Since the birth of a child, mother’s life has changed dramatically. All her time will now take care of the baby, his education and development. But the newly minted mother at the same time does not cease to be a wife, mistress, and woman in principle - in addition to taking care of the baby, she has many more things to do, from which no one exempted her. Therefore, one of the most common questions asked by pediatricians even in the hospital: how many hours does a newborn baby sleep (should sleep), what is the norm of his sleep, and what if a newborn baby who is not a month old does not sleep or sleeps very little in the afternoon?
Baby's sleep - the duration of daytime sleep
Newborn baby from birth and during the first three months of life should sleep a day on average 18-20 hours. But since each child is individual, the amount of sleep in the range can be considered the norm 16-20 hours a day. (See article how many hours a day does a newborn sleep)
Since the infant does not yet have a regimen, this number of hours is evenly distributed throughout the day and night. Here a lot depends on well-being - this is the main indicator of the norm, or on the baby’s temperament. If the child feels well, he is not tormented by unpleasant symptoms that occur in the first months of life, such as increased intracranial pressure, colic in the abdomen, then his sleep can continue uninterrupted for a couple of hours in a row. Then follows a period of wakefulness, and again a dream.
During sleep, the baby may wake up to feed, and may miss the next milk intake. If the child does not wake up to eat for four hours - this is an alarming symptom. Hunger in infants in the first months of life can be compensated by sleep. Therefore, after 3-4 hours of sleep, if the baby did not ask for food, wake and feed him. Feeding is preferable to offer the baby on demand, and not by the hour. Then the duration of sleep will be longer, the child will sleep calmer.
But the mother may be faced with a phenomenon such as sleep disturbance in a child. If you notice that a newborn baby does not sleep all day, then you should pay special attention to this and try to understand whether there really is a sleep disorder in the baby.
Causes of sleep disturbance in a newborn baby
Let's say right away - the opinion that the newborn should sleep the first weeks of life constantly, interrupting only for feeding and bathing, is wrong. From the first days of life, the baby learns the world, and during periods of wakefulness he is curious looks around, although not all colors are distinguished yet and the perception of objects is still not at all the same as that of an adult.But these periods exist, and they should be, so do not be surprised if every half an hour or an hour the baby wakes up and groans, tosses and turns, opens its eyes. It is worth talking about sleep problems in those cases when:
- The total amount of sleep per day in a newborn baby is less than 15 hours;
- Baby is awake 4-5 hours in a row without a nap and sleep;
- The kid is clearly overexcited, restless, falling asleep with difficulty and wakes up every 5-7 minutes.
Why the newborn does not sleep well:
Factors Affecting Lack of Sleep
- The child feels discomfort. Check if the baby is full, if his diaper is clean. Wet diapers and hunger are the first cause of sleep disturbance. There are patient children, but most of them feel very uncomfortable and let them know about it.
- Room temperature is abnormal. 20-23 degrees Celsius - it is this temperature that is considered optimal in the room for a newborn baby (See the article on the temperature in the room of a newborn) Wearing the baby should also be appropriate - do not mix up, but also do not keep completely naked. Active movements of the baby with legs and arms, sneezing will tell you that the baby is frozen. And the increase in body temperature, pink cheeks - which is too hot in the room.
- Sound background. In general, the baby in the first weeks of life does not react too emotionally to sounds (when does the baby begin to hear?) But when falling asleep, sharp knocks, noise, loud music can prevent falling asleep.
- Too light indoors. Bright daylight annoys the baby and prevents him from falling asleep. Use blinds or shutters to darken the room.
- Pain in the child’s tummy (intestines). Colic and large congestion gas in the abdomen of a child, pain and discomfort cause him. To make it easier for the baby, put a warm, ironed diaper, a baby heating pad on his tummy, or do a light massage (how to help with colic?).
- Loneliness. The baby experiences the first emotional shock after birth. He no longer hears mother's heartbeat, her steps, movements do not rock him. And of course he really needs affection and love. The baby will sleep comfortably and comfortably in her arms, but there is also a great device - a sling. It allows the baby to feel calmer, and for the mother this miracle thing frees her hands and gives you the opportunity to do business, while the beloved baby remains under the watchful eye.
What to do if the baby does not sleep during the day
- If you really feel the wrong, then consult your pediatrician for advice. It is better to be safe again, because sometimes a sleep disorder is a symptom of a serious illness. These include diseases of the central nervous system (central nervous system), respiratory failure, increased VDF, etc.
- Provide your child with regular walks and sleep in the fresh air. The lungs are filled with oxygen, the baby easily falls asleep to the noise of foliage, rocking the stroller. Turn into a habit of constant walks twice a day, avoiding only cold days and bad weather;
- Create at home all conditions for a comfortable sleep. No nervousness in the family, a calm and relaxing atmosphere will help the baby fall asleep;
- In the water for bathing the baby, you can add medicinal decoctions of herbs – string and daisies. They will have a relaxing effect, providing the baby with a sound sleep;
- Sew yourself a small pillow-sachet with a filler - valerian grass. Put the sachets in the crib. The sleep will be calmer and stronger;
- After sunset, exclude all active games, loud music. Sleep preparation should begin in a few hours so that the child is ready to fall asleep and not be emotionally overloaded.
[sc: rsa]
Links to articles on the topic of sleep:
- Why does a child sleep poorly at night: how to establish a child’s sleep?
- Why does a newborn baby startle in a dream?
- When the baby starts to sleep all night
- How to put a child to sleep without tears and vagaries
- Can a newborn sleep on his stomach?
Video gallery about the sleep of newborns:
Why the child does not sleep well and what to do in this case:
When my first child was born, I encountered such a problem as sleep disturbances. Itself did not get enough sleep, the child was restless and the pediatrician could not really say anything. At that time there were no such articles, having read which young mothers could learn a lot for themselves. A simple grandmother was a neighbor who advised me to drink the baby with dill water. This article has collected useful information for young mothers.
Ours and now sleeps poorly, 1.10 him. What we just didn’t do ... There were periods when I only slept in my arms for 20-30 minutes. But it was colic, little teeth ... You just need to endure, wait and try to help the baby as much as possible.
My son also slept badly during the day when he was a month old. The reason for this was the lack of a regime. As soon as I started doing things by the clock, the child became calmer and slept better. We walked 2 times a day (summer was good), in the evening it was obligatory to bathe, for 10 minutes at most, if longer, the baby would overwork. And while we walked, the rooms were aired, because when the house is stuffy, the baby will not be able to fall asleep later. The main thing is to do everything at about the same time! But the main thing is to understand why the child does not sleep, if he has colic, the regimen will not help here, then the drops are espumisan to help you))
We have the second child now three months old, we were aware of dill water, but after the second almost sleepless night, I called our pediatrician for advice. The result - before feeding, during the first month, it gave a sub-simplex and a couple of times a day bifidumbacterin.
Daughter 2 weeks! sleeps poorly (summer is + 35 +38 in the yard) day and night, and doesn’t cry, she just snorts with open eyes (sleeps about 10-12 hours a day) what should I do?
Useful article! I myself am a mother of two children, and with the first child, his restless sleep, I have been tormented to be healthy! In the afternoon, he simply didn’t let me go anywhere, I only had to think (!) About whether I would put him in the crib or get up (if I fed him in my bed), and I’ll go, even if I wash the dishes, he immediately opened his eyes! !! And in most cases, he slept in my arms, in an armchair, and on a pillow for feeding. Meanwhile, I read books and shopped in online stores))))) With my second child, I already had no such opportunity ... because. 2 years difference. But on the other hand, there were no problems with the daughter’s sleep either !!! I had a special Topponchino mattress for newborns. And that’s it !!! We always wore it on it until I kept the head and I fed and put it asleep into a stroller or crib, while she did not even wake up - which for me at first was a miracle. My daughter slept on it like a bewitched one)))) For those who are interested, see topponchino.ru