7 reasons why a 1-year-old child sleeps poorly at night and often wakes up

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If your child has trouble sleeping at night and wakes up frequently, we'll tell you what may be causing sleep problems and what you can do to help your baby sleep soundly and peacefully.

Everyone knows the phraseology - “sleeps like a baby.” Typically, at a young age, sleep is sound and restful; the baby should spend most of the day sleeping, gradually replacing it with physical activity. But, unfortunately, a child’s development does not always go “according to plan,” and modern parents are faced with long-term sleep disturbances in their children.

Childhood insomnia is also called “behavioral insomnia of early childhood” and most often occurs due to the formation of incorrect attitudes and associations, such as sleeping only with a night light, falling asleep in the parent’s bed, or rocking in one’s arms. Corrections of sleep behavior can lead to problems falling asleep, as well as problems with the quantity and quality of sleep.

Insomnia affects the growth and development of children, as it suppresses the production of somatotropic hormone, which is mainly produced during sleep. Children experiencing sleep cycle disorders usually lag behind their peers in growth and development. With poor sleep, mental function suffers, children are capricious, behave badly, and lose the ability to think logically. Prolonged insomnia can lead to somatic and neurological diseases.

Possible reasons why a child does not want to fall asleep

There are many reasons why your baby has trouble falling asleep. However, the main ones include strong negative emotions, stress, physical or moral stress. Any strong emotional outbursts, positive or negative, lead to the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which interfere with sleep, awakening activity. Also, often problems falling asleep are caused by childhood fears of the dark or “monster”, childhood nightmares.

Children are especially prone to problems falling asleep, since this period is associated with the greatest overload of the fragile nervous system, in which the catalysts are often stress or the lack of special rituals that program the child’s brain to go to bed, as well as excessive fatigue during the day.

How can you tell if your child is not sleeping well at night? The first signal to parents will be a long period of falling asleep, from half an hour to an hour. The second point is usually the need to create special conditions: a baby with sleep disorders is very demanding and can be capricious for a long time until the parents create a suitable atmosphere (motion sickness, a burning night light, noise generators).

How to help your child improve sleep?

Many pediatricians say that poor sleep in a child returns to normal between the ages of 6 and 12 months. But parents can help bring this moment as close as possible. If your child is having trouble sleeping and waking up frequently, pay special attention to the following:

• Is it comfortable for a child to sleep in a separate crib and is there a need for co-sleeping?
• How does the environment before bedtime affect his nervous system?
• How long during the day the child spends time in the fresh air and actively participates in outdoor games;
• Is there a source of pain in the little person’s body and how can it be eliminated?
• Is the diet chosen correctly and are there any foods that cause allergic reactions?

Reasons why a child often wakes up at night

A child with insomnia is characterized not only by prolonged falling asleep, but also by frequent awakenings at night. The huge number of emotions experienced by the baby during the day contributes to nervous, capricious sleep, during which he can wake up repeatedly. Quite often, such night awakenings lead to crying, complaints from the baby and difficulties with further getting to bed.

There are many reasons why a child does not sleep well. Often children wake up with increased excitability of the nervous system or babies who are accustomed to too active attention from their parents. Sleep disturbances in this case are caused by the child’s high impressionability or his inability to fall asleep on his own. A healthy baby is very inquisitive and physically active, so restless sleep may be caused by insufficient expenditure of available energy.

Moreover, in the first months of life in babies, there is a predominance of shallow sleep over deep sleep, so any rustle, turning on a light, or a change in temperature in the room can cause frequent awakenings. Also, at the age of 1.5 years, the first childhood nightmares usually occur, which, in turn, provoke frequent awakenings in the middle of the night.

The quantity and quality of sleep is directly related to the baby’s well-being: teething or tummy pain also provoke frequent awakenings at night. In cases where your baby is healthy, well-nourished and reasonably physically active, but still has difficulty sleeping, make sure that the environment in which he falls asleep is comfortable enough. The baby's pajamas should be his size, in a room with fresh air, but without excessive humidity and drafts.

For quality sleep, in principle, free breathing and access to fresh air rich in oxygen are very important. Remember: getting a good night's sleep with even the slightest runny nose is extremely difficult, especially if the nose is stuffy from hot and dry air, which has a bad effect on the mucous membranes. It is important that the temperature in the baby’s bedroom is low, since in cool conditions he sleeps better, and breathing is more even and deep, while the air should be humidified. It is advisable not to close the window in the bedroom (make sure that drafts do not form) so that the temperature does not exceed 18-22℃, with a humidity of at least 60%.

Causes of restless sleep in a child

Teething

The child may have difficulty sleeping due to discomfort when teething. In this case, the gums swell, salivation increases, and the temperature may rise.

Stomach ache

Infants often cannot sleep or wake up due to intestinal colic.

Colds

Sleep disturbances in children may be associated with a deterioration in general well-being due to colds or viral diseases. Signs of the disease include fever, decreased appetite, and incessant crying.

Otitis

Children may wake up frequently due to ear pain caused by otitis media. You may notice that the child struggles or jerks his head away when pressure is applied to the tragus of the auricle.

Congenital lesions of the central nervous system

The child may suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders due to cerebrovascular accidents, encephalopathy, etc.

Neuroses and stress

Restless sleep is observed in children after experiencing stress. The cause of overstimulation of the nervous system can be any changes in life: stopping breastfeeding, moving to another room, or, in older children, conflicts with loved ones or in a group of children.

Tips and tricks for improving your baby's sleep

Form a sleepy ritual for your baby: for example, bathing in the bath with your favorite toys and “Bayu-bayushki” foam from the “Moe Solnyshko” brand. It contains lavender extract, which calms the child and sets him up for a restful sleep.

Often children respond well to special “sleepy” exercises and aromatherapy. For gentle care and a final touch, use Bayu-bayushki cream, it will help the mother complete the evening ritual and prepare the baby for sleep. Apply the cream to your baby’s clean skin; it will perfectly soften and moisturize your baby’s skin, making it soft and silky.

Why does a 1-year-old child sleep poorly at night?

Just recently the little one was lying and crawling, but now he has started walking and he needs to touch and try everything in order to study? Is he actively learning to walk and trying to chat incessantly in “his” language, but at the same time he sleeps very poorly at night and is capricious?

Don't worry! Your baby has matured, he already does a lot on his own, and therefore needs more support from his mother or another significant adult. He needs to feel that he is safe when he is learning something new, and now it is much more interesting to do this now that he has felt his mobility.

WHY DID THE DREAM SPOILERED?

At the age of 1 year, children explore space and the objects around them with great interest. Sometimes the unknown is scary or dangerous. At this moment, the child wants to receive support from the most caring and close person to him.

The baby may ask to be held, “stick” to his mother for a long time in order to reduce his anxiety, gain confidence in safety and “go” further to explore the world.

If we do not now consider the medical reasons for the influence on the baby’s sleep and sleep conditions, then most often a year old child sleeps poorly at night due to the fact that he is faced with an age-related crisis of one year, also known as a developmental leap or sleep regression. So, we are talking about difficulties with sleep, which arose suddenly and are very clearly manifested not only in poor sleep at night, but during the day, affecting the condition and behavior of the baby.

HOW DOES 1 YEAR SLEEP REGRESSION MANIFEST?

Children usually encounter the next crisis from 9 to 18 months. If you notice one or more signs from the list, then most likely this is a crisis of 1 year:

1. Whims and hysterics appeared, the baby became difficult to control.
2. The baby requires more attention than usual, constantly follows his mother, often asks to be held, and an increased need for affection and tactile contact can also be noted. The child, to a greater extent, already perceives the mother as an object separate from himself, and this is partly where anxiety arises.
3. Appetite increases: children learn a lot of information and skills, which requires a greater influx of calories during the day.
4. A sharp reaction to any prohibitions - tears, screams, protests, aggressive behavior.
5. Contradictory behavior: asks - refuses, reaches out - pushes away.
6. The child sleeps poorly at night, it is difficult to put him to bed for both daytime and nighttime sleep.

HOW TO HELP YOUR BABY IN A 1ST YEAR CRISIS?

In psychology, such a period in the life of a little person is called the 1-year crisis. What is this? This is a normal, logical stage in a child’s development. Deterioration in behavior and sleep during this period is also normal.

When learning new skills, and at this age the most basic ones are walking and speech development, the nervous system works in an increased mode, which is why children’s sleep and behavior suffer.

The nervous system is so excited that if the baby has had too much fun or is overexcited, it is very difficult to calm him down, much less put him to sleep. Therefore, the most important rule during a crisis period is not to over-walk the little one and put him to bed on time at night!

After all, the baby needs a lot of effort to learn new skills, as well as time for quality sleep and rest. Pay attention to daytime sleep and early bedtime before 20.30 - this is the time that best suits children’s biorhythms. Also, most often from 18.30 to 20.30, you can track his signs of fatigue and determine the “sleep window” - the most favorable time when the child falls asleep faster and better.

IF THE BABY DOESN'T LEAVE MOM FOR A STEP

Remember that the child will want to play independently only when the mother spends at least half an hour with him, but in active joint activities: dancing, games, modeling, finger gymnastics, etc. And now, having had enough of communication with his mother, the baby will be distracted with interest by something without such active participation of an adult. This can just help the mother allocate personal time for herself or household chores without much protest from the child.

Remember that the mother’s voice helps the baby calm down and understand that the mother is nearby, even if she has moved away a little or is in the next room/bathroom: you can, for example, hum a song, talk to the baby, tap a melody so that he hears that the mother is nearby.

To reduce the fear of separation from the mother during this crisis period, it is better to be close to the baby, surrounded by unfamiliar or rare guests; be prepared for the fact that the child will not immediately go into the arms of anyone other than his parents.

If mom needs to go somewhere, leave him with a close friend and be sure to assure the baby that you will return soon: here, for example, an hourglass will do for the time of absence or a lamp that changes color on a timer.

Remember that it is important for your baby to be safe during regression in order to move on to a new stage of development! And he gets this confidence next to his mother.

DREAM – SEPARATION FROM MOTHER

The same thing happens before bed. Children perceive sleep as separation from their mother, which is why it is so important for them to spend more time in contact with their mother before bed in order to sleep better at night: hugs, kisses, stroking, light massage of the body, heels, and palms.

If your baby doesn’t sleep well, think about what kind of tactile contact is pleasant for him before bed? What helps him relax when he falls asleep? It is likely that during regression, the child will need more time before bed to spend time with his mother and get enough contact and communication with her.

It is important to pay attention to rituals for falling asleep and preparing for bed: spend a little more time than usual with your baby, remember the pleasant moments of the past day, make a “magical” dream, read your favorite fairy tale... Think about what activities before bed are pleasant for your baby? Try creating a sequence of repetitive and relaxing activities before bed - and within a few days you will notice the results!

If your baby is restless and can’t lie down before going to bed, but constantly crawls, gets up, and explores everything around him, help him: give him time to “master the territory” and only then try to provide your support.

ACTIVE AWAKE TIME = GOOD SLEEP

The child sleeps worse if there is no sleep during the day. It is normal that children at this age move a lot - it is important for them to practice new motor skills.

At one year old, children imitate adults very much, so they strive to do everything like their parents, to repeat their gestures and actions. Take advantage of this feature and provide your child with things like toys, like adults, to spend their waking hours more intensely: for example, for girls - a set of dishes or a cosmetic bag like mom’s, and for boys - a set of tools like dad’s.

If the baby protests too stubbornly and no matter what you do (kids in the sandbox, a tower of blocks at home), he tries to destroy and drill everything, then exhale - this is normal for his age! Right now, children are studying the physics of the process and learning to understand that the whole consists of parts. Therefore, such “destruction” is part of the developing moment.

Introduce prohibitions wisely: if the mother says “no” to almost every child’s action, then he will simply stop reacting to this word.

YOUR BABY'S INDEPENDENCE

And only after the child survives the crisis of 1 year, he will be able to calm down and “let go” of his mother. Remember that the baby is growing, maturing, and can already do something without active help. How often do you give him this opportunity? Do you think it is important for his age to already cope with something on his own?

Sometimes adults, for their own psychological reasons, hinder the independence of their child, and, accordingly, the child’s growth. For example, a mother wants the baby to need her to the same extent, the desire to feel still needed... or such strong closeness with the child helps to overcome difficulties in relationships with a partner... or the mother is afraid of the child growing up and his independence.

Is it really important to help a child grow up and become more independent? How can this help him in the future? Is this important to you as a mother?

Think about what you yourself gain at the moment when the baby becomes more mature and no longer requires such close attention and active help? Think about whether you really consciously allow your child to grow up? Are you acting out of habit, as at an earlier age: also frequent latching to the breast, the same constant rocking before bed, or the nipple at the first squeak? Stop and try to consciously analyze the situation of your communication with your baby, games and interaction with him, your reaction to his requests and protests. What helps and what prevents him from being more independent? Try to help your baby when he asks for it. After all, after a year, it is important for a baby to master some actions without the active participation of an adult.

Give your baby more freedom to explore the space and express his independence. But remember about safety: remove dangerous or valuable things that are in plain sight to avoid the baby’s interest in them and subsequent protests when prohibited.

Remember that at this age the baby can be distracted by something interesting and unusual, switch attention to a new toy, “agree” (emotionally affectionate words), but do it in a playful way. Motivating tasks and rewards in the form of small surprises for your baby are very suitable for this age.

“Why is there so much about independence and growing up, when the question is about the baby not sleeping well?” - you might think. But a dream is a reflection of how the fidget spent the day. Did he have enough physical activity to practice the motor skill of walking? Was communication with your mother enough to satisfy the need for tactile contact with a close and emotionally significant adult?

Frequent Waking Up Mode Self-Falling Sleep By Age

PsychologySleep ParentingSleep RitualFalling AsleepWaking Up Lack of SleepWakefulnessSleep TrainingSleep

Causes of insomnia

In fact, the situation when a one-year-old child regularly wakes up at night is not so out of the ordinary. According to the observations of child psychologists and pediatricians, about 20% of children under the age of 2 consistently wake up 5 times a week at night. There can be many reasons for this.

If the baby does not have neurological disorders, he may not sleep at night for one of seven reasons:

1. “Slept” during the day. If the daytime nap is delayed, the baby will definitely wake up at night and demand games and attention.
2. Went to bed too late. The biological clock of one-year-old children is set to fall asleep at 21:00-22:00. If this time is missed, the baby may sleep restlessly and be capricious all night.
3. There is no stable daily routine. Insomnia can be caused by putting your baby to bed at different times.
4. Can't fall asleep on his own. If by the age of one year the parents have not taught the baby to fall asleep without motion sickness, he will have problems with sleep for a long time.
5. Got overexcited in the afternoon. If a child runs around and plays around a lot in the evening, or plays late into the night, he will most likely have difficulty falling asleep.
6. Feels discomfort. The cause of insomnia can be an uncomfortable child's mattress, a blanket that is too warm, thirst and other natural needs.
7. The lighting is disturbing. Even a dim light source can interfere with a normal night's sleep.