Sleep is very important for a nursing baby, because during sleep the baby develops and grows, his brain processes new information, and his body rests, preparing for an active study of the world around. That is why the parents of the baby should pay enough attention to the baby's sleep regimen and proper laying.
Why not sleeping?
It may interfere with your baby's sleep:
- Hunger. In the first months, it appears in a baby very often, since the volume of his stomach is small, and breast milk is absorbed very quickly.
- Hot or cold. Because of the uncomfortable conditions in the room, the baby's sleep is often disturbed.
- Excitation. If the mother actively played with the baby, then she will not be able to put the little one to bed immediately after such a game. Also, the exciting factors include receiving guests in the evening and even watching TV.
- Disrupted sleep during the day. If the baby's daytime sleep was later, and the interval between waking up and laying down for the night was reduced, it will be more difficult to lull the baby to sleep.
- Malaise. Peaceful sleep of crumbs can be prevented by tummy pains, teething, runny nose, ear inflammation and other health and wellness problems.
Safe positions
The baby can sleep in the following positions:
- On the side;
- On the tummy;
- On the back.
The best position for the first months of life is on your side. Since it is difficult for the baby to lie in this position, the mother can help the baby by placing a towel rolled into a roller under the back. This position is considered safe with respect to regurgitation. Since a baby often spits up until three months old, a napkin can be placed under his cheek. Also remember that it is better to lay the baby on the other side after each feeding.
The legs sleeping on the baby's tummy need to be straightened and turned slightly to the sides. Many babies sleep in this position with their legs pulled up to the stomach, as they are used to during intrauterine development. In this position, sleep will be safe if the mattress in the crib is firm and flat and there is no pillow. In addition, this position eliminates the interruption of the baby's sleep due to the movement of his arms and legs, as well as due to colic (gaziks in the position on the stomach move more easily).
Many newborns like to sleep on their backs, spreading their legs and arms to the sides. However, this position is considered by many pediatricians to be unsafe due to the risk of regurgitation.
Room temperature
Ideally, the temperature regime of the children's room should be represented by a temperature of +18 to +20 degrees Celsius. A thermometer will help control the temperature in the room where the baby sleeps. It should be installed next to the bed at a height of about 1.5 m from the floor.
If the room is cooler, the baby should be dressed warmer, and if the temperature is above +20, then there should be less clothes on the baby. In the cold season, dress the little one in a bodysuit with closed legs and long sleeves. A newborn's hat should be worn when the room temperature is below +18. If it is warm in the room, you shouldn't leave the baby only in a diaper - put on a thin pajamas on the baby, with short legs and sleeves.
Laying methods
You can put a newborn to sleep like this:
- The child can be rocked. This method bribes parents with its effectiveness, since during motion sickness, the baby falls asleep very quickly. However, soon, when the baby has difficulty falling asleep without motion sickness, the mother realizes that it may not have been worth teaching this method.
- You can lull your baby to sleep with a joint sleep. This method is often chosen for the night period, since falling asleep next to the mother allows the baby to sleep soundly and suckle while sleeping, and the mother to activate lactation and get better sleep.
- The kid can be taught to fall asleep on its own. This habit is achieved through the same daily bedtime ritual, as well as the perseverance and patience of the parents. Mom should notice the time when the baby is tired and ready to fall asleep, buy a baby, feed him, and then put the baby in bed, turn off the light, sing to the baby or talk to the baby affectionately so that he feels the presence of the mother next to him.
First three months
Newborns sleep most of the day, while the baby after birth does not distinguish day from night and asks for food at approximately the same intervals. But by the end of the first month of life, the baby's sleep begins to break up into intervals, which are ordered and create a mode characteristic of a particular baby.
From 4-5 weeks, the child sleeps less during the daytime, and longer at night, especially if the parents help the baby to quickly understand the difference between daylight hours and nighttime. It is not necessary to close the windows during the day and plunge the room into darkness, as well as stop any activities that can interfere with children's sleep. By the age of three months, babies are still sleeping a lot (up to 15 hours a day), but the duration of sleep at night increases.
"Sleep" mode
Each baby has a different sleep pattern and periods of wakefulness, however, there are average indicators for most children of a certain age, which help parents to understand if everything is in order with their child's sleep:
- Newborn babies sleep about 8 hours during the day and about 8.5 hours at night.
- By the age of 3 months, babies sleep in the daytime up to 5 hours, and at night - about 10 hours.
- Babies at the age of 6 months sleep less during the day - about 4 hours. They still sleep for 10 hours at night. There are two daytime dreams at this age.
- From 9 months to 2 years old, babies sleep about 2.5 hours during the day, and a night's sleep can last up to 11.5 hours. During this period, children go to one day's sleep.
- Three-year-olds can sleep up to 2 hours during the day, and at night the duration of their sleep ranges from 10 to 12 hours.
Closer to the year
After nine months, the baby still falls asleep once during the day and may wake up to feed at night. Pediatricians believe that at this age, night food for the child is no longer required, so the mother can try to wean the baby from feeding in the dark, or at least reduce the nighttime meals to a minimum.
Tips
- If you live in a large apartment or house, a baby monitor will help you to know everything about a baby's sleep. The transmitter of this device is installed next to the sleeping baby, and the mother takes the receiver with her.
- The time of going to bed is the most difficult for a baby, as he perceives it as parting with his mother. Therefore, mother should caress the baby in order to show her love to the baby, sing a song, tell a fairy tale.
- A good help in laying the baby down will be a ritual that mom will create. This is the name for actions that will be repeated every day before going to bed. They will tune the baby to sleep and help to fall asleep faster.
- If the baby falls asleep with a nipple, you need to pick it up after the baby is already sound asleep.
What priorities will help to improve the baby's sleep, see the program of Dr. Komarovsky.
