Bad sleep in a child: what is the reason and how to fix it

Adequate sleep is the key to health. And even in childhood, when the most important growth processes take place in a dream, it is even more important to sleep well. But it is children who are most often susceptible to violations in this process. This article will explain why there are problems with children's sleep and how to get rid of them.

Poor sleep in a child: causes

So, disturbances in the regimen and duration of sleep in children occur for a number of reasons. Among them are such as:

1. Overexcitation. Often, children go through a bunch of events in a day and experience the same amount of emotions. This is normal, because there are so many discoveries in childhood. And the nervous system has not yet strengthened and therefore the excitement that has accumulated during the day does not allow sleeping peacefully in the evening.
2. Bad state of health. Not all systems of a small organism are well-functioning and well functioning. Often there are malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract. From here stomach ache and stool disorders that interfere with proper sleep. Teeth may also be cut and a headache may be present. After all, children feel the changes in the meteorological background more strongly than adults.
3. Hunger or overeating. Signals from the stomach do not allow the brain to relax and quietly go into "sleep mode".
4. Violation of the regime. For example, a child slept too long during the day and now does not want to fall asleep at his usual time.
5. Uncomfortable temperature conditions in the room... Too stuffy, hot or cold. Or a dirty diaper for a child under two years old.
6. Nightmares. For any of the above reasons, a child may dream bad dreams. There is a fear of their repetition and the child refuses to fall asleep again.
7. Features of age. In children, developmental leaps are observed, which overstrain the nervous system. This process is natural and you should not be afraid of it.

How to improve a child's sleep

Sleep disturbance may indicate serious neurological or somatic problems in the baby. Therefore, you should not postpone a visit to a therapist. But at the same time, it is worthwhile to understand that it is normal for babies under 3 years old to wake up several times a night. But at the same time, the process of falling asleep occurs without any problems. Also, children under 3 years old can make sounds in the kingdom of Morpheus, shudder and try to crawl on all fours. These are all variants of the norm.

In order for the baby to fall asleep quickly and calmly, use the following tips:

• air the room an hour before bed;
• you need to feed the child with non-fatty, easily digestible food, and do this no later than an hour and a half before bedtime;
• you should not keep the kid busy with noisy fun games, it is better to read a book or sing a song;
• exclude watching TV and playing games on the computer shortly before bedtime;
• it is recommended to take a relaxing bath with a decoction of herbs, such as chamomile, St. John's wort, yarrow, coniferous decoction, before going to bed;
• stay asleep, especially during the daytime;
• try to lay down and wake up at about the same time every day;
• start a certain ritual - dinner, bathing, reading a book, sleeping, and then the baby will tune in to sleep in advance;
• experts recommend putting the baby to bed at the first sign of fatigue - the body knows better what it needs;
• if the baby is hyper active, it is recommended to introduce soothing herbal teas into the diet.

Soothing teas for children

First of all, it should be noted that the consumption of sugar before bedtime excites the nervous system. Even seemingly harmless livers with milk can cause inconvenience when falling asleep.

There are special herbal preparations that calm the nervous system. For example, from the firms "Babushkino Lukoshko", "HIPP". They contain a precisely calculated dose of herbs that have a mild sedative property. But you can also compose your herbal litter based on your preferences. Just remember to keep the herbs clean and away from roads and plants.

The following herbal infusions and decoctions have a sedative property:

1. Peppermint and lemon balm.
2. Yarrow.
3. St. John's wort.
4. Chamomile.
5. Hop.
6. Valerian root.
7. Motherwort.
8. Linden flowers.
9. Adonis.

Please note that children under the age of 7 should not consume caffeinated beverages at all. And especially before going to bed. We are talking about strong black tea, coffee, Coca-Cola.

Try it aromatherapy... Apply 1 drop of essential oil in the nursery. Well suited for this:

• lavender;
• lemon;
• mint.