Baby sleep is one of the most exciting questions for all young parents. If the baby sleeps long and hard, mom and dad are sure that nothing bothers him, and they themselves can relax and go about their business. But sleep and day regimen are even more important for the child. In order for it to grow and develop well, be fun and active during the day, age-appropriate sleep and wakefulness must be observed.
Age norms of sleep
On average, a four-month baby sleeps 15-17 hours a day, of which 10-12 hours fall on a night's sleep, and the remaining 5-7 are divided between daytime. During the day, the child sleeps 3 times, sometimes for 1.5-2 hours, but dreams can be short, 40 minutes.
Not all parents know that laying time should be attributed to wakefulness. The dream begins from the moment when the baby has already fallen asleep. Do not allow overwork, this leads to a long, painful sleep, restless sleep.
Features of day and night sleep in 4 months
4-month-old baby is no longer a newborn, it is a completely different person. He begins to be actively interested in the outside world, most of the children learn to roll over and even crawl in their bellies, on his stomach. There are a lot of colors around the baby, sounds, small details attract his attention, and it is a huge number of impressions, new skills can cause deterioration of sleep at this age.
Night sleep at 4 months may worsen, even if before that you slept more or less normally. This is not bad, although it is difficult for parents - in a dream the baby is going through all the events of the day, “digesting” new information. In some children, the first teeth are already beginning to erupt, which also causes discomfort for the baby and may be the cause of frequent nighttime awakenings.
The optimal time for putting the baby at night is 19-22.00. He still does not have accurate graphics, but you need to roughly follow the biorhythms of the human body so that the little man sleeps well and also develops. At 4 months, the baby, especially when breastfed, still wakes up 2-3 times per night. This is normal.
Some children sleep all night from infancy, but this is more luck than the merit of their parents. It is not necessary through tears, hysteria wean from night feedings, it will negatively affect the psyche of the child. The main thing - do not play with him at night, even if it seems that the child does not want to sleep, do not turn on the overhead light, talk in a whisper.
Good sleep conditions are the basis of peace of mind.
Healthy sleep of children is both healthy sleep of parents and good mood of all family members. Not always parents can understand what a child is worried about, what he wants at the moment, but to create optimal conditions for sleep in their power. In 4 months it is important:
- Let the baby sleep in the diaper. Keep it clean and dry, not all diapers can stand the night, try different brands.
- Try to put the child to sleep at the same time, especially with night sleep.
- Active pastime should be interesting, but calm. In good weather, try to walk outside several times a day, as well as in the evening.
- In the room where the baby sleeps, there should not be hot, a suitable temperature is about 18 degrees. Try to maintain a humidity of 50-70%, air, install a special humidifier.
- For the comfort of the child and the proper formation of the skeleton in the crib should be
dense orthopedic mattress, pillow in 4 months is not needed. - Observe a certain ritual before laying, the baby is already getting used to it and can understand that you need to sleep further. Well, if everyday procedures include bathing, relaxing massage (if the child responds well to them).
- Turn off the light before going to sleep, you can hang curtains during the day. However, it is better not to accustom the child to total darkness and silence, it will be inconvenient for parents later, as you will need to create such conditions every time. Well, when a child can sleep under quiet conversations or music.
dense orthopedic mattress, pillow in 4 months is not needed.There is a lot of controversy about the need to rock the baby. Most experts agree that motion sickness is bad. As a rule, if the parents teach the child to such an action, then for a long time he cannot learn to fall asleep on his own.
If possible, you need to teach your baby to different ways of falling asleep - in a wheelchair during the day, in an adult in your arms without motion sickness, then it will be easier for him to take another way - in the crib. Let mother be there, hold the child by the hand, stroke him. Modern beds with a horizontal pendulum imitate motion sickness on hands and can help at night when the baby is sleeping restlessly.
If he cries a lot, there is nothing catastrophic about occasionally shaking him in his arms. He will soon grow up, he will definitely learn how to fall asleep on his own, but for now the baby needs his mother’s hands and cannot say what he needs now. To keep your back, you can rock the child, sitting on a fitball.
How to deal with violations of the regime
To normalize the sleep of the baby, it is necessary to comply with all the conditions of sleep, to understand why problems arise.
Many 4-month-old babies sleep poorly due to the neurological features of development, this is normal, you just need to go through.
Work on the regime, it will help the baby, as well as parents. Lay the child at the same time. If in the morning he does not wake up for a long time, while sleeping at night for more than 10 hours, wake up. Perhaps the kid shows a little pranks, but he can be carried away with toys, rags, and a step forward towards the establishment of the regime will be made.
Do not let your child overwork! It can cause serious sleep disturbances. If the baby is having a good time, he will fall asleep for a long time, sleep poorly, and then act up while awake. Or, on the contrary, the dream will be delayed, the further schedule will be lost.
Do not be afraid to accustom the child "to the hands", this is a delusion - if the child does not feel enough love and intimacy with the mother during the day, he may unknowingly try to get her at night, often waking up. You do not need to carry the child in your arms all day, but you should not leave him for a long time in the crib, in the arena, and even more so in the other room.
Tips for improving sleep can be found in a small video.
Conclusion
Healthy sleep is the basis of the health of the baby and his parents. Many are faced with problems with this part of the child’s life, but with the right approach, they are all solvable. Be calm and consistent, the baby feels the psychological mood of the mother and adopts it. Do not make drastic changes in the mode of the child, but if you decide to change something, act with confidence.
The baby is growing rapidly, and all the complexities of the infant period are passed and forgotten. After a year or two, this time will be remembered with pleasant nostalgia, so try to treat all problems with sleep as calmly as possible, work out a rhythm of life comfortable for the whole family.
