Newborn sleep

After the birth of a baby, the life of the family changes dramatically. Now, in addition to the role of a spouse, a woman is obliged to fulfill other duties - to take care of the child, feed him and develop him. At first, a young mother is disturbed by many moments. In addition, she needs to somehow combine motherhood and daily chores, so the question of sleeping crumbs is always acute. The daily routine of all other household members depends on him. What can you do to ensure your newborn has a comfortable sleep? And what are the causes of sleep disorders?

How much do newborns sleep

Duration of daily sleep newborn is rarely an indicator of its normal growth and development, because it is necessary to rely on the individual characteristics of the organism. We can only talk about statistical data that speak of average rates, which is 16-20 hours a day. At the same time, if the baby's behavior does not bother you, he has a good appetite, regular bowel movements and there is no increase in body temperature, then let him sleep as much as he wants.

The average number of hours a newborn sleeps at night is 8-9. But this indicator also depends on many factors:

• When sleeping with his mother, the child often sleeps better and longer, because the baby can touch the breast at any time.
• When sleeping separately, the number of hours is reduced to 6-7, in this case it is better to establish a feeding schedule.
• Swaddling also has a positive effect on the quality of sleep.
• The emotional atmosphere in the family is not the least factor. Mom should not be so exhausted that she does not have the opportunity to pay attention to the child, otherwise he will feel insecure and lonely.

What to do if a newborn does not sleep well

It should be noted right away - the opinion that child in the first month of life, he must sleep for days, waking up only when he is hungry, is erroneous. Of course, kids are all different, but most of them open their eyes and grunt about every 2 hours, and while awake, kids are happy to get acquainted with the environment, although their perception is still very different from adults.

For the normal development of a child, communication with parents is necessary even at this age, and the more, the better. However, there are certain boundaries, by which you can determine whether the newborn is sleeping enough or whether it is worth worrying about this. If the baby sleeps less than 14 hours a day and is awake for about 5 hours in a row, worries, looks agitated, cries for no apparent reason, after falling asleep, wakes up every 10 minutes, this may be the cause of some problems. The most common ones are:

• First of all, eliminate the main factors - hunger and wet diapers. There are patient babies who will not raise a cry because of this, but most children make themselves felt when they feel discomfort. If the baby does not calm down after feeding, it is possible that he does not have enough breast milk and does not gorge himself.
• In newborns, the processes of thermoregulation of the body are not yet fully debugged, therefore they react to a decrease or increase in the temperature in the room. Try to keep it at 20-24 degrees.
• The reasons can be objective - street noise, shouts or knocking in the next room.
• While sleeping in the child's room, create an appropriate atmosphere - there should be no bright sources of light, close the curtains, leaving only a night light.
• One of the most popular factors influencing the sleep of a newborn is the accumulation of gas in the intestine, colic known to all. There are a great many ways to eliminate the disease, but they all help only for a short time.
• Oddly enough it may seem, but babies also experience loneliness, because birth is a great shock for them. Do not skimp on affection and emotions, more often take the crumbs in your arms and press them to you. For wearing, you can choose a special device - a sling.

The newborn sleeps a lot

Adequate nutrition and sleep are two important components of the correct development of a baby, both physical and psychological. Many parents rejoice if a newborn sleeps for several hours in a row without waking up to feed. This is the norm if the baby at the same time looks calm and well-fed, receiving breast milk during sleep, but if not, after 4-5 hours, pediatricians recommend waking and feeding the baby (you need to wake up only in the phase of REM sleep).

But it can also be an alarming signal that threatens a newborn with dehydration and problems with lactation.

What affects the baby's unnecessarily long sleep?

• The reason is often complications in childbirth, because for toddler it's a huge stress. In addition, in protracted labor, doctors use drugs that enter the baby's blood.
• It is very important to properly latch the baby to the breast. Too strong pressure of milk can scare the baby, he may also have difficulty grabbing the nipple, in which case the baby will get tired and fall asleep hungry.
• If the baby suffers from colic and does not sleep well, then, with the slightest relief, he will, of course, relax and sleep for several hours in a row.
• After vaccination, newborns are often given medications for allergies, fever, and pain. Long sleep after vaccination is normal.
• Various diseases take away a lot of strength from the crumbs, therefore, during the recovery period, they need recovery.
• An uninterrupted sleep of an infant can be the result of serious illnesses. Seek medical attention immediately if the child has a fever during sleep, his breathing is heavy, intermittent, the mucous membranes become cyanotic, the baby sleeps without moving and does not respond to attempts to wake up.

What to do if a newborn is awake and crying

Having heard the plaintive cry of your baby, first of all, eliminate the most common reasons for crying, they are usually physiological - hunger or the need to change a diaper.

There are many babies who cry most of the day and even at night, while their cry is replaced by deep and prolonged sleep. This may not indicate the presence of an ailment, this is how hyperexcitable children behave.

If the baby's behavior is worrisome and alarming, it will not be superfluous to check it for intestinal infections and parasites.

The psyche of young children is very "mobile". Any event can cause stress and, as a result, loud inconsolable crying. Don't bore the baby with long interactions with relatives. Fatigue and emotional overexcitement do not allow him to sleep peacefully.

In the first 3-4 months of a child's life, colic often suffers, because of sharp pains in the tummy, he can cry for several hours in a row, often at the same time, for example, in the evening. The crumb squeezes the legs or, conversely, stretches like a string. At the same time, the baby eats well and gains weight according to the norms.

To alleviate the condition of the newborn, lay it on the tummy, and each time after feeding, wear it in a "column", giving the opportunity to regurgitate air. But it is better to coordinate the use of drugs with a pediatrician.

How to put a newborn to sleep

The sleep of a child in the first year of life takes up a significant part of his daily routine, so any pediatrician will tell you about the existence of some rules for laying crumbs.

• The room in which he sleeps baby must be cleanly washed - no dust or dirt. If possible, ventilate the room in advance and close the curtains.
• The air temperature should not exceed 20 degrees, and the humidity should not exceed 70%.
• Up to one year old, it is recommended to put the child to sleep on a hard surface, for example, on a mattress with a natural filling, do not cover children with a warm blanket and do not use a pillow, it can be replaced by a diaper folded several times.
• A good alternative to the mattress can be considered a special cocoon for sleeping or a sleeping bag, in which the baby will be comfortable, like in a mother's belly.
• If parents sleep with their baby, for hygiene reasons, you should have a separate sheet (diaper) and a light blanket.

If we talk about the methods of laying, then parents can and should use the stroking technique. To do this, find a point between the baby's eyebrows and stroke with light movements clockwise.

If laying takes place in a crib, then a pendulum mechanism and a musical mobile come to the rescue.

How to sleep properly for a newborn

Possible sleeping positions newborn:

• The safest position is the “on the back” position; the baby's head must be placed on its side so that in case of regurgitation it does not choke. Some parents constantly put the child's head on one side, this is wrong, the sides need to be alternated so that torticollis does not develop. Sometimes this position is unacceptable, for example, if the baby has increased muscle tone and in a dream he wakes himself up with his hands, swaddling in this case is not always a panacea.
• In addition to the tone, there are other restrictions under which a more appropriate position during sleep would be the "on the stomach" position. These include dysplasia (abnormal development of the hip joint) or a period of active colic. On the tummy, gases from the intestines come out naturally and the baby feels better. But do not forget about safety measures - the child should sleep on a hard surface and under the supervision of an adult to eliminate the risk of suffocation.
• The position "on the side" is also safe, but make sure that the child does not roll over on his stomach; for this, a pillow or rolled up diaper is placed on the back side. Usually, when laying on its side, the newborn pushes the legs to the chest, which contributes to better gas discharge, but the hands are right in front of the face, in this case, wear special anti-scratches. This type of sleep is very suitable for children who often regurgitate, but is contraindicated in dysplasia.

Tips for young parents

Experts still cannot decide - which is better, separate or joint sleep of the newborn with the parents? Some argue that childbirth for the baby is a strong shock, and the subsequent separation from the mother can aggravate the situation. In addition, this option will allow a woman to breastfeed her baby without getting up several times a night.

Others assure that the baby does not belong in the mother's bed, only the father can sleep there, and the purchase of a crib or cradle is a vital necessity.

There is even more controversy about infant motion sickness. Our mothers and grandmothers, as a rule, agree that it is absolutely impossible to do this, so the child gets used to his hands and later there are problems with falling asleep.

Many pediatricians and neurologists disagree with this and assure that during the swing, the vestibular apparatus of the crumbs is trained. In addition, babies often suffer from colic, and motion sickness distracts them from pain and allows them to relax, and the mother has a break from emotional stress and crying.

As a hardening, doctors recommend regular sleep in the fresh air, so the child falls asleep faster and sleeps better. The place and time should be chosen depending on the weather conditions. In a strong wind, it is possible to lay it on the balcony, and in snow and rain - under a roof.