9 pediatrician tips for improving children's sleep

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How to put a child to sleep without tears, without performing a feat of patience and endurance? There are scattered advice and complex proprietary techniques. But each parent creates his own ritual, observing the newborn, getting to know his temperament. Let's consider all the components of sleep and important details so that you can enjoy spending the evening hours with your baby and fall asleep quickly and peacefully every time.

How long does a child need to sleep?

In the first six months of life, children sleep most of the day - from 16 to 18 hours. Then the total number of hours of sleep gradually decreases (from one to three years of age - about 13 hours), and the number of daytime hours (at the age of three the baby sleeps only once during the day). The longest and most important is night sleep. And its key is calm and a sense of security. Therefore, all tips on how to quickly put a child to sleep come down to creating a harmonious and warm atmosphere. What is needed for this and what can help?

The baby's mood directly depends on the mother's condition. If she feels rested and negative emotions and irritation do not unsettle her, then the baby will be relaxed. From the first months of life, a newborn exhibits its own temperament and characteristics of the nervous system. Quiet or lively - you shouldn’t resist the child’s characteristics, it’s better to accept them and adapt. This way your bedtime ritual will form faster.

Causes of sleep disturbances

Infants' sleep time decreases from month to month as the child grows. But there are a number of reasons for restless and shallow sleep.

• Abdominal pain.
  This is especially often observed in children in the first months of life, whose digestive system is just getting used to working independently. Also, abdominal pain is not uncommon in children during the period of introducing complementary foods. Moms and dads need to be patient and follow the doctor’s recommendations to alleviate the baby’s condition.
• Feeling of discomfort.
  Clothes that are too tight, irritation from the seams on the undershirt, a wet or dirty diaper - these and other reasons cause discomfort to the child and disturb his sleep.
• Teeth cutting.
  Itching and pain in the gums during teething very often lead to sleep disturbances. In addition, during this period the body temperature may rise and digestive disorders may occur, which also worsens the child’s well-being.
• Overwork.
  Staying awake for too long and too actively can tire the baby so much that he will not be able to fully relax and fall asleep soundly.
• Violation of the daily routine.
  Regularity should be observed in everything, including the time when you put your child to bed. In this case, the habit of falling asleep at certain hours is formed. If the daily routine is disrupted, it becomes difficult to put the child to bed, and his sleep can be sensitive and restless.
• Change in room temperature.
  In young children, thermoregulation is not well developed, so the body cannot yet respond correctly to changes in the environment. Excessively warm or cool air can affect the baby's condition and the quality of his sleep.
• The child is hungry.
  Wakes up 3-5 times a night to eat.
• A feeling of fear in a child
  , which is due to the fact that the baby perceives the world differently from us adults and for his peace of mind the constant presence of his mother is required, as it was before his birth, and being at the breast to eat and calm down.
• Sudden movements of arms and legs during sleep.
  This happens often, especially in the first months of a child’s life, due to lack of coordination of movements. To help your baby sleep, it is better to swaddle him during daytime and nighttime sleep.

Experts confirm that the most common cause of sleep problems in infants is disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (infantile colic). “Intestinal colic syndrome (from the Greek “kolikos” - pain in the colon) is paroxysmal abdominal pain that occurs due to incoordination of the motor function of the intestine and increased gas formation in it. Its symptoms manifest themselves as a loud cry, legs pressed to the stomach, a tense and somewhat swollen abdomen. The baby should feel better after a bowel movement, but parents should understand that colic often comes on suddenly. This is natural, but unpleasant both for the child himself and for the adults around him.

Pay close attention to how your child behaves

When a baby is tired and wants to sleep, he involuntarily gives signs to his parents. Over time, they become permanent habits: some rub their ears, others twist their hair. Having noticed this signal, parents should immediately start putting the baby to bed. It’s better to postpone things: if you miss this moment in the child’s biorhythm, you can wait a few more hours for the next one, suitable for falling asleep. As usual, children signal that they want to sleep:

• They become slow and want to lie down on the floor or on a pillow.
• He rubs his eyes and begins to yawn.
• Rub your ear or nose.
• They are capricious, refuse to eat and play, and cry over little things.
• They don’t want to communicate with others, they are drawn to their parents.
• They become overexcited and even become aggressive.

Align your daily chart

Important advice with a cumulative effect: in order for the daily routine to work for you, you need to strictly follow it for 3-4 weeks. Even if the baby is capricious and resists. Gradually, a habit will form; your sleep and wakefulness patterns will be easy to maintain. Your baby's day should be busy. Choose different activities: walks, games, communication with mom and dad. You need to put your child to bed at the same time during the day. Don't be afraid to wake your child up after a midday nap: if fatigue doesn't accumulate in the evening, it will be difficult to quickly put your baby to bed. Babies up to 6 months should have at least three hours from evening sleep to nighttime sleep. For older children - at least four.

Your baby is growing and his first little anniversary is approaching - he is already 6 months old! It continues to change, and again the changes affect the baby's sleep. I'll tell you in detail.

6 months - what has changed? The first thing that needs to be mentioned is the so-called “half-year crisis” or the fifth growth spurt.

• The child begins to understand how the world works, and such a concept as distance appears. With this comes the understanding that not everything you want is so easy to get. On the one hand, this worries the child, on the other hand, it promotes the development of physical activity.
• The baby is becoming more mobile, almost all children are able to roll over, many are trying to get on all fours, some are already trying to crawl and sit down.
• Separation anxiety begins to appear. The baby suddenly realizes that his mother can move away, and he cannot control it. The peak of anxiety will be later - at about 7-9 months, but the first signs can be noticed already now.

In addition, from 6 to 7 months, according to the recommendations of medical organizations, the introduction of complementary foods begins. Although the basis of the baby's diet is still breast milk or formula - and this will be until about a year - food and the new sensations it causes will make their contribution to the baby's life.

Let's not forget about the teeth. Although for some they came out at 4 months, and for others they feel great even up to 8 months, but on average 6 months is the time when the first tooth appears.

Sleep norms at 6 months

Norms at this age change rapidly: at the beginning of the month, the duration of one waking time interval is approximately 2.15-2.30 hours, and at the end of the month this time reaches three hours (2.45-3 hours, some children may be awake for more).

During the day, the baby sleeps from 2 to 4 hours. If we talk about the number of daytime naps, then children usually sleep three naps, from 40 minutes to two hours. There may be 4 naps during the day, but in this case the naps are usually short. Sometimes, towards the end of the month, the third daytime nap is reset and the transition to two naps occurs.

Night sleep lasts from 10 to 12 hours. The baby is still not ready to sleep through the night without waking up and wakes up to feed. On average, a breastfed baby wakes up 1-3 times a night, and a bottle-fed baby wakes up 1-2 times.

Let me remind you that all the figures given here are approximate, since the individual norms of sleep and wakefulness of a child may differ from the table values.

How do changes affect a child's sleep?

This is a difficult time for a child. Awareness of the structure of the world, fear of parting with the mother - all this causes anxiety in the baby. He can be capricious a lot, resist being put to sleep, wake up often and hang on his chest for a long time. A consequence of the development of physical skills is that the baby can spin around in his sleep, try to crawl or sit down, wake up and cry. The child may also get tired more quickly while awake.

Introducing complementary foods is not only new experiences, but also changes in the child’s gastrointestinal tract. Constipation or, conversely, weak stools may occur. Sometimes an allergy to a product occurs. Sometimes they also cut teeth. All this can bother the baby and prevent him from sleeping.

How to help your baby sleep better at 6 months?

Although sleep may become worse due to these changes, there is still no need to panic. Moreover, panic is contraindicated, because the most important component, without which a baby’s good sleep is almost impossible, is the calmness of his mother.

A few tips to help your baby sleep better:

1. Give your child as much attention as possible . In any crisis, in any growth spurt, this is especially important for reducing the baby’s anxiety and strengthening attachment. Lack of attention during the day can be reflected in sleep at night - the baby will try to compensate and get your attention.
2. Don't get attached to the clock schedule . Until the baby finally switches to two naps during the day, you should focus on the rhythm of the day, without reference to time. The exception is the morning awakening and the beginning of the first daytime nap.
3. Practice new skills while you are actively awake during the day so that your baby does not practice them at night . If the baby begins to sit up, show him how to lie down from a sitting position.
4. If necessary, increase your time of quiet wakefulness . New skills and changes can overstimulate your baby, making it difficult for him to calm down later. Increasing your restful wakefulness may help solve this problem.
5. Control your waking time to avoid under- and over-stagnation . Do not rely on table standards; they may not be suitable for your child.
6. Don't forget about sleep hygiene . It's a good idea to check your sleeping conditions, even if you checked them a couple of months ago. Remember about household aids such as a white noise machine, air conditioning and blackout curtains.
7. The sleep ritual is still relevant . Do not forget to increase the duration of the ritual as your waking time increases - sing another verse of the lullaby and add lines to your sleepy poem. The duration of the ritual should be 3-5% of the waking time interval.
8. Early laying is still relevant . The level of melatonin in the blood reaches its maximum from 19.00 to 20.30 - this is the optimal time for going to bed at night.
9. Do not reduce daily feedings . Although introducing complementary foods may make it tempting to reduce the amount of breastfeeding by replacing them with food, this is not recommended so that the baby does not begin to supplement the lack of milk at night.
10. Also, you should not refuse night feedings . As mentioned above, the baby at this time still needs nourishment at night.
11. At this age, you can already offer your child a sleepy toy . It is important that it complies with the rules: it is made of natural materials, pleasant to the touch and small in size. Make sure that there are no unnecessary elements on the toy - eyes, beads, bows and other little things that a child can tear off and swallow.
12. Don't forget about yourself . The crisis and the accompanying problems with your child’s sleep can have a bad effect on your condition. Try to replenish your resource on time, try to attract loved ones to help.

Teaching a child to fall asleep independently at 6 months Any healthy child who has reached the age of six months can fall asleep independently.

However, remember: learning to fall asleep on your own is not a goal, but a means. You shouldn’t teach your child to fall asleep on his own, just to brag to moms on the playground: “But mine falls asleep on its own, I just put him in his crib and leave the room.”

And, for example, with frequent awakenings at night caused by the baby’s inability to stick together sleep cycles due to changes in sleep conditions, falling asleep independently can help. Or if for some reason the mother is not satisfied with the way the baby is put to sleep, learning to fall asleep independently may be a way out. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to train the baby until he completely falls asleep on his own - it is enough to train him to a comfortable stage.

However, it is better to postpone working on the method until the end of the crisis (about the middle of the month), since the baby may be sensitive to changes in conditions. And of course, you should not start training during the acute period of teething - but this period usually does not last long: as a rule, from 2-3 days to a week.

Author: Tatyana Kremneva.

Create an evening ritual

Every action before bed can ring a bell for the baby's subconscious.
You want your pre-bed ritual to be pleasant and calming. A familiar environment and sequence of actions are important for the child: feeding, bathing, massage and communication with the mother. The ritual system works if the age and characteristics of the child’s nervous system are taken into account. What is relevant for other children will not necessarily suit your son or daughter. When a stable sequence of actions “at night” has developed, try to follow it and very carefully, carefully introduce new activities and other actions. Here are examples of five rituals that can help put your baby to sleep quickly:

• Farewell to toys: gather all your favorite friends and wish everyone good night.
• Turn off the lights: go around all the rooms together and turn off the lights - this way you will let your baby know that the whole house is getting ready for bed.
• Watching the fish: If you have a home aquarium, watching the fish slowly move through the water is very calming.
• Sing a lullaby: choose a song that will soothe and lull your baby to sleep.
• Read a story: Hearing a good story before you go to bed is a great option.

Take a warm bath

Bathing itself will help prepare your baby for sleep. Your allies in this matter: warm water (optimal temperature - 37 degrees), lush foam, mother's caring hands and a relaxing massage after bathing. The aroma of the foam you use is important. The “My Sunshine” bathing product line includes “Bayu-bayushki” foam with a proven combination of aromas that help set your baby up for sleep. It contains natural lavender extracts and rose oil. Thanks to them, the foam not only gently cleanses and moisturizes the skin, but also soothes and relaxes the baby. The hypoallergenic foam is recommended by pediatricians for daily use, so its aroma can become an additional “bell” - a signal for sleep. After the bath, use Bayu-bayushki cream. Thanks to its light texture, it is instantly absorbed. Many mothers note that after light stroking and application of Bayu-bayushki cream, children easily fall asleep on their own.

Feed your baby shortly before bedtime

After a hearty dinner, the child relaxes and falls asleep easily. But some children, on the contrary, become active after eating, and putting them to sleep after feeding may not be so easy. Therefore, you need to adjust the feeding time. If the baby calms down after eating, you can feed him an hour before bedtime and immediately take a bath. Then he will feel comfortable in the water. Don't worry if your baby has a hard time settling down and falling asleep for a long time while you feed him at night. Once you outgrow this period, his sleep will return to normal. If a baby at 2-4 weeks of life is bothered by colic after eating, and because of this he cannot fall asleep, then immediately after feeding you should rock him in your arms for 10-15 minutes, placing him with his tummy down.

Features of children's sleep

Children, in principle, sleep more restlessly than adults, due to certain characteristics of the body. It is known that the sleep cycle of an adult consists of 4 phases of deep sleep and one phase of rapid sleep (during this period, people dream, can make sounds and move in their sleep). In infants, the structure of sleep is different, as the source says: “The REM sleep phase in newborns accounts for up to 90% of the total sleep time, at the age of one week - about 50%, and only by 3–5 years its duration relative to the entire sleep period begins to correspond that in adults is about 25%.”

Because of this feature, it is normal for a child to move frequently during sleep, cry out or make other sounds, and sleep more lightly. This in itself does not indicate a sleep disorder and is not considered something pathological; such a condition should not be corrected. It makes sense to talk about a problem with sleep if the child wakes up too often, screams or cannot fall asleep, despite the efforts of the parents.

Let your baby fall asleep on his own

There are proprietary methods for gradually teaching a child to fall asleep on his own. One method is called “In/Out”: the mother puts the baby in the crib and goes into another room. The first time she leaves the baby alone for 5 minutes. At this time, it is important not to give in, even if the baby starts to whine. Then you can return to the room and calm the baby, and then leave again for 10 minutes. The interval gradually increases, and on days 5-7 the child will begin to fall asleep on his own. How it works? Children realize that whims and tears do not work, and they stop resisting. Considering the previous advice (own bed, ventilated room, bathing, etc.), they reflexively fall asleep.

Briefly about the author's methods

American pediatrician Harvey Karp offered parents a five-point algorithm, which, in his opinion, would quickly send the child to sleep. Here they are:

• rock;
• swaddle;
• give a pacifier;
• lay on your side;
• turn on soothing white noise.

And the method of pediatrician from Spain Eduard Estiville is suitable for children over one and a half years old. During the day, mom and dad should encourage the baby to fall asleep on his own in the evening. You need to repeat this mood several times. When it comes to bedtime, parents again need to be warned that now they will leave him alone and will come in to check on him in a minute. After which they actually get up and close the door behind them. Estiville believed that it was necessary to endure these 60 seconds, even if the baby cried. Day by day, the period of time needs to be increased - gradually the child will get used to falling asleep on his own. This approach is controversial: it has as many followers as opponents.

An ordinary father from Australia, Nathan Dylo, shared his own life hack online: he showed how he could put his son to sleep in less than a minute using a paper napkin. For some time the man carefully strokes the baby’s cheeks, and he really quickly falls asleep. Experts explain: this is not know-how, children simply react sensitively to tactile contact - soft stroking calms them down.

How to improve your baby's sleep?

I propose to compile a list of ideas for improving babies' sleep (from 0 to 1)!

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Excerpt from the book “Lifehack for Mommies”

Lifehacks

, or how to improve your baby's sleep. This is not all the advice, just an example.

I can say for myself that the most important thing for my son was to put him to bed on time, that is, to watch for signs of fatigue and not allow him to “overnight” (otherwise the baby himself could not fall asleep without rocking and breastfeeding)

1. Habitual conditions

for a newborn.

As already mentioned, after birth the child goes through the “gestation” stage. It is no coincidence that a human baby (unlike baby animals) is born earlier than it learns the skills of movement and other independent actions. This is due to the large size of the brain and, accordingly, the head. If children were born later, their heads simply would not be able to pass through the pelvic bones of the woman in labor. That’s why the newborn baby so needs to be “carried to term outside” and in conditions reminiscent of the mother’s womb. Rocking, the warmth of mother's hands, white noise reminiscent of blood flow - all these actions will help the baby fall asleep faster. And then, when time passes, you will accustom him to the crib and routine.

By the way, another interesting life hack: if you are calming a baby lying in a crib, do not stand leaning over him. It’s better to rock, sing a lullaby or stroke it while sitting next to it (at the child’s level). This way the baby is calmer.

2. Swaddling.

A newborn has poor control over the movement of his limbs, so when rocking him lightly in your arms, gently press his arms and legs against his body. For the same reason, swaddling and wearing a sling in the first months of life is a great way to create familiar comfortable conditions for your baby.

3. The warmth of mother's hands.

In the list of anti-life hacks, I wrote about the dangers of rocking in your arms, but here I’m talking about newborn babies, for whom this is more than natural. If you rock in your arms, then before you transfer your baby to the crib, stop rocking and hold him motionless for a while, and only then transfer him (otherwise the transition from rocking to a motionless state may wake up the baby).

The child may also wake up feeling that the warmth of your hands has suddenly disappeared. Therefore, hold your palms on the baby’s body for several seconds (on the shoulders, tummy or back of the head), remove your hands very smoothly. Then cover the sleeping angel with another layer (diaper or blanket), because he was warmer in your arms. If the previous trick fails, leave a bottle of warm water, wrapped in a towel or diaper, next to your baby instead (be careful with the temperature!).

4. «Mom is sleeping and you go to sleep

«.

My personal life hack: look at the baby while rocking, also closing your eyes. In this case, you need to relax as much as possible. Your child feels the mother’s condition very well.

5. Comfort in the crib.

A newborn feels much more comfortable if you cover him with pillows on both sides. However, there should be nothing soft in the area of ​​the head, including the back of the head, because the baby can turn his head and bury his nose in the pillow.

Now there are also special cocoon mattresses for babies, in which they feel more comfortable and sleep better. At least that's what the advertisement says. During Matveyka’s first months, I did not yet know about such an invention, so check it out for you!

However, my diaper rolls were also good. And free.

6. Stroking and light patting of the back.

Pat the baby on the head, between the eyebrows. Try slowly (every second or so) gently patting your back.

7. Watch for signs of fatigue.

It is logical that it is easier to put a child to bed when he wants to sleep. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor your baby for signs of fatigue (drowsiness). A tired child yawns, rubs his eyes; they no longer look at the world so broadly and curiously. An older baby, who can sit or already walk, tries to put his head somewhere: on the sofa, the floor or his mother’s chest - wherever necessary.

8. Reduce activity before bed.

I already wrote about this in the list of anti-life hacks. No lullaby, the sound of rain on the iPad and motherwort for mom will help if before bed you and your baby danced rock and roll and watched “Tiny Love” ten times in a row.

To go to bed, for example, at 21.00, it is worth starting preliminary preparations and rituals already at 20.00! Evening porridge, collecting toys, bathing, etc. Create a calm, familiar environment before bed, turn off the loud music, dim the lights. Stack cubes, read books. In a measured voice, talk about the bear who is already sleeping, about the bunny who is sleeping, about the beaver who is also sleeping... until someone falls asleep first on the blocks.

9. Rituals before bed.

Traditional actions before bed (in the literature they are called rituals

) help the baby tune in to it. For kids, repeated actions are a kind of guarantee of peace of mind that everything is fine, everything is as before. The duck is in place in the bathroom, pajamas are on, mom is nearby, “the top will grab the side” - you can sleep. If you follow the same sequence over and over again, this in itself already serves as a signal to fall asleep.

What kind of rituals could these be? Three or four simple actions: for example, reading an “evening book” in dim light, a light massage, a calm (same) melody, a kiss and good night wishes from mom, a soft toy at night (it should be inaccessible for play during the day).

I advise you to choose those rituals that you can repeat on a trip, in a different environment. That is, you should not make a one and a half meter plush elephant a night toy. Or, as a ritual, extinguish candles in a cast-iron candelabra.

For a long time, I had ritual rain to fall asleep at night. No, I didn’t dance with a tambourine, calling on storm clouds. I put the tablet next to it and turned on the sounds of rain on it (Nature Sound program, if interested). I don’t know how much this helped the baby fall asleep, but it was definitely a kind of “anchor” that set him up for calm and sleep. The sound of rain definitely relaxes me, and that’s half the battle. But to my husband, this sound reminded him of the noise of a sewer (and the danger of a flood probably bothered him).

If you go to bed exclusively with the breast, all these rituals may not be necessary, because sucking milk itself is a ritual and a way to calm down for the baby. He will fall asleep anywhere and in any conditions, even at a party in the middle of a party. But I advise you to introduce such traditions over time. Firstly, all this contributes to a peaceful sleep, because order and predictability are important for children. Secondly, to learn the skill of falling asleep independently, such rituals are simply necessary.

I'll tell you another story about Matvey's dream. At the age of one and a half years, during a period of serious illness, Matvey invented a new ritual. While reading a book, he put both palms under my armpits, as if to recharge, and immediately fell asleep. I really wanted to give as much warmth and care as possible to my sick son, and I was ready to agree to anything so that the baby would sleep better and get better sooner. Moreover, this trick with the armpits was so touching. However, there was still the same problem. At night, if Matvey woke up, he needed to find my armpits in order to fall asleep again. Needless to say, lying in this position all night was not very comfortable for me. However, until Matveyka recovered, I was ready to lie next to him, even in the lotus position. Well, then there was a new stage of teaching myself to fall asleep on my own. Fortunately, I already had experience.

Excerpt from the book “Lifehack for Mommies” (https://lifehackformoms.ru)