After the baby is born, almost the whole family begins to live in the mode that he sets. However, normally, most of the time a recently born baby sleeps. At the same time, some newly-minted parents are faced with the fact that the baby sleeps poorly, restlessly or does not want to go to the country of dreams. Why do newborn babies sleep poorly ?
It is worth knowing the norms of sleep for children at one age or another. Often parents begin to worry when there is no reason for this. Where does the norm end?
- The first three months of his life, the baby should sleep at least 16 hours a day;
- from 3 to 6 months to sleep about 15 hours a day;
- from 6 months to a year, this time is reduced to 13 hours a day;
- upon reaching the age of the child should sleep about 12 hours.
So, you still made sure that the child sleeps less than expected. Why do newborns sleep poorly? In fact, there are many reasons.
The first is discomfort from gas and intestinal colic. As a rule, they arise as a result of swallowing air during feeding. If the newborn shouted for a long time and loudly, he could very well accidentally swallow the excess air.
Of course, other diseases are often accompanied by sleep disorders. If the child has a fever, other irritating symptoms appear, it is understandable why he does not want to sleep the amount of time allotted to him.
Of great importance is the psychological situation in the house. A newborn has a close emotional connection with his mother, and therefore if parents constantly argue, shout, and curse, this will not affect the baby in the best way.
Another reason why newborns do not sleep well is when they confuse night and day. This happens quite often. Here you need to watch the baby himself. If he hardly sleeps at night, it is likely that he does this during daylight hours. There is nothing wrong with this, because the crumbs have not yet established biorhythms.
The cause of the baby's anxiety may be skin irritations (diaper rash, diaper rash), a crowded diaper, or wet diapers through it.
If the newborn does not sleep well, it is likely that he is hungry. Until the baby eats normally, you should not count on a calm, serene sleep.
Sometimes the cause of sleep disorders are problems with the nervous system or banal overexcitation. Too many vivid emotions and impressions, frequent visits by guests - all this, of course, is good, but in moderation. Constantly overloading the newborn with such "surprises", you can do him a disservice.
Finally, the child may be cold or hot, uncomfortable in your chosen clothes.
After analyzing all these factors, you can find out why the newborn does not sleep well. As a rule, you can cope with this problem yourself, but sometimes the help of a pediatrician is required (for example, if the baby is sick).
Now you know why newborns do not sleep well. How to help your child and improve his sleep? Here are some simple tips for young parents in this case:
- Ventilate the room before putting your baby to bed. Cool, fresh, oxygenated air is the key to a healthy sleep. Ideally, the baby will also sleep during daytime walks on the street.
- The room should have twilight, contributing to a faster fall asleep. According to statistics, one of the most common reasons why a newborn does not sleep well during the day is too bright a light. Curtains or blinds will help to eliminate excess light.
- The child should be full, dressed in a clean diaper.
- Putting the baby to bed, sing him lullabies. The presence of hearing and voice here is not so critical. The calm melody and the voice of the mother in any case will calm him down.
- It is important to follow the regimen. Let the child constantly go to bed and wake up at the same time. Constant changes in this regard interfere with normal sleep.
- The old way is motion sickness. However, experts do not advise them to get involved, as children get used to it very quickly and subsequently cannot fall asleep if they are not rocked.
It is important to gradually accustom the baby to sleep on their own. Do not rush to him when you hear the slightest rustle - so the child will finally awaken. Let him lie down a bit - if nothing bothers him, he will soon fall asleep. You can also show the newborn that if, for example, he was sleeping on his side, you can roll over and continue your journey through the sleepy kingdom.