What is the best time to put a baby to bed? Helpful tips on how to put your baby to sleep

In the first months after birth, the baby sleeps most of the day. As a rule, there are no problems with falling asleep during this period. The little one wakes up to eat, look at the world a little and falls asleep sweetly again, sucking on his mother’s breast. Gradually, sleep time decreases, and wakefulness time increases accordingly. Most parents of children from 6 months to 2 years (sometimes younger, or on the contrary older) ask questions on women’s forums on the Internet or ask their more experienced friends or grandmothers “How to put a child to sleep without tears, whims and hassle?”

We go to bed without tears and whims

Problems with falling asleep in newborns are not associated with a capricious character, not with the child being spoiled, but with the peculiarities of the nervous system of young children. Unlike adults, babies of the first year of life simply do not know how to consciously relax and disconnect from extraneous stimuli at the moment when the body needs rest and it’s time to fall asleep. But if parents act correctly, then tears and whims can be, if not completely avoided, then reduced to a minimum.

How to put your baby to sleep correctly: simple tips for young parents

According to modern pediatricians, babies under one year old should not strictly adhere to the regime. Careful observation of your baby will allow you to understand his biorhythms and correctly organize rest and feeding times. A sleepy child begins to yawn, rub his eyes, and become lethargic or capricious. If you notice these signs, put them down immediately so as not to miss the moment of falling asleep.
The baby is lucky if the mother breastfeeds on demand: in early childhood Children, having had their fill, easily fall asleep at the breast. Breastfeed for at least a year, so you can put your baby to sleep without crying until the time will come wean the baby from the breast.
It is very important to create a comfortable, relaxing environment for your little one before going to bed. A warm bath is suitable for this (be careful, for some children the bath has a stimulating effect, in this case the child should be bathed 2 hours before bedtime), relaxation massage (many children fall asleep if they are gently stroked on the back or tummy), aromatherapy with lavender oils , nutmeg, sandalwood, jasmine.
Pay attention to the baby's clothes: they should be soft and pleasant to the touch.
Some children are helped to fall asleep by their mother's lullaby, quiet, relaxing music with the sounds of nature (the murmur of water, the sound of rain).
Rocking in a crib or in your arms helps many babies fall asleep. If your baby is one of these children, you should not neglect this time-tested method (See article).
Don't forget to maintain comfortable temperature and humidity in the child's room. Optimal option: 20-22 degrees. Don't wrap your baby up; children don't sleep well if they're hot.
Avoid watching cartoons and noisy games at least an hour before going to bed.
Create a calm and friendly atmosphere in the family. The baby perceives the tense situation on an emotional level and reacts painfully to it.

VIDEO: 8 ways to put your baby to sleep

Rituals for falling asleep

Young parents whose children are already 6-7 months old can be advised to develop a system of “sleepy” rituals. 20-30 minutes before bedtime, parents perform the same actions every day, which the little one will soon begin to associate with falling asleep.

It is recommended to include in “sleepy” rituals:

"Farewell to the sun." The baby is picked up, brought to the window and told that the sun, birds and animals have fallen asleep. The stars light up in the sky, which means it’s time for all the kids to go to bed. After these words, the curtains are drawn, the lights are turned off, and the baby is put to bed.
Reading books (looking at pictures with children under one year old) before bed.
Putting your favorite toy to bed.
Singing a lullaby.
You can start a tradition of telling your baby every evening in a calm voice about how the day went, how your baby is tired and will now fall asleep, etc.
A similar method is 3-4 daily repeated phrases like: “Our little angel is tired. Mommy and daddy are nearby. Now we will sleep soundly."

“Sleepy” rituals, when approached correctly, make the work of parents easier; toddlers quickly begin to understand the meaning of these actions and go to bed without any problems. The exception is when the baby is unwell ( elevated temperature, teething, etc.).

Video:

According to somnologists (specialists in the field of sleep), a child must be taught to fall asleep on his own in the same way as you teach him to eat, wash, and dress independently. Special techniques have been developed, using which parents will be able to put their child to sleep without tears and hysterics.

The techniques are applied to children 9-15 months old and are aimed at changing associations for falling asleep. If the baby is breastfed and the mother is breastfed, then the child has a stable idea: SLEEP = FOOD. The goal of these techniques is to break (change) this association by spreading out feeding and sleeping time. Let's look at the most popular ones.

Timer Method (by Tracey Hogg)

Before going to bed, the baby is given a tasty meal. After this, the little one is shown a timer and told that the milk will run out when the bell rings. The timer is set for 10 minutes. When the bell rings, the baby is weaned and kind words put to bed. The baby will probably cry and demand the breast for 20-40 minutes. Be patient. Calm the child down. Put him in bed and stroke his back until the baby falls asleep.
For several days in a row, the timer is set to 10 minutes. Whims cannot be avoided, but on the 3-4th day the babies let go of the breast and fall asleep when the bell rings.
For the next 3-4 days, the timer is set to 4 minutes. During feeding, the mother reads familiar nursery rhymes or a fairy tale to the little one. After the bell rings, the child is weaned and reading continues for another 5-10 minutes. After which the baby is put to bed. So gradually one habit is replaced by another.
After another 3-4 days, feeding is canceled for daytime naps. Instead of breastfeeding, the baby is read a book. And on last stage evening feeding is removed.

Fading method

The longest and soft way weaning a child from falling asleep with the breast. Training may take 1.5-2 months.

Its essence is that the mother does not deny the child suckling at the breast before bed, but tries to interest the little one in an interesting book or conversation. Sometimes the baby will be able to fall asleep without sucking, and this is already the first success. So gradually the mother finds other ways to calm down (rituals) for the baby, he will be able to fall asleep without the breast more and more often, and finally, the baby will begin to fall asleep without the baby.

At the next stage, night feedings are gradually eliminated (): instead of the breast, the baby, of course, does not need to read books at night, just pat him on the back, give him a drink of water or say the traditional phrase: “Mom is nearby - sleep well”. Over time, the little one, waking up at night, will stop looking for the breast, and the number of awakenings will decrease.

Explanation Method

This method is practiced with children one and a half to two years old.

It is suitable for both infants and artificial babies.

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They invent for the baby simple story, for what reason there will be no milk at night (the cow will not bring any more milk at night, because... or “sisi” is running out of milk, there is only one time left).

This story is told to the little one 10-15 times during the day. During the evening feeding, the child is given the breast (milk from a bottle) for the last time and is reminded once again that there will be no milk at night, because... After this, the child is not given a bottle or breast at all. Thus, breastfeeding stops (more on that), and the association SLEEP = FOOD replaced by other rituals.

This method takes from 3 days to a week to implement.

Logout-login method

In my opinion, the most painful method for a child.

The essence of the technique is that the mother puts the child to bed and, without waiting for the baby to fall asleep, leaves the room for 5-7 minutes. If during this time the child does not calm down, the mother returns, calms the baby and leaves again, giving the baby the opportunity to fall asleep on his own.

Soon (this method takes about 7-12 days), the little one should understand that he will have to fall asleep on his own.

And in conclusion, it must be said: in order to put a child to sleep without tears, first of all it is necessary to focus on the individual characteristics of the baby’s character and temperament.

In the evening, after warm bath and feeding, the infant usually falls asleep without problems. This is not surprising - every day the little one is filled with work and new impressions, so after being tired, he happily goes to rest in the evening. Daytime naps are a completely different matter. Quite often, parents complain that almost no one falls asleep without tears. Are there really no reliable ways to put a baby to sleep during the day without tantrums? Of course, there is, but you can’t do it with clever tricks alone - it would be nice to know the baby’s physiology and the main reasons why he may refuse to sleep.

Why do you need naps during the day?

Daytime nap infant simply necessary. A newborn sleeps up to 20 hours, about half of which he sleeps during the day. With each month, the duration of daytime and night sleep is gradually reduced. By the age of one year, children already sleep 11-12 hours, of which at least 2.5-3 should be two naps during the day.

Normal sleep is especially important for a newborn, whose entire first month of life is spent practically adapting to the new conditions of existence into which he found himself after getting out of his mother’s tummy. At the same time, biorhythms begin to form that regulate periods of physical activity and rest.

By three months, the baby has already managed to more or less adapt to the new life and begins to explore the world. He is bombarded with a huge amount of new information, which his small brain is simply not able to quickly process and assimilate. Therefore, after 2-3 hours of active wakefulness, the baby wants to sleep.

But here a conflict arises between his desire to sleep and the ability to do so - an overexcited child’s psyche needs much more time to calm down than an adult. A very tired baby simply cannot fall asleep and needs his mother’s understanding and help.

During any sleep, vital processes are activated that have a direct impact on the growth and development of the baby:

growth hormone is produced;
physical relaxation occurs;
is stabilizing nervous system;
information is processed;
energy reserves are replenished.

Imagine what will happen to a small organism if it is deprived of all this?! If you don’t put the baby to bed in time, he simply changes before your eyes - from a cute smiling toddler he suddenly turns into a loudly screaming creature wet with sweat that simply cannot be calmed down.

A baby who has not rested for the required amount of time during the day becomes so tired in the evening that it is impossible to fall asleep again.

Therefore, the mother’s first task is to choose the regime of alternating sleep and wakefulness that is optimal for her and meets the baby’s needs and strictly adhere to it. Within a few days, the baby will get used to the schedule, and it will be much easier to put him to bed.

Laying features

You've probably already heard that preparation for evening sleep should be accompanied by certain rituals that, repeated day after day, help the baby relax and prepare for the night's rest. During the day, these rituals can also be present, but in a shorter version and in a different form.

So it is necessary for the baby to understand that now they are preparing only for a short rest. Then he will go to bed more calmly.

Changing clothes. It is better to have separate pajamas for nighttime sleep. During the day, the baby can sleep in panties or diapers and a light T-shirt or vest.
Soft light. You should not create complete darkness in the room where the baby will sleep. This can throw off his biorhythms, causing him to sleep for several hours and then be impossible to put him to bed in the evening.
Moderate noise. There is also no need to ensure complete silence, just avoid sharp sounds that can frighten the baby. Let him get used to the fact that his mother is nearby and goes about her business while he rests.

A great option to put your baby to sleep without scandals is a walk. What could be better than a relaxing holiday in the fresh air? Moreover, in a stroller that moves slowly and rocks smoothly, lulling the baby to sleep. If it’s more convenient for you, combine a walk with one of your daytime naps.

But remember that it is impossible to teach your child to sleep only outside during the day for several reasons. Firstly, for him this is a way of understanding the world, so walking while awake is more useful and informative for the baby. He gets acquainted with the world around him and gets new impressions that develop the brain and train the psyche.

Secondly, what will you do on those days when weather they do not allow you to go out for a walk for an hour and a half, which is necessary for a nap. If you teach your child to sleep only in a moving stroller, then be prepared to run around the apartment with it in case of bad weather.

Finally, sleeping in a crib is healthier for your baby, as it teaches him to be independent and develops an awareness that the bed is a place to sleep. But then try so that after learning to crawl and sit, the baby spends more time in active movement - on the mat or in the playpen. This will develop him physically and help him fall asleep faster when he gets back into bed.

Mom's little tricks

A single recipe for how to properly lay infant sleeping during the day does not exist. All children have different temperaments and psychological characteristics. What works great with one child may not work at all with another.

Mom will have to experiment a little to find effective remedies or come up with a few little tricks of her own.

Here are some techniques and tricks that many mothers have already successfully used:

Cool bedroom. Fresh air acts as an excellent sleeping pill, not only when walking. In a well-ventilated bedroom, your baby will fall asleep faster and sleep longer than in a stuffy room. The air temperature should be moderately cool - no higher than 18-20 o C, preferably even in summer. But the baby should not be in a room with the air conditioner running - he can easily catch a cold.
Warm sheet. Often, even sleeping children wake up and start crying at the moment when their mother tries to put them in their crib. The reason for this is cold sheets, upon contact with which the baby experiences unpleasant sensations. Put a heating pad in the bed, and then the child will dive into it with pleasure, and the pleasant warmth will help you relax and partially replace the presence of your mother.
A toy with mom's scent. Another trick that can deceive the baby's senses. All babies have an excellent sense of smell and unmistakably distinguish their mother’s smell from many others. Sleep for a few days with little soft toy, and then give it to your baby. Let her be his crib companion. Hugging a plush pet, the child will not feel lonely, and the presence of his mother’s scent will calm him even in his sleep.
A cozy nest. All parents try to buy a spacious crib for their baby so that it is more comfortable for him to sleep in it. But sometimes it works reverse side, especially in the first months of a baby’s life. Accustomed to close contact with his mother and a small living space in the womb, he feels lost in a large bed. Therefore, if you practice swaddling before bed and your baby likes it, do it, but do not wrap him too tightly to allow him to move and breathe normally. Or simply twist a “nest” out of another blanket and place the baby there - he will really like it.
Uniform noise. Surprisingly, some children fall asleep much better during the day than in the evening, precisely because that ringing silence that often frightens a child is absent. Quiet humming washing machine, a quietly working TV, the sound of water flowing in the kitchen or the hissing of food in a frying pan calm the child and help him fall asleep faster.
Tactile contact. Even a short-term separation from the mother is very difficult for the baby. But putting the baby in his own bed is possible only in extreme cases - when the child is very sick, or the mother is so tired that she cannot get up to him. For tactile contact, holding the baby's hand or stroking the head is enough. For some children, even having their mother sit next to them is enough, while others need to be held in their arms before going to bed. Do not deny your child closeness - this is extremely important for him now.
Quiet melody. If you often listened to classical or meditative music during pregnancy, great! Be sure that the same disc will have a calming effect on the child - because the melody will be familiar to him and will remind him of that serene time when he was in the womb. You can simply hum a song quietly, but not the same lullaby that you usually hear before going to bed.
Tummy massage. There is no need to do a full relaxing massage before sleep - leave this pleasant and very effective procedure for the evening ritual. But a five-minute tummy massage is just what you need. This is affection for the child, helps the digestive system and is an excellent prevention of painful colic, which often prevents babies from sleeping.
Aromatherapy. Beautiful folk remedy to improve sleep. But not all essential oils are beneficial for babies. And their concentration in the air should be lower than for an adult. A few drops of anise or lavender (quality!) will help you fall asleep faster. essential oil, added to an aroma lamp or ultrasonic humidifier.
Carousel pendant. Works great in most cases. But when the child is awake, it is necessary to remove it. Being in front of your eyes all the time, the baby will quickly get tired of the pendant, and he will lose all interest in it. Following rotating objects with your eyes quickly calms you down; usually within 10 minutes the child falls asleep.

These are just 10 examples of how you can put your baby to sleep without unnecessary scandals and tears during the day.

Surely every mother has a few more tips that we haven’t mentioned. Therefore, it is useful to consult with each other, but we must remember that each child is individual. And if, after trying a new method, you see that it doesn’t work, look for something different.

If the baby is sick

The most difficult times for any mother are those periods when the baby is sick. At this time, the child becomes unusually capricious, but maintaining a daily routine is extremely important for his recovery. The course of any disease, even at first glance completely harmless, in children under one year of age should be monitored by a doctor. Especially if the child is the first-born and the mother is not familiar with childhood diseases.

During illness, to ensure your baby's peace of mind, you can make some concessions when putting him to bed during the day or evening. For example, allow him to fall asleep in his arms (but do not rock him to sleep if the baby is older than three months!) or take him to his bed at night (when he wakes up so often that it greatly exhausts the mother).

While the child is sick, he does not perceive this as a bonus or concession; such actions of the mother simply alleviate his condition. But once he starts to recover, everything should go back to normal. Otherwise, you will then have to spend a lot of time and nerves weaning him from the unwanted habit you provoked, which will form in a newborn in just a couple of weeks.

You should also consult a doctor if your child has constant sleep problems, although most often they are not related to physical health baby.

If a child does not rest properly during the day, he always sleeps worse at night. And constant lack of sleep provokes neurosis and psychosomatic diseases, and is one of the reasons for a strong decrease in immunity.

A newborn's quiet sleep is the most important state for him. This is both a method of protection and a time of strengthening, growth, a period of peace and rest. Parents are mistaken if they do not attach importance to how to position the baby correctly and in what position it is better to place the child. Many people wonder whether a newborn must sleep in a crib.

Healthy sleep for a newborn

We would like to immediately reassure all parents: babies, if healthy, sleep very soundly. They cannot be disturbed by ordinary voices and loud, unsharp sounds. Therefore, there is no point in creating ideal silence while the baby sleeps. In addition, the habit of ideal silence, which is extremely difficult to ensure constantly, in the future will not give the child the opportunity to sleep peacefully on the street or in the apartment during the day.

The duration of sleep in infants varies during the first year of life from 18-20 hours in a newborn to 13-14 hours in an 11-12 month old baby.

Putting the baby to bed

Absolutely all parents and close relatives always want to hold their dear newborn baby in their arms as often and as long as possible. Of course, caring hands give the baby a feeling of security and comfort; your calm heartbeat sets a soothing rhythm. But all this is good in moments when the baby is painful or overexcited. The rest of the time it is better to adhere to constant rules.

Place a newborn correctly in the same place under the same conditions: only in a crib, or only in a stroller, or only on a sofa, or only in your arms (but then do not be outraged that the child cannot fall asleep in a crib, changing conditions it will be stressful for him), etc.
Sing a lullaby or speak in a quiet, calm, almost monotonous voice, avoiding sudden changes in timbre and sound intensity.
Breastfeeding always ideal before bed: it satiates, the sucking reflex calms, and sometimes tires newborns, it is cozy and calm in the cradle from the mother’s hands.
If the baby is not hungry and is used to the pacifier, give him a pacifier when putting him to bed. Satisfying the sucking need, the child calms down.
Swimming before bed at night is very good. It perfectly relaxes and prepares you for bed. You can consult with your pediatrician about what herbs can be added to the water if your baby is overexcited or has painful sensations.
The room should be clean and ventilated. The air must be saturated with oxygen. The temperature should not exceed +22C, optimal +18C. Such conditions are useful for strengthening the baby’s immunity and restful sleep.

Check out the video “How to put a newborn to sleep”, “8 ways to put babies to sleep”.

Swaddling

IN Lately swaddling has become considered a relic of the past, and few people listen to their grandmother's advice. However, for newborn children it can be useful. After the cramped mother's womb, large space and spaciousness are not comfortable for the baby. Arms and legs are hypertonic. Therefore, loose swaddling will even be useful for your baby. In this position, the baby is calm and warm. However, do not tighten the diaper too tightly so as not to impede the baby's breathing or injure the delicate bones. As the child grows up, he will learn to fall asleep peacefully without swaddling.

Sleeping mode

You can often hear that children confuse day and night: they sleep during the day and are active at night. To avoid this, try not to communicate with your baby at night from the first days: feeding, swaddling, changing a diaper - all in minimal lighting, without emotional appeal or comments. During the day, fill your waking periods with impressions and pleasures as much as possible: conversations, massages, singing, looking at them, toys, etc. Thus, a daily routine, a sleep pattern that is convenient for you and comfortable for the child, gradually develops.

Sleeping in a crib

There is no single rule on how to properly place a newborn in a crib. However, pediatricians are unanimous on several points.

The crib should be kept away from heating devices and central heating radiators.
The bed should be warm and cozy for the baby. Therefore, in a poorly heated room, it is better to warm the crib with a heating pad.
The side position has the least risk. In the prone position for a newborn, there is a high risk of infant mortality syndrome, and in the supine position there is a risk for the baby to burp and choke. Therefore, it is better to place the baby on its side, with its back resting on a folded blanket, so that the baby does not roll onto its tummy or back. Do not forget to periodically turn the child over to the other side so that the shape of the head is formed correctly in this position.
If the baby shows anxiety, do not rush to pick him up. Talk quietly and calmly, pet him, sing a lullaby, make sure that nothing physically irritates him.

Daytime nap

Many parents are concerned about how to get their child to sleep during the day. There are no separate rules for daytime sleep. It is better to put a 9-month-old baby, as well as a newborn, to bed at the same time, following the regime. The child should be well-fed and comfortably dressed. The room has been checked, the bed is not cold. 40-30 minutes before bedtime, communication becomes calm and peaceful.

If something is bothering your baby, carry him in your arms for a few minutes, singing and talking to him gently. Put him in the crib, stroke him, continuing to speak monotonously.

Why doesn't the baby sleep

According to Dr. Evgeniy Komarovsky, if the child is healthy, then think about the objective reasons.

Perhaps the baby does not want to sleep yet. It grows, and the time spent awake increases, and the number and duration of daytime dreams decreases.
The child will not be able to sleep hungry. The baby should eat before bed. It would be correct to give him breast or milk porridge.
The baby may be capricious because it is too low or too high temperature air.
Sharp extraneous sounds and bright lights can be annoying. Make sure that the room is twilight, the glare of light does not fall on the child, and the surrounding sounds are muffled and monotonous.

We wish your baby a sound and healthy sleep!

Many parents are faced with the problem of how to put their newborn to sleep, because sleep is the main factor in the growth and development of the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to find out why the baby does not sleep at night, and what to do.

If a baby does not sleep well both day and night, this can lead to deviations not only physically, but also psychological development. What does proper rest contribute to:

Correct brain function. This organ needs proper rest. It processes the information received during the day and relieves stress.
Restoration of strength. In the process of comprehending the world, a little person gets tired both physically and emotionally. That's why restoration of energy is its basic need.
Diversified development. A well-rested baby is ready for new knowledge. He shows interest in everything and easily socializes in society.
Emotional stability. When a baby doesn’t sleep well at night, crying and whims during the day are guaranteed. This negatively affects the psychological state of not only the baby, but also the mother.

Age-specific sleep needs calendar

Starting from the birth of the child, the parent is obliged to create a regime in which the baby will get enough sleep.

With each month, the newborn begins to be more awake, and his needs for the amount of sleep change. The child can increasingly go without sleep. Now he not only sleeps and eats like a newborn, but communicates with his mother, plays, and explores the world.

But it is worth remembering that each child is unique, and some may sleep all night, waking up only to feed. And someone walks at night and sleeps during the day. But there are certain rules:

Age	Total sleep per day	Daytime nap	Night sleep
0-2 months	17-20 hours	8-9 hours	7-10 hours
2-4 months	14-16 hours	4-5 hours	9-10 o'clock
4-6 months	14-15 hours	4-5 hours	10 o'clock
6-12 months	13-14 hours	2.5-4 hours	11-12 hours
12-18 months	13-14 hours	2-3 hours	11-12 hours
1.5-2.5 years	12-13 hours	1.5-2.5 hours	10.5-11 hours
3-4 years	11-12 hours	0-1.5 hours	10.5-11 hours
5 years	10.5-11 hours	—	10.5-11 hours

The main thing is not to miss the moment and not to prolong the active time between dreams. The information in the article at the link will help you understand why. The toddler may become overtired and then it will be difficult to calm him down. Excessive fatigue and tension will not allow the little researcher to get a deep and full night's sleep.

For a baby up to 3 months, the time of his comfortable wakefulness is equal to the time of his previous sleep. But no more than 50-60 minutes.

Between the ages of 3 and 8 months, try to recognize signs of your baby's fatigue and start putting him to sleep right away. From 8 months, try to create rest by the hour.

How long can a baby stay awake without overtiring:

Age	Time	Age	Time
0-2 months	75 min.	9 months	2 hours 45 minutes
3-4 months	1 hour 30 minutes	10 months	3 hours
5 months	1 hour 45 minutes	11 months	3 hours 15 minutes
6 months	2 hours	12 months	3 hours 30 minutes
7 months	2 hours 15 minutes	15 months	4 hours
8 months	2 hours 30 minutes	18+ months	4 hours 30 minutes

Causes of sleep disturbances

To understand why a newborn does not sleep at night, you need to determine the specific reason.

Therefore, if a baby sleeps restlessly at night, it is imperative to find out the reason. If this is associated with any disease, you should immediately seek help.

You can consult your pediatrician, and he will refer you to a specialist. Perhaps it will be enough to drink sedatives, for example, teas, which we talk about in this article.

The main reasons for lack of sleep:

pain (most often colic, teething, rickets);
stressful situations;
heredity;
diseases of internal organs;
incorrectly set mode;
individual characteristics;
extraneous irritants;
physiological needs.

How to look out for signs that your child is tired

It’s not difficult to notice when your baby is ready to sleep. To do this, you should take a closer look at his behavior. It is important to put your baby down as soon as signs of fatigue appear, otherwise overtiredness may occur.

The following actions indicate drowsiness:

constantly rubs his eyes;
yawns;
is capricious;
overly excited or, on the contrary, lethargic;
poor coordination;
loses interest in games.

10 ways to put your baby to sleep

All children are supposed to sleep at night, so how do you teach a newborn?

Let's look at the most popular methods:

Bathing a newborn before bed using decoctions or infusions of soothing herbs promotes comfortable rest

Conversations before bed. A native voice is soothing, the main thing is that it is quiet and monotonous. You can read a story, sing a lullaby, or just talk.
Regular ventilation. In a room with a large flow of fresh air, the process of falling asleep is easier. The warmer the conditions, the worse baby sleeps at night.
Breast milk or bottle. They will satisfy not only the sucking reflex and hunger, but also help to calm down.
Swaddling. Despite the fact that modern methods reject this method, for some children, especially hyperactive kids, it really helps, if you do not overdo it. It’s worth a try if the baby is very active and the arms and legs are in constant motion. The baby will stop distracting himself and will probably fall asleep sooner.
Evening swimming. Water treatments have a beneficial effect on the body, completely relaxing it. If add an infusion of soothing herbs to the water, then the effect of the baths will increase.
Fighting colic. Almost every newborn does not sleep at night due to colic. Special medications (consult your pediatrician), a warm diaper and a heating pad applied to your tummy, and circular massage movements in a clockwise direction will help you survive this difficult moment.
Mode. How to put a baby to sleep if he constantly cries? Perhaps the baby was overexcited. Going to bed at the same time will become a useful habit.
Restrictions. The method is to in the evening, protect your offspring from noisy games, active entertainment and TV. It is worth preparing your fragile nervous system for sleep and not loading it with unnecessary information.
Take breaks. If rocking the baby is ineffective and lasts more than an hour, take a break for 15-20 minutes, then start again.
Rituals. Repeating the same actions every day helps your newborn feel secure and go to sleep easier. To overcome sleep disturbances in a child under one year old, a daily ritual is necessary. Be sure to follow the sequence of actions, do not rearrange them. If your fidget does not calm down. Give him a short relaxing massage, tell him a short story in a quiet voice. If the baby sleeps in his own crib, you should not allow him to fall asleep in his parents' bed. About that how to teach your baby to sleep in his own crib can be found here.

Colic is a natural physiological process in the body, this happens due to the underdevelopment of your baby’s gastrointestinal tract. Be patient, according to statistics, by 3-4 months colic goes away without a trace.

If you need to quickly alleviate your baby’s condition, we recommend mastering it. This is not at all difficult, but read about the rules for its implementation in a separate article.

Compliance with the sequence of actions when laying

A bedtime ritual is a daily repeating sequence of actions.. Newborns do not know how to navigate time; thanks to the ritual, they receive a signal that preparation for sleep begins.

If an adult quickly gets bored with routine, then for a baby it is important, so he orients himself in events.

Rules of the ritual:

The duration before daytime sleep is 10 minutes, before night sleep – more than 20 minutes.
Each time the ritual is performed by the same person, just before bedtime.
If you end the ritual with a fairy tale, and your child then asks you to sing to him, the ritual turns into an endless game. Perform the ritual 1 time.
It is important to be systematic. Every day, before every bedtime.
Don't be distracted by other things, be it an important phone call or cutlets on the stove. Concentrate on the baby and complete the ritual.

If a newborn does not sleep well at night, then introducing a ritual will solve this problem.

7 effective techniques for falling asleep on your own

If a child has the skill of falling asleep independently, this makes life much easier for his parents.

The following techniques will tell you how to put your baby to sleep without tears and hysterics.

1 Self-soothing. After all procedures are completed, the child is placed in a crib. You need to be close until your eyes close, then you can leave the room. When the baby cries, all actions should be aimed at consoling only with the help of the voice. You need to talk to him quietly and affectionately, without getting him out of the crib.

2 Gradual farewell. As soon as the baby begins to fall asleep, they put him in bed and stand next to him. If the baby is naughty, you can calm him down, but you should not pick him up. You need to move a short distance from the crib every day.

This way, the child will slowly get used to the constant presence of his mother and within a couple of weeks he will be able to spend the night alone.

3 No tears. When there is an association of sleep with feeding and rocking, then in order to teach the baby to fall asleep on his own, it is necessary to destroy this connection. Let your child fall asleep in unusual conditions, such as in a car or on the street.

Give your child his favorite toy in his crib - it will calm him down

Give him a favorite toy to go to bed with. It is important to gradually reduce the duration of motion sickness and limit night feedings so that a sudden change in habitual patterns does not cause psychological trauma in the child.

4 Ferber method. Described below the method can be called quite cruel and is as follows. Having lulled the child to sleep, they leave him in the crib and leave the room. Hearing crying, they wait a little and come back, trying to calm him down, but not picking him up.

Every time he wakes up, all actions are repeated. Gradually, the child's time alone is increased until he gets used to being in the room on his own.

5 Estiville method. During the day, the mother explains to the baby that in the evening he will sleep on his own in his crib. After the child lies down, the mother kisses him and leaves for a minute or more. When returning, you need to explain that she is nearby and he is safe.

Unlike the previous one, This method involves shorter time intervals when the baby is left alone.

6 Tactile method. The children's nervous system has its own characteristics. To calm down and calm down, they need tactile contact.

Gentle stroking of the arms, back and legs can put the baby to sleep in 10-15 minutes.

7 Mom is nearby. Mom's smell makes the baby feel safe. The feeling that his mother is nearby does not allow him to wake up. You need to put something from your mother’s clothes next to the baby so that he feels the presence of a loved one.

How not to put your baby to bed

It happens that parents do not know what to do when their baby cannot sleep at night. In your search for answers, it’s easy to stumble upon advice that you shouldn’t follow.

8 bad styling tips:

Sleep in a stroller or car. A child's sleep is divided into 4 phases. And when the baby falls asleep deeply, a high-quality restoration of the child’s body occurs. But, if the little one is in a state of movement, it is impossible to fall asleep “deeply”. During a walk, rest is considered superficial, and as soon as the stroller stops, the eyes open. If you have a long trip ahead of you with a baby, and you are worried about how to organize a comfortable rest for your child during a flight or move, a week before the trip, introduce the sound of a hum into the ritual of falling asleep car, plane or the sound of train wheels. This will become a good association and will help you fall asleep safely on the road.
Motion sickness. Such movements do not allow the baby to fall asleep soundly., and then problems arise with falling asleep on your own. Also, there is danger in motion sickness. Doctors have a definition - “to rock the pain.” If a child is thirsty, hungry, or has ear pain, then motion sickness will not let you understand that any abnormalities are occurring.
Termination breastfeeding. Enough teach your baby to sleep without the harmful association BREAST = SLEEP, and then you won’t have to deprive your baby of very healthy mother’s milk.
Pacifier. This attribute is also a bad association. At the moment when the baby moves from one phase of sleep to the next, he will wake up in search of an object missing in his mouth.
Late bedtime. Children who are early risers wake up at 6-7 am, and this does not depend at all on what time they were put to bed. If such a child is put to bed very late, the baby will receive insufficient sleep and, accordingly, be capricious and restless.
Rest in complete silence. There is such a thing as " White noise" The baby associates such noise with comfort, because even in the womb he hears the beating of the mother’s heart, the pulse of blood through the veins, and the rumbling in the stomach. Pediatricians believe that It is comfortable for a newborn to sleep to monotonous noise in the first months of life.
Tight swaddling. If you systematically swaddle a newborn and at the same time tighten the diaper too much, you can cause a disturbance in the circulatory system of a fragile organism, hip dysplasia, and in the worst case, SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) from suffocation.
Warm air in the room. Many people are afraid of their child catching a cold and do not open the windows. In fact fresh air promotes sleep, and the correct healthy room temperature is 18-21 °C. Overheating is a much worse problem than hypothermia.

It is believed that the best time for the production of melatonin (sleep hormone) is from 18:00 to 22:00, it is during this period of time that the baby should be put to bed

Advantages and disadvantages of co-sleeping

It is important to practice co-sleeping with your baby at first. But it is important not to overdo it, because... Weaning your child off this habit may be problematic in the future

Co-sleeping with mom is very important for a baby. Mom's warmth and her smell lull you to sleep, giving you a feeling of comfort and security.

Such peace of mind allows the child to develop properly, protects the parents’ nerves, and also allows them to restore wasted energy.

But besides the advantages there are also negative sides co-sleeping:

the personal life of the spouses suffers;
possible injury to the baby;
the habit of sleeping in the parent's bed is developed, which will be very difficult to give up in the future.

conclusions

All children are very individual, and only parents can choose the appropriate method to solve their sleep problem. You need to listen to your child, monitor his behavior in order to identify and eliminate the cause of concern.

To learn 10 golden rules of children's sleep from Dr. Komarovsky, we recommend watching the following video:

For proper growth and development of a baby, immediately after birth, he must remain in a state of sleep for a long time. He wakes up most often when he feels discomfort or needs a diaper change. Waking up is always a joy for parents, but a reasonable question arises, how to put the baby to sleep.

The baby becomes more active from the second month of life. During this period, he shows curiosity and studies the world around him with interest. That is why it becomes almost impossible to put the baby to sleep without motion sickness. Moms can use tips that will make this process as fast and efficient as possible.

Reasons for not sleeping

If the baby sleeps well, then parents can be completely confident in the proper growth and development of his body.

For children in at different ages The following rest periods are typical:

Until the child is three months old, he should sleep at least 17 hours.
From 3 to 6 months this period decreases to 15 hours.
Up to 12 months, sleep is about 14 hours.
Children over one year old should sleep 13 hours.

If you can’t quickly put your baby to sleep, then most likely he experiences severe discomfort. The situation develops against the background of the following symptoms:

Colic and excessive gas.
Severe pain in the head.
Increased pressure.
Increase in body temperature.

It is almost impossible to put an infant to sleep if he is hungry or in a wet diaper. Against this background, he experiences severe discomfort. The situation also develops in case of cold or stuffiness. Breasts feel uncomfortable if the air in the room is excessively dry.

Getting your newborn to sleep is much easier if you give him the breast. However, experts recommend gradually weaning him from this process.

Features of daytime sleep

The baby must rest for a sufficient period of time in order to grow and develop properly. Otherwise, the baby becomes capricious and irritable. You can easily put your baby to sleep during the day if you adhere to a number of basic rules:

A baby up to six months old should sleep three times during the day. After the end of this period, the period is reduced to two times. Experienced parents recommend taking equal breaks between these processes. These are the first steps of accustoming to a certain regime. In the future, it will be much easier for parents to put him to bed at a strictly defined time.
It will be much easier for your baby to fall asleep if a calm and quiet environment is created in the room. Rest and state of relaxation can be disrupted by any sound, noise and even conversations of neighbors. Parents should try to do everything to protect him from this.
It is necessary to organize high-quality indoor conditions. Special attention should be given to air humidity and temperature. These indicators can be easily adjusted using additional devices. Considered optimal temperature regime at 23 degrees with air humidity of at least 50%.
Fresh air plays an important role during sleep. Its access can be ensured by regular ventilation. 30 minutes will be enough for this.

It is important for a child in infancy to maintain any tactile contact with his mother.

Features and specification of sleeping at night

For a newborn baby, rest in the dark is key. Night sleep cannot be anxious and restless. You can quickly put your little one to bed only if you strictly follow the recommendations from mothers with extensive experience:

The baby will be able to fall asleep quickly only in a calm environment. These requirements must also be observed at night.
Comfortable conditions are maintained even at night. The room should be ventilated, warm and sufficiently humid.
Before going to bed, the child should be thoroughly bathed. Thanks to water procedures, he will be able to relax and calm down. The situation is not only necessary for maintaining personal hygiene standards, but also helps the baby fall asleep quickly.
A light massage allows you to relax and tune in to rest. Movements should be smooth and set the little one in the right mood.
Before going to bed, the baby must eat well. In this case, he is guaranteed not to wake up at night from hunger. Mommy always checks the diaper or diaper.

The baby will easily go to bed if the parents follow these rules exactly. His rest will be good, so he can gain strength for the adventures of the new day.

Weaning a baby from the breast

The baby falls asleep much faster after feeding. However, sooner or later he will have to be weaned. It is necessary to gradually teach the baby to fall asleep on his own. The only exceptions are those cases in which the baby should be fed milk.

At the first stage, all children begin to be capricious and refuse to sleep. They are already accustomed to constantly feeling contact with their mother, so they cannot imagine a vacation without her. In this case, unpleasant sensations arise in their body, which only caring parents can help get rid of.

Stroking helps your baby relax and fall asleep

It is possible to put a newborn to sleep without using the breast. To do this, it is enough to follow simple recommendations from experienced mothers:

During weaning, the baby needs to be provided with as much comfortable conditions in family. He instantly reacts to the deterioration in his mother’s mood, so he becomes as capricious and irritable as possible. More recently, he used his mother’s breast to calm him down, but now he cannot do this. If he is under severe stress, then attempts to cling to the chest will appear much more often. Parents must do everything to ensure that during this period of development the little one feels exclusively good and positive emotions.
In order for the baby to fall asleep faster, almost all parents are ready to do everything for him. If they plan to quickly wean him off the breast, then being led by whims is not allowed. It is best to put the baby in the crib and not pick him up at the slightest change in mood. Additionally, it is not recommended to give him breastfeeding or pick him up. The weaning period lasts differently for all children. As a rule, it is approximately seven days. At the end of this period, the baby will be able to fall asleep on his own without his mother’s breast.
It is allowed to additionally use a bottle or pacifier during the weaning period. They are used to simulate the presence of the mother.

How to properly wean a baby from motion sickness

According to many psychologists, children should not be taught this process at all. You just need to put them in the crib and wait for them to go to bed.

Otherwise, the process of weaning itself may negatively affect his psycho-emotional state. At the moment he is experiencing severe stress: he was separated from his mother and is not allowed to even touch her.

The child will sleep soundly at night if parents listen and follow the simple recommendations of experts in the field:

Before going to bed, the baby should see one of the family members. In this case, he will get used to it and will feel completely protected.
During the day, the child should be active. However, forgetting to sleep at lunchtime is also not recommended. If the baby has received a sufficient amount of emotions and impressions, he will quickly fall asleep and enjoy his rest. Some parents are convinced that their baby will quickly fall asleep if shortly before this he actively plays on his own.
Best time for going to bed it is impossible to accurately determine. Each family's regime is unique, so only parents can make a decision about this. Attention in this issue Pay attention to the child's activity and planned wake-up time. At night, the baby should sleep for at least ten hours. Otherwise, he will not be able to rest well and gain strength for the new day. It is recommended to determine the time of going to bed and stick to this schedule constantly. In this case, a program will be strengthened in the body, which will allow you to accustom the baby much faster.
In order for your baby to fall asleep quickly, it is recommended to take him for a walk before bed in the fresh air.
It is important to place the baby in a calm and quiet room. There should not be bright light in it. Parents should only go inside if absolutely necessary. At the same time, they must behave very quietly.
The baby will quickly fall asleep if mommy puts him in a comfortable position. It is also necessary to comply with personal safety standards. Experts recommend placing the baby on its side. This will allow him to burp unhindered and not choke. The position on the stomach is considered unacceptable, because in this case the risk of harm to the cervical spine increases. Also, the pose can block breathing, because the baby periodically sticks his nose into the pillow. It is important that the baby falls asleep with a straight back and on his side. Thanks to this, he will feel as comfortable as possible. At the same time, the risk of injury can also be minimized.

Healthy sleep is the key to proper growth and development

Instead of rocking, mommy can use pleasant touches. It is also allowed to constantly be nearby and hold the baby’s hand or hug. At the same time, the baby feels the warmth of a loved one and quickly falls asleep. Over time, stroking will be completely unnecessary, and the little one will be able to rest on his own.

To quickly wean off the breast, it is necessary to create the most positive conditions in the family. Mother's milk is not allowed to be used during the day. Instead, you need to show as much love and care as possible. Physical discomfort can also have a negative impact on the situation.

A pediatrician will be able to give correct advice and assess the situation. Additionally, he will monitor the general condition of the young patient. Thanks to this, the probability negative consequences can be minimized.