The birth of a baby is a happy and exciting event in a woman's life. A young mother especially has many questions and concerns when caring for her first child. One of the most common problems is poor sleep for babies.
The need for sleep in babies
With good health and in comfortable conditions, the newborn baby sleeps about 18 hours a day, by 6 months the sleep rate decreases to 16 hours, by the year - to 13. However, each child is individual and everyone has their own sleep rate.
Some mothers believe that a small child sleeps all the time, waking up only from hunger or other discomfort. However, this is not so: from the first days, the child learns the world around him and, during periods of wakefulness, looks around and listens. But the baby may well miss feeding - in infants, sleep can replace food intake.
Sleep problems in babies should be discussed if they sleep much less than normal (by 3-4 hours), stay awake for a long time, fall asleep poorly and often wake up.
What affects a child's sleep
The most common cause of poor sleep in babies is hunger and discomfort from wet diapers. It is advisable to feed a breastfed baby on demand. the baby may not eat at the right time due to the low fat content of milk or too tight nipples. If you avoid keeping your baby in disposable diapers all the time, wear them at least at night to help your baby sleep better.
Another factor that causes discomfort in a baby is teeth that are being cut. In this case, the child often has increased salivation, fever, a desire to scratch the gums with any objects or with his fists. You can relieve discomfort with special anesthetic gels, cooled teethers.
Irritation of the skin from diapers or diathesis can disrupt the child's sleep. The baby's skin is very delicate, any rash gives him unpleasant sensations. Bathe your baby in broths of a string, chamomile or celandine, lubricate the rash with special ointments or creams that can be purchased at the pharmacy. In case of diathesis, adjust your diet and eliminate the product that causes the child's allergy.
If the baby is tormented by an accumulation of gases, he cries a lot, presses his legs to his tummy. In this case, a warm diaper applied to the stomach, massage, and a decoction of dill seeds help.
Sometimes the child does not sleep well due to breathing disorders, increased intracranial pressure, diseases of the central nervous system. If you cannot understand the reasons for his concern, consult a doctor, because sleep disturbance can occur in the presence of serious disorders.
External conditions can also prevent a child from sleeping soundly. If the room is too hot or cold, noisy or light, he will often wake up and be capricious. Too tight or loose swaddling also interferes with sleep. Another important factor is the absence of a mother. The child gets used to feel her smell, warmth, heartbeat, and in the absence of his mother, his sleep becomes superficial and very restless.
