Why does a 6-month-old baby sleep poorly at night and often wakes up: why does he cry?

The first six months of a baby's life are over. The child is actively developing, growing and has already acquired many skills and abilities. All these processes are largely determined by the quality of the baby's sleep - proper rest provides invaluable assistance to the normal development of the child's body. During this period, the baby needs a lot of energy to explore the world around him, so it is very important for him to get enough sleep, which can restore the strength spent during the day. Sometimes problems arise that cause a 6 month old baby to have difficulty sleeping at night. Why does this happen, and how to fix the situation?

Infant sleep disturbances are common

Restless sleep at six months

A six-month-old baby needs a long rest - 14-16 hours a day. During this period, important changes occur in sleep patterns - a transition from 3 daytime sleeps to 2. The total duration of daytime rest is 3.5-4 hours, and nighttime - from 10 to 12 hours.

Children's sleep is significantly different from the sleep of an adult. About 50-70% of a baby's sleep occurs in the active phase, during which the baby sleeps shallowly, so it is very easy to wake him up. Gradually, as we grow older, the ratio of active and deep sleep changes in favor of the latter.

On a note. Deep sleep in newborn babies does not last long, so the risk of problems in the form of frequent awakenings and restless behavior during rest increases significantly.

A sharp jump in his physical development has a strong impact on the quality of rest of a six-month-old child:

children become more active, constantly move, learn to sit and even crawl;
“training” skills can often occur during sleep, which leads to restlessness and constant awakenings in the middle of the night.

Mental development also largely determines the quality of a baby’s sleep:

By the sixth month, the child, regardless of gender, reaches a new stage in mental development: he begins to understand that surrounding objects occupy a certain place in space and are at a certain distance from him;
When a baby makes such a “discovery,” he feels fear, helplessness, and confusion;
Such sensations directly affect the baby’s behavior during night and daytime rest - sleep becomes anxious, restless, the baby begins to spin and toss and turn in bed.

Another common factor is fear of distance from mom. A six-month-old baby reacts very painfully to the absence of parents nearby. Just leaving the children's room for a couple of minutes can cause a real hysteria in the baby. Such a reaction is normal - the baby has grown up and now understands that the mother is a separate person and cannot always be nearby.

The duration of one day's rest ranges from 40 minutes to 2.5 hours. Sometimes the third sleep at six months still persists, then each of them lasts 1-1.5 hours. However, closer to 7 months, a gradual “reset” of the third dream will begin to occur. A signal for this is the reduction of the last day's rest to 30-40 minutes or refusal of it in some cases. If the baby is able to stay awake for 3 hours without a break, then he is ready to switch to 2 naps.

On a note. If the third nap pushes bedtime later, this is another sign that it's time to give up the third nap.

Six-month-old babies only have a long rest without a break once a day. As the baby gets older, the frequency and number of night awakenings gradually decrease, and the duration of continuous rest increases. At six months, a child can sleep continuously for 6-8 hours, since up to 10 months he needs night feedings (wakes up at night to eat).

Night feedings may interrupt a 6 month old's sleep at night, but this is not a problem at this age.

Baby wakes up at night

If your baby has a habit of eating at night, it is often due to the need for nutrition. Although some babies no longer need night feedings by 3 months, most two- to three-month-old babies, especially those who are breastfed, still require one to two feedings during the night. However, if the habit of waking up at night lasts until 5-6 months, you can consider that your baby is waking up not because he needs to eat at night, but because he is used to it. Although your baby still has every right to one feeding in the middle of the night, he should not eat several times during the night. You need to gradually reduce the number of night feedings and train him to sleep through the night. Here's how to do it. Increase the amount of food you give him before bed. Many sleepy children fall asleep before they are completely full; help him deflate, rock him or use some other method to wake him up, then continue feeding him until you feel he has eaten enough. After a month or two, when the child is ready to eat solid food, it will be possible to supplement the evening feeding with porridge or some other food. Wake up your baby for feeding before you go to bed; perhaps this will allow him to get enough and sleep without interruption for 6-8 hours. However, if your baby starts waking up more often after you introduce this procedure, stop doing it. Make sure your child gets enough food throughout the day. If this is not the case, then he can use night feedings to gain the missing calories. If this is the case, consider feeding more frequently during the day to stimulate milk production. If your baby drinks from a bottle, increase the amount of formula you give him at each feeding. However, remember that if some children are fed every couple of hours throughout the day, they develop the habit of asserting themselves around the clock. If your baby is waking up and asking for food every 2 hours (which may be necessary for a newborn but not normal for a two to three month old), try to stretch out the intervals between feedings. Do not rush to give your child food on demand, give him a chance to fall asleep on his own. If he does not fall asleep and the whining turns into crying and screaming, then try to calm him down without picking him up in any way. If the crying does not stop within, for example, 15 minutes, then take him in your arms and try to calm him down by rocking him and caressing him. If you are breastfeeding, calming tactics will have a better chance of success if you are the baby's father; It is not at all easy to distract an infant from eating when he sees, hears and feels the proximity of a source of milk. Keep the lights off in the room and avoid loud conversations or other sources of stimulation. If after all your efforts the baby is not asleep and still wants food, feed him, but by this time you have probably managed to stretch the interval between feedings by at least half an hour compared to the old schedule. This will give you reason to hope that in the following nights the baby will adhere to the new schedule and the interval between feedings will increase by half an hour. Gradually increase the time between feedings until your baby is accustomed to one nightly feeding, which he may require for the next 2-3 months. Reduce the number of night feedings at the expense of those that you primarily want to give up. Reduce the volume of formula in the bottle by 30 g or slightly reduce the time during which he suckles. Continue to reduce the dose on each subsequent night or every other night. If you bottle feed your baby, you can try diluting the formula by adding a little more water each night until you are giving him only water during unwanted feedings. At this stage, some children decide that a bottle of water is not worth waking up for. Most, however, prefer water to no bottle at all and continue to wake up in the middle of the night. But since water cannot satisfy a hungry baby, you will at least break the hunger-feeding cycle, and later it will be easier for him to refuse this feeding. (Ask your baby's doctor before diluting formula to avoid depriving your baby of needed calories.) Increase the amount of food for feedings that will need to be saved. If, for example, your baby wakes at 12 and 4 o'clock, you will probably want to reduce the first and last feedings first. This will be easier if the baby gets more food during the middle feeding. Do not change your baby's diapers at night unless absolutely necessary. (Of course, the less often you feed him at night, the less often you will have to change diapers at night.) If you use gauze diapers (which quickly get wet and cause discomfort), then line them with a paper towel at night or consider using a paper towel at night. time to switch to disposables. If your baby is between two diaper sizes, use the next size up, wrapping the diaper more tightly to prevent leakage (unless he suffers from diaper rash) and thereby increase the absorption area. If you sleep in the same room as your baby, then it's time to think about separation. Proximity to you may be the reason that causes your baby to wake up frequently and you to pick him up frequently.

Why does a child wake up and cry?

Baby sucks breast

The causes of restless sleep and frequent awakenings can be divided into 3 groups, each of which includes several sub-items:

Physiological factors:

Developmental leaps and other changes characteristic of this age in the baby’s body;
Health of the baby and his mother.

Sleeping conditions:

Temperature, air humidity in the nursery;
Comfortable clothes, comfortable bed;
Sounds, lighting.

Psychology:

Organization of rest and wakefulness (daily and nutritional regimen, bedtime rituals, etc.);
Independence;
Motivation.

The result is a kind of pyramid of reasons, distributed according to the principle “from simple to complex,” if you go down the list from bottom to top. The factors influencing the quality of sleep are very numerous and most often occur together, regardless of the level of location in the “pyramid”.

Causes of restless sleep

Loose stools in a breastfed baby

The most common causes of sleep disturbances in 6-month-old infants are:

Incorrect daily routine or deviations from it. Too much or not enough sleep;
Non-compliance with rituals;
Formation in the baby of negative associations associated with going to bed;
Uncomfortable environment in the room in which the child sleeps;
Negative psychological atmosphere in the house;
A sharp change in activity;
A leap in development, learning new skills, active study of the world around us;
Late bedtime in the evening;
Lack of parental attention;
Diseases and other disorders related to the health of the infant;
Inconstancy and inconsistency of parents in their actions;
Early “movement” to a big bed.

Active games with a baby before bedtime are unacceptable

Learn more about each of the following factors:

Wrong schedule and amount of sleep. According to research by specialists, special cyclical processes occur in the human body, including an infant, at certain times. At these moments, the hormonal background changes, which contributes to easy and quick falling asleep (metabolism slows down, body temperature decreases). The sleep hormone reaches its highest concentration during the following periods:

From 8:30 to 9:00 (first sleep for babies under six months old);
From 12:30 to 13:00 (daytime nap);
From 18:00 to 20:00 (ideal time to prepare for a night's sleep).

On a note. Each child has his own norms for the total duration of rest and intervals of wakefulness. They should also be taken into account when creating and executing your daily schedule. If you ignore this point, the baby will become overtired and will not be able to fall asleep soundly (untimely bedtime leads to the release of a large amount of the stress hormone - cortisol, which does not allow the small child to calm down and fall asleep).

Failure to comply with usual rituals. Babies are not able to tell time by a clock, so they have to rely on the repeated actions of mom and dad that precede rest. It is necessary to create rituals and accustom your baby to them from the very moment of his birth. In the future, all that remains is to slightly modify the procedure, adjusting it to the age and needs of the baby. The standard bedtime ritual includes hygiene procedures, changing clothes, massage, reading books or listening to music, hugs and kisses. An interruption in these processes can occur due to travel, sleeping in an unusual place, etc. As a result, preparation is disrupted, which leads to crying, capricious behavior, and restlessness of the child before bedtime.
Negative associations. Parents often resort to a variety of ways to put their baby to sleep, namely:

The presence of mother nearby;
Rocking in a crib or in your arms;
Breast-feeding;
Dummy;
Traveling in a car;
Sleep only in a stroller.

Rocking a baby to sleep as a prerequisite for falling asleep is a negative association for the baby

All of the above examples can become a “crutch” for the baby to fall asleep, but, in fact, they will only hinder the baby’s strong and peaceful rest. As a result of getting used to such associations, the child will not be able to fall asleep on his own - he will call his mother, ask him to eat, demand rocking and other types of help from his parents. It is necessary to get rid of a bad habit at six months of age (up to 4 months, such associations are quite acceptable).

A sharp change in activity. Babies do not know how to quickly switch from one activity to another - they need time to prepare for bed. That is why it is very difficult to put a child to sleep when excited by games or other active activities. In addition, as the baby grows up, it becomes more interesting to spend time with mom and dad, develop, and learn something new. Therefore, six-month-old children can consciously refuse sleep.
Uncomfortable environment. This category includes loud sounds, bright light (especially important for daytime sleep), fresh air (you need to ventilate the room at night), temperature (should not be higher than 21 degrees).
Late bedtime. An overtired baby is much more reluctant to go to bed. The child's sleep becomes restless and is interrupted by frequent awakenings and crying. Having woken up, the baby cannot fall asleep on his own. The ideal time for bed is from 19:00 to 20:30.
Diseases and other health problems. At six months, babies are no longer bothered by colic, but it often happens that the child wakes up at night and cries. 6 months is the age when newborns begin to actively cut teeth. This process causes severe pain to the baby. Also, babies often experience allergic reactions that are accompanied by itching. A cold can cause difficulty breathing, coughing and other symptoms that prevent your baby from sleeping peacefully.
A leap in development, active learning of new skills. At 6 months, the child learns to sit, tries to stand up in the crib, and moves a lot. Daytime wakefulness is not enough for him to “train” his skills, so he begins to be active in the middle of the night. It usually takes about 2 weeks to master one skill.
Lack of parental attention and care. If a child feels a lack of maternal love and affection during the day, then it is not surprising that at night he wakes up and begins to call for his mother.
Inconsistency in actions. It is important that all family members adhere to the same rules of behavior with the child and maintain the same day and night routine. Otherwise, the baby will get confused about what is correct in his behavior and what is not.
Premature “relocation” to a big bed. A 6-month-old baby is clearly not ready for such changes. The most suitable age for this is 2.5-3 years.

What do you need for a good sleep?

Here are a number of specific recommendations on how to improve a baby’s sleep at the age of 1 month:

It is necessary to maximize the time spent in the fresh air. During the warm season, it is better for the baby to sleep outside during the day. If there is no opportunity to walk for a long time, some parents practice putting their child to sleep on the balcony, but this approach is not a replacement for a walk in the fresh air;
massage, stroking, games and other useful types of physical activity will help the baby “get tired”, which means he can go to bed faster and have a more complete rest;
if the baby sleeps in the house, it should be quiet, moderately dark, cool and fairly humid;
You should not wait until the baby is so tired that his nervous system experiences excessive stress, which will result in crying, whims and refusal to sleep. You need to learn to “catch” the moment when the very first signs of fatigue appear - at this time you can easily persuade the newborn to rest;
For some, loose swaddling helps. The baby is wrapped in a diaper or sleeping bag, as a result - he feels safe, does not twitch his arms, which means he sleeps better;
adherence to a daily routine is another important point. Moreover, it is useful not only for the baby, but also for the mother. It is important to try to adhere to the same rituals at certain times, for example, eating, walking, sleeping, etc.;
breastfeeding is one of the most “working” methods. Having satisfied the hunger and sucking reflex, the child will fall asleep with a high degree of probability;
lullabies that the mother sings, as well as rhythmic rocking (in the arms or in a special rocking chair, crib with a pendulum or other similar devices) also help a lot;
the psychological stability of a nursing mother is another important condition. In principle, there should be no stress;
The situation in the family should also be normalized. Noisy guests, shouting, etc. must be eliminated.

In most cases, sleep problems are temporary. However, if they do not go away for a month or more, it is better to consult a specialist.

Babies often react to dramatically changing weather conditions. Before rain, strong winds, magnetic storms or other similar phenomena, the sleep of even the calmest babies can be disturbed.

How to improve your child's sleep schedule

Complementary feeding scheme for breastfeeding and artificial feeding

In order for the baby to be able to rest normally, sleep without awakening, not toss around, not to cry, it is necessary to establish the cause of the problem and select the appropriate solution for it:

Form a correct day and night routine, taking into account the physiological characteristics and biorhythms of the baby. When drawing up a schedule, it is necessary to comply with the norms for the duration of sleep and wakefulness for six-month-old babies.
If the reason for poor quality rest is a violation of usual rituals, then it is necessary to come up with a new unique family ritual for going to bed and strictly adhere to it. Active games and watching cartoons should be completely excluded from this procedure.
It is important not to allow a sudden change in your baby’s activities before bedtime. 10-15 minutes before putting the child to bed, you need to pick him up and try to calm him down. Toys are put away so that they do not distract the baby. It is better to fill the time before bed with quiet games, listening to “white noise”, and reading books.
An uncomfortable environment requires adjustment. In the children's room, it is advisable to install a thermometer, hang dark curtains, and install air conditioning.
Some parents put the child to bed later than the scheduled time so that the father, who returns from work, can communicate with the baby. As a result, an overexcited baby cannot sleep properly. Therefore, it is better to allocate time in the morning to communicate with your father or include your father in the ritual of going to bed at night.
If the cause of poor sleep is health problems, then you need to seek help from a pediatrician (he will examine the baby and prescribe medications, if necessary). Teething is a temporary phenomenon, so parents and the child can only wait out this moment. During periods of exacerbation of diseases, it is important not to deviate from the regime and adhere to the usual ritual of preparing for bed.
During the training period, it is necessary to ensure that the child has enough daytime time to “train” the acquired skills.
It is important to give the baby enough attention and care.
All family members must adhere to the same rules of behavior, maintain a daily and nightly routine, and be consistent and persistent in their actions.

Interesting. According to Dr. Komarovsky, “the child must adapt to the family model,” and not vice versa.

You should not replace the cradle with a large bed if the baby is not yet ready for such changes.

At six months, babies learn to sit and stand

Useful tips

If your baby is learning to sit and stand, you need to show him how to properly return to a lying position. Then the baby will be able to go to bed on his own and fall asleep without the help of his parents.

A sharp leap in the baby’s mental development requires constant physical and emotional contact with the mother. A close bond will restore confidence and calm to the newborn within a few weeks.

If the baby is afraid of moving away from his mother, you should demonstrate to the baby that his parents are always there. This period is not the best time for a child to develop independence.

The situation when a 6-month-old child sleeps poorly at night, often wakes up and cries is a completely natural phenomenon. However, sometimes the reason is the wrong actions of parents and other family members. In any case, it is always possible to, if not eliminate, then at least reduce the manifestation of negative factors affecting the baby’s sleep.

Why does a one-month-old baby sleep poorly during the day?

Let's consider the main reasons, which are divided into two large groups: external, that is, not related to diseases, and internal.

External reasons:

discomfort. It is most often caused by hunger or a wet diaper;
noise. Although it is believed that it should not disturb children, if neighbors are doing repairs or someone is screaming under the window, this can hardly accompany normal falling asleep;
physical and emotional overstimulation. He can be suspected by his overly active behavior, crying and persistent reluctance to sleep;
bad microclimate. Optimal temperature and humidity conditions: 19-21 degrees, 50-70%. It is extremely important to ventilate more often so that the room where the baby rests is filled with fresh air. ;
too light in the room;
lack of daily routine.

Internal reasons:

imperfection of the nervous system. This phenomenon is temporary, due to the fact that the baby, who has survived childbirth, which is a huge stress, simply wants to feel safe all the time, that is, to be in his mother’s arms. But since she cannot hold the baby all the time, he wakes up at the slightest attempt to put him to sleep;
consequences of difficult childbirth or trauma received during birth;
neurological diseases;
imperfection of the digestive system. A mother who is breastfeeding may not eat properly, sometimes the child is simply overfed or the pediatrician’s recommendation to supplement the baby with water is ignored, and constant pain in the tummy and accumulated gases are unlikely to contribute to normal sleep.

Symptoms for which you should visit a specialist (pediatrician, neurologist):

the total number of hours of sleep per day is less than 15;
every 5-10 minutes the baby wakes up, even if he had been awake for a long time;
there are constant signs of anxiety for no reason;
up to 4-5 hours the baby is active without sleep breaks;
the process of going to bed is accompanied by whims - getting the baby to sleep is extremely difficult.