The child does not want to sleep: what to do? Why does the child not want to go to bed - during the day, at night, in a stroller, in his crib, in kindergarten? Why the child cannot fall asleep and cries when he wants to sleep: at night, in the evening, during the day, without motion sickness

Sleep is an important process for human life. At this time, the brain is released from the accumulated information, due to which the neuropsychic state and working capacity are restored. Sleep is of particular importance for the child's body - from birth and throughout the entire process of growing up. But it often happens that the child cannot sleep.

Sleep performs a physiological function: during it, the child's body produces somatropin, a growth and development hormone. With lack of sleep, problems arise with the physical, mental and mental development of the child, in addition, his well-being suffers.

Insomnia - insomnia - can lead to serious illnesses. The reasons why a child cannot fall asleep for a long time, experts divide into psychological, physiological and related to the environment.

Reasons for sleep deprivation

If the child is healthy and not physically bothered by anything, he may refuse sleep for the following reasons:

• outdoor games before going to bed, i.e., excessive excitement;
• unspent energy due to daytime passivity;
• strong emotions during the day and at bedtime;
• secret fears, nightmares;
• regime violation.

Reasons for not going to bed

Sometimes the child does not want not only to sleep, but also to go to bed. To take the right action, you need to properly understand the situation and determine the cause.

The reasons for this are similar to the previous ones, but there are differences:

• if the child needs less time to sleep than is normal;
• if he does not want to interrupt an exciting activity;
• if he is afraid of the bed - the imagination draws a monster or a ghost under the bed.

Why can't sleep

The child wants to sleep, but for some reason he cannot fall asleep - this situation makes him wary. As a rule, in this case, he is naughty, crying. This is a signal that something is bothering the child.

In addition to overwork and overexcitation, the causes of this phenomenon may be the following:

• physiological: a malaise that the child cannot explain;
• psychological: grief, depressed mood, experiencing the events of the past day;
• environment: annoying sounds, light, unusual environment (for example, on a trip), lack of familiar attributes.

Reasons for not taking naps

According to the established norms, the child should sleep during the day until 6-7 years. However, parents and caregivers are increasingly faced with children who do not need daytime sleep. If the child has a well-established regime, he sleeps soundly and calmly at night, then he may not need daytime rest.

Children with increased excitability, hyperactive, sometimes with inappropriate behavior, require special attention. They do not know how to relax, which is why they experience overexcitation and, as a result, overwork. Such children need a consultation with a neurologist, emotional calm and a strict regimen.

Lack of mode

One of the reasons children refuse to sleep. The task of a properly organized regimen is not only to instill certain skills in a child. The mode has a physiological basis: it is the formation of conditioned reflexes which creates optimal excitability of the central nervous system.

Violation and, moreover, the absence of a regimen adversely affect the health of the child, since they are a constant stress for the child's psyche. The lack of a clear daily routine leads to increased fatigue, and, consequently, to irritability and emotional instability. Pediatricians and neurologists consider this a prerequisite for the development of neurosis.

Correcting this situation requires patience and perseverance. It is categorically impossible to put pressure on the child, to force him. The instrument of influence can only be persuasion. For young children, all daily rituals can be carried out in the form of a game. until they feel the need to do so.

Emotions

Emotions are called human reactions to various events and phenomena. It is very important for a child to understand the feelings and moods of others. If this understanding is not present, there is fear, distrust, even hostility, which can provoke lack of sleep.

The reaction to certain events is children's jealousy, envy, aggression. According to experts, it is impossible to suppress the manifestation of negative emotions in a child, since he does not learn to control them, but drives them inside.

The accumulation of negative emotions can provoke inappropriate behavior, and their containment can lead to mental disorders.

To correct the emotional sphere of a child, it is important for adults to manage their own emotions, since their negative manifestations form a child's inferiority complex and self-doubt. Positive emotions, on the other hand, form a strong emotional bond.

fears

Children's fears are a common and not pathological phenomenon, if they are not accompanied by excessive experiences, but they often prevent sleep. The lack of life experience, knowledge about the world around us, and often the reaction of adults to the situation are prerequisites for the emergence of fear.

Psychologists identify several typical reasons:

• a specific situation that is projected onto later life;
• fantasy generated by fairy tales, films, scary stories;
• scandals and conflicts in the family;
• unsuccessful communication with peers - ridicule and humiliation;
• neurosis is a situation that requires the help of a specialist.

The difficulty in identifying these fears is that children usually do not talk about them. One can only guess about them by nervousness and restless sleep. There are special techniques that allow diagnosing children's fears, they are used by psychologists.

Parents, on the other hand, should gently challenge the child to be frank, not scold for cowardice and not ridicule, but convince him to change his attitude towards his phobia. Tell what you were afraid of as a child and how you conquered your fear. The child's trust and sense of security will help him get rid of the obsessive fear.

lack of love

When we talk about the lack of parental love for a child, we mean the form in which it manifests itself. For example: some parents believe that by constantly pointing out to the child his mistakes and mistakes, comparing him with other children, they thereby teach him not to make these mistakes, acting for his good.

This is a very dangerous delusion. In the representation of the child, a logical chain is built: I did it wrong - other children are better than me - I am not worthy of love - they don’t love me, and this causes a flurry of negative emotions, which, in turn, prevents a good sleep.

In adulthood, the consequence of this is an inferiority complex or another extreme: protest behavior up to crime. The child experiences this very painfully, becomes nervous and insecure, and may even become depressed. Instead of parental warmth and understanding, he feels only a rigid framework of conventions and duties.

The drama of such situations is that the child cannot cope with them on his own. Only when he becomes an adult, he will be able to comprehend them and, by an effort of will, change his life - or he will remain a person with complexes forever.

Why sometimes a child cannot fall asleep - strong feelings, childhood fears, lack of parental love - are serious reasons that require persistent, patient, mental efforts of adults - parents and educators to get rid of. Others, special cases, are much easier to stop.

Overwork

Signs of child fatigue are:

• impaired concentration;
• frequent change of positions during sleep;
• unusual movements;
• uncharacteristic drowsiness or, conversely, insomnia.

For the treatment of children's overwork, the following are used: exercise therapy, autogenic training, massage - this is the prerogative of specialists. Parents also need to reduce the physical activity of the child (for example, sports training), monitor the diet (vegetables, fruits, cereals, easily digestible proteins) and restore the correct daily routine.

Disease

The first manifestations of the onset of the disease may be invisible at first, but do not allow the child to fall asleep. He tosses and turns, starts to cry. These symptoms usually appear soon, and if the parents have found out the cause of the child's concern - a disease, it is urgent to consult a doctor and follow all his instructions.

overwalked

Why the child cannot fall asleep - the reason may be his excessive activity during the day. Long outdoor games, unbridled fun, vivid emotions - all this leads the child to persistent excitement.

To turn on the “braking mode”, experts recommend bathing him in warm water, ensuring a calm atmosphere and silence in the house, reading a book with a neutral plot to him (you need to read quietly and measuredly). In this case, relaxation occurs, and the child falls asleep peacefully.

I didn't walk

The energy not wasted during the day needs to be released. To return the child to the usual biorhythm, one should not follow his lead and violate the established regimen. To the relaxation methods described above, you can add chamomile tea with honey, warm milk also works well. Bags with dried lavender, lemon balm, hops, placed under the pillow, also contribute to falling asleep and restful sleep.

Unmet Needs

This circumstance applies to the smallest, who still cannot explain what prevents them from falling asleep. The cause may be hunger, thirst, or an uncomfortable temperature in the room. Children who are already toilet trained may feel the urge to pee and the like. By observing the child day after day, attentive parents are able to understand his signals and relieve discomfort.

Refusal of sleep in children under 3 months

In children under 3 months, this is due to physiological reasons. A hindrance to a restful sleep can be cold or, conversely, overheating, a feeling of hunger. A frequent problem of this age is intestinal colic, the recommendations of pediatricians will help save the baby from them.

If the problem with falling asleep is constant, most often this is a consequence of a violation of the regime. From birth to 3 months, the baby should sleep 3-4 times a day and 1 time at night. If the regime goes astray, this is a stressful situation, stress hormones are released and accumulated and the child cannot sleep. The recommendation is obvious: to adjust the mode of wakefulness and sleep.

Refusal of sleep in children from 3 to 6 months

At this age, children begin to erupt teeth. Itching and swollen gums greatly disturb the child and do not allow him to sleep. There are ways to alleviate the condition of the baby, the pediatrician should familiarize the parents with them.

In addition to physiological reasons, in children of 3-6 months, fears may already appear due to a change in the usual environment.

If a child is used to falling asleep in a stroller, in motion, he may be afraid of the crib, getting used to sleeping in the presence of his mother - afraid to be alone, etc. Parents should familiarize themselves with the age characteristics of the child, attend courses for young mothers (dads), seek advice from specialists.

Refusal of sleep in children from six months to a year

A child of 6-12 months should sleep at least 15 hours a day. If this norm is not maintained, lack of sleep accumulates and, as a result, overwork. This condition is superimposed on the problem of teething, and the child becomes capricious and nervous.

Parents need to make an effort to ensure that the baby sleeps in the required amount. Recommendation: put the child to bed no later than 20.00, since at this time the sleep hormone melatonin is produced, and falling asleep will come easier.

Refusal of sleep for children from the age of 3 years

The daily norm of sleep for children older than a year is 13 hours, including two daytime naps. It is enough to break this regime once - and falling asleep will become problematic. At this age, the typical reasons why a child cannot fall asleep come into play: overexcitation, new vivid emotions, a change of scenery, and others.

For a child to fall asleep and have a restful sleep, certain conditions are needed:

• properly organized mode (permissible deviations - no more than 30 minutes);
• optimal time to fall asleep (no later than 20.00);
• creating an appropriate environment.

If you miss the moment when the child is ready to fall asleep, the next step will be excessive activity, capriciousness. In this case, it will be difficult to put him down, and the child’s sleep will be disturbing, fragmentary, he may cry in his sleep, wake up and then not sleep for a long time.

Refusal of sleep in children older than 3 years

The reasons for which there is a problem with falling asleep a child from 3 years old and their elimination:

• a short time of wakefulness after a daytime sleep - as an exception, put it a little later;
• the difficulty of the transition from active actions to sleep - to switch the child to calm activities in advance;
• external stimulus - eliminate or reduce the impact;
• internal irritant: fears, emotions - talk to the child, calm down;
• unusual environment - try to observe the ritual of falling asleep, at least partially;
• overexcitation - bathing or washing, relaxing massage, calm monotonous speech.

How to put a baby to bed

In order to put the child to bed without problems, you need to follow certain rules:

• compliance with sleep and wakefulness;
• proper preparation for sleep: switching from active actions to calm, daily rituals - bathing, feeding, laying down;
• relaxing environment: airy room, comfortable bed, muffled sounds and light;
• actions aimed at relaxation: monotonous reading of a familiar fairy tale, lullabies; if cartoons are calm.

There are also specially developed methods for laying the child.

Self-sleeping method

According to experts, the child is able to fall asleep on its own from birth. To do this, children under 1 year old need to be taught to fall asleep in their crib, and in no case in their arms. If the baby is crying, it is recommended to pick him up, sing a song or tell something (but do not rock him) and put him back. Gradually, the child will get used to it, and will fall asleep on his own.

For children over 3 years old, you can apply the method of Dr. Estiville. During the day, you need to repeatedly tell the child that today he will sleep in his crib on his own, thereby accustoming him to this thought.

In the evening, put the baby to bed and tell him that his mother will come to him soon. First you need to withstand at least a minute. Gradually, the time of solitude increases, and the child gets used to sleeping on his own.

Self-soothing method

This method includes a complex of verbal and tactile soothing actions. After completing the nightly rituals, you should put the child to bed and be around for some time.

Seeing that the child has closed his eyes, quietly leave the room. If he heard this and whimpered, go back and talk softly. Hearing the voice of the mother, the child calms down. Over time, the need for the presence of parents will disappear, usually this happens after 7 to 12 days.

Method - "long goodbye"

This method is based on the gradual removal from the child's bed. For 3 days, you should move the chair further and further, so that on the 4th day it was already in the middle of the room, and on the 7th - at the very door. Knowing that the mother is nearby, the child falls asleep calmly and gradually gets used to being alone in the nursery.

Method - no tears

The same evening ritual will help to put the baby to bed without tears. The child must know that after certain actions there will no longer be games, or multiple “to the toilet” or “drink”, so he is already prepared for bed.

Further, it is recommended to change the final stage to a new action: to say that things make you leave him alone for a minute. It is imperative to respond to the call of the child, but gradually increase the duration of the absence. There will come a day when he realizes that he falls asleep on his own.

A favorite soft toy that the child puts with him in bed also contributes to falling asleep on his own.

Ferber method

To use the method of Professor R. Ferber, the following conditions are necessary:

• apply to children older than six months;
• with a developed daily routine;
• with no disease.

After completing all the usual procedures, put the child to bed and leave the room. Despite his protests, enter the room after holding out for a while. Without lifting from the bed, calm the baby and go out again. Gradually, the time of absence of parents increases, but leaving the child for a long time is still not worth it.

It cannot be said that the Ferber method, like the Estiville method similar to it, causes fierce debate among experts about the negative consequences for the child's psyche. It is necessary to choose one or another method, taking into account the individual characteristics of the child and specific circumstances.

Parenting Mistakes

Why the child cannot sleep - often the reason for this is that young parents complicate the inculcation of the necessary skills with the wrong actions.

The most common mistakes:

• too late laying;
• motion sickness as part of a ritual;
• entertainment in bed - toys, modules, carousels;
• inconsistency of actions, violation of the evening ritual.

Prevention of sleep disorders

• the correct lighting mode is to emphasize the difference between night and daytime;
• laying ritual;
• child's behavior at bedtime;
• awakening at a certain time;
• proper daytime sleep;
• comfortable temperature conditions;
• pause method.

The famous pediatrician E. Komarovsky formulated 10 rules of "golden children's sleep":

1. priorities - we are talking about the rest of the whole family, not just the child;
2. sleep mode of the child - choose the time that is optimal for the family;
3. determining a place to sleep;
4. observance of the temporary mode of daytime sleep;
5. determination of the intensity of feeding (depending on the characteristics of the child);
6. daytime saturation, positive impressions;
7. optimal temperature and humidity in the nursery;
8. bathing is an important factor in the emotional state of the child;
9. properly prepared bed;
10. A quality diaper is an important detail for a restful sleep.

If parents from the birth of a baby teach him to sleep according to the rules, the problem of why the child cannot fall asleep for a long time, and his sleep is restless, does not arise. This provides a good rest for parents and has a beneficial effect on the development of a small family member.

Video on how to put your baby to sleep

How to prepare a child for sleep so that he does not cry:

Dr. Komarovsky on how to put a child to sleep correctly:

Good day!
The help of the psychotherapist is very necessary.
I am the mother of a 10 year old daughter. Have husband. We live together. The daughter was born restless. She cried a lot, confused day with night, having matured a little, tantrums only increased. In a year or two, she, if she didn’t succeed in a sandbox or anything else, she arched and fell headfirst, while screaming and crying loudly. I have always been there to prevent these falls. At the age of 5 she developed logoneurosis. Were treated for 1.5 years (Psychotherapist, neurologist, speech therapist). When my daughter was 7 years old, we moved from "one" to "three". She got her own room. The daughter herself chose the colors and furnishings. From the second grade, since January, problems with sleep began. In the evening she could not fall asleep, she came to our bedroom 15 times. This went on until midnight. At first, I reacted calmly. She explained that if you can’t fall asleep, then read a book, draw, and if you want to sleep, turn off the light and lie down. She doesn’t want to, she says I don’t want to, I want to sleep, but I can’t sleep and I won’t read. My husband has to get up early for work, he doesn't get enough sleep, and neither do I. Even though I wasn't working at the time. Did you go to a neurologist, did the doctor write out a whole list of medicines, which I regularly gave her? Zero sense.
When the school year ended, everything was gone. My daughter began to sleep better.
When my daughter was in the third grade, everything resumed. From January to June everything was the same as when she was 8 years old.
My daughter is now in 4th grade. We've had the same problem since January. It's just so unbearable! I asked her what she was afraid of? Darkness? Maybe something or someone else? He says he's not afraid of anything. I'm afraid he says he won't be able to sleep. Why? She says she doesn't understand why. Twice I went to live with my mother for a week, because I just wanted to sleep. And my mother came to live in our house instead of me. If I'm not at home, my daughter falls asleep faster. He does not scream at the whole house, does not hysteria and does not wake up dad and grandmother. It doesn't happen to me. Until I yell at her (around one o'clock in the morning my patience bursts and my nerves can't stand it), my daughter leaves and falls asleep. But this year, things are much worse.
Compulsive states were added to the tantrums. When we go to bed, the daughter should wish me good night 15 times, and I should calmly answer 15 times. She must ask me certain questions, also the same from day to day, and I must answer them as many times. She straightens the rug by the pastel several times, the glasses are on the table, the briefcase. Although everything is exactly and it is not required to correct it. I ask her why you do this so many times, she says, I don’t understand myself. I'm just scared. What with her? Is she seriously mentally ill? what happens to her?
Help us please! No more strength!

Your baby is capricious, falls asleep closer to midnight, and waking him up in the morning is a whole tragedy? Then this article is just for you. You can’t cope with this problem in any way, it would seem that you are doing everything right, you start preparing for sleep at 8 pm, but the long-awaited dream comes in three hours?

It's time to find the reason why the child wants to sleep, but cannot fall asleep. The next step is to find methods for fast, and most importantly, timely falling asleep.

Reasons for sleep deprivation

It would be wrong to sum up all age categories of children under the same brush; at each age, one can single out their own special reasons for not sleeping.

Age from birth to 3 months

A newborn baby sleeps up to 20 hours a day, every month this time gradually decreases in favor of wakefulness.

When a child is 2 months old and cannot fall asleep, most often the cause should be looked for in physiology.

The baby may simply be hungry, feel cold or vice versa, overheated, or maybe he is worried about colic or he did not poop today;

Colic is a problem that starts in the 2nd week of a baby's life and can be troublesome up to 3 months. There is no question of any restful sleep here.

With colic, sleep problems are episodic.

By the way, temporary disturbances include overexcitation associated with guests or a change in the usual environment.

Another thing is the constant whims when falling asleep. You need to analyze the situation, and this will take several days.

The child should sleep 3-4 times during the day and once at night, while short-term awakenings for feeding are allowed.

Sleep problems can occur if this mode is violated. When a child does not sleep for the prescribed time, his body does not rest and is in a stressful state, there is an accumulation of stress hormones and the little man cannot cope with this on his own.

In it, you will get the basics of a calm baby sleep, build a useful daily routine for a child and learn how to put a child to bed in 10-15 minutes. without tears.

Age from 3 months to six months

At this stage of development, problems with tummies should remain in the past, but it’s too early to rejoice.

1. They are being replaced by teeth, the process of eruption of which can disturb the baby, and, therefore, disrupt the usual sleep pattern. You can read more about how this process goes in the article Teething in children >>>;
2. The child cries and cannot fall asleep at night, also if he is hungry, fists in his mouth or smacking will signal this to you. For more information on when and how much to feed your baby, see Feeding on Demand >>>;
   And do not forget that no matter how big your baby seems, the daytime wakefulness of the little one should not exceed 2-2.5 hours, otherwise the banal excess will become the cause of capriciousness.

In addition to physiological causes, psychological aspects can also affect the disruption of the process of falling asleep:

• At the age of 3-6 months, your baby may experience fears: he is afraid of the crib, the dark, loneliness, or you have taught him to fall asleep exclusively in the stroller, when moving.

Age from 6 months to a year

A baby aged 6 to 12 months should sleep at least 15 hours a day. When you have a problem, a 7 month old baby cannot fall asleep, it's time to analyze how much he sleeps.

1. If less, then the reason is lack of sleep and overwork. By the way, a too active day, a change of scenery cause overexcitation, closer to sleep, you need to change the rhythm of communication, a relaxing bath or massage will help. Read the article on the topic: Rituals before going to bed >>>;
2. In addition, even the environment surrounding the baby can affect sleep. Heat, a stuffy room, a hard bed, buzzing insects, especially in the summer - all this can disturb sleep;
3. Sleep problems are exacerbated when the child is sick or worried about teething.

Please note that at the age of six months, and even more so, closer to a year, the baby should already have a clear daily routine, going to bed should be no later than 20 hours. It is at this time that the body of the little one is in the power of the sleep hormone melatonin and it will take a minimum time to fall asleep.

Age over one year

A child older than a year in total should sleep 13 hours, while during the day - twice. Such a schedule allows the baby's nervous system to recover, and the body to gain strength for new games and achievements.

You must strictly adhere to this schedule, and plan your day so that the physiological needs of the child are met. One shift is enough for the process of falling asleep to become problematic.

The reason why a child older than a year cannot fall asleep at night can be a disease, a change of scenery, new emotions and overexcitation.

Most often at this age, the process of weaning occurs, problems arise if the baby fell asleep exclusively during feeding. Find a replacement and develop a new sleep ritual. A good alternative is massage or reading a book.

To learn how to teach your baby to fall asleep on their own, pay attention to the sleep course: How to teach your baby to fall asleep and sleep without a breast, nocturnal awakenings and motion sickness >>>

Know! Sleep deprivation is the most common sleep disorder problem. A baby and at the age of 6 years old should be in the crib no later than 21 hours, or better - the ideal 20:00.

Normal sleep algorithm

If you are sure that the cause of sleep disturbance is not in the illness or physiological needs of the baby, then it's time to move on to decisive action.

• Daily regime. At each age stage, clear guidelines have been put forward for how much the baby should sleep per day and what is the duration of wakefulness. Permissible deviations - 30 minutes, otherwise the counter of the accumulation of the stress hormone is turned on and, as a result, chronic lack of sleep;

By the way, there is another scenario - the baby does not finish his half hour and refuses to go to bed. Try extending your wake time by 15 minutes.

• Perfect time to fall asleep. Remember, children cannot be owls or larks, their ideal time for sleep is 19:30-20:00, after which it is problematic to put the child down, and it will not do without tears;
• Preparatory work. By the time indicated above, the baby should be washed, fed, dressed, the room has already been ventilated, the bed has been spread out, and the household temporarily needs to either go to another room or read quietly;
• Sleep signals. Even if the baby cannot tell you that he is ready to fall asleep, he actively signals to you about it:

Obvious signs are yawning, scratching the eye, ears, hugging or laying on the floor, decreased activity. If the moment is missed, then the next stage is capriciousness, excessive activity, a change of mood.

Often the problem with falling asleep happens in families where the baby falls asleep exclusively in silence and darkness, or during motion sickness.

Important! It is not always possible to create such an ideal environment, therefore, from birth, accustom the baby to quiet music, low lighting, then clapping or talking will not cause awakening.

And motion sickness is generally a disservice. The child cannot fall asleep in the evening if he sleeps exclusively in the stroller during the day while driving. The baby should fall asleep on the bed, and wake up in the same place, without shifting.

Auxiliary activities - a lullaby or stroking, as an option - a joint dream.

Children's insomnia, unfortunately, is a fairly common problem. Especially often there is insomnia in a child of preschool age. And parents who are forced to take care of the child while he is awake get chronic sleep deprivation. What to do if insomnia has become a frequent guest of an infant or teenager, consider below.

Risk of sleep deprivation in babies

It would seem that young children generally have an irregular sleep and wakefulness regimen, and the terrible thing is that he cannot sleep at night, no. Actually insomnia (English “ insomnia”) can cause quite a strong harm to children's health.

During sleep, the baby's body produces a hormone called somatropin. It affects the normal physical and mental development and growth of the child. Due to lack of sleep, substances in the body are less than normal, as a result of which the baby grows more slowly, in some cases they acquire problems with weight and mental / mental development.

During wakefulness, the nervous system is forced to be constantly in tension. With an insufficient number of hours of rest, she does not have time to relax and recover completely. This negatively affects the overall activity of the child:

• the reaction to changes in external conditions, the appeal to the child of surrounding people slows down;
• the child performs all household actions automatically, does not have time to think them over;
• thinking, learning is more difficult, there are problems with school performance;
• if it is necessary to commit deliberate actions, make independent decisions, the child feels discomfort and falls into a kind of stupor;
• with prolonged insomnia, the mental state suffers - the child falls into a depressed state, becomes restless, nervous;
• also, with prolonged lack of sleep, general well-being also suffers: appetite disappears, headaches, dizziness occasionally disturb.

Chronic lack of sleep leads to serious health problems. For example, there may be such a problem as parasomnia in children - partial abrupt waking up in the middle of the night. Therefore, it is important to make every effort so that the child can sleep peacefully.

Causes of sleep disturbance

Sleep disturbance requires careful, thorough treatment. And for his selection, you need to find out the reasons that led to such a serious problem.

Note! Children of different ages for different reasons. Therefore, an individual approach is required in each case.

In infants and children under 3 years of age

In a newborn, an unstable sleep pattern is explained very simply - their nervous system is just being formed. If the baby is in a cheerful or calm state most of the time, sleeps a lot, but confuses the times of the day - the reason is only in the circadian rhythms that have not yet formed.

But if the baby is often naughty, sleeps less than he is awake, eats poorly, then the cause of insomnia is completely different. It is worth noting that there may be several of them. the baby may have the following:

• the ambient temperature is too warm, dryness is increased;
• recently there was a change of scenery (for example, moving);
• frequent noise that is heard in the child's room, because of which he simply cannot fall asleep;
• bright light in the nursery;
• a problem in the work of the stomach or intestines (for example, food is poorly absorbed, causing a feeling of discomfort);
• the appearance of diaper rash in the folds of the body causes discomfort, making it difficult to sleep;
• the period of the appearance of teeth is always accompanied by increased capriciousness of the baby;
• diseases of the ears of an infectious nature;
• encephalopathy.

The baby does not sleep well at any time of the day, is often naughty and cries. In such a situation, it is recommended to contact a pediatrician to rule out any hidden diseases. If there are no diseases, then the cause of restless sleep is different. Probably needs to be changed to a more comfortable environment in the room.

Toddlers aged 1-3 years old may not sleep well for another reason - they have already received a motor skill and have begun to learn about the world around them. This strains the nervous system so much that it becomes difficult to fall asleep. Also, at the age of two, the baby is slowly switching to the usual adult menu, and the adaptation of the gastrointestinal tract is difficult, suffering from disorder and diathesis.

It is necessary to make dinner easier, exclude outdoor games 3-4 hours before bedtime, so that the nervous system has time to calm down a little.

Preschool children

At the age of 3 to 5-6 years, a child’s sleep disturbance can occur as follows: for the first time, nightmares occur, which are the result of the brain processing the information received during the day. The kid can already watch TV, communicate with other people, listen to fairy tales. The subconscious confuses everything together, which ultimately causes fear of the dark and terrible dreams. Children often wake up crying, calling their parents.

Preschool children in most cases go to kindergarten, and as you know, it is there that the kids most easily share colds, sometimes they get helminth infestations. With a disease, the baby feels unpleasant symptoms, due to which he cannot fall asleep. Therefore, it is important to treat diseases in time, regularly take appropriate tests to exclude helminthic invasions.

As for the daily activity of the child, at this age, TV viewing should be limited, and fairy tales and cartoons should be selected more carefully, bypassing scary stories and evil characters.

In schoolchildren and teenagers

The cause of insomnia in a 6-year-old child is primarily a large amount of new impressions from entering school and obtaining new information, and at 8-9 years old, adaptation to the environment.

In the future, for example, a child of 10 years old may have causes of a similar nature - fear of exams and tests, problems in communicating with peers, possible family problems (for example, quarrels between parents), and even the death of a beloved pet can cause insomnia for several weeks. At the age of 11-12 years, hormonal changes begin in girls, which can also affect.

The cause of insomnia can also be one of the health disorders:

• diseases of the heart or blood vessels;
• disruption of the endocrine system;
• disorders of the nervous system.

To exclude health problems, you need to contact a pediatrician for examination.

Insomnia in adolescents can also be caused by emotional stress - at this age, quarrels with friends, parents often occur, first love happens, high physical activity, and much more.

At this age, a heart-to-heart talk, perhaps light sedatives in the form of herbal teas, can help solve the causes of insomnia in adolescents. If the nervous tension gets out of control, results in mental breakdowns, it is recommended to contact a specialist in this field - a child psychiatrist.

First of all, you need to establish a clear schedule for the time the child goes to bed and wakes up. In the daytime, you need to arrange active games, listen to cheerful music, and in the late afternoon switch to a calmer mode, dim the lights and sounds of equipment, even make conversations quieter.

It is very useful to spend as much time as possible in the sun during the day. This affects the functioning of the thyroid gland and the production of certain hormones by it, which are responsible for the sensation of the daily rhythm. Phototherapy for insomnia is based on this process.

Often the cause of poor sleep is uncomfortable sleeping conditions - a hard pillow or mattress, a narrow bed. When these problems are eliminated, sleep will very quickly become better.

Before going to bed, it is important to fix the day with positive emotions - hugs for the night, wishes for pleasant dreams. The caress and tenderness of parents best of all soothe and relax the baby.

In childhood, drug treatment is very limited. Various types of sleeping pills or sedatives cannot be used by children under 3 years of age.

At the age of 3 years, light preparations can be prescribed, the basis of which are plant components (Tenoten, Persen). Drugs can be prescribed only at the discretion of the doctor, possibly in rare cases from two years. In a teenager, it is also possible to use such drugs, as well as taking herbal teas, but not on an ongoing basis, but in courses.

Otherwise, it all depends on the cause of insomnia - with emotional overload, psychotherapy of the child and parents is recommended. In the absence of allergies and diseases of the respiratory systems, aromatherapy can be carried out in a bath with oils.

Table of drugs for insomnia for children:

Preventive measures

The main rule in prevention is the observance of the correct regimen, as well as a healthy diet, moderate daily physical activity in the form of active games. It is worth excluding joint viewing of horrors and thrillers - children perceive the plot of the film more difficult, do not understand the meaning, which is why they often transfer what they see to real life.

If the cause of insomnia can be any disease, it is necessary to begin treatment as soon as possible. And then sleep will soon improve on its own, without taking heavy sedatives and hypnotics.

Hello dear readers. Today we will talk about a situation where a child cannot sleep. Let's find out why this might happen. Let's figure out what needs to be done in order to change the situation, help the baby fall asleep normally. Also consider the age features.

Possible reasons

The child does not fall asleep when something disturbs him

Sometimes parents notice that the baby wants to sleep, but cannot sleep. The most common reasons for this are the following factors:

• unwillingness to leave an interesting society, for example, the baby does not want to leave the parents who play with him cheerfully or the grandmother who came to visit;
• the little one falls asleep on the go, but does not go to bed when he is doing interesting things, for example, playing with new toys or watching a cartoon;
• the baby is afraid to go to bed - it is possible that he has a fear of the dark or nightmares began to torment him;
• have health problems, such as tummy ache or teething.

Let's look at what other reasons can interfere with the normal falling asleep of a child.

1. Discomfort caused by uncomfortable clothing, bed.
2. Uncomfortable room temperature or humidity.
3. A state of hunger or thirst.
4. Experienced stress. The baby may be very frightened. Perhaps he is in a new place, to which he has not yet had time to adapt, or strong impressions have been experienced that have greatly affected his psyche.
5. A way to manipulate mom and dad. It is typical for a situation where the baby is used to the fact that he is always persuaded to fall asleep, and for this they are also encouraged. This option is more common in children who are already two years old.
6. Wrong daily routine or lack of it. The situation when parents give the child more sleep during the day than it should be. Here it is important to figure out what sleep should be like day and night, pay attention to the fact that periods of wakefulness correspond to the age characteristics of the little one.
7. Sleep ritual disruption. For example, when a child is used to being bathed before going to bed, and then the parents are very tired and decide not to bathe him today.
8. negative associations. Situations when parents use the wrong options as a ritual, for example, they try to feed the little one in the evening so that he sleeps all night. Such actions cause a feeling of a full stomach, severe discomfort, the child, on the contrary, cannot fall asleep.
9. Active games before bed. The kid is not able to calm down in a minute after long games and immediately fall asleep. In such a situation, it is important that parents get used to the fact that in the evening, in principle, there should be no active pastime. This is a period for reading, drawing, communicating with the baby, but not for games that include running or fun.
10. Late laying. You may have noticed that children who go to bed later than the due time cannot fall asleep for a long time. It is believed that the most optimal period for a child to fall asleep is the interval between seven o'clock in the evening and half past nine.
11. Lack of care and attention. A situation when a mother does a lot of housework, washing, ironing, treating the surface with antibacterial agents, while forgetting that the baby needs her mother's presence so that she can hug, kiss, stroke him.
12. Premature transition to a large bed. Parents may decide that the child is old enough to sleep in a crib. However, the peanut may have serious problems, sometimes fears.

Age features

A child under one year old has emotional overexcitation - a possible cause of problems with falling asleep

1. From birth to three months. If the baby cannot sleep, most likely he has intestinal. Then his condition will be accompanied by crying, the absence of a daily routine.
2. Three to six months. Sleep problems may be due to:

• cramps in the abdomen (due to hunger);
• teething;
• lack of endorphins;
• fears.

1. Six months to one year old:

• consequences of overwork;
• emotional overexcitation;
• hot room;
• delivering insects;
• stressful situation, for example, refusal to breastfeed, change of scenery;
• stuffiness;
• pain of any etiology;
• uncomfortable bed.

1. From a year to two. Causes of difficulty falling asleep:

• weaning a baby from breastfeeding (for a child this is a big stress);
• teething;
• health problems.

1. Two to three years:

• attempt to manipulate adults;
• powerful emotions;
• health problems;
• stress.

But it is not necessary to assume that the cause of poor sleep in a half-year-old baby cannot be diagnosed in a two-year-old child, and vice versa. Here are the most common factors that cause problems with falling asleep at different younger ages.

What to do

1. First of all, it is necessary to exclude health problems. Pay attention to the gums, if the child is still at an age when teeth can be cut, make sure that the throat is not inflamed, nasal breathing is not difficult, the tummy is not hard. If the baby cries, cannot fall asleep, make sure that his ears do not hurt. If there is a problem, if you press on the tragus, the child will sharply jerk his head away, crying will intensify.

If you suspect that your baby is having a mild illness, consult a pediatrician or neurologist.

1. The task of parents is to analyze all the factors that can affect problems with falling asleep:

• make sure that the humidity in the room is from 50 to 70%, the temperature is optimal;
• pay attention to the bed, touch it with your cheek, it should be soft to the touch, clothing made from natural materials;
• make sure the baby has the right daily routine;
• think about whether you pay enough attention to the child;
• if the baby can already communicate, ask if something scares him, doesn’t bother him - perhaps he is afraid of the shadow that forms from a potted flower or clothes scare him, because a child’s imagination can “draw” different monsters;
• if you have recently moved or the baby is in a new place, for example, at a party, most likely this is what affects sleep problems, which means the phenomenon is temporary.

If you want your child to fall asleep quickly, come up with a certain ritual that will indicate the need for going to bed. It is important that at the same time the baby has only positive associations.

1. A toy that will be next to the little one during sleep. You can give her an appropriate name, for example, Star Bear. It is important that this teddy bear only appears when the baby goes to bed and indicates the need to go to bed.
2. Music. Many mothers sing lullabies to their children to help them fall asleep. You can also turn on calm, quiet music, such as classical music.
3. Drink. You can give your baby half an hour before bedtime a glass of warm milk or herbal tea.
4. Lighting. If the little one is afraid to sleep in the dark, leave a night light. It is important that the source of consecration is out of sight of the child.
5. Bathing. Water procedures must be accompanied by the addition of special decoctions of soothing herbs to the water, for example, mint, motherwort, lavender. At the same time, it is necessary to exclude games in the water, otherwise the child will be too active, and this will provoke difficulties with falling asleep.
6. Reading. Teach your baby to fall asleep to a fairy tale, and it is desirable that before going to bed he listens to an already known story that would not frighten him.

If a child has abnormal dreams, you should consult a doctor:

• Difficulty falling asleep persists for more than three months
• the baby changes mood, behavior;
• breathing is disturbed during sleep.

When the specialist examines the child, first of all, he will advise:

• arrange laying;
• talk about the need to ensure a comfortable atmosphere in the room where the baby sleeps;
• comfortable clothes;
• proper lighting;
• elimination of noise;
• feeding optimization;
• the specialist may prescribe soothing teas and other drinks;
• if colic occurs, appropriate drugs will be prescribed;
• if there are problems with breathing, the baby will be recommended to lay on the barrel, while changing this position every 40 minutes. In such a situation, it is also important not to overheat the child, because this can lead to a delay in the breathing process. Before laying, you need to ventilate the room.

Now you know why a child cannot sleep at night. As you can see, many factors can be responsible for this, in addition, the age characteristics of your baby should be taken into account. Remember that healthy sleep is very important for a growing body, mom should take care of it.