Child's sleep mode

Newborn and child in a year or two sleepnot the same. The total duration of sleep in the first months of life is 16-20 hours per day, gradually decreasing to 12 hours at the age of five and up to 10 hours in the older.

but With age, not only the duration of sleep changes, but also its rhythm. In young children, the phase of fast sleep withdreams prevail over the phase of slow, deep, sleep. Approximately eight months, the proportion of fast sleep is reduced and is about 20-25% of the total sleep time, which corresponds to the rhythm of an adult's sleep.

A child is born with an unformeddaily rhythm and quite often during pregnancy the baby slept or was awkward at odds with his mother. The newborn usually sleeps no more than an hour and a half in a row - that's how long he takes the sleep-wake cycle. At the age of two to eight weeks, this cycle is extended to 4 hours.

Sleep through the night without waking up, most children will learn up to a year. At the age of two years, children have finally formed an established daily rhythm, but to put the baby to sleep becomes more difficult.

Here are some average daily and nighttime durations for children of different ages:

• 1 - 1.5 years: 2 periods of daytime sleep lasting 2-2.5 hours and 1.5 hours, respectively, a night sleep lasting 10-11 hours;


• 1,5 - 2 years: daytime sleep lasting 2.5-3 hours, night - 10-11 hours;


• 2 - 3 years: daytime sleep lasting 2-2.5 hours, night - 10-11 hours;


• up to 7 years: daytime sleep lasting 2 hours, night - 10 hours;


• after 7 years: daytime sleep is optional, night - not less than 8-9 hours.

It is important to note here that all children, of course,are individual and do not necessarily fit into these average parameters. It is not necessary to awaken a child without extreme necessity, being afraid that he will sleep an extra hour. However, it should not be forgotten that compliance with the sleep regime has a beneficial effect on the child's physical and psychological development.

That the child slept well, it is necessary to observe certain conditions. First, the bed and the room in which it sleepschild, should be clean and cool, the air should not be over-dried. Secondly, the child should not be prevented from falling asleep by extraneous sounds, the light should be turned off or muted. And, thirdly, before going to bed a child should not be overfed, but not hungry, otherwise unpleasant sensations in the stomach will prevent him from falling asleep.

<p <strong >> Before going to bed</ strong> it is better not to play with the child in active games -The nervous excitement will not soon let him go to sleep. Good soothes the child before going to bed with a warm bath, especially if you add a few drops of lavender essential oil. You can not neglect and lullabies - this daily ritual gives the baby a feeling of comfort and stability, calms him.</ p>

A normal, healthy sleep of a child can be prevented by several factors. If the baby is hungry, wants to drink or feelswet - he wakes up. If the baby is hot or, conversely, too cold, he can also wake up. To interfere with a child's sleep, especially in the first months, intestinal colic may occur. Colic is associated with the immaturity of the baby's digestive system: gases accumulate in the intestine and press on its walls, causing pain. Usually, colic goes to 2 months, but can last up to 4-5 months. Help to soothe the pain of special medications, such as Espumizana, gas pipe, dill water. Before using any funds, you need to consult a pediatrician.

Erecting teeth cause pain to the child that,of course, causes disturbances in normal sleep patterns. That the baby slept more calmly, before going to bed, give him some special rings filled with gel. Such rings are cooled in a refrigerator, after which they give the baby.

Nightmares may appear in a child of about 2 years of ageand very much interfere with his calm sleep. However, rare nightmares are not necessarily a sign of pathology; on the contrary, children who have never seen nightmares are an exception to the rules. If nightmares become frequent, the same nightmare is repeated (this can be judged by the description given by the child himself), then it is better to consult a psychologist.

Sometimes a child wakes up at night, but notcompletely, and in less than a minute he again falls asleep. Such "awakenings" should not frighten parents. Therefore, it is not necessary, after hearing the slightest sound from the crib of the child, immediately run to him, grab onto his hands - perhaps it is from the actions of parents that the child will wake up completely and be capricious.

To to teach the child the correct mode of sleep, it is important to remember the following:

• Do not need to wake the child on purpose, even if it's time to feed it;


• Before you put the baby to bed, you need to make sure that it is full;


• Night feeding should take place in a quiet, calm environment, with muted light;


• if there is such an opportunity, then in 10-12 months it is desirable to abandon night feeding;


• It is necessary to put the child to sleep always at the same time;


• day feeding should not lull the child, but on the contrary, adjust for activity;


• it is desirable to have a special ritual of falling asleep, for example, to sing before bedtime lullabies or to put next to the child his favorite toy.