For new parents, the baby's sleep can be the most difficult test. It is changeable and unpredictable, especially if the baby confuses day with night. By establishing a clear schedule for rest and wakefulness for your child, you can avoid overwork.
Sleep duration and frequency
From birth to three months, babies usually sleep a lot - about 14-18 hours a day. The duration of sleep, regardless of day or night, is 3-4 hours, so parents will have to get up to swaddle and feed the baby. By 3-4 months, the child sleeps 15 hours a day, 10 of which - at night. The rest of the time is divided between three daytime naps. By 6 months, their number will decrease to two, and the duration will be about one hour. At this age, it is very important to establish a sleep and wake schedule for the child, not only to make life easier for parents, but also to save the baby from excessive fatigue. The duration of a night's sleep of a six-month-old child is about 12 hours, and by the year it will decrease by 10 hours, while a one-time nap will be about 2 hours. It should be remembered that a newborn does not need perfect silence to fall asleep - no need to whisper or walk on tiptoe. Most babies fall asleep safely in brightly lit and noisy places.
Sleep problems
In infancy, a child may confuse day with night. The daytime sleep of such babies is so long that it leaves them the strength to stay awake at night. Often, the parents of such children, waking up every hour to demand attention and a snack, feel very tired. However, one must not forget that this is a temporary situation; as the child's nervous system develops, the duration of his night's sleep will increase. Usually, by the age of one month, children have a normal regimen. Often sleep problems can be associated with colic, in this case, the child needs to be given special medications or use traditional methods - a warm towel, stroking the tummy, etc. If a child is breastfed and does not sleep well at night, waking up to unscheduled feedings, you should consult a doctor - maybe the baby does not have enough milk and it is worth using mixtures or it is time to introduce complementary foods, depending on age.
Healthy sleep rules
In order to accustom a child to healthy sleep from early childhood, it is necessary not only to establish a schedule of rest and wakefulness, but also to take care of a comfortable sleeping place. This should be a separate bed, equipped with special grates that protect the baby from falling out, and an orthopedic mattress. It is important to exclude unnecessary items from it, for example, pillows, stuffed toys, bulky blankets, etc. Falling asleep, the baby should not feel uncomfortable, so parents should take care of a comfortable air temperature and humidity.
