How to put a newborn and baby to sleep?

Content

Sleep is very important for an infant, as during sleep the baby develops and grows, its brain processes new information, and the body rests, preparing for active study of the world around. That is why parents of infants should pay enough attention to the infant's sleep mode and its proper folding.

Why not sleep?

Baby can interfere with sleep:

  1. Hunger. In the first months, it appears in the infant very often, since the volume of his stomach is small, and the breast milk is absorbed very quickly.
  2. Heat or cold. Due to uncomfortable conditions in the room, the baby’s sleep is often disturbed.
  3. Excitation. If the mother actively played with the baby, then put the toddler to sleep immediately after such a game she did not succeed. Also to the exciting factors include guest reception in the evening and even watching TV.
  4. Disrupted sleep during the day. If the daytime sleep of the little ones 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.
  5. Malaise. Serene sleep crumbs can interfere with abdominal pain, cutting teeth, runny nose, ear inflammation and other problems with well-being and health.
The baby is not sleeping
Mom needs patience, as a rare newborn wakes up at night less than 5 times.

Safe positions

The baby can sleep in these positions:

  • On the side;
  • On the tummy;
  • On the back.

The optimal position for the first months of life is the position on the side. Since the baby is difficult to lie in this position, the mother can help the crumbs by placing a towel rolled under the back of the roller. This provision is considered safe in regards to regurgitation. Since the baby quite often spits up to three months, a napkin can be laid under his cheek. Also remember that it is better to lay the crumb after each feeding on the other side.

A baby sleeping on its tummy needs to be straightened and turned slightly to the sides. Many babies in this position sleep with legs tucked up to the stomach, as they are used to during fetal development. In this position, sleep will be safe if the mattress in the crib is hard and level, and the pillow is missing. In addition, this situation eliminates the interruption of the infant's sleep due to the movement of its arms and legs, as well as colic (the little ones in the abdomen position are easier to move away).

Many newborns like to sleep on their backs, stretching their legs and arms to the side. However, many pediatricians consider this posture 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. To control the temperature in the room where the baby sleeps, a thermometer will help. It should be installed near 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 the baby's clothes should be less. In the cold season, put a toddler in a body with closed legs and long sleeves. A newborn hat should be worn when the air temperature in the room is below +18. If it is warm in the room, you shouldn’t leave a crumb only in a diaper - wear a thin pajamas with little legs and sleeves short on the little one.

Laying methods

You can put a newborn in bed like this:

  • The child can be rocked. This method bribes parents with its effectiveness, since the baby falls asleep very quickly when rocking.However, soon, when the little ones have difficulty falling asleep without motion sickness, the mother realizes that it was probably not worth it to teach this method.
  • The baby can be lulled by sharing sleep. This method is often chosen for the night period, since falling asleep next to the mother allows the baby to sleep soundly and suck the breasts in a dream, and for the mother to activate lactation and get better sleep.
  • Baby can be accustomed to self-sleep. This habit is achieved through the same daily ritual of going to bed, as well as the perseverance and patience of parents. Mom should notice the time when the crumb is tired and ready to fall asleep, buy a baby, feed him, then put the baby on the bed, turn off the light, sing the baby or talk to the child affectionately so that he feels the presence of mommy next.
Self falling asleep child
Independently falling asleep child contributes to his more sound sleep

First three months

Newborns sleep most of the day, while the baby after birth does not distinguish between day and night and asks for food at approximately equal intervals. But by the end of the first month of life, the baby’s sleep begins to break into gaps, which are ordered and create a characteristic regime for a particular baby.

From 4-5 weeks the child sleeps less in the daytime, and longer at night, especially if the parents help the baby to quickly understand the difference between daylight hours and the nighttime period. You do not need to close the windows during the day and immerse the room into darkness, as well as stop any activities that can put children's sleep. By three months, babies still sleep quite a lot (up to 15 hours per day), but the duration of sleep at night increases.

Child's age - night sleep
With age, the duration of a night's sleep in a child increases

Sleepy mode

Each child has a sleep pattern and wakeful periods of his own, however there are average indicators for most children of a certain age, helping parents understand if their child’s sleep is fine:

  • Newborn babies sleep around 8 hours during the day and about 8.5 hours at night.
  • By 3 months, children sleep in the daytime 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 at night for 10 hours. Daytime dreams at this age two.
  • From 9 months to 2 years, babies sleep during the day for about 2.5 hours, and night sleep can last up to 11.5 hours. During this period, children go on one day sleep.
  • Three-year-old children can sleep during the day up to 2 hours, and at night, the duration of their sleep is from 10 to 12 hours.

Closer to the year

After nine months, the baby still falls asleep during the day once, and at night it can wake up for feeding. Pediatricians believe that at this age night food for the child is no longer required, so the mother can try to wean the crumbs from feeding at night, or at least reduce nightly meals to a minimum.

Weaning from sleeping baby at night
From 9 months you can already wean the child from the night feeding, and then he will sleep at night without waking up

Tips

  • If you live in a large apartment or house, the baby monitor will help you to know everything about the baby's dream. The transmitter of this device is installed next to the sleeping baby, and the mother takes the receiver with her.
  • Bedtime is the most difficult for an infant, as he perceives it as parting with mom. Therefore, the mother should caress the baby to show her love to the crumbs, sing a song, tell a fairy tale.
  • A good help in laying baby will be a ritual, which will create a mother. So called the actions that before going to bed will be repeated every day. They will tune the baby to sleep and help to fall asleep faster.
  • If the baby falls asleep with the nipple, you need to take it after the baby has already fallen asleep.

What priorities will help to improve the sleep of infants, see the transfer of Dr. Komarovsky.

Information provided for reference purposes. Do not self-medicate. At the first symptoms of the disease, consult a doctor.

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