What to do if your baby has restless sleep

Sleep is the most important stage in the life of any child. It is during the period of night rest that the body recovers and grows most actively, creating the prerequisites for the harmonious all-round development of the child, his performance at school and a stable psycho-emotional background. Modern children quite often suffer from various sleep disorders, and most of the reasons are physiological or external in nature and are not directly related to pathologies. What are the main causes of poor sleep in a child and how to fight them? You will read about this below.

Age characteristics of the child

There is an opinion that infants sleep a lot, for a long time, soundly and serenely in the first months of their lives. Unfortunately, this is far from the case - in most cases, after being discharged from the maternity hospital, parents immediately change their own nightly rest routine , mainly because of the baby. Why does my baby sleep poorly and often wake up?

• From a physiological point of view , children under 6 months have a special structure of daily rest, when shallow sleep prevails over deep sleep. Because of this, they often wake up; even minor irritants can wake them up;
• The need for feeding . Up to one year, most breastfed children require milk at night, waking up as hunger sets in;
• Starting from the age of 1.5 years and older, the child exhibits the first fears and phobias , expressed in simple forms - fear of the dark, various characters and other objects with which the first negative emotions are in one way or another associated. If during the day this feature is practically invisible, then at night there can be serious problems, both with falling asleep and with the quality of sleep itself.

Many parents are faced with such a fairly common problem as restless sleep in their baby and, of course, worry about their “treasure”. The baby spins all night, then falls asleep, but for a very short time. The baby's sleep is very restless and every rustle can disturb it. What's going on with the little one? Parents whose child is not their first, as a rule, understand the needs of their baby. But sometimes even experienced parents have questions about their baby’s troubled sleep.

Root causes of restless sleep

The reasons may be different, both psychological and physical:

• The child is sick. The pathological process has already started, but the disease itself has not yet manifested itself with certain symptoms. And in appearance the baby looks absolutely healthy. But he is not feeling well and the baby is starting to worry. If we are talking about babies five months old and older, then the driving force behind restless sleep may be teething. Be that as it may, the baby should be taken to the pediatrician so as not to miss the onset of the disease.
• Increased intracranial pressure. Only a doctor can diagnose this disease and prescribe the necessary therapy. Poor sleep in a toddler can be caused by the most dangerous pathologies - brain tumor, rickets, encephalopathy. In addition, the baby may sleep restlessly at night due to dysbiosis or otitis media, as well as various types of infectious diseases. So you need to look for the cause of poor sleep in a specialist’s office to rule out any pathology.
• Intestinal colic in newborn infants 3, 4 and 5 months of age. It is well known that in children of this age group the intestinal microflora is insufficiently developed. In addition, the baby’s body is just beginning to adapt to independent life. These processes are caused by increased production of gases. The baby’s stomach “swells”, in particular this applies at night and in the evening. If you see that your baby is crying very loudly, blushing and pressing his legs to his tummy, give him some dill water or buy special anti-colic drops from the pharmacy chain.
• The baby is hot or, on the contrary, cold. Most inexperienced parents, relying on the “good” advice of relatives, try not to put their child in their bed. In vain. After all, a toddler can sleep restlessly only because he feels the need for physical contact with his mother. In addition, the body temperature drops slightly at night, and the baby needs her mother’s warm touch. Another reason is that the baby is too stuffy or hot, so you shouldn’t wrap your child up too much.
• Hunger. Perhaps the baby did not eat enough at the last feeding? In such circumstances, do not refrain from feeding at night. Babies up to six months old should have night meals.
• False feeling of satiety. This usually applies to children who are artificial. During feeding, they often swallow a lot of air. As a result, an imaginary feeling of satiety appears. Therefore, if you feed your little one with formula, be sure to burp the air.

In general, there are quite a lot of reasons. The main thing is to follow the regime, do not be nervous or worry, otherwise all this can also cause restless sleep. In any case, tell your pediatrician about your concerns, and he will help identify the cause.

What to do if your child doesn't sleep well at night?

For infants who need constant night feeding, co-sleeping with the mother is an effective option - even if the baby is awake, he can quickly be given breastfeeding without getting out of bed. In addition, an additional factor of calm will be close tactile contact, which is so necessary in the first months of life.

If this scheme does not suit you, then an alternative may be to transfer the baby to artificial formulas - they are richer, and in most cases, only one intermediate night feeding from a bottle is enough, as opposed to 2-4 using the breast.

It is worth noting that the transition to artificial feeding should be carefully weighed - under any circumstances, mother's milk is the most useful and necessary for the child, but formulas still remain only partial substitutes for the first and most important element of the baby's food.

Not satisfied with any of the proposed options ? Then prepare yourself for the fact that a child under one year old will have to pay increased attention at night by regularly getting up to his crib. It is impossible not to feed him at night or not to calm him down if he wakes up.

Starting from one and a half years, in most cases, the child will no longer wake up hungry at night if he was fed tightly in the evening and additional complementary foods are used in addition to mother's milk. In addition, you can try to solve the child’s problem with fear and nightmares.

First, find out exactly what your child is afraid of, after which you can begin to take active action . The most effective option is to conduct a formal ritual with the child involved. Banishing the “beech” from the closet, leaving a night light on at night, dispelling the darkness with a dim light, putting an amulet on the bed with a clear indication of its “special” properties for driving out fears - all such actions, if they are correctly explained to the child with sufficient seriousness and involving the child in the process , works in most cases.

Is it worth sleeping with your child?

Many pediatricians advise immediately putting the baby to sleep in a separate crib. However, practice shows that children who relax with their mother do it much calmer. They experience sleep disturbances much less frequently. The main reason is that the baby intuitively feels completely safe.

In addition, co-sleeping has important benefits for a new mother. She does not need to listen to every rustle or get up to feed the baby. Being next to the child, she can always instantly calm him down, preventing prolonged bouts of crying.

Specifics of a child's temperament

Every child is an individual with his own temperament. Its first signs begin to appear at the age of 1-1.5 years. In international pediatrics there is even a term “ children with increased needs .” Such small members of society are easily excitable, demanding of the conditions and quality of the external environment, quickly aroused and very slowly “moving away”, preferring to spend most of their free time in the arms of their father or mother. By the age of 2, such character traits are identified by society as capriciousness and bad manners.

The above-described category of temperamental children should be treated with special attention . A child should not be punished for being excessively emotional - this will greatly traumatize the psyche. There may be several options for resolving the situation:

• Co-sleeping . In fact, it is the only non-alternative measure of psycho-emotional impact that allows you to ensure basic sleep for the whole family. This prospect “shines” for parents until at least 1 year of the baby’s life. If you still try to teach him to sleep in his crib at night on his own, then you should prepare for months of exhausting “spurt” with virtually no night rest to achieve the required result;

• A reasonable alternative could be a kind of compromise option for purchasing a children’s bed with a removable side wall - it moves close to the parents’ bed, provides psycho-emotional comfort for the child and relative freedom for parents, who are not so constrained by the child’s constant presence in their bed. After some time, the crib can be gradually moved away from the parent's bed, however, without taking the latter out of the room - this way you will gradually wean the child from sleeping together with you. For overly impressionable and excitable children, it is recommended that their sleeping place be moved to a separate room no earlier than 3 years after birth;
• Adaptation and relaxation . Try not to overuse developmental and too active physical activities, visit the pool, gymnastics, and often just walk with your child on the street. Before bed, give your easily excitable child warm baths with relaxing aromatherapy and a comprehensive massage. The above measures will allow you to partially remove the negative manifestations of the baby’s special temperament and sleep more peacefully.

Wrong lifestyle

As modern medical research shows, up to 60 percent of children suffer from sleep disorders due to the wrong lifestyle created for them by their parents. We are talking about proper adherence to circadian rhythms, as well as energy expenditure and consumption.

Rare going out for walks, eating plenty of food, irregular night rest with falling asleep later than 22 pm - all these factors negatively affect sleep. In addition, it is worth considering that some children are so mobile and active that they exhaust their accumulated energy only during a many-hour “marathon” on the street with running, jumping and outdoor games.

How to solve this problem?

• Create a standardized daily routine . You need to get up and go to bed at the same time, it is advisable to go to bed no later than 21 pm. Daytime rest should also be strictly regulated;
• Walks and more walks . Walk with your child as often as possible, fresh air and active movement will help your child throw out accumulated energy and sleep much better;

• Additional sections . An addition (but not an alternative) for your child can be specialized sections for sports exercises, dancing, swimming, etc.;
• Significant limitation of watching TV and computer . You exchange the imaginary calm of your baby while sitting at the computer or watching cartoons on TV for a good night's sleep.

Causes of restless sleep in children

The most common causes of poor sleep in children are:

1. Features of the physiology of a child’s sleep. 2. Emotional overload. 3. Somatic problems. 4. Neurological problems.

Sleep disturbance can be caused by a change in diet (for example, “weaning”), changes in daily routine and lifestyle, conflict situations in the family, etc. Sleep disturbance in very young children can be due to colic in the tummy or teething , if the child is hungry or hot (or cold). In this case, sleep disturbances are often temporary. They usually disappear as the child adapts to new living conditions. However, sleep disorders can also be associated with somatic diseases (for example, diseases of the internal organs, nervous system) and mental disorders. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly identify the cause of sleep disturbances in a child and carry out appropriate therapeutic therapy. Doctors identify several phenomena of pathological sleep in children. Let's look at just a few.

Uncomfortable sleeping environment

A child's sleep at an early age is greatly influenced by external environmental factors. We are talking about the comfort of the environment in the room where the baby is at night. Hot blanket? Does a draft bother you? Are your pajamas pressing on your neck? These and other factors can lead to permanent sleep disturbances.

What should the ideal environment be like ? The best solution is an integrated approach that includes all possible points that can disturb the baby’s sleep.

• Microclimate . Ideal conditions for a child’s bedroom are +16 degrees Celsius and a humidity of about 90 percent. Try to maintain these parameters by regularly ventilating the room, using air humidifiers if necessary;
• External stimuli . The child's bedroom should have good sound insulation so that he is not awakened by extraneous noise from the street or neighbors. In addition, take care of light insulation by using thick curtains while sleeping;
• Bed . The basis of a child’s bed is as reliable as possible and suitable for the child’s size. It is advisable to purchase an orthopedic mattress, but not too soft, so as not to spoil your future posture. The pillow is moderately flat and small, made from a natural plant base, just like the blanket. An excellent option for this plan is products made from bamboo fiber, which allow air and moisture to pass through, providing warmth and a hypoallergenic effect. Bed linen and pajamas are strictly made from natural cotton fabrics, no synthetics.

How to help your baby?

Any medical practice shows that treatment begins with determining the cause. Common recommendations to create normal sleeping conditions for a child is a developed reflex. formed cyclicality, lack of overexcitation before going to bed - this is very good.

Normal conditions for a loving parent should already be at the level of automaticity - a clean bed, a ventilated room, appropriate temperature and humidity, a kind word, kisses and hugs.

With such a parental attitude, sleep problems will not only be immediately monitored, but also tested by a doctor for pathological reasons. And there can be such a number of them that no list is enough - genetics, congenital developmental pathologies, diseases of internal organs, disorders of the digestive, immune, endocrine and nervous systems.

Having ruled out diseases, it is worth trying consultations with a psychologist. Perhaps the pathology is in the emotional sphere. And parental care and affection is an everyday duty, and if it is not performed in good faith, it is useless to read any advice.

The child is not feeling well

It happens that a child does not sleep well at night and often wakes up due to pain in the abdomen, teeth, and head. A fairly common occurrence, especially in the first years of a baby’s life, can discourage the latter from sleeping for a long time. How to solve a problem like this ?

• In the first months of life, the child’s digestive system is not mature - bloating periodically occurs, problems with the passage of gases and severe abdominal pain are provoked. Try simethicone-based products (for example, Espumisan), as well as natural dill water or fennel tea;

• When teething, you can use special anesthetic gels applied to the gums. They are especially relevant at night, along with the use of a pacifier - this will distract the baby’s reflexes during sleep and give him a good rest;
• Headache, muscle pain . The baby’s body is actively growing and is subject to serious stress. Sometimes a child may simply be tired and his whole body may ache after an active day. In this case, a relaxing shower, massage, and if they are not effective, non-steroidal analgesics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen will help.

Biological rhythms of a child's sleep

Four out of five hours (that is, more than 80% of the total time) the child is in the so-called superficial phase of sleep. It is necessary for the brain to parse and analyze information received during wakefulness. In such a state, any sharp sound, even if it is not too strong, can wake up the baby.

The rest of the time is reserved for so-called deep sleep. In this case, the baby sleeps very soundly and it is difficult to wake him up. Deep sleep is a natural mechanism that protects the baby’s psyche from stressful conditions. That is, if the baby has experienced strong emotions, he can immediately fall into a deep sleep.

Doctors note that deep sleep begins to replace superficial sleep gradually. The exact time depends on the type of feeding - natural or artificial. For example, if you are breastfeeding your baby, he will sleep deeply only at the age of two. For formula-fed babies, this period shifts to 6 months.

Normal sleep and wake patterns for a child are as follows:

• For a newborn and one-month-old baby - 12 hours during the night with pauses for food and wakefulness.
• For a baby from 1 to 5 months, sleep is 10 hours at night. Waking up twice to eat is considered normal.
• For children from 6 months to a year, the norm will be the same sleep for 10 hours with one break for feeding.

Please note that the indicated periods are indicated approximately, so small deviations are not considered pathology.