How to put a newborn to sleep? Having developed a certain daily routine and adhering to the basic rules, young parents should not have any problems with this. However, when the baby is the first, some things seem incomprehensible. This article will tell you everything you need to know about children's sleep.
Baby sleep
How much should a newborn sleep
The baby sleeps most of the time for the first few months. From 1 to 12 weeks, the baby spends 17-18 hours in a dream, waking up every 2-3 hours to have a snack and play a little. On average, up to a year, children sleep 11-12 hours a day. It is impossible to make the baby sleep more or less.
After a baby is three months old, sleep hours begin to decrease slowly. Moreover, most of the sleep falls precisely at night.
Average sleep time for different ages of the child
| Age in months | Sleep time in hours |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 17-18 |
| 3-6 | 16-17 |
| 7-9 | 15-16 |
| 10-12 | 11-12 |
It is very important, after reaching a certain age, when sleep time begins to decrease, adjust the daily diet and night snack. In most cases, by one year, babies have stopped waking up at night. To do this, you should feed the baby tightly before going to bed.
Important! The correct daily routine should be formed even before the baby is born. If by the age of seven months during pregnancy the mother has a clear daily routine, goes to bed on time, then there will be no problems with laying the baby for the night after birth.
Do not forget about the routine after the birth of the child. In addition to the fact that you need to go to bed on time, you should also follow the daily routine: have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time, relax with your baby in a quiet hour. Establishing day and night regimes is a primary task for parents.
Rules for organizing children's sleep
Sleep is essential for the human body. For babies, it is of particular importance, as it happens:
- Formation of growth hormone;
- Restoring energy reserves;
- Replenishment of strength;
- Strengthening the nervous system.
Important! From birth, it is best to teach your baby to sleep on its own in a separate bed. The most suitable sleeping position is to lay the baby on its side. So the baby will not choke when spitting up.
Sleep on your side
As a support for the baby, you can put a folded blanket, a soft toy under the back. By the age of one, children can already independently control their body position.
To make it easier for the baby to fall asleep, appropriate conditions should be created. First of all, the room must have a suitable temperature (20 to 22 degrees). To check if the child is cold or sweating, you should touch the back of the head.
The second point is air humidity. This is especially important during the heating season. If the room is too dry, the baby will wake up more often due to thirst. In summer, the room should be ventilated; in winter, you can increase the humidity with a wet towel on the radiator.
Lack of loud and harsh sounds during sleep. Babies hear immediately after birth, but do not respond to everything. Therefore, when the baby is sleeping, it is better to turn off the TV, phone, try not to make noise. Mom can sleep herself while the child is resting.
When putting your baby to bed at night, you should dim or completely turn off the lights in the room. As a last resort, you can leave the night light.
Ways to quickly go to bed
How to properly put a newborn to bed? If the child is restless and hard to fit, you can use some tricks:
- Observance of the ritual. The house should have a calm atmosphere, no harsh noises, shouts, loud TV or computer. First, the baby should be bathed by adding a decoction of chamomile or lavender to the water. Sing a lullaby, tell a fairy tale.
- Feed well before bed. On a full stomach, babies fall asleep faster. Some do it even in the process;
- A common mistake mothers make is that after the baby has fallen asleep, they try to leave the room as soon as possible. Studies show that in the first 20 minutes a child can wake up from the slightest rustle, so it is better to stay. Mom can always sit quietly next to her and read a book;
- Put next to the child the thing that the mother wore all day (a regular T-shirt will do). The scent of mom can calm a baby;
- It is not necessary to carry your baby in your arms until he falls asleep. Some babies fall asleep from ordinary touching, stroking, the main thing is that their mother is near;
- Another proven study is that quiet classical music has a beneficial effect on sleep. Although this method is individual and not suitable for everyone;
- To put the baby in a special basket. After birth, babies have an attachment to their mother's tummy for a long time. Therefore, the limited space of the basket or carrycot encourages falling asleep.
To rock the baby
How to put a baby to sleep during the day
The second problem that arises for young mothers is how to quickly put a newborn baby to bed during the day. Some people prefer to solve this problem with a walk. Indeed, most newborns fall asleep easily in the fresh air. However, this method is good in the warm season and when there is no rain. In addition, the development of a day regimen is necessary in the same way as a night regimen.
If the baby does not sleep during the day, it will lead to overwork. The kid will become moody, irritable. According to the well-known specialist Komarovsky, the mother should catch the main signs that the child is tired and needs a day's rest. These include:
- Yawn;
- Excessive agitation or activity;
- Whims, crying;
- Some children begin to pull their ears or rub their eyes;
- The desire to play with toys, to communicate with mom passes.
If the mother does not pay attention to such symptoms and loses time, then the child is overexcited. Then laying the baby down is much more difficult.
Daytime sleep should be organized at the same time. If you follow this rule, the child develops a reflex, and in the future it will be much easier to lay it down.
What do we have to do? First, you should feed the baby, swing it on the arms, lull it to sleep. The curtains in the child's room close. It is best when the room is semi-dark.
The mother herself should also lie down and relax with her child. Household chores will not go anywhere, joint recreation has a positive effect on both the mother and the child.
Important! You should not create absolute darkness in the room. The child's rhythms may be out of order. In other words, he will confuse day and night.
Daytime sleep
Features of daytime sleep
Since up to 3 months, the newborn's daily regimen consists mainly of sleep, food and a short time for playing, then it is worth approaching this issue responsibly. How to quickly put a baby to bed? Some babies can eat well enough and are already asleep. Others need to communicate with their mother.
If the baby woke up and started crying, you should not immediately run to him and pick him up. On the other hand, there is no need to ignore the baby, as some mothers or doctors urge. This is a bad option and will lead to very unpleasant consequences in the future.
The most sensible, in case of an unexpected awakening, would be to approach the child, pat him on the head or back.
How to put a newborn to sleep after feeding
Mother's milk is the best sleeping pill for babies. During the feeding process, the baby calms down, relaxes and falls asleep. That is why it is recommended to feed the baby before bedtime.
Some experts have a negative attitude to the fact that the baby falls asleep while feeding. On the other hand, if a child can sleep only while being with his mother's breast, for the time being, do not interfere with him.
As for formula-fed babies, how do you put your newborn to sleep? The best option in this case would be a preliminary dinner (or lunch). After the baby, you should shake, sing a song. If the baby sucks on the pacifier, then he falls asleep with her.
How to go to bed without breastfeeding
First of all, mom should be patient. For a while, the procedure will be difficult and stressful. A baby may categorically refuse to fall asleep without a mother's breast. What you need to do to calm your baby:
- It is better to fit under a mother's song, a fairy tale or just motion sickness;
- The nipple helps to cope with the lack of breast milk. Do not worry that it is difficult to wean the baby from her later. This is not true;
- Water procedures, a walk or inactive games that can tire him;
- Strong swaddling helps babies to calm down;
- Well-being. If the baby is worried about colic, it is quite difficult to lay him down. You can try to rock him.
How to quickly put a baby to bed at night
How to put a baby to sleep at night? First of all, the main points are taken into account:
- Water procedures;
- Feeding;
- Strong swaddling;
- Lullaby or fairy tale. Tell or sing in a low, monotonous voice;
- Development of the regime;
- Sleep with your parents.
Every moment contributes to a sound and healthy night's sleep. However, not all babies behave the same. Parents should adjust the process of going to bed, depending on the behavior of the baby.
For example, a bath before bedtime can overwhelm some babies. As a result, the baby will not be able to fit quickly and will wake up during the night.
How to put a baby to sleep? Some mummies prefer to dress their kids in undershirts and special mittens. However, it is recommended to resort to swaddling for up to 3 months. Why do babies need to be swaddled? In this regard, all psychologists and doctors come to a common opinion. Strong swaddling fixes the baby and creates a comfortable atmosphere.
In addition, this way the baby cannot wave its arms and legs and, as a rule, will not be scared and wake up.
Shared sleep
Features and specification of sleep at night
If it was possible to immediately establish a night's sleep for the baby, then problems are not expected. A week old baby will wake up 2-3 times a night to have a snack, then immediately fall asleep.
Gradually, the periods and number of nighttime snacks will decrease. By the age of one, most children are able to sleep all night without waking up or getting up once to drink some water.
Baby sleep is very important for proper development and growth. Therefore, the main task of parents is to create the right environment for a healthy and sound sleep. Perhaps at first not everything will work out, but over time, both the baby and the parents will get used to it.
