It would seem – what do little fidgets need? Long and deep sleep. Babies are sensitive to lack of sleep. A couple of hours of lack of sleep affect the behavior, well-being and mood of the child. Whims appear, appetite decreases, otherwise the whole body works, the nervous system suffers. Lack of sleep in children adversely affects the condition of parents. Sleepless nights lead to the accumulation of fatigue, stress and depression. From this it follows that healthy sleep is the key to parental and child happiness.
The secrets to sound sleep are simple. It will take a little patience, observation and creativity from the parents to enjoy peaceful nights in the future.
Daily regime
The nervous system of the child quickly “tired”, which leads to whims, behavioral disorders and problems with falling asleep. A properly organized wake and sleep regimen will allow parents to maintain their own peace of mind and help the baby live in harmony with their needs. Watching the child, learn to identify the signs of fatigue, so that at their first manifestations, put the child to rest. If the moment of “rubbing the eyes and yawning” is missed, the child’s nervous system is overexcited, which leads to frequent waking up and sleep problems.
It is unfair to say that if you do not let your child sleep during the day, then he will sleep better at night. You will probably get the opposite effect. Exhausted by lack of sleep, the baby perceives information worse, becomes whiny, and at night, sleep will become intermittent and superficial. It is not necessary to deprive a growing organism of a legitimate rest during the day. A rested child is full of energy and has a great mood.
active wakefulness
The more the child spends strength and energy, the more time he needs to recover. A walk in the fresh air, active games, new emotions, swimming in the pool will be rewarded with a sound and long sleep. The task of parents is to make the child’s day interesting and mobile – not only for physical development and pleasant dreams, but also for gaining new knowledge and skills.
Cozy place to sleep
Children love consistency. For them, this is a guarantee of security and confidence in what is happening. That is why so often kids are asked to sing the same songs, read the same fairy tales. It is highly desirable that the child falls asleep in the same conditions. The same environment will be associated with an approaching dream. The choice of a place to sleep depends entirely on the preferences of the parents: a crib or a large parent. It is important to take care of a quality mattress, the safety of the crib, the comfort of bed linen and remember about sanitary and hygienic standards. A pillow may be needed by adults, but not by children under two years of age. After the age of two, you can think about acquiring it, taking into account all the features of the choice.
Temperature conditions
A hygrometer, a thermometer, wet cleaning and frequent ventilation will help create weather in the house. In the room where the child sleeps, the air temperature should be about 16-18 degrees, and the humidity should be 50-70%. It is always better to dress the child warmer than to turn on the maximum heating. Children are very susceptible to high temperatures: they often ask for water, wake up, breathing may be difficult. All this does not contribute to normal sleep. Any dust accumulators are also not welcome: breeding grounds for mites, microbes and microorganisms are not in harmony with children’s health.
Airing the room in the summer, an important attribute will be a mosquito net on the windows. Its presence will protect the baby from insect bites and save valuable minutes of nighttime rest.
Ritual for falling asleep
Falling asleep is an important component of strong dreams. A chain of constantly repetitive actions will help make sleep easier. Ritual is a very important link between active wakefulness and the rest phase. It will help to rebuild the nervous system of the child, will let the baby understand what parents expect from him. It has been proven by physiologists that if you repeat the same actions before going to bed, the child is less likely to have problems falling asleep and sleep more soundly.
As the child grows and develops, rituals change. Do not forget to adapt them according to the age and interests of the crumbs. For children of the first months of life, the best ritual would be a light massage, bathing and feeding. Babies soon get used to a simple logical chain of events: properly organized bathing (in cool water, with exercises) and massage also require additional energy consumption of the growing organism. This awakens a healthy appetite, followed by an equally healthy sleep.
At an older age, folding toys, singing lullabies or reading fairy tales will be a wonderful ritual. Such an activity allows the mother and child to be in close contact, broadens the horizons and calms the nervous system of the crumbs. But cartoons should be abandoned for too impressionable natures. A dynamic plot, bright colors, new characters can, on the contrary, excite the nervous system and drive away sleep.
Hearty food for healthy sleep
Going to bed, the child should be full. Hungry children fall asleep worse and wake up more often. Half an hour before bedtime, the baby can be offered dinner in the form of porridge. Their choice today is amazing: you can choose options for every taste. Additional ingredients that make up cereals help improve digestion (chicory fibers), act as a prevention of colic and gas formation (linden, fennel, chamomile extract). A high-calorie dinner will be a good compensation for the forces expended during bathing.
Sleep in the fresh air
Often parents say that children sleep great on the street, but do not sleep well at home. If you can say the same about your baby, it means that your baby can still sleep long and soundly. Indeed, fresh air works wonders if the baby breathes it away from roads and sources of noise (dirt, exhaust gases). Try to provide outdoor recreation if possible. This has a positive effect on immunity, metabolic processes in the body, promotes the production of vitamin D. Mom at this time can devote herself to reading books or her favorite hobby.
There are very few cases when outdoor recreation is impossible: temperatures below -15 and above 28 degrees, heavy rain or wind. In all other situations, sleep closer to nature is welcome.
Bad habits
The phases of sleep replace one another: it is so laid down by nature. This is necessary so that the body at certain moments can assess the situation, and in case of a threat, make itself felt by crying. During sleep, children wake up several times. If during a second awakening the baby wakes up in the same conditions as he fell asleep, then the dream continues further. In the case when, before falling asleep, the child ate the breast or sucked on a pacifier, and woke up 30 minutes later without it, with a high degree of probability he will notify everyone with crying and a desire to return everything to its place again. From here follow the endless battles of parents for the rest of the baby with a break for the next phase of deep sleep. It is advisable not to accustom the child to a dummy during sleep. The same applies to motion sickness, carrying in the arms or sleeping in the arms of the mother.
Reasons for concern
The child does not wake up for no reason. Awakening can be a sign of discomfort, malaise, poor health, physiological needs. No need to write off any crying on the next whims. The success of deciphering the true cause of poor sleep depends on parental experience, observation, and sometimes intuition.
golden sleep pill
Exhausted parents at a certain stage may think about means with a calming effect for children. Pharmaceutical preparations are not so harmless, and a healthy child is not needed at all. Natural helpers (herbs, essential oils) can have a positive effect if used correctly and with precautions, however, they should not be taken as the only salvation.
Healthy sleep is equally necessary for children and adults for good health and energy. It is important for moms and dads to look closely at the baby and his needs, learn his language, capture habits and characteristics, and also be ready for experiments and creativity in matters of sleep. Whatever you choose, be consistent in your actions. Ingenuity and imagination will definitely be rewarded!
Sleep well and happy parenting!