Sleeping babies is a little different from how adults sleep. When an adult is sleeping, it is difficult to wake him up. But children's sleep is more superficial, light, and sometimes even a very quiet sound can interrupt it. Although it is for children, especially very little ones, to sleep long enough so that the body can relax and gain strength. Therefore, the correct sleep mode is so important . The child needs to be put to bed and raised at a certain time, so that his sleep is stronger. The sleep mode does not have to be observed exactly, without departing from it even for a second. Someone sleeps more, some baby needs less time to sleep. The sleep mode of the newborn is more accurate, and subsequently it is already possible to focus more on the needs of the child.
Here's an approximate sleep regimen for a newborn baby:
daytime sleep - 14 hours, it should be divided into 5 parts. Night sleep - 6-7
hours. The baby is awake mainly when feeding, about 2-4 hours a day. IN
at this age there is no need to occupy him with something special, now
his main thing is just to eat and sleep.
Later, the required amount of sleep looks like this:
1-3 months - daytime sleep 11 hours, nighttime sleep 6-7
hours;
3-5 months - daytime sleep 9 hours, nighttime sleep 6-7
hours;
6-9 months - daytime sleep 7 hours, nighttime sleep 8
hours;
9-12 months - daytime sleep 5 hours (2.5 and 2.5),
night sleep 8-10 hours.
And it becomes necessary to occupy the baby with something, so as not to bring down the sleep mode. It is better if he does not fall asleep immediately after feeding, but goes to bed a little later, but wakes up immediately before eating.
A few recommendations will help you avoid situations when the baby does not want to go to bed on time.
- Sleep should be clear enough. It may be slightly different from
recommended, just has to be permanent. It is not recommended every day to put the baby to sleep at different times, even if it is more convenient for you. - Set up a special "ritual of falling asleep." Psychologically, any repeated actions (reading a fairy tale every night, kissing each night before bedtime) are calming and at the same time, the baby develops a habit. Children need the usual sequence, while they feel better.
- After such a ritual, give the baby a chance to fall asleep himself. This habit is being developed right now, and the sooner you teach a child to fall asleep alone, the easier it will be for him later. Otherwise, then various fears may appear when parting at bedtime.
- If the baby sleeps too long, do not be afraid to wake him. It is now important for him to learn how to wake up properly. Otherwise, the next time he simply will not be able to fall asleep and you will add to the trouble.
- Some odors have a calming effect. Therefore, bathing the baby, you can use, for example, soap with the smell of lavender. And sew a couple of mint leaves or hop branches into a baby pillow .
Up to 1.5 years, the sleep regimen will not change much, daytime sleep remains divided into two parts. For children from 1.5 to 7 years old, the sleep mode is set so that daytime sleep will now last 2-3 hours.
The most difficult thing is to teach your child to sleep once during the day, and not two, as he
used to. Experts advise first alternating days with two daytime dreams with days with one daytime rest. This will help the child to get used to the fact that you can sleep once a day. It is also time to completely eliminate additional “sedatives” from your arsenal, such as motion sickness, presence next to the child, when he falls asleep and others. He already needs to fall asleep on his own. But the ritual that you established earlier, you do not need to cancel yet. Sometimes it will seem that this is no longer necessary, that the child is "no longer small." But such a ritual supports the child's sense of reliability and stability of his world, calms him. Children are developing rapidly, and they sometimes really need adult support.