Many parents always ask me about their baby's sleep problems. Most moms are at their wits' end when it comes to their baby's sleep problems. Some moms want to make adjustments, but are discouraged when they hear the idea of "letting him cry".
So, how can mothers guide their 0-3 month old babies to sleep, so that every little baby and the mothers who give their all to them can have a pleasant sleep time?
Q:
Baby's month age: 3M
Problem: Waking up from a cuddle, difficult to catch a nap, long light sleep, and basically waking up every morning with a bowel movement.
Description: She must sleep in her arms during daytime naps, and wakes up when she puts her arms down after half an hour of sleep. Does not want to eat the pacifier, can not be soothed. Sleeping at night is not steady, grunting and wriggling, scratching head, long time shallow sleep.
A:
(1) What is the reason for long light sleep?
For children within three months, light sleep is normal. Because the sleep pattern of newborns is different from adults, adults will enter deep sleep first as soon as they fall asleep, but newborns within three months sleep into active sleep at the beginning, similar to REM sleep for adults - rapid eye movement stage (the appearance looks like the eyeballs are turning rapidly under the eyelids), this will last about 20 minutes of The active sleep stage is very important for brain development in newborns.
During the light sleep stage there may also be movements of the arms and legs, or some sounds, which are normal, and about half of the baby's sleep time at a young age is in the active sleep stage. So mothers do not need to worry, when the baby has action also do not rush to intervene, which will disturb his sleep. If you encounter a baby who has a particularly strong startle reflex and wakes himself up, it is recommended to use a swaddle to wrap the child up.
(2) How to deal with baby's difficulty in receiving sleep?
In terms of the sleep cycle of infants, the sleep cycle of children within three months is usually about 30-45 minutes. During the transition stage of sleep transition, your baby may wake up for a while, and then will enter the next new sleep cycle. It is recommended not to respond too quickly, but to first observe if the child is really awake and unable to fall asleep on his own, or if he is briefly fresh and able to fall asleep on his own after a while. Observe for a few minutes, and if the child cannot go on to the next sleep cycle, then you can go to soothe him/her by patting him/her gently or whispering soothingly, using white noise, etc.
(3) Can't put it down after holding it to sleep
Newborns within three months of the beginning of sleep into the light sleep period, so too early to put down is easy to wake up. If you can't put it down after holding it, you can try to hold it for a longer time, for example, to 20 minutes, and then put it down after observing that the child has entered deep sleep (for example, the eyes are no longer turning rapidly, the arms and legs are relaxed, and the expression is quiet).
It is also important to learn how to put down, for example, to put down the buttocks first and then the head, so as not to stimulate the Morrow reaction. Each step of laying down should not be carried out too quickly, and the child should move on to the next step when it has stabilized and there is no resistance. The temperature difference between the hands and the bed should not be too obvious, our body temperature is hot, while the bed temperature is low.
Another thing you can try is to try to hold the sleep first from walking and rocking frequently the kind of holding method to slowly still hold, so that the child to adapt to the feeling of stillness. There is also seen a practice is to hold the child lying down together, the child's legs on the mother's lap. These methods can be tried, but each child habits and personality traits are different, to observe to find a suitable method for their own.
Q :
Baby's age: 2M
Problem: She hardly sleeps during the day and is hard to put to sleep, always waking up crying in the middle of the day.
Description: My baby can sleep well from 19:00 to 7:00 the next day, and I feed her three times in between, and she sleeps on milk; she hardly sleeps during the day, and she sleeps for half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon, and wakes up when she is put down, and she plays the rest of the day.
How can I put my baby to sleep? What are the signs of sleepiness in babies?
A :
(1) Sleep signals
Typical sleep signals in general include: yawning, rubbing eyes, inattentiveness, laxity, dull eyes, chewing hands, irritability, scratching hair, etc. Each child behaves differently and requires careful observation by parents. If your child is already screaming loudly or dancing around, he or she is basically too sleepy. Next time, you should put him or her to sleep earlier to catch the sleep signal in time, and it will be less difficult to put him or her to sleep when he or she is not too sleepy.
(2) How to do the routine of putting to sleep?
The key premise of putting to sleep is to observe the sleep signal according to the time of wakefulness. The waking time will be shorter at younger ages, for example, it may be half an hour and 45 minutes during the month, and will slowly lengthen. Based on the approximate time of wakefulness, carry back to the room and start a fixed sleep routine, such as drawing the curtains and changing pajamas, once sleep signals are detected. The appropriate practice may be different for each child, look for what works for you, but the habit of developing a bedtime routine must be there so that your child knows that it is time to sleep when you do these things.
(3) What should I do if I wake up crying in the middle of the night?
Children usually wake up crying because they haven't slept enough. If your baby doesn't have the ability to go back to sleep on his or her own, he or she will be impatient and will cry, which is actually a need to pick up sleep. You can try white noise, soothing toys to divert the child's attention and reduce the stimulus felt by the baby, you can use your hand to cover the baby's eyes, I've heard some mothers use good methods including patting the mattress, rubbing plastic bags, etc. In addition, soothing pacifiers soothing towels can be tried. If it doesn't work, pick up the baby and pick up the sleep.
(4) The length of sleep required for a baby at a young age
From the basic consensus of sleep theorists, the total amount of sleep for a child in a month is 16-18 hours, half and half during the day and night. The day/night separation will not be obvious, 15-16 hours for 1-2 month olds, including 5-6 hours for daytime naps. 14-15 hours for 2-3 months, with 4-5 hours for naps. This is just a reference value, each child may be different, as long as it is in a reasonable range.
New moms actually need help during this time, both physically and emotionally.If a mother is anxious or even more serious because of her child's sleep or parenting problems, she must talk more and communicate more. A happy mother will have a happy baby and even a happy family, so don't be afraid to face your emotions or needs and get help when necessary.