and he cannot relax.

It is important to create a calm, peaceful environment so that the baby feels safe. Then he will quickly fall asleep and begin to wake up with a smile. A good mood and well-being indicate that there is no reason to worry.

3-6 months

When the sun sets, the body begins to tune in to rest, all processes slow down. A person needs to rest to replenish lost energy. The baby obeys the laws of nature and almost always unconsciously tries to go to bed between 19 and 21 hours. Often, parents themselves interfere with him, entertaining him in any way. They believe that going to bed early will lead to waking up at night.

Moms and dads ignore the signs that the child gives:

• rubs reddened eyes;
• does not focus on toys and other objects;
• behaves too actively, despite the approach of night;
• thumb sucking;
• becomes capricious.

Baby's whims

If a child takes too long, it is quite difficult to put him to bed. Although he is tired, he is overly active and refuses to go to bed. This is the result of an excess of emotions. It is also believed that from 18 to 20 hours the hormone melatonin is produced, which ensures a comfortable sleep. If you don't take advantage of the moment, time will be lost. Then melatonin will be replaced by cortisol, which is responsible for vigor. The baby's mood and behavior will change dramatically. You need to carefully monitor your baby so as not to miss the time when he wants to sleep.

The best time to go to bed is from 19:00 to 21:00. The child will sleep until 7 am, and his daylight hours will have a maximum duration. You should not give preference to daytime rest.

Note! It is better to wake up the baby if he sleeps for more than 3.5 hours in a row. Let him replenish lost energy at night.

6-12 months

At this age, the number of daytime dreams and their duration are reduced. As a result, the regime becomes confused and has to be adjusted again. Sometimes you need to give up one daytime nap if it shifts to the evening, for example, if after the third “quiet hour” the baby wakes up after 8 pm. As a result, the child leaves too late into the night. Then you need to make a little effort to rebuild the baby. It’s good when you can put your baby to bed between 20:00 and 21:00.

Komarovsky has his own opinion regarding the optimal time for going to bed. He believes that the main thing is the comfort of the family; the child should be put to bed at a time that is convenient for mom and dad. If everyone feels good and calm because the baby goes to rest at midnight, and the baby feels well and does not show anxiety, the regime does not require adjustment.

You always need to focus on the state of the little one:

• If he is capricious, whiny, gets tired quickly, then it is worth reconsidering the time of sleep, wakefulness and the intensity of the day;
• When no unpleasant symptoms are observed, the child is not active in the evening, and wakes up in a great mood, then there is no need to worry.

Satisfied baby

What time do you put your child to bed?

Many mothers ask us the question “What time is it better to put a child to bed?” Let's find out!

The influence of biological rhythms on humans

Despite the fact that technological progress makes a person largely independent of the natural conditions in which he lives, like any creature on the planet, he is subject to the influence of biological rhythms . The most significant of them are circadian rhythms - the change of dark and light times of day, day and night. Depending on these rhythms, a person’s physical and emotional state and intellectual capabilities change. Such changes are determined by daily fluctuations in the synthesis of certain hormones. In particular, it is the hormonal background that tells us when it is best to sleep and when to stay awake.

How does melatonin, the “sleep hormone,” work?

The sleep hormone is called the night hormone melatonin . It begins to be produced in the body in the early evening, reaches peak concentrations late at night and decreases sharply in the morning. One of the useful functions of this hormone is to regulate the duration and change of sleep phases. It is with the beginning of melatonin synthesis, approximately in the third or fourth month of a child’s life, that the appearance of deep and very deep subphases of slow-wave sleep in the sleep structure and the “starting” of the biological clock are associated. Before this, the baby lives rather in the rhythm of feedings.

Melatonin causes sleepiness at night. Under its influence, all processes slow down, body temperature drops slightly, blood glucose levels drop and all the muscles of the body relax a little. If you go to bed at this moment, it will be very easy to fall asleep, and your sleep will be as deep and restful as possible.

The moment when melatonin is present in the blood in a concentration sufficient to fall asleep is what we conventionally call the “sleep window.” The “sleep window” will tell you what time to put your child to bed so that he gets a long and quality sleep. For the vast majority of children from the age of 3 months to approximately 5-6 years, this favorable moment for falling asleep is in the range of 18.30-20.30. The “sleep window” can last several minutes or half an hour - it all depends on the child’s temperament, the development of his nervous system and physical condition.

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More details

What if we missed the sleep window?

If the baby does not go to bed at this time, the synthesis of melatonin is suspended, and instead of it, the stress hormone cortisol enters the blood. Its main function is to maintain vigor. Cortisol increases blood pressure, causes a rush of blood to the muscles, aggravates the reaction rate, and at the same time it is quite slowly eliminated from the body. The excited state persists throughout the night. A child who goes to bed later than the time that is convenient for his body from a biological point of view, falls asleep more difficult, with protests and tears, and subsequently sleeps superficially and restlessly. If you have a tendency to wake up at night, then if you go to bed late, your baby will wake up especially often . Our grandmothers and mothers often call the effect of cortisol with the household word “overnight.” And indeed, a child who has “exceeded” his “sleep window” is very active and difficult to put to sleep.

What time do you put your child to bed?

So, from birth until about 3-4 months , until the synthesis of melatonin is established, the baby can be put to bed at night when the mother goes to bed - for example, at 22-23 hours.

But, starting from the age of 3-4 months , we highly recommend finding out your child’s “sleep window” and putting him to bed at this favorable moment, starting all the preparation for bed at least 30-40 minutes in advance.

How can you determine what time to put your child to bed?

To determine the "sleep window":

1. Observe. At the same time in the evening (somewhere between 18.30 and 20.30), the baby will show signs of being ready to sleep: he will rub his eyes, lie down on the sofa or chair, yawn, and slow down his movements. Coordination of movements may be impaired. The gaze stops for seconds and becomes directed “to nowhere.” It is this moment that will show the mother what time to put the baby to bed. It is at this moment that the child should already be in bed, well-fed, washed, and having listened to a fairy tale.

This state can last for several minutes, then the baby will experience something like a “second wind.” This may result in unnaturally increased activity or unusual excitability or moodiness. In any case, such a surge of vigor will mean that the “sleep window” has been missed.

It can be difficult to notice the signs of readiness for sleep. They may be subtle, and bright light and noisy environments only help the child hide them. In this case:

2. Calculate a convenient time. The normal duration of night sleep for children from 3 months to 5-6 years is 10-11.5 hours. At the same time, young children, as a rule, wake up early - no later than 7.30. If you subtract the age-recommended length of sleep at night from the usual time of awakening, you will get exactly the approximate moment for ideal falling asleep.

3. Finally, just find an exact good time, shifting bedtime by 15-30 minutes every 2-3 days and remembering (or writing down) how long it took the child to fall asleep and whether the night passed peacefully.

In any case, if your child falls asleep crying, most likely you are putting him to bed later than necessary. Analyze his regime and perhaps the next day put the child to bed earlier , start rituals 15 minutes earlier.

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Changes in daily routine.

It is important not to forget that before starting a night's sleep, the baby must be awake and tired enough for his age. Therefore, when shifting the schedule to the earlier side, it is advisable daytime naps accordingly and carefully wake up the child if he sleeps too long on the last daytime nap. At some point, it is better to completely abandon extra daytime sleep if it becomes difficult to put the child to bed at the right time after it. As a rule, children are ready to completely give up the 4th nap at the age of 4 months, the 3rd nap at 7-9 months, and the 2nd nap after 15-18 months.

Sleep patterns need to be adjusted as you get older. As a rule, after giving up one of the daytime naps, it is advisable to shift the child's bedtime at night 30-60 minutes earlier. But at the same time, if at normal times for several days the child is cheerful, calm, and does not demonstrate readiness to sleep, and once in bed he cannot fall asleep for a long time, it is quite possible that the time has come to put him to bed 30 minutes later.

EarlierLaying ModePreparationBedStress Hormones

Fatigue Cortisol Melatonin Sleep Window

How to properly position a baby

Children quickly get used to repetitive actions. That's why parents often create bedtime rituals. The main thing is to perform those actions that are pleasant to the child and have a calming effect on him:

• Take a bubble bath;
• Get a relaxing massage;
• Read a fairy tale;
• Listen to your favorite tunes;
• Change diaper, put on pajamas;
• Put the toys back in place or spread them out on the crib, saying good night.

How long should a 9 month old baby sleep?

The child remembers what awaits him next and subconsciously prepares for rest. He feels attention, care, feels protected and relaxes.

Recently, co-sleeping with a child has been practiced. In the first months, this is truly a salvation, especially for mother, who does not have to jump up every half hour. The main thing is to follow safety rules so as not to harm the baby. After a few months, you can begin to accustom your baby to your crib.

Note! It is not recommended to use motion sickness; the sooner the baby learns to fall asleep on his own, the better. You can always pet him, take him in your arms, but then put him back in the crib.

Baby in a crib

What are the dangers of staying awake at night?

How often to bathe a newborn baby up to a month old

Children usually go to bed late or wake up at night for several reasons:

• Lack of active activities during the day, monotony. The baby lacks emotions, he has not spent his accumulated strength;
• The indoor conditions are not satisfactory, for example, it is too hot, stuffy or cold. Perhaps the baby's clothes are too small, or his mattress is too hard. It is necessary to ventilate the room before going to bed and maintain optimal temperature and humidity;
• Long day rest. It is recommended to wake children in the morning to increase the duration of night sleep. It is considered dangerous for newborns if they do not wake up for more than four hours at a time. The baby will become exhausted and weakened and will not be able to wake up on his own. Therefore, you need to stir him up, feed him and send him off to rest.

Late bedtime has a negative effect on the baby's psyche. Missing the “sleep window” leads to overstimulation of the baby. He doesn't want to go to bed and is too active, although he feels tired. As a result, exhausted, he falls into a sleep that cannot be called restful. It is ignoring the need for rest that leads to:

• Hysterics, whims, accompanied by a bad mood;
• Night awakenings, which may be associated with nightmares. The child wakes up crying and does not react to what is happening around him for some time. He does not perceive the words of loved ones and does not seem to notice the touch, he may even push and break free. After 15-20 minutes the baby calms down.

As a result, the baby does not have time to rest, and his nervous system is tense to the limit. Therefore, you need to adhere to the chosen schedule and rely on existing sleep standards for children by age. There is no need to mindlessly adapt to them; the main thing is to know about their existence and assess the child’s condition and mood.

If the baby sleeps a lot during the day, restoring the daily norm, then his strength will be renewed and the nervous system will not be overstrained. Still, do not forget about the regime. This applies not only to sleep, but also to nutrition and walking. A daily schedule is also necessary for parents who can plan their free time.

An adult spends about a third of his life sleeping. A baby, especially a newborn, spends much more time on rest. It is extremely necessary for the baby, along with proper nutrition, care and parental care. It is important to make sleep comfortable, to take care of creating an optimal daily routine that suits not only the baby, but also the parents.