The long-awaited baby is already at home. Everyone is happy and happy, the young mother is the most. Preparing for this event, she read a lot of literature and learned that after birth, the baby usually sleeps 18-20 hours a day. But for some reason everything went wrong: the newborn is awake, suckles, cries, sleeps very little. Why? The answer to such a burning question is in this article.
A sound sleep of a newborn is a guarantee of health and normal development
Newborn sleep rates in the first month
After being discharged from the hospital, the child sleeps more than plays and eats. Sometimes he even eats in his sleep. It's quite normal. Receiving the first information from the outside world, the fragile brain and nervous system of the newborn "digest" it in small portions. He rests between these activities. That's why he needs so much sleep. The baby's sleep rate is all the time of the day and night, except for 15-30 minutes of feeding, massage, gymnastics and hygiene procedures.
Features of sleep in newborns
Good sleep is very important for young children, because lack of sleep can lead to stunted development and growth. Babies do not always obey the regime. It happens that they sleep little day or night. It is sometimes difficult for parents to adapt to such fickle breaks between rest and wakefulness, especially for mothers who have a lot to do during the period of children's sleep.
Why does one month old baby stay awake all day? The reasons for infants' daytime sleep disorders can be different. The most common ones are:
- the baby has wet diapers and a diaper, because of which he experiences discomfort;
- the apartment is stuffy or, conversely, cool;
Important! The baby will sleep well and for a long time in a ventilated room at an optimal temperature of 20-23 degrees. An infant both quickly overheats and can become overcooled. Therefore, he should not be put to bed at temperatures below 10 degrees.
- the baby does not have enough breast milk; although babies can sleep up to 4 hours between feedings, there are exceptions when they do not fall asleep on an empty ventricle;
- the cause of anxious sleep can be diaper rash, which in the baby appears in folds on the arms, legs, neck, etc.;
- uncomfortable bed, too hard or too soft bed, poorly chosen clothes;
- bright light from non-curtained windows, constant continuous noise in the house (music, screams of children and adults);
- active games during wakefulness, when the baby plays for too long for his age;
- nervous situation in the family, quarrels between parents can also disrupt the sleep of the newborn.
The importance of naps for babies
It is possible to consider that a baby's sleep is seriously disturbed only when the child does not sleep all day for 1 month, and also if he sleeps less than 15 hours a day and wakes up after 15-20 minutes.
Violation of daytime sleep in infants
Why does the baby not sleep during the day
Health problems are often the cause of poor infant sleep. If the baby does not fall asleep for a long time, cries loudly, bends, then you need to consult a doctor for advice. The pediatrician should send the child to a somnologist (specialist in sleep disorders) to identify the causes of the sleep disorder. If there is no such doctor in the clinic, the diagnosis can be made by a pediatrician instead. Checking with a neurologist can reveal the presence of disorders of the nervous system, which are often associated with birth trauma.
Causes of whims and crying of a baby
The most common reason for childhood insomnia, endless whims and tears can be intestinal disturbances. A fragile ventricle after overfeeding does not have time to digest food (although the infant's body absorbs mother's milk quite quickly and easily). In such cases, the baby begins to hiccup, sometimes spits up. Therefore, the baby should be swaddled tightly and held in an upright position - "column" so that he gets out the air that he swallows during feeding. This most often happens with bottle-fed babies. They quickly suck milk from a bottle, with which they swallow portions of air.
Other disorders of the digestive tract (gastrointestinal tract) of the baby, which can permanently deprive the baby and mother of sleep and rest:
- bloating;
- constipation;
- intestinal colic.
A baby may not sleep for a long time if he is worried about otitis media, diathesis, runny nose and fever.
Sometimes the cause of sleep disorder in infants is rickets associated with a deficiency of vitamin D in his body. The kid does not fall asleep well, shudders in a dream, cries. In addition, he sweats a lot during sleep and feeding.
Causes of disturbed sleep in an infant
Lack of night sleep in an infant
If in the daytime the baby has to sleep in total 6-8 hours 3-4 times with breaks for feeding and other procedures, then at night his sleep lasts 8-9 hours. It happens when a month-old baby does not sleep at night. This can be explained simply: spending most of the day in a dream, the body of an infant does not know what time of day it is at the moment. Therefore, during the day he can sleep for a long time, at night he can stay awake for a long time. People say about this baby that he “confused day with night”.
Another reason for this phenomenon may be a violation by the parents of the regime, which is reflected in the baby's sleep. Mom and Dad should obey the daily routine that their baby needs. If a child does not sleep at night for 1 month, then his biorhythms are disrupted. What to do in such a situation? To "get" the baby to sleep at night, parents need to choose a certain tactics of their own behavior:
- put the baby to bed at the same time, creating the illusion of a general lights out (observe silence, dim the overhead light or turn it off);
- feed him before bed and not immediately tear him off the breast, but wait until he falls asleep soundly;
- wear comfortable, loose clothing at night that will not hinder his movements in a dream;
- if the baby does not calm down for a long time, lull him to sleep, slightly swaying and singing a lullaby;
- not to confuse the phase of superficial sleep with awakening, when the baby shudders, whimpers, breathes unevenly, most likely, he is having some kind of dream;
- do not pick him up as soon as he cries (if this is not a planned awakening), but stroke his tummy, arms, and legs.
These simple actions will help parents to normalize the child's night sleep, and give the mother extra hours of rest.
If these recommendations did not help, and the baby does not sleep well at night for a long time, you should try to identify the causes of the violation or contact a pediatrician.
One month old baby does not sleep at night
Causes of sleep disorder in a newborn
A baby needs a full sleep, because his still weak body, in the process of learning about the world around him, quickly gets tired and needs a portion of rest. For this, parents need to create all the appropriate conditions.
If a child who is not one month old does not sleep all day, it means that something is bothering him, or something is missing. The sleep of a newborn can be disturbed by external circumstances related to the environment, care, psychological mood in the family. The reasons for the irregular children's day and night sleep can be internal, which relate to his health and physical condition in general.
On a note. Baby's behavior depends largely on his temperament. His own sleep pattern obeys him. An overly excited baby cannot fall asleep for a long time, even if his irritants or pathogens are eliminated. If the baby is not naughty at the same time, eats and plays calmly, you do not need to worry too much. Over time, the baby will be drawn into the regime and will fall asleep well. It all depends on mom and dad, their patience and efforts.
Mom and baby fell asleep
How to help your baby regulate sleep
The world-famous doctor E. Komarovsky said about children's sleep that "a healthy children's sleep is a dream when it is sweet and comfortable ... for both adults and children." He is absolutely right: when the sleep of all family members is properly organized, the baby will sleep well. To do this, to help parents, he formulated 10 rules for healthy sleep for children:
- The child and family are happy and healthy when parents can sleep 8 hours a day.
- From birth, the baby is accustomed to the family regime.
- Decide where the baby sleeps and with whom.
- In order for the child to sleep well at night, do not let him sleep during the day.
- Adjust night feeding.
- Competent organization of the day and evening.
- Regular airing, wet cleaning and maintaining the temperature regime in the bedroom are the key to normal child's sleep.
- Evening swimming, massage and gymnastics before them, hygiene procedures and feeding before bed.
- Clean bed and clothes made from natural fabrics, thick mattress.
- The “right diaper” is a comfortable, proven and safe item.
This impromptu interpretation of 10 immutable rules for organizing a baby's sleep in Komarov style can become a visual aid to a young family in organizing a newborn's sleep in the first month after his discharge from the hospital. Observing them, parents will remember the doctor's wise advice with a kind word more than once.
