A newborn child is the main source of joy for young parents, but at the same time it is with him that all their anxieties are associated. Parents are not yet accustomed to the daily routine of the child; they do not understand why the baby is sleeping poorly or crying, when to feed and how often to do it. Calmness and self-confidence come with time, and any troubles eventually turn into useful experiences.
Why do you need enough sleep?
Healthy sound sleep is the main indicator of a child’s well-being. It is believed that a newborn child should sleep until he is awakened by a feeling of hunger, but since this is ideal, this is not always the case. If the baby does not sleep well, even if not hungry, this indicates that the baby is worried about something (for example, heat or a wet diaper). For a small child, sleep is extremely important, because it is in a dream that new knowledge and skills are formed, information received during wakefulness is processed. The baby’s long and deep sleep also provides mom with an excellent opportunity to get some sleep or just relax, do homework or her favorite hobby.
Sleep problems - is there or not?
However, far from always children sleep well. Bad sleep is expressed both in slow and difficult falling asleep, and in the fact that the baby wakes up quickly, which can occur both in the daytime and at night. A short sleep does not bring satisfaction, because if the baby does not sleep well, then he simply does not have time to sleep well, which means that he feels constantly tired and broken, will be capricious and constantly cry.
In order to assess the degree of sleep disturbance, first of all, it is necessary to calculate the total amount of time that the child sleeps per day and compare the result with statistical data. Of course, you should not rely on these indicators as the ultimate truth, because all children are different, and the lack of need for a long sleep can be an individual feature of a particular child. To say that a baby is sleeping poorly is possible only if his sleep lasts less than 16 hours a day, although the average baby sleeps about 18 hours a day.
Is it worth the worry?
If the child sleeps little, but he is active enough and does not express obvious signs of anxiety, then the mother should not worry. But in the event that there are any external signs of trouble (except for a short sleep), the child needs to be shown to the pediatrician who will tell you if this condition is normal. The doctor may also prescribe some additional tests and consultation of related specialists, for example, a neurologist.
What is the best way to fall asleep?
There are several recommendations that help to put the baby to bed, even if usually the baby is sleeping poorly and does not give rest to parents. First of all, you need to lay the child without light, even during the day it is better to close the windows with curtains during sleep. You should also instill in your child a certain ritual that will signal a quick retirement, for example, play at the same time with your child every day, then take a bath or sing a song. Over time, the child will get used to these actions, will be subconsciously prepared for the fact that the song will be followed by a dream. Even if mom has no voice or desire to sing, soothing music or lullaby recordings can be used. The temperature in the room should not be too high, quite often the baby sleeps badly because of stuffiness. Since thermoregulation in young children is imperfect, it is better to let the room be a little cool.
In any case, a bad dream in a child is not a reason for tragedy, over time everything will return to normal and the baby will choose a regime of the day that suits him. Do not worry too much about a couple of hours of lack of sleep a day, but it is always better to consult a specialist once again.