Why does the child sleep poorly? Is your little one ready to give up naps altogether? Later laying

The most common sleep problems in toddlers 2-3 years old are:

• difficulty falling asleep for more than 30 minutes
• “resistance” to sleep (i.e. refusal to go to bed when required by parents).

According to surveys of American parents, 20-30% of young children experience serious problems with sleep and/or awakenings during the night (Mindell et al 2006).

According to researchers, sleep problems occur when at least, due to two reasons:

First, children may learn to associate falling asleep with certain forms of stimulation (such as sedation) or with certain sleep environments. If they do not receive these forms of stimulation, then children have difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep (Moore et al 2006).

Second, as children become more independent as they age, they may begin to test the limits of their freedom and the restrictive behavior of their parents. Sleep resistance strategies can trigger a range of behaviors from adorable attempts to fall off (“one more hug”) to severe tantrums (Moore et al., 2007). If bedtime rules are unclear or inconsistently followed, sleep resistance becomes a major family problem.

Young children often experience anxiety when they are separated from their parents (Jenni et al 2005, Ainsworth et al 1978). In addition, most children also experience night terrors. If your child is afraid, he needs your help. Children do not always have the fullness and speed of brain maturation, as well as cognitive (cognitive) skills to cope well with anxious emotions, and there is no evidence that night terrors or anxiety due to separation from parents will decrease as a result of special "sleep training" .

In fact, research shows that ignoring your child's fears can lead to nightmares and emotional problems.

Recent studies show that many parents send their children to bed too early, long before they are ready to sleep. The child's body has not yet produced enough melatonin, a key hormonal regulator of sleep (LeBourgeois et al 2013). Another scenario is that you yourself know how much time your child needs to sleep. But your child's internal clock is set to a different schedule, which includes going to bed later and waking up later than his or your lifestyle allows. In all cases, try to avoid stimulating activities or games in the last 2-3 hours before bedtime (Glaze 2004).

Study of American Children school age reports that children with allergies are more likely to suffer from insomnia (Stein et al 2001). They are also more likely to suffer from noisy sleep. If your child has allergies and sleep problems, see a doctor.

Some children are comforted by the sound of a vaporizer or fan. This "white noise" not only blocks out distractions from other sounds, but also mimics the sounds babies hear in the womb. Don't fill your child's bed with toys. It's probably best to keep your child's bed a place to sleep rather than a place to play. Too many toys in bed can be distracting. One or two objects - a favorite doll, a protective blanket, or a special book - can help you. You can tell if your child is awake because of worry about not seeing you, because if you are around, he immediately calms down. Exist different reasons that your child may not want to go to bed at night. Your child may have problems with autonomy. In other words, they may want to have more control over their body and environment. This usually happens after about nine months, and this is what two-year-olds are especially famous for! Give your child limited choice and "control" over the type of sleep and the order of the "sleep routine". If your child has more control over his actions, he may feel less need for control, then he falls asleep.

Try to keep sleep diary in flow certain period time. Reviewing this information for a few days or weeks may help you find some patterns. Once you see the patterns, you will be able to find a solution. Also, if you go to your child's pediatrician about your child's sleep problems, bring a sleep diary. Here's what you should track:

• What time did they wake up in the morning
• Time and duration of naps during the day
• What time did they go to bed in the evening
• What time do they go to bed in the evening
• Sleep Management Problems (What You Do and How It Works)
• Number, time and duration of awakenings at night
• What do you do during the night wakefulness of the child and how it works

Hello! In early December, my daughter started having trouble falling asleep. Child 1 year 10 months. It can be seen from her that she wants to sleep - often yawns, rubs her eyes, but cannot fall asleep. It is impossible to put him down: he kicks, yells, fights in hysterics, beats me ... Everything was, as usual, there were no shocks to say that this was the reason. It all started overnight. Eats normally. Now I don't sleep at all during the day. For a month, we slept only three times during the day. At night we fall asleep in the interval from 24.00 to 2.00. Previously, the regime was like this. 8-8.30 - Rise, wash, then breakfast. After breakfast, we went for a walk for 1-2 hours. At 13.00-13.30 - Lunch, then went to bed, slept for 1-2 hours (usually 2 hours). After sleep - an afternoon snack and again went for a walk. At 20.00 - Dinner and before going to bed (21.30-22.00) - A bottle with a mixture, by 11 at night the small one was already dormant. I fell asleep both during the day and at night, too, not immediately, but there were no tantrums, twisting, it was somehow calmer. I try to limit the hour before bed. outdoor games, so as not to be excited, but when it turns out, when not. Now we fall asleep according to this schedule. We get up at 10-11 am and fall asleep at 11 am. This is if you do not sleep during the day. During daytime sleep: the rise is the same, daytime sleep from 14.30 to 16.30, At night we fall asleep at 24.00-1 H. The second option: the same rise, daytime sleep from 16.30 to 18.30, We fall asleep at 2 at night jumping, playing with toys, etc. We don’t go outside yet, because Big minus. The sleep itself before the problem and during the problem was good - I fell asleep and slept at night without waking up. It happens that she cries in her sleep, but quickly calms down, I don’t even have time to get to her)) she rarely drinks water at night. Sometimes it happens in the morning, for some reason at the same time always, wakes up for half an hour or an hour, then goes back to sleep. Were at the pediatrician and the neurologist. Diagnosis - hyperexcitability, a violation of the sleep cycle. The drugs were prescribed in two cycles. Cycle 1 - dormikind 1x3 times, magne b6 2-3 mlx2-3 times. All for 1 month. Cycle 2: 1/4 glycine 3 times and 3 cap notta also 3 times and also a month. Coniferous baths or with valerian rhizome. With all her love for water, the daughter simply categorically refuses to get into the water, where there are some other fillers besides water. Therefore, such baths were abandoned. We drink the first cycle until January 10th. Falls asleep, as described above. My daughter has 16 teeth. Especially in the evening, she scratches her mouth very much. The teether is not enough, I gave her a pacifier, there is a long skirt and she scratches it there, there is a sea of ​​saliva. The last teeth didn't come out. The chair is normal. Sometimes the nose is stuffed up for a day or two, then this stuffiness goes away on its own. Tantrums start from scratch. Neither I nor my grandmother can calm down. It calms down more or less when we turn on the music on the TV. To distract her with something - she is not distracted, I try to read to her - she grabs a book and throws it away, also with toys. We sit, listen and watch Europe-plus. 1) Is this behavior possible due to teething? 2) Now it gets dark early and brightens late. Could it be something wrong with the child? I try to wake her up at 8-8.30 (If she fell asleep at 10-11 o'clock), but there is no reaction, she sleeps like a log, does not react at all. 3) In September, we will go to the garden, if there are places. And the children sleep in the garden during the day. I'm worried she doesn't sleep during the day. Will daytime sleep be restored and in general how can I enter the old mode? 4) Are there any alternative ways will cope with this problem (maybe some kind of massage, etc.). Thank you.

Dream in the development of the child is of paramount importance. How the baby rested depends on his physical and emotional development. In children in different periods life may have difficulty falling asleep. This is true of both older children. AT infancy the digestive system and the nervous system adapt, the musculoskeletal system is actively formed - all this causes anxiety in the baby.

From birth to three months, the baby sleeps 15-18 hours. It seems that there is no reason for concern, but it is at this age that skills need to be developed healthy sleep in order to avoid difficulties with falling asleep in the future.

At the first signs of fatigue, drowsiness, the baby should be put to sleep. If the child likes to stay awake at a later time of the day, then try to play with him actively in daytime days. Toward evening, turn on the lights throughout the apartment, and turn down the sound of the TV. When you come to the baby's bed at night to feed him, do it quietly, do not talk to him. A little time will pass and the baby will understand that the night is the time for sleep.

So that the child can fall asleep on his own, put him in the crib when he is sleepy, but not yet sleeping. The baby will get used to falling asleep alone in the crib, and falling asleep on your own become the norm for him. It is not necessary before this to download or feed him.

For a child aged 4-6 months, it can be difficult to determine when he wants to sleep. Don't let the cheerful appearance of a child fool you. evening time. He should go to bed at the same time during the day and in the evening. For a quality night's sleep, consider a bedtime ritual for your child. It can include any of your activities, from taking an evening bath to reading books, as long as everything is done in the same sequence.

If a child sleeps badly in the evening, perhaps, he goes to bed late - an overworked child falls asleep with difficulty. At this age, the main thing is to prevent the habit of falling asleep on your arms or near your chest from forming.

It is normal for a baby to wake up three times a night. But as he grows up, you need to achieve uninterrupted sleep at night.

Compliance evening ritual helps the baby to sleep peacefully, and he feels safe if he knows what will follow next. Your baby's sleep will become more and more regular if you follow the routine throughout the day.

The child learned to sit, crawl, take the first steps. This list of achievements can serve cause disturbing sleep baby. He can get aroused and have a hard time falling asleep or waking up at night to continue his workouts.

Equally important is the relation to the crib. This place is for sleeping only and cannot be used for playing or eating. The child's room should have a comfortable air temperature, and the air is always fresh. During sleep, there should be no sound stimuli, use lighting in the form of a table lamp.

Sleep disorders in a child can be classified in different ways - as a feature of development or a disorder caused by a disease. In the first case, a specialist (neurologist or somnologist) will advise you to wait until the baby grows up and the situation improves. In the second, he will begin to look for the cause and prescribe treatment for sleep disorders.

7 types of sleep disorders in children

Conditions that adversely affect the nature of sleep - prevent falling asleep, waking up or interrupting rest - are called parasomnia (from Latin para - near, past and somnus - sleep).

In children under 5 years of age, one or several of the most common types of parasomnia are more common than others.

* Night terrors in children

Night fears in children are manifested as follows: after some time after falling asleep, the baby begins to scream loudly and even jumps out of bed. Waking up, he will wave his arms for a few more seconds, as if fighting off something dangerous. The crumbs increase sweating, pulse and heart rate increase. To the question of mom and dad: “What happened?” he probably won't be able to answer because he doesn't remember anything. After 5 minutes, the calmed child falls asleep again. This behavior is provoked by high loads on nervous system(many activities, new experiences) or medicines. Rare episodes of night terrors in children do not need treatment, it is enough to review the daily routine.

* Night terrors in children

Night terrors in children are unpleasant dreams that cause an attack of horror in the baby. The content of the dream baby does not forget. And after waking up, he is able to explain what frightened him. Afraid of surviving the attack again, he will ask to go to his mother's bed or stay in his own, but will not allow him to turn off the light. Experts advise to protect such a child from watching TV and computer games. If the child's nightmares recur, take the child to a psychologist. He will identify the traumatic situation and correct it.

* Bruxism in a child

During sleep, the baby may experience a rhythmic contraction chewing muscles, accompanied by gnashing of teeth, increased pressure and increased heart rate. This is bruxism in a child. One of the causes of bruxism in a child is considered to be underdevelopment. mandibular joint. Over time, the parameters return to normal, and the night sounds stop. There is only one "but": the friction of the tooth against the tooth is fraught with trauma to the tooth enamel. Talk to your dentist, he will select a dental splint that will protect your teeth during sleep, teach you exercises that relax your jaw.

* Sleep apnea in children

Apnea in children is expressed in interruptions in breathing for 10 seconds or more, snoring. Apnea in children is not a very common disorder, occurring in only 1-5% of children. In those prone to obesity, neuromuscular and allergic diseases babies more often. To correct the situation, the child is put on a mask connected to a device that provides a constant flow of air into the nostrils. If the problem of apnea in a child is not solved in time, daytime sleepiness and a decrease in intelligence will appear.

* Sleep talking

It's to blame heavy loads on the immature nervous system, for example, a strong impression of celebrating a birthday or visiting a circus. This form of parasomnia occurs in 10% of children and is not dangerous to health.

* Sleepy starts

They are cramps of the limbs during the period of falling asleep (they are also called cramps). The symptom appears more often in children with diseases thyroid gland, kidney, metabolic disorders(calcium absorption).

* Trouble falling asleep in a child

They can appear at any age, but most often when mastering the skill of walking. The child does not fall asleep well, it happens that more than one hour. Such babies also wake up badly: they sit in the crib for a long time, they can burst into tears and do not immediately “recognize” those who are nearby. If the child is not sleeping well, try changing the bedtime tactics. Aroma baths help some, motion sickness or a pacifier help others, and mother's presence helps others. Be patient, over time, the baby will definitely learn to fall asleep on his own.

The obvious and the incredible

to install true reason sleep disorders in a child, it is necessary to compare many facts: how much the child sleeps day and night, how he falls into a nap, whether he belongs to the category of hyperactive babies, what happens in his immediate environment. Any significant changes (moving, divorce or quarrels of parents) affect the psyche of the baby, and hence the quality of his sleep. It is also important to take into account the psychotype of the crumbs: the sleep of an excitable person can be disturbed due to an insignificant event, for example, a stormy conversation of someone at home on the phone. The rest of sensitive (from Latin sensus - feeling, feeling), that is, impressionable children with a highly developed imagination, is influenced by scary pictures or a dangerous adventure from a book read at night. The specialist will also take an interest in the state of health of the crumbs: some ailments, especially those associated with gastrointestinal tract(colic, flatulence, gastritis, poisoning) can interfere restful sleep. If there is not enough information, polysomnography is prescribed - a comprehensive test of body functions during sleep. The baby is placed in a hospital, before going to bed they are fixed on his head, face, chest and legs sensors that read the depth of breathing, blood flow velocity, muscle rhythm and other parameters. Interruptions that will be detected and considered the cause of sleep disturbance. These include, for example, a decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood, muscle cramps and other deviations.

Start a diary

Any kind of parasomnia can be dealt with. Correcting the violation, the doctor will prescribe a course of procedures or simply recommend walking more often, going to the pool, doing gymnastics, massage. The need for medication is very rare. The specialist definitely advises the mother to keep a diary of night observations. Recordings will allow you to track important details - the way and time of falling asleep, behavior in a dream. This information is indispensable during treatment, for example, when using the method of programmed awakenings, when the mother wakes up the baby 5-10 minutes before the appearance anxiety symptom, and after 5 minutes lays again.

There are many methods for treating sleep disorders, the main thing is to choose the most suitable one and not deviate from it until the results appear.

Two opinions: parents and psychologist

“In the hope of getting a good night's sleep, we put our 5-year-old daughter to bed later on Friday. But she gets up at the same time. How can we be?

Alena, Voronezh.

Psychologist's opinion:“Children don’t make up for sleep. Whenever you put them to bed, they will still wake up at the same hour. And postponing the time to go to bed at a later hour, you break the child’s usual sleep pattern, and in the morning he may wake up in a bad mood.

Parent experience:“Saturday night I pull out games and CDs for my daughter. She knows that on Sunday morning she will occupy herself for some time and does not wake us. We've been working on this habit since a year and a half."

Igor, Pskov.

“Ira is 2 years old, every evening it takes forever to put her to bed. Three fairy tales, a glass of water, a kiss, a rhyme ... "

Alina, Moscow.

Psychologist's opinion:“The bedtime ritual helps the baby fall asleep. But it can play a positive role only if it has a beginning, a clear sequence and an end. Endless stories don't help. Be firm."

Parent experience:“A doctor once said to me: “Children are smart enough not to continue a lost game.” Since then, having finished reading the tale, I turn off the light, the son feels that I am not going to retreat, and calms down.

Elizabeth, Izhevsk.

“Our 2-year-old daughter has never had night terrors. And now she is afraid to sleep without light.”

Arina, Novgorod.

Psychologist's opinion:“Many children have a fear of the dark at the age of two. If the kid asks to leave him a light, agree. It may become a habit that he will have to get rid of. But fears do not injure the nervous system.

Parent experience:“My daughter slept with light until she was 5 years old, then she went to the camp, where she slept without light in the dormitory and unlearned.”

Andrey, Ryazan.

Examples are taken from the practice of a psychotherapist, Ph.D. honey. Sciences Evgeny Tarasov.

Sleep problems can be experienced by every baby. If your baby has difficulty getting to sleep, and often wakes up at night and cannot fall asleep on his own, you should help him. There can be many reasons for this condition of the child. In each case and for any age of the baby, there is a way to solve this “sleepy” problem.

There is more than one child in the family

Consider a situation where a family has two children with a small difference in age. For example, for a three-year-old toddler who does not sleep during the day, going to night rest should take place from 18.00 to 20.00. And for a baby who is six months old, a completely different schedule is required - three daytime naps and later bedtime. In this case, it is quite difficult for parents: they need to put the older (but still so small!) Child to bed on time, and not ignore the baby.

You can cope with such a dilemma if you exclude the crumbs from the third daytime sleep and instead organize early bedtime for the night. If an older child wants to sleep a little later than his brother or sister, then he can be occupied with calm games in this period of time. This will allow you not to disturb the baby and set the older child to sleep. Such a solution will help to avoid overwork of both children, which is main reason complex fitting.

It happens that twins also have different mode day. In this case, the kids will not interfere with each other only if they are separated for a while. Try to ensure that the daily routine of one baby differs from another by no more than 30 minutes.

Difficulty falling asleep without parents

Some babies find it difficult to fall asleep without their parents. The baby is already used to the fact that mom or dad swing them on the handles or put them in adult bed. In this case, a smooth transition from an adult crib to a nursery is required. Such changes should be gradual. There is no single solution to the problem. It is important for parents to determine the most comfortable way for themselves. You can put a crib next to an adult and gradually move it until it is in the child's room. You can start laying the baby in an adult bed, and when he starts to fall asleep, transfer the baby to a crib and help sleep come in a new place. In any case, before setting new rules for falling asleep, it is important to make sure that sleep occurs on time.

Fear of the dark or being alone

Night terrors in children are one of the most common problems that prevent the baby from falling asleep. In the dark, terrible and terrible “monsters” can appear in the form of shadows on the wall, the baby can be frightened of a thunderstorm or a dog barking. Your baby can perceive every rustle as a danger! You can offer your baby protection in the form of a soft friend. You can come up with a fairy tale or a story about what magical powers protect your child's sleep, put a guardian angel in the room who will not offend his client. Your fantasy will help to cope with night terrors in children.

For older children, you can purchase a bell. Explain that only once a night the baby can call you for help by ringing. Mom or dad will certainly come and pay attention. Such confidence will allow the baby to sleep more soundly and calmly.

Sleep away from home

For many parents, it is not clear why the child falls asleep badly only in someone else's bed: with his grandmother, on vacation, or in any other place. Often children can hardly endure a change of place of lodging for the night. To help in such a situation, it is important for parents to careful preparation still at home. Add items to your sleep ritual that you can take with you: use certain music before bed, use your favorite scent, wear pajamas or a sleeping bag, choose a toy helper. In a new place, be sure to take items with a homely atmosphere with you, repeat all your actions. So the baby will have appropriate associations with the house, helping to fall asleep.

If you stick to the rituals already created, you will soon see that the child falls asleep without tears anywhere.

The question "Why does the child fall asleep badly?" may have many answers. It is important for parents to identify the causes and circumstances that interfere with their crumbs, and eliminate them. If you can't handle this task on your own, seek the help of a professional. Consultant for children's sleep Olga Snegovskaya will help you correctly determine the cause of your baby’s sleep disturbance and choose a comfortable solution to eliminate it. Consultations of a specialist will give your child sweet dreams, and you - good nights.

Contact details: phone +7 903 0117303 , e-mail [email protected]

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