A baby, just born, usually sleeps day and night. Nowadays, a baby does not have many natural physiological needs, and among them, sleep and breastfeeding still occupy the main place. Very little time will pass, and you will be surprised how much the child, his routine, and, of course, the duration of his sleep have changed. In the meantime, parents need to know how much newborns sleep so as not to worry about it.
Are there certain standards that allow your baby to get enough sleep and stay healthy? Let's try to figure it out.
Are there standards?
While expecting the birth of your baby, you, of course, made plans about how you would maintain his health by following a daily routine and diet. Such plans are a completely natural need that “fits” with maternal instincts. However, along with attempts to implement these plans, young mothers begin to worry from the first days, asking various questions. One of them: why does a newborn baby sleep so much? Or vice versa: does my child get enough sleep and what should I do if his sleep lasts fewer hours than required by the standards?
According to experts, there is no strict “sleep schedule” for a newborn baby; it is much more important to pay attention to the baby’s mood and his state of health. In this case, important parameters are normal body temperature, good appetite and stool. Like any person, your child has individual characteristics and physiological needs that fit into his own rules. Soon you will learn to understand and notice them, but for now, just listen to his desires and needs.
Many newborn babies sleep for only a short time, after which they wake up and start crying. If you suspect that your child’s sleep is interrupted due to some unknown reason, but there are no symptoms of disease, then pay attention to the following points:
- Perhaps the baby is bothered by skin rashes - dermatoses, so he wakes up from a feeling of itching or burning;
- the child may become hungry and cry for food;
- the baby may have problems related to eating, including bloating;
- If the necessary humidity and optimal temperature are not maintained in the children's room, the child may either freeze or experience discomfort due to heat and dryness.
Should you immediately consult a doctor if your child, in your opinion, is not getting enough sleep and is acting restless? As a rule, there is no need for this: it is enough to correct the above points, and sleep will return to normal. But if you notice that your baby constantly and very often wakes up both at night and during the day, and at the same time he has become too nervous, it is better to show him to the pediatrician at an unscheduled appointment.
When to see a doctor
Sleep problems in children can also be caused by neurological and other reasons, and if basic techniques do not help, there is reason to contact a specialist who will check whether there are deviations in sleep patterns. This is done, among other things, using a procedure called polysomnography. “The advantage of polysomnography is that it provides precise information about the architecture and microstructure of sleep. This information enables clinicians to evaluate visible changes in breathing, heart rate, or blood oxygen saturation within the context of sleep physiology, and at the same time document the impact of sleep-disordered breathing on the patient's sleep quality.”
This study is used to diagnose both direct sleep disorders and other conditions whose symptom is restless sleep. During the technique, a large number of indicators are measured, which in one way or another make it possible to trace the cause.
However, more often, sleep problems arise not due to physiological disorders, but due to natural conditions in the child, or unsuitable conditions. Parental participation and careful adherence to the routine will help to successfully improve your baby's sleep.
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How many hours a day should a newborn baby sleep?
Despite individual characteristics, certain sleep standards that parents can follow still exist. So: how much should a newborn sleep in the first days of his life? There is no specific formula for calculating this norm; the average daily waking time is simply taken as a basis. For example, a baby's daytime sleep time from birth to one month can range from 4 to 8 hours, which means that during the day the baby can sleep for about 17 hours. As already mentioned, it is impossible to calculate the exact time, since the determining factor here is the individual characteristics of the baby.
Modern pediatricians believe that a healthy baby sleeps in total about 15-17 hours a day, no more. True, there are also babies who need sleep for 20 hours a day. Longer sleep is necessary:
- babies born prematurely;
- children who have suffered a difficult labor period;
- newborns with pathologies and congenital diseases.
Sleep for low birth weight and not entirely healthy children is the best medicine. They need strength and energy to get through the difficult recovery period. Therefore, unlike healthy peers, these babies require longer rest.
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How long do babies sleep during the day at the age of 1-2 months?
In the first week of life, a newborn’s sleep can last the whole day: nature intended it so that after birth, not only the child, but also the mother can fully rest. The periods of wakefulness during which the baby interrupts to eat and “look around” a little are still very small - no more than 15 minutes or half an hour. This “sleepy kingdom” is an absolutely normal situation for a healthy baby.
But as he grows up, the time of daytime sleep begins to gradually decrease, so that by two months the child sleeps much less: now his period of wakefulness takes a long time, and the baby falls asleep approximately every 3 hours. Of course, this is an approximate norm, since some babies may need to fall asleep every 2 hours. As a rule, the baby requires three times of putting to bed during the day: two of them can happen on a walk, one at home.
Periods and meaning of sleep
Our sleep has been studied through a special procedure - polysomnography.
The phases of sleep that repeat one after another are identified: falling asleep/drowsiness, rapid/shallow sleep, slow/deep sleep (divided into several more periods). The duration of each cycle: in adults - up to hours, in newborns - from 30 minutes (gradually lengthens as they grow older).
The importance of sleep has been proven. While we sleep, our brain and body continue to be awake: cells grow and divide, toxins are eliminated, information received during the day is processed and stored in memory.
Duration of night sleep in a newborn
How long should a baby sleep at night? This may surprise some, but the nighttime sleep time of a newborn baby does not exceed the sleep time of an adult, amounting to about 8-9 hours. The baby will follow such a nightly regime if the mother begins to feed him on demand: by latching on to the breast, the baby will eat plenty and then fall asleep throughout the night.
To ensure your baby has a healthy night's sleep, do not rush to put him in a crib for the night when you return from the hospital. It will be much more convenient for both of you if the baby falls asleep next to you in a special cocoon: this way he will feel calmer, feeling the presence of his mother nearby, and you will be able to feed the baby at night without getting out of bed. Modern psychologists and pediatricians believe that falling asleep together on the parent's bed has a beneficial effect on the psycho-emotional state of the child. Therefore, in the first months of life, if possible, place him next to you for both night and daytime sleep.
Immediately after birth, babies often do not recognize the time of day, so they may confuse day with night, waking up to breastfeed more often at night than during the day. In order for the newborn’s biorhythms to stabilize more quickly, you can do a simple “trick”: before going to bed at night, try to feed him at a clearly defined time. A couple of days will be enough for the baby to get into a routine and stop waking up at night for additional feedings.
Particularly sensitive babies may have problems sleeping when they do not intuitively sense the closeness of their mother, for this reason they become whiny, capricious, and often wake up. It is better to feed such a child, who sleeps no more than 7 hours at night, by the hour: pediatricians believe that they need this not so much for satiety, but so that the mother takes them in her arms and relieves the feeling of anxiety.
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.
How sleep norms change from birth to one year
The duration of sleep for newborn babies can vary significantly. Don't worry if people you know report that their baby the same age as yours spends more time awake and less time sleeping during the day or night. In this regard, do not try to bring your child to a “common denominator” and accustom him to a routine “like everyone else.” The baby will intuitively feel how much time his body needs for proper rest - so that the cells of the nervous system, brain and other vital organs are fully restored.
The duration of sleep for newborn babies can vary significantly. Don't worry if people you know report that their baby the same age as yours spends more time awake and less time sleeping during the day or night. In this regard, do not try to bring your child to a “common denominator” and accustom him to a routine “like everyone else.” The baby will intuitively feel how much time his body needs for proper rest - so that the cells of the nervous system, brain and other vital organs are fully restored.
Duration of sleep for a two to three month old baby. Already at two months of age, the child begins to develop his own daily routine. From this age, his daytime sleep time will decrease, it will be replaced by waking hours, and night sleep will become a little longer. During the daytime, the child becomes more active, tries to roll over and is interested in surrounding objects. During this period, it is better to spend one of the daytime beds outside: in the fresh air, the baby will quickly fall asleep, sleep well and regain strength. And when he wakes up, he will be in a great mood.
However, a two- to three-month-old baby has not yet learned to recognize the time of day, so he may still confuse night with day. Therefore, if you put your child to bed at 21 o’clock and hope that he will certainly sleep until the morning, then you may be mistaken, because the baby can easily wake up cheerful and cheerful at two o’clock in the morning. Such a shift in biorhythms is not problematic for the baby himself, but it is advisable to make adjustments to it: the easiest way to do this is to determine a different time for going to bed at night. If a three-month-old baby does not wake up throughout the night, it means that this routine is convenient for him, and nothing should be changed. Your main task is not to interfere with the child’s “sleeping habits,” but only to make slight adjustments to them so that he feels the difference between day and night. The most important thing is to provide the baby with sound and good sleep, so that at these moments the development of his body proceeds normally.
Duration of sleep for a three to six month old baby. At the age of six months, the baby’s sleep patterns and general schedule change once again. The child reduces the number of daytime bedtimes: now he sleeps not three, but twice during the day, lasting from 40 minutes to two hours. A four- to five-month-old baby’s daily routine may already have quite clear guidelines: he knows at what hours he needs to eat, at what times he needs to take a walk, and when he needs to sleep. And breastfeeding or formula feeding is becoming more rare: now the baby takes no more than six feedings a day. Another time the child may ask for a breast or a bottle at night - this is regarded by pediatricians as the norm. From about 4-5 months, many parents begin to introduce solid foods as complementary foods - cereals, vegetable purees.
It becomes more difficult to put a six-month-old child to sleep, especially if he does not have a clear nap schedule. In addition, during this period, the quality of sleep may be affected by the first teething or ordinary fatigue associated with an overabundance of daytime information.
Sleep duration for a six to nine month old baby. After six months, the child’s sleep schedule rapidly changes, increasing in the direction of wakefulness. How much sleep should a baby who has reached this age sleep? A seven to eight month old baby continues to increase his nightly rest time. But this does not mean that at this age he will suddenly give up breastfeeding or a bottle at night. Of course, not all children wake up for night feeding, and the attachment itself is more of a habit than a necessity. The baby may simply need contact with his mother: having received a feeling of security, he will quickly return to sleep.
During the day, a nine-month-old baby is already fully awake, so you can safely spend about 4 hours straight on his games and walks. By the age of nine months, the child sleeps for a long time at night, and his sleep generally becomes more restful.
Duration of sleep for a one-year-old child. A ten-month-old baby no longer needs long daytime sleep - now 4 hours is enough for him to rest. There are also more active breastfed children, for whom one and a half to two hours are enough to recover. Artificial babies can sleep 3.5-4 hours during the day. If the baby wakes up cheerful, takes up games with pleasure, has a good appetite and mood, but sleeps little, do not worry. The duration of a child’s sleep can be influenced not only by his state of health, but also by his character, as well as the environmental situation.
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
What you need for healthy sleep
Create a special environment for your child in the place where you put him to sleep. After all, comfortable conditions are very important for the duration of a child’s sleep. In addition, certain psychological factors can influence sound and healthy sleep.
- When your baby is awake during the day, do not create an environment of complete silence around him. Give him the opportunity not only to adapt to the environment, but also to decide on his first interests in life. Play music for him, sing songs, read books, tell him fairy tales - at this age the child already has enough vocabulary to understand a lot. But at night, use thick curtains in the bedroom: when covering the windows with them, explain to the baby that night has come, and that means everyone goes to bed until the morning.
- Keep the children's room clean: ventilate and clean it in a timely manner, do wet cleaning in a timely manner, wiping dust from furniture, doors, windows: it is very important that the baby's airways are free of pungent odors and dust. Maintain the optimal temperature (no more than 20-22 degrees) and air humidity (about 55-65%) in the room.
- Try to be close to your baby when he falls asleep. Don't pack it hastily, even if you have a lot to do. It is important for a child to feel the care and calm of a loved one: this way he will fall asleep better at night and be more active during the day.
- Don't put your baby to bed hungry - you can spend hours on this. A well-fed baby will sleep longer and wake up with a good appetite.
