A 1.5 year old child does not sleep well at night: signs and causes of disturbances

Age characteristics of a one and a half year old child

The main achievements of a child at 1 year 5 months are walking upright, communicating with speech and directed object-based activity. The latter implies the ability to carry something in your hands, pull or push objects, and lift your legs to the next step. It’s not bad if the child can already do the following:

build a pyramid from 2-5 cubes;
eat on your own;
undress, at least partially;
imitate the actions of parents.

At this age, children copy what adults do: “talk” on the phone, watch TV, leaf through books and magazines. Dr. E. Komarovsky especially emphasizes that at 1.5 years the child no longer just has to say “give me,” but say “give me, mom.” Even though the vocabulary is still small, the baby understands much more than he can speak.

Causes of poor sleep

A completely healthy baby who does not suffer from lack of sleep can wake up at night. This is completely normal for children at this age. The reasons why a 1.5-year-old child does not sleep well at night may lie both in the presence of the disease and in removable factors. Let's take a closer look at what can cause children's sleep disorders:

Physical discomfort. The child may experience pain or discomfort due to wet diapers, diaper rash, symptoms of various diseases, and the desire to drink or eat.
Strong impressions or shocks experienced during the day. In a dream, a child seems to live through the events of the day, like an adult. A change of environment and a new social circle can cause anxiety.
No fatigue. If your child is not active enough during the day or goes to bed early, then most likely it will not be easy for him to go to bed.
The mother's nervousness is transmitted to the child and can cause sleep disorders.
Inconvenience – Uncomfortable underwear, bed or mattress, and bedwetting are common causes of night awakenings.
Unfavorable environment - bright room lighting, noise effects will deprive not only the child, but also the adult of sleep.
Activity before bed. Emotional games and physical activity late in the evening deprive children of restful sleep. Even if the child falls asleep due to extreme fatigue, his sleep will be restless and the likelihood of waking up in the middle of the night becomes very high.
Fears. Your baby may not sleep well if he or she has recently moved into a separate crib.

Daily routine and lifestyle

Problems with sleep may be associated with disruption of the daily routine by insufficient physical activity during the day. A walk lasting an hour and a half cannot cover a child’s need for outdoor games and the need to constantly do something interesting.

To expend energy, a child may need to spin, crawl on the floor and run, and not just roll around in a stroller while walking.

In the first years of life, a child's energy reserve is so great that he may not get tired even after walking for several hours. Outdoor games, classes in developmental schools, and with age, classes in sports clubs and dancing will help solve sleep problems. In this matter, it is important to maintain a sense of proportion and not achieve the opposite effect - overwork, both emotional and physical.

Sleep disorders in children aged 1.5 years

Everyone has heard the common statement: a child grows while he sleeps. This is 100% true for babies aged 0-7 years. During the rest period, the hormone somatropin is produced, which is responsible for the growth of the entire body. A decrease in the amount of sleep leads to insufficient formation of the element, and as a result, a whole list of deviations may appear:

retardation in intellectual development;
decrease in mental abilities;
slowing down of brain thought processes;
delayed reaction;
communication problems and much more.

If a child of one and a half years old does not sleep well at night, constantly wakes up and cannot fall back to sleep for a long time, this is a signal to contact a pediatrician.

The concept of sleep norms at this age

Normal sleep includes sufficient duration and productivity of night's rest, after which a person regains his strength, feels cheerful and energetic. For early childhood, medicine establishes the following standards:

From the age of six months, a baby needs 14 hours of sleep, of which 8-10 are at night.
Babies over 12 months old need 13 hours of sleep to grow and develop normally, 9-10 of them at night.
At 18-24 months, children should sleep approximately 12 hours, of which 8-10 are at night.

Manifestations of violations

At night, a child may not only have trouble sleeping, but also toss and turn restlessly, bend over, and jerk his leg. In such a situation, parents may also observe the following phenomena:

strong shaking;
urinary incontinence;
holding your breath.

Startling is usually not a pathological sleep phenomenon, like leg jerking. These are physiological movements that occur when falling asleep. The fact is that until 18-20 months, the baby’s sleep is superficial, the baby often wakes up and falls asleep again, without completely waking up.

It is important to know! Frequent repeated startlings in children with a severe perinatal history may be a sign of epilepsy.

Night terrors are expressed in nervous excitement that occurs suddenly. The symptom appears from 1.5 to 8 years, more often in boys. Impressionable children suffer from fears, they cry, start screaming, rolling on the bed, calling for their mother. If the fear appeared once and lasted no more than 2 minutes, there is no reason for concern, but if the attack occurs frequently or lasts for a long time, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Most often, night terrors are resistant to treatment and go away on their own by the age of 9-10 years. Sometimes the phenomenon becomes a response to a strong daytime fright.

Prerequisites

If the baby does not sleep normally for 1-2 nights, there is no need to worry too much; the alarm should be sounded after 4 or more nights of insomnia. There are several reasons for restless, disturbed rest:

Long daytime sleep. Very often, the mother does not wake up the child in due time after lunch, so the child is not tired and simply does not want to sleep at night. He will stubbornly fidget, ask for food, drink, whine, but not sleep.
Superficial sleep. The baby wakes up from a sudden noise, a ray of light, a rustle. That is why parents who initially teach their children to sleep in the presence of any quiet sounds are doing the right thing.
Features of temperament. The term “hyperactive children” has been confirmed by pediatricians and refers to children with high excitability, short temper, and a restless character.
Little activity. The child does not get tired, does not want to rest, and even if he falls asleep, he quickly wakes up.
Emotional condition. Sometimes a baby cannot fall asleep because his favorite toy is not nearby.
Bad feeling. At one and a half years old, the baby is still not able to clearly explain what and where it hurts - this can cause insomnia.

There are plenty of reasons why a child may not be able to rest; the main thing is not to miss the onset of the illness and help the baby in time.

Possible reasons

The first and most common reason is excessive daytime sleep. In the case when the daily norm of children's sleep is distributed incorrectly, the optimal balance between periods of rest and wakefulness is disrupted. Therefore, having slept well during the day, the child does not need to go to bed after sunset. After all, he feels well rested and full of energy.

Extraneous sounds and too bright light can also make it difficult to fall asleep. A one-and-a-half-year-old baby’s nervous system continues to actively form. He reacts very sensitively to any changes in the external environment, including loud sounds or bright lights. The child's brain perceives them as a signal to wake up. Therefore, try to eliminate any sources of noise, and instead of bright ceiling lighting, be sure to buy a night light for the children's room.

To ensure that your baby sleeps well at night, he should not be put to bed too late. An excessively prolonged period of wakefulness causes emotional overexcitation. As a result, the nervous system is unable to calm down on its own.

Doctors have found that the deepest and longest stages of sleep occur between 19.00 and 24.00. Therefore, the baby must sleep at least 3 hours before midnight (this is a guarantee of his sound sleep).

If your child takes a long time to fall asleep and then wakes up in the middle of the night, a lack of independent sleep skills may be to blame. Obviously, he was just used to falling asleep with outside help (in the arms of his mother or father). It is necessary to teach him to sleep on his own as soon as possible.

What is no regime? This is one of the most common problems that parents of babies face. If the wrong daily diet and sleep schedule is chosen, if the child does not go to bed at the same time, this leads to regular lack of sleep. The routine should be in harmony with the baby's circadian rhythms. To draw it up, we advise you to contact your pediatrician.

Teething, colic and other pathologies should be mentioned as purely physiological reasons. Most of them are accompanied by discomfort and downright painful sensations. Eliminate them, and your baby will sleep more peacefully.

Options for solving the problem

Depending on the causes of insomnia, there are several solutions. The main thing is not to panic and calmly identify and eliminate the factors that prevent you from getting enough sleep. If the child does not have a fever, does not have diarrhea, or is not teething, look around the room: heat, dryness, high humidity, too cold air or the moon shining on the window - all this can cause concern.

Sedatives

This group can be divided into two types of drugs: medicinal and folk. The first include:

"Glycine" is a mild sedative that is not addictive.
"Persen" is a safe drug for children that can be given from 12 months.
Phenibut is a medicine with a wide spectrum of effects.

It is important to know! It is strictly forbidden to give medications without prior discussion with the pediatrician. All medications always have side effects that affect the development and emotional background of the baby.

The second group is folk and herbal medicines; it is quite extensive. This includes essential oils, herbal teas, pharmaceutical compositions:

Lavender oil has received the most positive reviews. Add up to 5 drops to bathing water. Has sedative properties.
Collection of lemon balm, lemongrass, mint, thyme - brew, pour the decoction into bathing water.
Brew a collection of nettles, celandine, and chamomile and add to bathing water. The product not only soothes, but also relieves skin itching and irritation.
Sweet peas of homeopathic remedies, for example, “Leovit”, “Notta” contain natural preparations and are safe for babies.
Tablet herbal mixtures, for example, “Bayu-Bai”, “Sladko-dream” also contain natural ingredients.

All dosage forms are a last resort measure of sedation, which is used if there is no effect from other options for solving the problem.

Compliance with regulations

A very important factor for the healthy development of a child is sleep patterns. Here are some tips for parents to take note of:

Set priorities as soon as the baby arrives at home. You will have to try, but determine the time for the whole family to sleep. Of course, a small child will wake up from hunger, but the time frame for going to bed during the day and night, as well as waking up from rest, should not shift.
Determine a place to sleep. Doctors believe that until the age of 3, children should sleep in their own small crib, even if it is in their parents’ room.
Maintain a strict daytime sleep schedule. Of course, while the child is resting, mommy has time to do a lot of things, but an “extra half hour” during the day can result in an hour or two of wakefulness at night. Therefore, wake up without regret. There is a time allotted for sleep, you need to stick to it.

Sufficient physical activity

What to do with a one and a half year old baby? Perhaps this is the age when a child is already learning about the world, but cannot yet run far. Parents only need to think about what exactly will be interesting to the child: walks, outdoor games, pyramids, various bags of balls, small and large sound toys. At 1.5-2 years old, the baby intensively absorbs everything new, learns to recognize smells, shapes, colors, imitates adults and takes part in any games with pleasure.

Staying outdoors

How long should walks take? As much as possible. An hour and a half nap outside in the park is much better than a room at home. If you can’t go out for a walk, take the stroller out onto the balcony, but protect it from the sun, wind, and rain.

Emotional balance

In order for your child to fall asleep well in the evening, you need to create a calm atmosphere 30-60 minutes before bathing. No fast games, no wild fun. Reading, playing pyramid, eating something healthy and tasty, giving your baby a massage are simple tips that help stabilize a child’s emotions.

Tips on nutrition and drinking regime

At this age, the child is taught to eat at a common table, combining the menu in such a way that the baby receives enough vitamins and foods that are easy to chew and drink. In order to ensure normal sleep, the child needs to eat often, about five times a day, but in small portions. The last dinner is 30-40 minutes before swimming, and the snack should consist of light foods that are quickly digested. This could be bifidok, kefir, a little cottage cheese, yogurt, egg dishes, boiled vegetables. It is strictly forbidden to offer fruits, meat, or cereals - the former begin to ferment, the latter are poorly digested, and cereals have a high glycemic index.

Depending on individual characteristics, at 1.5-2 years old a child should drink 750-1100 ml of water per day.

Eliminating health problems

If the baby does not sleep for 3-5 nights in a row, immediately consult a doctor! Only a pediatrician will identify a health problem and determine the cause of insomnia. In the case when the baby begins to cry, throws itself from side to side in the crib, without waking up at night or waking up screaming, in sweat, the reason may lie in diseases of the genitourinary, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems.

Creating comfortable conditions for a child's sleep

In addition to a sufficient level of silence and darkness, children need fresh air, cleanliness and comfortable-feeling underwear. Pediatricians advise adhering to the following parameters: room temperature +18..+20 C, humidity 50-70%. It is necessary to install valves on heating radiators to regulate the heating level.

Co-sleeping with parents: benefit or harm

Doctors' opinions were divided on this issue. Some believe that sleeping with parents up to 2-3 years is good and beneficial, others believe that it is harmful.

The benefit is that the baby feels mom and dad nearby, feels warm and safe. In addition, it is easier for the mother to feed the baby and calm her down. But feeding at night at 1.5 years is not the norm, so it’s time to move the child to a crib.

The harm lies in the child's continued dependence on his parents. In the future, it will be much more difficult to move the child into a crib. It doesn’t hurt to remember that parents need time for communication and normal sleep.

Advice! According to E. Komarovsky, after 12 months from birth, the child must be given not only a separate bed, but also a room (if possible). The baby should get used to sleeping alone. If your sleep is poor, you can leave the night light on and the door open, but it’s still better to move out of the shared bed.

Useful tips

If parents want to normalize their child's sleep, it will be useful for them to apply the following simple tips:

create a calm, favorable environment. The child often sleeps poorly, and even begins to twitch his arms and legs at night, during sleep, if in the evening the parents talk in a raised voice, shout and swear. The baby should feel in an atmosphere of love and security;
the bedroom must have a suitable microclimate. It is important to ensure that the air temperature is between 20-22 degrees, this is the best indicator for babies. It is also necessary to ensure that the air humidity level is in the range of 55-80 percent;
Do not use heaters that dry out the air. If you turn on such electrical appliances every day, then on the third to fifth day, sometimes later, the child begins to cough, sneeze, and the mucous membranes in his mouth and nose dry out. It is necessary to ventilate the children's bedroom several times a day; periodically it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning without the use of chemical detergents;
there is no need to allow the little one to sleep in the late evening, otherwise the child will not have time to get tired, so when the time comes to go to bed, he will become capricious and stubborn;
come up with a “sleep ritual”, that is, repeat certain actions every day to set the child up for sleep and help him calm down. In the evening, you can bathe your baby in a bath with natural soothing herbs, change your son or daughter into pajamas, tell a story or sing a lullaby, or play some calm game. Each family has its own ritual to help the baby fall asleep.

Experts also recommend feeding your baby well in the evening so that you don’t want to eat at night, but you should not overfeed your children. It is important to teach your child to fall asleep on his own; it is advisable to start doing this from the age of 6 months. In addition, when the baby goes to bed, you can give him his favorite toy, which will help him not to feel abandoned and lonely.

If the baby has trouble falling asleep, then you can try using the Ferber method, which is as follows. The parents put the little one into bed and leave the room. If he cries or is capricious, then you should not immediately return to the bedroom, you can wait one or two minutes, after which you need to go in for a while and calm the baby down, but you cannot pick him up. It is gradually important to increase the time intervals when the child is alone in the crib. By bringing this time to three to five minutes, children usually stop crying and fall asleep peacefully.

Every child is different, so parents need to try different approaches with their baby. Thanks to the concerted efforts of both spouses and patient efforts, it will definitely be possible to normalize the baby’s night sleep.