Obstructive bronchitis in children - symptoms and treatment

Features of sleep in newborns

Sleeping and waking patterns of a newborn by week

In the first days of life, the baby sleeps almost all the time. He doesn't have a specific regime yet. A newborn does not understand when it is day and when it is night. Typically, a baby sleeps about 21–22 hours a day. This time is quite enough to restore strength and for the development of all body systems. Each newborn has different sleep and wake intervals. Breastfed babies may wake up after 1-1.5 hours to feed. Artificial babies usually sleep longer - 1.5–2 hours. During the daytime, a newborn needs about 9 hours of rest, and at night - 10–12 hours. A newborn's daily amount of sleep decreases as they grow older. Thus, babies aged two weeks sleep approximately 20 hours. During short periods of wakefulness, the baby suckles at the breast or formula and falls back to sleep almost immediately. Three-week-old babies gradually increase physical activity. They begin to explore the world, peer into the surrounding objects, raise their arms and legs. At this age, infants have slightly longer periods of wakefulness. They do not fall asleep immediately after feeding, but a little later, so the total amount of time spent sleeping per day decreases by about 1 hour. A one-month-old baby is already beginning to develop an approximate sleep pattern. The baby already feels the change of day and night. At this age, children sleep approximately 19 hours per day. At the same time, night sleep accounts for about 10-12 hours, and daytime rest - 7-9. The intervals between sleep and wakefulness gradually increase and reach 60–75 minutes. At this time, the baby eats and learns about the world around him.

Causes of restless sleep in a newborn

Due to the immaturity of the brain, deep (slow) sleep is absent in children under one month old. Until this age, there is only its prototype - the so-called quiet sleep, which lasts a few minutes. The rest of the time the baby sleeps superficially. This means that the newborn does not go into deep sleep. Brain maturation in infants occurs individually; the timing and speed of development may vary from child to child. On average, infants enter deep sleep between the ages of one and three months. This is the most important reason why a newborn writhes in his sleep and sleeps restlessly, but there are others:

1. The baby is hot. Parents often swaddle and wrap the baby. Due to discomfort, the newborn cries a lot in his sleep, tosses and turns, and wakes up more often than usual. 2. Overflowing diaper. It needs to be changed every 2-3 hours as babies defecate frequently. Urine and feces irritate the skin, so the child may experience itching and other discomfort in the perineal area. 3. Overexcitement. Some mothers think that if they put their baby to bed later, he will sleep longer than usual. This is a misconception. Due to overexcitation and extreme fatigue, the child falls asleep worse and sleeps restlessly. 4. Neurological problems. Children who have suffered a birth injury may experience increased intracranial pressure, headaches, and tearfulness. These babies often have sleep disturbances. 5. The baby is hungry. If the mother does not produce enough milk, the baby does not sleep well because he is constantly hungry. A newborn smacks his lips in his sleep, turns around, cries and wakes up prematurely. 6. Hypertonicity. Many infants have overstrained muscle fibers in their arms and legs. For this reason, young children often startle in their sleep and wake themselves up. By the age of two months, the tone weakens, so the baby sleeps more calmly. If your newborn throws his head back during sleep and shudders very often, you should show him to a doctor. Such symptoms may indicate neurological problems.

Attention! There is no reason to worry if a newborn baby sighs in his sleep, occasionally makes chaotic movements, sobs or groans. This activity is characteristic of the rapid phase of sleep, which in infants predominates over the slow phase.

Should you rock your newborn to sleep?

Newborns most often fall asleep without additional effort from their parents. The baby quickly falls asleep when nursing. However, this is not always the case. Many mothers face the problem that it is difficult to put their baby to sleep without motion sickness. Putting the baby to bed can take quite a long time, while the parents collapse from fatigue, and the baby does not fall asleep.

According to experts, a healthy and well-fed child, who is not bothered by anything, goes to sleep easily and quickly. He doesn't need rocking. It is enough for him to feel the mother’s warmth, which has a calming effect. If a newborn cannot fall asleep for a long time, the interval of wakefulness was probably too long and the child was overexcited. In this case, it is quite difficult to lay him down, but you can still avoid motion sickness if you resort to the following methods:

1. Free swaddling. Pediatricians recommend wrapping a newborn in a diaper, but not tying the arms and legs tightly. A soft tissue cocoon reminds a newborn of the sensations that accompanied him during intrauterine development. 2. Massage. Light massaging movements before bedtime relax the baby's muscles and help him calm down. 3. Swimming. Just being in warm water has a calming effect. If you wash your baby in a bath with herbal extracts added, he will fall asleep much faster and sleep longer.

Recommended sleeping positions for a newborn by month

Until the age of one and a half months, pediatricians recommend putting the baby to sleep only on his back. In the first days of his life, a newborn does not know how to hold his head straight; it turns on its own to the right or left. Thanks to this, when regurgitating, the mouth is freed from vomit. The side-lying position is suitable for babies aged two or three months who already know how to roll over on their own. Newborns are not placed in this way for several reasons:

1. This position creates additional pressure on the chest, making it more difficult for the baby to breathe; 2. The child may accidentally roll over and take a position for which he is not yet physiologically ready.

A newborn can sleep on his stomach for a short period of time and only under the supervision of his mother, who controls the position of his head. In other cases, this position is unacceptable due to the risk of suffocation. The position on the stomach with the knees bent is one of the most favorite for children over three months. In this position, the baby quickly falls asleep. In addition, this pose helps relieve gases and strengthen the muscles of the limbs. According to pediatricians, in order for a newborn to sleep well, you don’t need to wait until he’s tired. It is also important to create favorable conditions for normal rest - feed the baby, remove the light source and ensure silence.

From 0 to 3 months

Typical sleep at this age

At this age, a newborn sleeps quite a lot - approximately 17 to 18 hours a day during the first few weeks and 15 hours a day by three months.

Children almost never sleep more than three or four hours at a time, day or night. This means you won’t be able to sleep for many hours in a row either. At night you will have to get up to feed and change your baby; during the day you will play with it. While some babies sleep through the night as early as 8 weeks, many babies don't reach this milestone until they are 5 or 6 months old. You can help your child achieve this goal faster by instilling good sleep habits from the very beginning.

Restless sleep of a child: what is considered normal?

The baby seems to be sleeping, but his sleep is shallow or interrupted.

“Whining” in your sleep is not a cause for concern

What to do?

Sing quietly - “a-”... So that the baby calms down and falls asleep again. If he bursts into tears, calm him down - stroke him, rock him, take him in your arms.

Sometimes don’t immediately show your presence to your child. He'll grunt and grunt and maybe fall asleep on his own. This way you will help him learn over time to cope with his night loneliness and calm down on his own.

How to understand why a newborn is crying? Memo for mom

Frequent awakenings during the day and night

The newborn wakes up approximately once every 1.5–2 hours, and sometimes every 30–40 minutes (even at night). Often awakenings are caused by physiological needs: hunger, wet diaper, cold. However, often the baby wakes up for no apparent reason.

What to do?

If awakenings are not accompanied by loud crying, there is no cause for concern. Babies sleep like this (although this is little consolation for parents). The time will come, everything will change. Gradually, the child grows up, becomes more active during the day, and wakes up less often at night.

Sometimes newborns sleep up to 4-5 hours continuously - this is how much they can withstand without food. It’s good if this time coincides with night sleep.

Startling during sleep and when falling asleep is understandable and natural

Occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep and between stages of sleep. Associated with poorly formed inhibitory mechanisms of the nervous system. As the child grows up and the nervous system matures, the twitching gradually disappears.

What to do?

Bathe in decoctions with soothing herbs: motherwort, chamomile, pine extract.

Follow a ritual when preparing for bed: bathing, stroking the back

Co-sleeping with mom and rocking in arms

The controversy continues. Some mothers and fathers advocate for the child to sleep in a separate crib, teaching him to be independent from the first days of life. Other parents are committed to closeness and co-sleeping with their baby. You shouldn’t be so categorical - all children are different!

Agree that no one will rock a baby who falls asleep as soon as his head touches the pillow. And, conversely, if the baby cries, every parent will try to calm their child down - a natural reaction. Try to find a middle ground.

Baby's sleep - from a different "test"

It will take a long time for your baby to sleep until the morning without waking up.

After birth

A baby's sleep begins with the active sleep phase and then moves into the slow-wave sleep phase. Compared to adults, infants have short and shallow sleep phases.

In the REM sleep stage, the baby sleeps lightly, waking up even from slight discomfort or noise. In the deep sleep phase, it is difficult to wake a child - hence the expression “sleeping like a baby.”

Where is the day and where is the night?

Newborns do not distinguish the time of day. However, everything is gradually changing: the brain structures responsible for the functioning of the “internal clock” and responding to the level of illumination are maturing. By the age of 1.5 months, the baby stops “confusing” day with night - periods of wakefulness are “tied” to daytime.

How long does a baby sleep?

A newborn sleeps/naps 18–20 hours a day. Wakes up to eat or cry to announce his uncomfortable condition (wet diaper/cold/heat).

Note: The figures given are approximate and should not be taken as a constant norm. Based on the characteristics of your baby.

Where to sleep for the baby

Some mothers, from infancy, teach their child to fall asleep separately from their parents, for others it is much easier and calmer if the newborn sleeps next to them.

Cot

When choosing a crib for sleeping, pay attention to the distance between the bars. Ideally, it is 2.5-6 cm. Also an important parameter of the sleeping place is the presence of a function for adjusting the bottom level. When the baby is very small, it will not be very convenient for the young mother to bend too low to lay him down.

For the comfort of your baby, you need to know how to choose the right children's mattress. You should prefer foam rubber to those made from coconut shavings. It is rigid enough for proper development of the spine, and is also more durable. There should be no pillows in a newborn's crib.

Prevention of somnambulism

As you know, it is better to prevent any disease than to treat it later. Sleepwalking in children is also no exception. Preventive measures, the daily implementation of which is aimed at preventing sleepwalking or reducing the frequency of episodes to a minimum:

1. Maintaining a daily routine. Going to bed needs to be developed only at a certain time, regardless of the day of the week or holidays.
2. There should be no external irritants in the bedroom - TV, computer, bright light, etc.
3. The air temperature is allowed within +20 ºС, which is considered the most comfortable for healthy sleep.
4. Nutrition must be complete and appropriate for the child’s age. It is advisable to take your last meal no later than two hours before bedtime; you should also not be overzealous with drinking. Sweet, carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, chocolate are prohibited from being consumed in the evening.
5. To help you fall asleep faster, you can use soft, calm music, sing a lullaby, or read a book. Discussing the events of the past day with your child has a calming effect.
6. Establish relationships between all family members. The child subconsciously feels a negative psychological situation and worries about it.

Moderate exercise may also help. Regular exercise, plus walks in the fresh air, and then a cool shower are the key to sound and healthy sleep. Moreover, if the baby sleeps during the day, then you will have to give up this.

For better sleep, you can use aroma candles and essential oils. Chamomile, lavender, sage, myrrh, and lemon balm give a good effect.

Of the so-called popular advice, the most common way to prevent sleepwalking is considered to be: in addition to all of the above, you need to lay a wet towel in front of your bed every night. When getting out of bed, the child will come into contact with a cold and wet surface and wake up. Logically, this should work, but the scientific effectiveness of this method has not been proven.

How to distinguish a child’s whims from health problems?

Pathological crying/sob is accompanied by tension and drama, monotony and monotony, suffering and irritability. Painful screams are often accompanied by muscle tension, severe motor agitation, or changes in skin color.

It is impossible to calm the baby down with anything: neither lulling, nor feeding, nor using all kinds of means and tricks. Only for a while the sobbing may give way to “whining” or sobbing, but then the crying flares up with renewed vigor.

What to do?

Contact your doctors. The child undergoes a comprehensive examination. If necessary, he also undergoes polysomnography (sleep studies).

If a disease is detected, medications are used. For example, drugs are prescribed to improve the functioning of the nervous system, sedatives or sleeping pills.

For sleep/sleeping or eating disorders, special behavioral therapy techniques are used, and in some cases medications are prescribed.