What to do if a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night, wakes up often, screams? Why doesn't my baby sleep during the day

The child once again did not sleep at night? Are your nerves stretched to the limit, and again you didn’t get enough sleep and were exhausted trying to calm your child? It's so familiar! Let's analyze the causes of poor sleep to find out why children under one year old can sleep poorly at night. What exactly is bothering your child and what to do about it? Find out the most common sources of disturbed sleep at night in children, as well as actionable tips to combat it.

Why does my child sleep badly at night?

Intestinal colic. This unpleasant phenomenon often worries newborn babies: there are pain in the abdomen, bloating and discomfort. The child is restless, cries loudly, pulls his arms and pulls his legs to the body ();
Childhood fears. For the first time they begin to disturb children after the first year of life. The child may be afraid to be alone in a dark room, he may be frightened by extraneous noises or sounds coming from the street, the fear that his mother is not around and she may not return;
Premature laying in a separate large bed. Sometimes parents are too quick with this. And it may be uncomfortable for the baby to sleep in a big bed alone, he is not ready for this yet;
Teething. Many children do not tolerate the stage of teething well. The gums become inflamed, ache and itch, and at night, when toys and games do not distract the child, these sensations become aggravated and cause more discomfort ();
Not comfortable conditions. It can be too stuffy or cold in the nursery. It is possible that the mattress on the baby bed is too hard or vice versa too soft ();
Overwork and overexcitation. If the child was very excited and active in the evening before going to bed, then it will be harder for him to calm down in bed, and his sleep will be intermittent and not deep;
Cold, fever or pain. When sick, children find it harder to sleep at night. Due to the high temperature, the whole body can unpleasantly break, and nasal congestion or coughing does not allow you to rest normally at night, irritates and disturbs;
Weather sensitivity. Some children react sharply to a change in the weather, to an impending thunderstorm, a full moon. With a sharp change in weather, the child can become lethargic, passive, sometimes there is a headache and blood pressure decreases. All this interferes with a good night's rest;
New stages of development. A child can have bad sleep even after new achievements! For example, after the child began to sit or walk, roll over, crawl, etc., in general, he mastered something new;
An abundance of emotional experiences. Sleep problems can begin on the basis of severe stress, nervous experiences, or a large number of emotions. Many children do not sleep well after meeting new people, moving, or even going to an entertainment center;
Fear of losing mom. Young children may experience the period of their first independence in different ways. Some become very restless, crying and frightened, even if the mother briefly goes into another room or into the kitchen. At night, it is difficult for a child to fall asleep if the mother is not around;
Babies begin to sleep worse at night if the mother suddenly begins to reduce daytime feedings and attachments. The baby will need to breastfeed longer and more often at night;
Something is preventing the child from falling asleep. A working TV can interfere with your baby's sleep. The included light will also prevent the child from falling asleep normally at night.
With a lack of vitamin D in the child's body . Lack of this vitamin can also negatively affect nighttime sleep. The necessary analysis can be taken at a children's clinic, and if the study reveals a vitamin D deficiency, the pediatrician will advise giving the baby special vitamin drops (usually they also include calcium for better absorption).

How to get restful sleep?

We got acquainted with the main reasons, and now it's time to learn valuable tips in order to normalize your child's nighttime sleep:

Don't let your child get overtired! This always has a very negative effect on the duration and depth of a night's sleep. The child should be tired, but not overtired!
It is very helpful to do the same activities every day before going to bed. Such a kind of ritual will help the child quickly tune in to a calm mood, relax the psyche. For example, you can turn on soothing songs for your child before going to bed, read children's fairy tales, collect toys with him and put them in their place. You can independently choose or come up with the optimal ritual suitable for the child. It is important to observe regularity and perform these actions every time before a night's sleep ();
Pay attention to how the child behaves after an evening bath. If, after washing, he becomes vigorous and immediately runs to play, then soothing decoctions of healing herbs, aromatic drops and essential oils can be added to the water for evening bathing. For example, an infusion of lemon balm leaves, mint or chamomile flowers will help relax the child's psyche and relieve overexcitation;
It is important that the child's room has a comfortable temperature. And shortly before laying down, it is worth ventilating the room so that the child has a deep night's sleep and can easily breathe fresh air (experts in the field of pediatrics advise keeping the temperature in the room with the child within 18-22 degrees -);
Use the prevention of deficiency of important trace elements in the baby's body give your child vitamin D drops once a day;
Pay attention to the position in which your baby likes to sleep. Some babies like to fall asleep exclusively on their stomachs. By the way, this pose is great for reducing pain and reducing bloating with intestinal colic!
If a small child is worried about pain in the abdomen and intestinal colic , then you should give him a special remedy before going to bed so that at night the baby does not suffer and does not cry from pain. Espumizan children's drops helped us very well, which effectively and quickly eliminated bloating ();
The same applies to the situation with erupting teeth. Don't make your child feel uncomfortable. Get rid of discomfort by anointing sore gums with a special soothing and cooling gel. For example, Kamistad or Dentinox ();
Make sure your child gets enough naps so that the baby does not overwork;
In some cases (especially if the child is afraid of the dark or reacts sharply to the mother leaving the room), you can offer the baby to sleep together. Many children immediately calm down, feeling their mother's presence nearby, they begin to sleep much calmer;
Try to leave the child to fall asleep on his own, maybe you are the one who is distracting him .. Sometimes it is the mother who distracts the baby, preventing him from sleeping soundly!
Do not force your child to overeat before bed, because a full stomach often interferes with the process of falling asleep , the body cannot fully rest if it is forced to digest food!

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Sometimes you just need to be patient and wait until the cause of poor sleep passes by itself. For example, teeth will come out sooner or later, and intestinal colic will go away on its own when the baby reaches the age of three months. You can help the child to endure such unpleasant periods more easily, to sympathize with him more. To provide all possible assistance with colic, often laying the baby on the tummy.

And do not forget that it is very important to always put the children to bed. at the same time, observe Moms take note!

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Hello dear readers! Lena Zhabinskaya and the problems of children's sleep are with you today. The question is all the more serious, the more acute it is in each particular family and the less mommy sleeps at night.

Is it always possible to solve the problem once and for all with the help of some magic golden pill? Of course not. If the problem is in the temperament, the psyche of the crumbs, his health, then here you need to understand in more detail.

But often the problem is not at all in this, but in the objective conditions of children's sleep, which parents can and should influence.

Actually, answering the question why a newborn does not sleep well, you need to begin to consistently identify and eliminate these factors. In 80 percent of cases, after this, the family begins to sleep happily through the night. This is what we will do today!

Babies sleep differently than adults because the very structure of their sleep is different from that of an adult. Unlike adults, babies have a longer light sleep phase than deep sleep, and this is their physiological feature.

Nature has provided that the baby in case of danger could easily wake up and call for help with a cry. This is the key to the survival of even small and helpless cubs. Therefore, in the phase of superficial sleep, a newborn is easy to wake up and frighten with a sharp noise, sound, bright light.

With age, the phase of deep sleep increases, and this, in turn, leads to the fact that the child begins to sleep more soundly and does not wake up several times a night.

These features should be taken into account and try, if possible, to exclude loud and harsh sounds next to the sleeping toddler.

How many hours does a newborn sleep

The sleep norms of a little man are very arbitrary and have many features.

But if we talk about the approximate number of hours, then it is the following.

What does it mean to sleep badly

Often young parents ask themselves the question: is it their newborn who does not sleep well, or is it that all children sleep like that at this age, and is this normal?

Pediatricians talk about sleep problems if:

A newborn wakes up at night every 3 hours or more, and during the day more than every 30 minutes;
Crying a lot;
Does not calm down after eating.

If the baby wakes up every three hours to eat, and then immediately falls asleep after that, this situation is a variant of the norm and may not require correction.

Top 12 causes of poor newborn sleep

The room is hot.

To begin with, let's remind young mothers that in a newborn, the metabolism in the body occurs several times faster than in the body of an adult. This means that much more heat is produced per unit time. As a result, the child is always hotter.

Remember! If you are cool, the baby is fine. If you are fine, the baby is warm. If you are warm, the baby is hot!

The optimum temperature in the room in which the newborn sleeps is 18-20 degrees. Moreover, if the room is more than plus 23 degrees, then a child’s bad sleep is almost guaranteed.

The room is dry.

Recently, modern pediatricians are paying more and more attention to the importance of such a parameter as indoor humidity. It is supported by a special device - an ultrasonic humidifier.

This is very relevant for our country, given that most of the year the batteries are turned on and working in apartments. The latter are very dry air. As a result, the humidity in the room in which the batteries are turned on is kept at 10 percent.

While the optimal humidity in the children's room is 40-60 percent.

What is the danger of sleeping in a room with dry air.

The body spends huge reserves of water to humidify the inhaled air. Therefore, the feeling of thirst comes very quickly. The baby wakes up and cries because he wants to drink.
The mucous membranes of the nose and mouth dry up, there is a feeling of "sand" in the nasopharynx. The baby wakes up at night and cries.
As a result of large losses of moisture, the body becomes dehydrated. Gastric juices become thick and cannot digest food eaten at night. There are colic, gaziki, and the newborn.
If the baby is at least a little snotty or coughs, then, the next morning after sleeping in a dry room, you guarantee bronchitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and the absence of nasal breathing. Why? Because all the mucus (snot in the nose and phlegm in the bronchi) will dry up, and it will become impossible to cough it up on your own.

The room is stuffy.

Remember that feeling that grips you in a stuffy room: a feeling of lack of oxygen.

Is it necessary to say that in such conditions, children sleep very little and often wake up and cry?

Therefore, the obligatory airing of the nursery before going to bed for at least 15 minutes should become a habit.

It is with the help of ventilation that the air is saturated with oxygen, which is necessary for a comfortable sleep.

Wet or soiled diaper.

Some babies are extremely intolerant of a soiled and even slightly damp diaper.

In addition, the contact of feces and urine is a real thermonuclear mixture for delicate baby skin.

Modern high-quality disposable diapers have a high degree of absorbency, compared to reusable diapers or diapers. Needless to say, before going to bed you need to make sure that the diaper is dry, the skin is clean, without traces of feces, diaper rash and other troubles.

If there are any problems on the skin - diaper rash, irritation, redness - it is imperative to treat them with a special ointment with dexpanthenol (Bepanten, Panthenol D, etc.) before going to bed.

If such irritations occur constantly, while the temperature and humidity in the room are observed, it may be worth changing disposable diapers to better and more expensive ones, and use them at least during a night's sleep.

Stomach hurts.

Infant colic is one of the most common causes of infant anxiety. As a rule, they occur at the age of 3-4 months, and disappear without a trace by six months.

It manifests itself like this: a newborn cries day and night for no reason (dry, well-fed) loudly, with anguish, blushes, and does not calm down, even if they take him in the arms. At the same time, after a few minutes, he calms down just as suddenly.

Colic is far from all children, and is largely determined by the individual characteristics of the organism. Statistics show that boys are more likely to suffer from colic than girls.

You can alleviate the condition by eliminating the loss of fluid by the body (provide air humidity of 40-60 percent, air temperature of 18-20 degrees, offer water.

Also, special children's drops with simethicone (Espumizan-baby, Bobotik, Sub-simplex, etc.) are able to partially alleviate the symptoms.

The kid is scared and lonely.

The question of whether it is right to sleep with a child has long been classified as eternal and rhetorical.

Pediatricians do not recommend this practice. Lactation consultants take the opposite view.

Personally, I believe that the truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

A newborn is not able to survive alone without the help of an adult, so he has a natural instinct to cry when he feels that he is alone, that he has been abandoned or left.

The best option is when the newborn sleeps in his crib near the parents' bed or placed close to it with the side wall removed.

This is exactly where we started. However, in my case Lyova slept much worse in a separate bed. When I took him to me in the middle of the night and fell asleep during the night feeding, we sometimes woke up only in the morning.

Not being a fanatical supporter of co-sleeping, I chose it from a purely pragmatic point of view - to get better sleep myself. I also feed Eva almost half asleep, sometimes I even wake up from the fact that she herself finds what she needs without too much noise, eats and sleeps on.

Therefore, if the problem with mom's sleep is acute enough, I still recommend trying co-sleeping as one of the ways to solve it.

Thirst

If the air parameters in the room are not met: the air temperature is above 22 degrees, and the air humidity is less than 40 percent, the child loses a lot of fluid just in the process of breathing.

In this case, he wakes up easily, is naughty and cries not because he wants to eat, but because he wants to drink.

In this case, first of all, it is worth offering the crumbs a bottle of water.

Hunger

Of course, this happens, and often enough. It is worth trying, if possible, to feed the baby more densely before bedtime. Breast, mixture, milk porridge.

Baby confused day and night

This situation is characterized by the fact that the child does not sleep well at night, but well during the day.

As a result, mommy goes about her business all day, is not overjoyed at her angel, who behaves perfectly.

But as soon as the night falls, it feels like a child is being replaced! But is it any wonder - just, having slept during the day, at night he wants communication and attention! And what about a mother who wants to sleep and literally falls down?

Be patient and take action the next morning. I already wrote in more detail about how to recognize and correct this situation in just 2-3 days.

overexcitation

As a cause of restless sleep at night, it is quite common, especially in sensitive and easily excitable children. Recognizing this condition is quite simple by the hysterical behavior of the child before going to bed: the baby is naughty, whimpering as if for no reason.

And what preceded all this? Perhaps active games, massage, gymnastics, watching cartoons, etc.

If you suspect that this is the problem, start getting ready for bed three hours in advance. Move all procedures to an earlier time so that after them the baby has time to calm down. Eliminate active games and cartoons already 2 hours before a night's sleep.

About an hour before going to bed, dim the lights everywhere and exclude loud noises. Talk to your child or read a book to him. Even if he doesn't understand everything yet, the sound of your voice alone can be soothing.

As an alternative, you can try listening to soothing music such as nature sounds or baby lullabies. However, not all newborns like it, so here you need to look and try what is right for you.

Newborn sick

Red cheeks, tearfulness and a hot forehead will give you a reason to immediately measure the baby's body temperature.

Although the body temperature of the newborn is unstable, its increase above 37.5 degrees in any case should arouse suspicion and serve as a reason for consulting a doctor.

Most likely, the pediatrician will prescribe an antipyretic and plentiful drink. As an over-the-counter antipyretic for children of the first year of life, pharmacies offer syrups and suppositories with paracetamol (Panadol, Cefecon, etc.) or ibuprofen (Nurofen, Ibufen, etc.).

Individual characteristics of the nervous system and temperament

It may happen that all of the above recommendations do not significantly improve the situation.

Even when creating seemingly ideal conditions for sleep, some children, in spite of everything, sleep restlessly. At the same time, it happens that others sleep well despite the heat, stuffiness and scalding batteries. Why?

There are features of the mental make-up and nervous system that make some children overly sensitive, hyperexcitable and unbalanced at certain periods. Such, often, are choleric babies and a decent part of little sanguine people.

This is a feature of the nervous system, which is completely untreated and disappears with age, when the child gradually learns to control his emotions, without exploding with a cry for any reason.

In this case, you just have to be patient and love, and wait.

What to do if a newborn does not sleep well at night

The first step is to optimize the air parameters in the children's room. The air temperature should be 18-22 degrees, and humidity 40-60 percent. These parameters are controlled by a thermometer and a hygrometer. This is achieved by installing faucets on the batteries, which will allow them to be regulated and by purchasing a device such as an ultrasonic humidifier. All other methods of moisturizing (wet rags, basins of water, plants) are ineffective.
Before going to bed, be sure to thoroughly ventilate the nursery for at least 15 minutes.
Spend time with your child in a quiet environment with dimmed lights and sound as early as 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Feed your baby firmly and make sure the diaper is dry and clean.
If the previous tips didn't fix the situation, try co-sleeping.

Personally, I know about the problems of children's sleep firsthand. And most of all I had them with my older child. Lyova slept very restlessly. And it was cool and humid air and joint sleep that could partially solve this problem.

The youngest Eva slept well from birth. Perhaps because all the conditions that worked with Lyova were initially met. Be sure to bookmark the site, and the article to your wall in social networks, so as not to lose it! I really hope that today's article will help someone start sleeping at night, and I say goodbye to you!

It is not easy for a mother of a nursing baby: the day flies like one moment in caring for a small miracle that settled in her house less than a year ago. And if the baby still does not sleep during the day, then you can imagine how mom's head is spinning! You need to have time to do all the housework, care for the baby, take care of the diet, hygiene, you need not forget about yourself, because a mother who has not eaten on time and has not rested will not receive the necessary amount of milk for feeding.

In such an active rhythm of life, the baby, who suddenly refused to sleep during the day, brings unexpected chaos into the mother’s regimen, becomes restless himself, and both are already so tense that they cannot do without the help of a third person!

It’s good if there is an assistant nearby who will rock and lull the baby, replace the mother in the kitchen or take a walk with the baby on the street. But if there is no such person, the parent simply cannot cope on her own without a few valuable tips!

From this article you will learn:

My tummy hurts

The most common cause of lack of sleep in babies in the first three months of life is abdominal colic. The intestinal microflora of a newborn baby is formed over the course of two whole years, but the first three months is a special period of formation, when there is a struggle in the intestines for a place between beneficial and pathogenic microflora.

Until the intestinal walls are covered with beneficial bacteria, digestion processes can be unstable, defective, gasses will form in the tummy and torment the baby along with his mother.

I am constantly hungry

There can be several reasons for a child to be hungry. The mother may not have enough milk, or there is a lot of it, but the baby does not suck until fatty milk comes from the back of the mammary gland. He gets drunk from the front, more "empty", and falls asleep. After a short time, the unsatisfied ventricle makes itself felt, the baby turns on the siren, and the mother is again forced to quit her business and run to the upset baby.

The second possible cause of hunger is the previous point, namely, abdominal cramps. Newborn babies perceive any discomfort in the abdomen as a feeling of hunger. They are looking for the chest, actively sticking to any object that touches the face. Mom perceives this behavior as hunger.

While it is necessary to deal with the prevention of bloating, constipation, diarrhea. Mom should eat strictly according to the rules of the diet of a nursing woman. Perhaps, having saved the baby from pain in the tummy, you will find him sound asleep.

I'm thirsty

If the mother's milk is too sweet or fatty, the baby may be thirsty. Not all mothers practice soldering a newborn. But if the crumbs have already been given some water, you should do this regularly. Perhaps the child does not sleep during the day due to dry mouth.

I got itchy somewhere

The delicate skin of babies is sensitive to any irritants. Infantile erythema, atopic dermatitis, a change in the hairline of the skin - all this can affect the condition of the crumbs. Itching and anxiety very often prevent newborn babies from sleeping, but, unfortunately, only a born child cannot tell his mother about this or help himself, so he can only cry.

Change my diaper

There are kids who absolutely do not care what conditions they are in, they will sniffle and not wake up for 3 hours, even if their diaper is full. But there are such representatives of the "deep intelligentsia" that even at the moment of urination they wake up and begin to show anxiety. And the mother is unlikely to be able to teach the child to do otherwise. Here, the baby is already raising parents and forcing them to change their diapers much more often than they should, otherwise they simply refuse to sleep!

I'm so excited that I can't sleep

If the prescribed period of the baby’s daytime sleep was missed, then the quite expected reaction is a violation of the further sleep and wakefulness regimen. In such a situation, you need to help the baby relax. Organize a walk in the stroller in the fresh air, bathe the baby in warm water with chamomile, give him some green tea if you have already practiced soldering.

I miss my mommy

If your little one is awake during the day, he might be telling you both to take a break! The crumbs feel the energy of the mother much more subtly than we adults. If the parent herself is already on the verge, tired, excited, excited, then her baby will behave similarly. He will feel the discomfort of the mother and show the same reaction in response.

At such moments, the mother should forget about all the affairs and problems, lie down next to her baby, enjoy closeness with the most beloved and dear little man in the world, relax and fall asleep. You will be surprised, but most likely, your baby will sleep peacefully next to you for exactly as long as you will be near him.

Sometimes you should remind yourself that the baby needs less sterilization around, and more - the constant feeling of close proximity to the mother.

Ventilate the room

The stuffiness in the room, dry air, or, conversely, excessive dampness can interfere with sleep during the day. If the microclimate in your home does not meet the provisions of the norm for a baby's room, then think about ways to correct the situation. The baby's sleep may be disturbed, followed by overexcitation of the nervous system, weakening of the immune system. Make sure that your baby is comfortable both awake and sleeping.

I feel hot

Many mothers mercilessly wrap their children, believing that a child under one year old must certainly wear a cabbage suit in which he was found. The heat exchange processes in the baby's body are not yet fully stabilized, the baby overheats very quickly, the body temperature rises, the baby sweats. It is unpleasant for him, and the mother is still unaware why her child does not sleep during the day, she lulls him and cradles him, also covering him with a warm blanket on top.

Remember the rule: a child under one year old must be dressed in the same way as yourself, adding another layer of medium-density fabric. We are talking about the average adult, that is, not a "walrus" and not a "frost".

How many hours a day should a baby sleep?

Now, the pediatrician Komarovsky, beloved by many, would say: “Your child owes nothing to anyone!”, And he would be right. Of course, there are average indicators of a healthy sleep and wakefulness regime for a child up to a year old, but they are all conditional, and if the baby is normal, calm, active, then let him not sleep for health!

On average, a child of the first month of life sleeps up to 18 hours a day. He wakes up only to eat and move his limbs slightly.
Closer to 3 months, the maximum value of sleep per day reaches an average of 15 hours.
After 3 months, this value is so individual that it is difficult to give average numbers. But, as a rule, most children up to a year sleep at least twice a day for 2 hours.

If your baby does not sleep during the day, do not rush to ring the bells and run to a neurologist. First, try to eliminate the banal causes of his discomfort, spend more time with the baby, walk with him in the fresh air more often and bathe longer in warm water, and most likely, your baby will learn to sleep soundly during the day!

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 4 minutes

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Article last updated: 01/20/2017

New parents very often face the problem of lack of sleep at night in infants. Mom's spent nerves can make themselves felt by a decrease, or even a loss of lactation. And the baby perfectly feels the change in the mood of the mother. Therefore, you need to calm down and figure out the reasons why the newborn does not sleep at night.

How much does a newborn sleep?

First you need to figure out how much time a day a child should sleep. It is this indicator that serves as a sign of the health of the baby. Naturally, if the child does not get enough sleep, there is a reason for this phenomenon. And maybe it's more serious than we think.

Babies up to 3 months spend almost all their time in a dream. With breaks for feeding, a full sleep is up to 20 hours. Every month the need for such rest decreases. Right now there is a big risk that the child will confuse day with night.
After 3 months and up to six months, the child should sleep about 15 hours a day. The duration of a night's rest without awakening can reach up to 6 hours. But often, babies still wake up after 3 hours to be fed with breast milk or formula. However, after the meal, they should fall asleep again. Putting them back on is not difficult.
By the year, the total duration of sleep is reduced. As a rule, babies sleep no more than 14 hours.

Of course, these indicators are of a template nature. Every child has their own schedule and their own ways of falling asleep. Some just can't be laid down without a lullaby or rocking. Although, among doctors there is an opinion that babies are able to fall asleep on their own after birth. All additions in the form of quiet humming and stroking are the initiative of parents so that the baby falls asleep sooner. And then, when the child grows up, it can be difficult to teach him to fall asleep on his own. And it's one thing when he asks him to sing, and another when to rock him in his arms.

But in any case, the baby needs a good night's rest. During daytime sleep, he will not restore his strength. Why is it necessary to analyze the reasons that prompted night wakefulness.

The reasons

The quality and duration of a baby's sleep depends on many factors. Among them, even the character of the baby. Phlegmatic people are much calmer than their sanguine comrades. As a rule, there are few children with sleep disorders among such children. The more inquisitive the baby is, the less he wants to sleep. And often by the age of two they begin to do without daytime sleep. But the causes of nighttime wakefulness often arise for other reasons. Among them:

Intestinal colic.
Neurology. Today, a neurologist is one of the mandatory visits. Among newborns, a large percentage of children with various diseases. Very often, this leads to a lack of oxygen even in the womb. As a result, hypoxia, an increase or decrease in tone. What affects the behavior of the baby. These babies sleep very little day and night. Constant screams should alert parents. An experienced doctor will definitely prescribe a good treatment in combination with massage. In most cases, such disorders are treated completely up to a year.
The child confused the parts of the day. This is also a very common reason. It is easy to distinguish it from others. During the day, the little one sleeps soundly, and at night begins to play. If he is not allowed to rest during the daytime, tantrums and violent crying occur. Teaching children to do everything according to the rules can be very difficult. But there is only one consolation here: after all, this is not a disease.
One-time nightly lack of sleep hides the cause of the baby's discomfort. Most likely, he has a full diaper or uncomfortable clothes. Make sure nothing interferes with a comfortable sleep.
Hunger. Many kids let you know that they are hungry by screaming. But if he ate 40 minutes ago, then the mother will not have such a thought that her baby is hungry. However, this may also be the case. Check if you have enough milk. Perhaps it has ceased to be nutritious. Put a few drops on a white saucer, if the color has begun to take on a bluish tint, it is.
Uncomfortable family environment. The mood of the parents, especially the mother, is transmitted to the newborn. It is necessary to try to maintain a friendly atmosphere in the family where the baby appeared.
Excessive dryness in the room or heat. In the room where the child sleeps, a thermometer should hang. And the most optimal air temperature is 23 degrees. You need to control this indicator.
Overexcitation. When an excess of information is received during the day or the daily routine is violated, this can overwork the baby.

To understand how to help sleep, you need a clear analysis of all the reasons.

How to help a child?

A good rest is required for both the newborn and his parents. It's good to have a clear schedule. Then the baby's body will know when he needs to go to bed. It is also recommended to do the same procedures every day before going to bed, so to speak, a ritual. For very young children, this option would be: feeding, bathing, sleeping. The sequence of actions will help accustom the child to fall asleep at a certain time.

Approximately 2 weeks after birth, the baby begins to suffer from intestinal colic. Abdominal pain can occur every day at a certain time. And that time is often night. How can I help my baby calm down and put him to sleep? For such cases, you need to have at the ready special drugs prescribed by a doctor. It’s good to put a warm diaper on the tummy or just cuddle the child to yourself. Many experts recommend doing an enema or putting a gas tube. But this is in case when the baby does not go to the toilet at all, and the tummy is swollen from gases.

A very good measure is the daily prophylactic laying out on the tummy, while the legs are bent at the knees. This posture will help the better discharge of gases. And by the evening, the tummy will not be so swollen. Experts are still divided on why intestinal pain occurs. But screams for this reason can last for several hours in a row. It is extremely difficult to put a baby in this situation.

But it is even more difficult to put the child when he mixed up the parts of the day. Why is this happening? Only a born baby sleeps a lot. And it's hard to tell the difference between day and night. Especially during the day, many mothers try to ensure complete silence. And when the need for sleep becomes less, it is not always possible for the baby to distinguish night time. All family members will need to be involved to help.

During the day, you do not need to curtain the curtains and create the illusion of night. Observance of complete silence is also contraindicated.
At night, on the contrary, it is necessary to talk with the baby in a whisper.
If you need to approach him, do not rush to turn on the light. A dim nightlight will suffice.
Many mothers take the baby to sleep in their bed. But it’s better to just move the cradle of the child to your sleeping place. The presence of a loved one will help a tired baby fall asleep faster.

Some mothers try to teach their child to sleep at night with the help of swaddling. But it is worth remembering that the approach to each baby is purely individual. The main thing is to understand exactly why the newborn does not fall asleep. But one piece of advice is the same for all children without exception: parental love and patience. And over time, you will definitely be able to accustom even the most capricious little one.

Very often, young parents are interested in why a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night. When will he learn to rest from evening to morning? Even today there are
parents who blame the evil eye or some mysterious forces for the problem, resorting to conspiracies and other tricks to make the child sleep through the night without
breaks. But what really prevents the little man from resting peacefully all night?

Most often, by the end of the first year of life, the child can already sleep without interruption all night. But there are children who need more time to master this skill. According to statistics, out of five children, at least one child of 1-2 years old does not sleep well at night. Including such behavior may be a manifestation of the character of this baby. Active, restless children are able to wake up from any extraneous sounds, while it can be very difficult for them to fall asleep again. Yes, and time for
Such children require much less rest, so they wake up very early.

Of course, the nights spent trying to put a crying or laughing child to bed do not go unnoticed for the family as a whole. Parents feel tired and, as a result, irritated. Irritates both the child and the partner, and household or work affairs. That is why it is necessary to start accustoming the child to sleep through the night as early as possible. However, if a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night, it is important to urgently find out why and decide what to do about it.

The reasons

Most often, problems arise not only directly with a night's sleep, but also with falling asleep. That is, in principle, for children of this age
fine. But most babies, realizing that it is not yet time to get up, fall asleep on their own. A child who has trouble sleeping cannot fall asleep on his own. It is also difficult to put it down in the evening. What could be the reasons?

Pain, hunger, thirst. All three of these needs are predominant and will keep the child from falling asleep.
- Crucial moment. Like an adult, a child in a dream experiences what happened to him during the day. Therefore, if something important happened in his life -
I went to kindergarten, changed my place of residence, added a new family member, etc. - I can’t wait for a sound sleep.
- Unwillingness to sleep. Indeed, it is very difficult to fall asleep if you are not tired enough or go to bed too early.
- Mother's condition. It has long been proven that the child subtly feels the state of the mother, therefore, if she is depressed, excited, upset, the child in the majority
cases will not sleep well.
- Discomfort. Perhaps the pajamas are already small for the baby and prevent him from feeling comfortable. Or he did not have time to ask for a potty: a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night if his bed is wet.
- External factors. With lights on, increased noise levels, it is difficult for a child to fall asleep and is much more likely to wake up during the night.
If it is not possible to completely isolate the child from such influences, it is necessary to make them as less noticeable as possible.
- Activity. If a child played active or emotional games before going to bed, you should not expect him to sleep peacefully. Even if, under the influence of fatigue, he falls asleep quickly, he will wake up more than once during the night, reliving emotional moments again.
- Fear. A child of 2 years old does not sleep well at night, cries, screams for another serious reason - if he is used to being with his mother all the time, and now he has to be
alone in his bed. If the baby has previously slept with her, he may not yet be ready for independent sleep. If, for some reason, the mother is forced to be absent, well, it will take several nights to listen to the complaints of the child.

Need

Sometimes it’s hard to understand if the child really doesn’t want to sleep or if he just played a lot. If he really doesn’t want to, it’s pointless to force him, it’s the easiest way
get the child to sleep poorly at night. 2 years is a long enough age to have an opinion and the right to be heard. To understand whether the child really does not want to sleep, you need to know how many hours of sleep at what age is required. The daily requirement for, for example, three-month-old children is 16-20 hours. By six months, the child needs 14.5 hours to feel good. By the year, this figure decreases to 13.5 hours, at two, 13 is enough. Four-year-old children sleep 11.5 hours a day, six-year-olds - 9.5. By the age of 12, children in their need for sleep are approaching adult rates - 8.5 hours. And do not forget that this calculation is given for a day. That is, if a two-year-old sleeps 4 hours during the day, you can count on a good rest at night. If you let him sleep longer, then at night he will catch up with those hours that he did not play during the day. If a child does not sleep well at night (2 years), Komarovsky advises to reconsider his daytime sleep regimen. It is likely that he simply oversleeps during the daytime.

Daily regime

An important role in a child's healthy sleep is played by him. If a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night, there is a disturbed day regimen. It is necessary to accustom a child to a family schedule from birth. You need to prepare for bed in advance. The time at which the child should go to bed should be the same. At the same time, it should be comfortable not only for the child himself, but also to suit the parents so that there are no disagreements.

The day of the child should be saturated with positive events. Of course, it is not at all necessary to arrange entertainment shows for him every day for the whole day.
It is quite enough to actively walk, play outdoor and educational games. If possible, put the child in the fresh air for a daytime sleep. In the evening, it is necessary to limit the emotional and physical stress by offering the child calm games like modeling or decorating.

Food

This may seem strange to some, but if a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night, malnutrition may be to blame. From a biological point of view, night feedings are not needed from 6 months. Therefore, if a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night and requires food, this does not mean at all that he is really hungry. Most likely, he does it just out of habit, or he wants to communicate. The more actively the parents satisfy these requirements, the stronger such a model of behavior settles in the child's brain. At night, it is better to avoid feeding. Firstly, the habit of eating at night has not brought anyone to good, and secondly, a full stomach can become the next cause of sleep disturbances.

On the first dinner (the penultimate meal), it is better to underfeed the baby a little so that at the end of the day, dinner will fill his stomach. Nevertheless, this should be done without fanaticism - the last meal should be at least 2 hours before bedtime. It is best to have dinner with fruits, porridge, a small amount of meat and sour-milk products. Sweets eaten in the evening will add activity to the child and will interfere with healthy sleep.

Place to sleep

Of course, every mother knows what is best for her baby. However, if the child does not sleep well at night, often wakes up (2 years old), this may mean that his place to sleep is not the most suitable. Checking this is easy - just follow the recommendations of experts and see if it brings results.

Pediatricians believe that for a child under one year old, the ideal place is a separate bed in the parent's bedroom. However, they are ready to agree that the same place
suitable for many children up to three years. But still, most of the children, according to doctors, from the year it is better to be in their own bed in the children's room. Experts are extremely negative about joint sleep. Of course, such a phenomenon takes place, but still it can hardly be called healthy for both the child and the mother.

help sleep

In order to avoid complaints that a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night, it is necessary to make sleep and falling asleep comfortable. So, shortly before sleep, it is desirable to ventilate the room without creating drafts. The preferred temperature in the room is +18-20 degrees. If it is too hot or cold, it will be difficult for the child to sleep. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the humidity of the air: 60-70% will be comfortable. Encourages restful sleep by taking a bath with aromatic oils or herbs. Comfortable pajamas, a dry diaper, a suitable pillow - these are the things that the baby will definitely appreciate.

It is advisable to create a certain ritual that will set the baby up for a restful sleep:

An hour and a half before bedtime, it’s good to take a walk with the child. It is desirable that he does not run around the yard, but rather calmly walk around.
- Dinner should be at about the same time, not too heavy, but not so that the child feels hungry.
- Taking a bath. Foam, a pleasant smell from aromatic oils or herbal infusions will help the child's nervous system to calm down, the muscles to relax.
- Story. All children love to be read to before bed. Often right at this time they fall asleep. But even if the fairy tale is heard to the end, it finally makes the child understand that it's time to sleep.

This is a sample list of soothing activities that will help your baby fall asleep. Of course, no one forbids adding something of their own or removing any of
available items.

Not sleeping

It happens that, despite all efforts, a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night. In this case, you will have to resort to various tricks, which, if they don’t make the baby sleep, will allow him to just sit quietly in his crib, without disturbing the whole family with crying:

It is worth putting the child to bed early, this will give you the opportunity to relax in the evening, if he wakes you up early in the morning.
- Do everything so that the baby loves to spend time in the crib, then he can wake up and just play in it without disturbing others.
- Spend maximum daytime with your child, hug more often, this will calm him down, instill confidence that he is loved and will not be abandoned. With such confidence, he
will be afraid to sleep alone in a room.
- Gradually, while feeding the baby, put a soft toy nearby. Gradually, she will begin to symbolize parental warmth for him, and he will sleep with her
comfortable and calm.

Help in sleep

The answer to the question why a child of 2 years old does not sleep well at night can be very simple: he does not feel protected. Kids need to feel that their parents will always help, at any time of the day. Therefore, when a little one needs to be sure to approach him, this is how he will know that you can be trusted. It is very important to learn how to help your baby fall asleep again at night.

Despite the fact that it is necessary to approach, it should not be done at the same second, allowing the baby to fall asleep on his own. If his crying is quiet, he may not wake up completely. If he really needs you, he will be able to "turn up the sound".

Going to the crib, make sure that the child is not awakened by extraneous sounds, light, wet diapers.

You need to solve the problem quietly and quickly. Instead of taking it in your arms or in your bed, it's better to just stroke the baby on the back.

If a child of 2.5 years old does not sleep well at night, the calm, measured actions of the parents will help him cope with emotions and continue to rest until the morning.

Komarovsky's sleep rules

More than one generation of children has grown up on the advice of Dr. Komarovsky. The famous pediatrician has recommendations for every occasion. If a child (2 years old) does not sleep well at night, use the rules of the famous doctor, which contribute to a peaceful night's rest:

Don't forget your needs. The doctor believes that the most important thing for any child is a happy family. Happy - this is getting enough sleep as well. BUT
so Komarovsky's first advice concerns parents: be sure to get enough sleep.
- A clear daily routine. As mentioned above, for a stable sleep of a child, proper organization of the whole day is necessary. Following a strict schedule
child a sense of security and confidence.
- With whom to sleep. According to Komarovsky, each member of the family should have their own place to sleep. He does not consider the joint sleep of children with their parents useful.
- Extra is not needed. If the child sleeps too long during the day, it is necessary to wake him up so that he can rest all the necessary time at night.
- Optimize feeding. Do not overfeed the child, do not allow snacks. Feeding should take place at the same time, evening meals should
be nutritious but not heavy. The situation when a child is 2 years old, does not sleep well at night, cries, very often occurs against the background of overeating.
- Spend the day right. Move a lot, play outdoor games, read books, walk.
- Air. The room in which the child sleeps must be aired daily. If possible, before a night's rest, you need to do wet cleaning and purchase
humidifier.
- Bed. The child's mattress should be dry, smooth, evenly stuffed. Babies under 2-3 years old do not need pillows at all. Older children can
put a thin pillow. Bed linen should be only natural. Wash it with baby detergent.
- Diapers. Diapers should be "breathable", impervious to moisture, suitable for the child in size and model.

Health

If the child's sleep is disturbed due to colic or toothache, it is better not to experiment, but to consult a doctor. In addition, medical problems can be the reason that mothers come to the doctor with complaints. The child is 2 years old, sleeps very badly at night, often wakes up, falls asleep badly - all this should be discussed with the doctor. In addition, tell the baby's daily routine, then the doctor will be able to give advice or even prescribe sedatives.