How many times should an 8 month old baby sleep. Sleep norms for a child up to a year, from a year to three. What to do if the child is afraid to sleep alone

A child differs from an adult in the speed of ongoing processes: high growth rates, activity, a faster change in activities, including sleep and wakefulness. The older the baby gets, the more he moves, and therefore gets tired more quickly.

It is important to know how much a child should sleep at 8 months, when activity rises sharply. After all, by this time he had learned to crawl quickly, stand on his feet. Some people take their first steps at this time.

If the baby has little rest, he becomes lethargic, capricious, gains weight poorly, and may lag behind in development.

Quality sleep of sufficient duration is a prerequisite for the life of a small person.

At this age, the baby can already withstand longer intervals without sleep.

The following developments have taken place:

The muscles have become strong enough, so that the baby can sit well and crawl quickly. If you put it on legs and support it, it will try to walk. If you are interested in the question at what age does a child begin to walk confidently, read the article When does a child begin to walk?>>>;
Well developed fingers. They confidently grab objects, move them, press, break, throw. An experimenter woke up in your son (daughter). Don't be upset if he throws the toy on the floor with huge force and looks at your reaction. It's not harmful. He checks how a thing can fall, what sound it makes, what is happening around. The kid is gaining experience;
Becomes curious. Looks in all boxes and boxes. After all, there is already enough strength and consideration to crawl, reach out and open. For the safety of the baby, limit the accessibility of potential threats, lock or tie the handles of the lockers where they are stored. Remove medicines, detergents, cosmetics, household chemicals higher, so that even by chance it would not be possible to get them;
The kid feels the mood of his mother, tries to evaluate and imitate him. Builds grimaces, laughs merrily, sincerely sad. He is interested in his reflection in the mirror, works out different emotions on it;
The game becomes an important pastime. little man completely absorb boxes, cubes, pyramids. And while the game does not consist in constructive creation (construction, folding), but in destruction. He disassembles the pyramid, knocks down the cubes made up of the “house”, takes out and throws toys out of the boxes;

Don't get upset and don't worry. This is also normal. This period precedes the next, when the child begins to build and collect.

Another important aspect of activity is movement. He crawls, tries to get up, looks into all corners, often asks for hands, loves to jump and "fly" with the help of adults; By the way, many parents at this age begin to use walkers. Find out how safe it is for your baby from the article: When can I put my baby in a walker?>>>
The dream became lucid. If earlier you could watch TV in the same room where a four-month-old baby sleeps, then at 8 months this will definitely not work. He can even react to rustles. At this age, the child may wake up from loud noise.

Know! The most sensitive time is 5-10 minutes from falling asleep. If at this time something wakes the child, then it will be extremely difficult to put him further. The child feels a false sense of rest and does not intend to go to bed.

In such cases, the use of constant rituals before bedtime can help well. About what it is and what they are for, read the article: Rituals before bed>>>

How many hours does an 8 month old baby sleep? A child sleeps from 13 to 15 hours a day. This is an approximate time that allows the baby at this age to fully relax, recuperate in order to play normally, live and develop. Track how and how much your son (daughter) sleeps, compare with the normative value. Read about sleep norms in the article: Sleep norms for children up to a year>>>

There are children who need less sleep. At the same time, they feel good and develop normally. But in most cases, if the child does not get the right amount of sleep, he becomes moody, irritable.

During the day, the child has 2 sleeps, the duration of each is from 1 to 2 hours;
Waking time between sleeps is 3 to 4 hours.

Usually, the baby clearly shows that he is tired and needs sleep. Becomes less active, he is not carried away by toys. Watch what time it happens. Most likely, you will find a pattern that will allow you to establish a sleep pattern.

In the morning around 11, the baby falls asleep for 1-1.5 hours. Closer to the evening - one more. These numbers may vary. Someone sleeps 2 hours in the morning, and alone in the evening, or even 30 minutes. This is also normal. Often moms get nervous about a short second nap. Do not worry. Soon your son or daughter will switch to 1 nap in the afternoon. Reducing the duration of the second is a natural process.

At 8 months, the baby continues to suck at night. Children who sleep through the night and are on breastfeeding rather the exception than the rule. Read the current article: How long to feed a baby at night?>>>

Usually, the baby suckles at night 1-2 hours after laying on night sleep, then at 3,5,7 hours (+- 1 hour);
Usually the baby suckles the breast without waking up, in a dream.

You can come across crazy advice - do not accustom a child to co-sleeping, so that later you do not have to wean him. In my opinion, it is much easier for both the child and the mother to sleep together, feed and feed half asleep and feel fresh and rested in the morning.

If night feedings exhaust you a lot;
There are too many of them;
The child hangs on his chest all night, and during the day he whines and asks to be held - then you should take an online course How to teach a child to fall asleep and sleep without a breast?>>>

Often mothers worry that children do not sleep well and cannot fall asleep for a long time. The laying process stretches for an hour, or even more. To avoid such a problem, you need to properly organize sleep:

Provide indoor normal temperature and humidity. In a hot, stuffy room, it will be difficult for your baby to fall asleep. He will be tormented by a feeling of lack of air. Ventilate the room before going to bed. Put a humidifier or hang wet towels;
The room should be quiet and dark. Close the door so that no sounds can be heard from neighboring rooms, turn off the lights or leave only a nightlight. Some children cannot sleep in the light, but they are afraid even without it. Turn off the lights and put your son or daughter to bed next to you. So he will be comfortable and calm;
Start packing at the first sign of fatigue. Do not wait until the baby is patient and overexcited;
Follow your usual ritual. If you haven't created it yet, now is the time. Before a nap, it could be a walk. Before the night - gymnastics, massage, bathing. Calmly put the baby in the crib, stroke his back, tell a story, read a book, sing a song.
A course on problem-free children's sleep will help you How to quickly put a child to sleep?>>>

Small deviations (by an hour) from the norm, how much a child sleeps at 8 months, are possible. The main thing is that sleep is not just time spent in the crib for the baby, but a way to restore strength for new achievements and discoveries.

If the baby has little rest, he becomes lethargic, capricious, gains weight poorly, and may lag behind in development.

Quality sleep of sufficient duration is a prerequisite for the life of a small person.

Features of the child 8 months

At this age, the baby can already withstand longer intervals without sleep.

The following developments have taken place:

The muscles have become strong enough, so that the baby can sit well and crawl quickly. If you put it on legs and support it, it will try to walk. If you are interested in the question at what age does a child begin to walk confidently, read the article When does a child begin to walk?>>>;
Well developed fingers. They confidently grab objects, move them, press, break, throw. An experimenter woke up in your son (daughter). Don't be upset if he throws the toy on the floor with great force and looks at your reaction. It's not harmful. He checks how a thing can fall, what sound it makes, what is happening around. The kid is gaining experience;
Becomes curious. Looks in all boxes and boxes. After all, there is already enough strength and consideration to crawl, reach out and open. For the safety of the baby, limit the accessibility of potential threats, lock or tie the handles of the lockers where they are stored. Remove medicines, detergents, cosmetics, household chemicals higher, so that even by chance it would not be possible to get them;
The kid feels the mood of his mother, tries to evaluate and imitate him. Builds grimaces, laughs merrily, sincerely sad. He is interested in his reflection in the mirror, works out different emotions on it;
The game becomes an important pastime. A small person is completely absorbed by boxes, cubes, pyramids. And while the game does not consist in constructive creation (construction, folding), but in destruction. He disassembles the pyramid, knocks down the cubes made up of the “house”, takes out and throws toys out of the boxes;

Don't get upset and don't worry. This is also normal. This period precedes the next, when the child begins to build and collect.

Another important aspect of activity is movement. He crawls, tries to get up, looks into all corners, often asks for hands, loves to jump and “fly” with the help of adults; By the way, many parents at this age begin to use walkers. Find out how safe it is for your baby from the article: When can I put my baby in a walker?>>>
The dream became lucid. If earlier you could watch TV in the same room where a four-month-old baby sleeps, then at 8 months this will definitely not work. He can even react to rustles. At this age, the child may wake up from loud noise.

Norms of sleep and wakefulness at 8 months

There are children who need less sleep. At the same time, they feel good and develop normally. But in most cases, if the child does not get the right amount of sleep, he becomes moody, irritable.

How much does an 8 month old baby sleep during the day?

During the day, the child has 2 sleeps, the duration of each is from 1 to 2 hours;
Waking time between sleeps is 3 to 4 hours.

See also my video tutorial on the features of sleep at 8 months:

Breastfeeding and sleep

Usually, the child sucks at night 1-2 hours after laying down for a night's sleep, then at 3.5.7 hours (+ - 1 hour);
Usually the baby suckles the breast without waking up, in a dream.

If night feedings exhaust you a lot;
There are too many of them;
The child hangs on his chest all night, and during the day he whines and asks to be held - then you should take an online course How to teach a child to fall asleep and sleep without a breast?>>>

How to quickly put a baby to bed at 8 months?

Keep the room at a normal temperature and humidity. In a hot, stuffy room, it will be difficult for your baby to fall asleep. He will be tormented by a feeling of lack of air. Ventilate the room before going to bed. Put a humidifier or hang wet towels;
The room should be quiet and dark. Close the door so that no sounds can be heard from neighboring rooms, turn off the lights or leave only a nightlight. Some children cannot sleep in the light, but they are afraid even without it. Turn off the lights and put your son or daughter to bed next to you. So he will be comfortable and calm;
Start packing at the first sign of fatigue. Do not wait until the baby is patient and overexcited;
Follow your usual ritual. If you haven't created it yet, now is the time. Before a nap, it could be a walk. Before the night - gymnastics, massage, bathing. Calmly put the baby in the crib, stroke his back, tell a story, read a book, sing a song.
To help you, there will be a course on problem-free children's sleep How to quickly put a child to sleep?>>>

The sweet dream of a beloved crumb brings rest not only to the children's body. Mom rests with him, and in the end everyone wakes up in good mood. What could be better? It happens, and quite often, that babies do not sleep for the period prescribed by general norms. Why does this happen and how much should a child sleep at 8-9 months?

It happens that the child's sleep pattern is far from generally accepted norms, and this tires the parents and the baby himself.

Sleep rate for children 8-9 months

The average sleep duration per day for children 8-9 months old is 14-15 hours. 10 hours are allotted for night sleep, the remaining 4-5 hours are broken up in the daytime. There is a table showing the desired daily routine. The most comfortable and age-appropriate will be the following sleep schedule:

22.00–6.00 - night rest;
8.30–10.00 - first break;
14.30–16.30 - second break;
20.00–22.00 - a couple of hours after "leaving" for a night's sleep, the baby is woken up for the last feeding.

daytime sleep subdivided into 2 periods. Between rest time wakefulness is 2.5-3 hours. This is theory, but how does it work in practice? We list the possible options for sleep mode, which are also quite acceptable:

2 day nap - average duration every 1.5-2 hours. This mode speaks of the excellent development of the baby, that his emotional and psychological development meets the standards. Wake time can be about 3.5 hours. When this happens, the preliminary part of the night's sleep can be removed and only the main part left from 22:00. This routine is also more convenient for parents, because sometimes the baby, waking up to eat at 22:00, no longer wants to go to bed again.
3-time daytime sleep - divided into two short rests of 40 minutes each (at 9:00 and at 19:00) and one full rest in the lunch area. It will be longer from 2 to 3 hours. The duration depends on whether the mother walks with a stroller in the park or not. Sleeping three times a day indicates the child’s rapid fatigue, when it is still difficult for him to “walk” for a long time. This mode is also a normal indicator of development. Once mom and baby are used to this routine, they can stick with it for as long as they need to.

The optimal daytime sleep regimen can be calculated individually, based on the individual physiology of the child and his daily activity. The most important thing is that the baby should gain strength and fully recover during the rest period.

The quality of daytime sleep directly depends on the intensity of the walk and its duration.

Deviations from the norm

Analyze possible reasons excitement of the crumbs and try to eliminate them. For example, a child is invigorated by loud music or older children are lured into active games etc.
Adjust the climate in the room. Often children do not sleep well because of the heat. More comfortable conditions for sleep - fresh and cool air in the bedroom.
Stick to a daily routine. The strict observance of the established rules should not be affected by weekends or holidays. Just once moving away from the regime, you risk undermining the entire existing system.
Help the baby to comply with the regimen (we recommend reading:). Seeing that the baby is naughty before going to bed, delay laying down a little. You can captivate the child with reading or babysit him in your arms, while speaking in a calm voice. The baby should go to sleep at strictly fixed hours.

If the child absolutely does not want to go to bed, you can try a different approach, but do not shift the time of sleep

How to help a child sleep?

Children 8-9 months old are extremely active, and this leads to the fact that it is extremely difficult to put a fidget to bed. It is difficult for a child to rebuild his nervous system - even while in the crib, he still craves games and actions. It is not easy for parents to calm down a rampant peanut.

What are the ways to lay down a little naughty? It is important to properly distribute games throughout the day. In the evening, be sure to exclude all noisy and active games. When dad comes home from work, he wants to babysit and tickle his baby, but active games will be inappropriate in this case too. The child at this time should immerse himself in a peaceful and calm environment that would set him in a sleepy mood. It is useful and very effective to include some rituals that would be observed daily. The baby will immediately understand that the time for sleep will come soon and it will be much easier to put him down. As rituals, you can choose bathing, putting on pajamas, reading a fairy tale, stroking massage, etc.

It will be easier to lay the fidget if you include swaying in your arms or in the crib in the process. Sometimes a child is naughty only with mom, then it would be useful to attach dad or other family members to laying down. Most likely, the whims will come to naught and the baby will fall asleep peacefully in 5 minutes.

In the absence of results, we connect the stroller to the actions. You can rock the baby in it, and then shift it to the crib. Toddlers who are accustomed to sleeping in a stroller during the day instantly fall asleep in it in the evening.

Sleep disorders

There is another problem specific to the age we are studying. An 8 month old baby may not sleep well through the night. He sleeps restlessly, often wakes up and cries. Sleepless nights leave their imprint on nervous state parents who, in addition to their fatigue, are still extremely worried about the baby.

Sleep disorders manifest themselves as follows:

The child falls asleep badly at night, the laying time increases. Waking up at night, and this happens several times, the baby cannot fall asleep on his own and starts crying, calling his mother. Mom is forced to come up again and again, soothe and rock the baby. After waiting for a seemingly sound sleep, mother calms down, but in vain - after a while the situation repeats itself.
phase deep sleep becomes smaller. Parents need to take a closer look at the evening rituals, most likely they are violated - for example, the baby loves to fall asleep while sucking the breast, or he is used to falling asleep from motion sickness in his arms, he is used to falling asleep with his mother.

If the child cannot fall asleep without parents, you need to be prepared for violations of the phases and duration of sleep

Reasons for waking up at night

It is unnecessary to suspect any diseases in this case. A healthy 9-month-old baby who wakes up every hour is the norm. This situation depends on a number of reasons:

Teeth are cutting. At this age, teeth are actively climbing in children. One tooth can torment the baby, or several at once. Of course, children are very hard and not easy going through this period. There is more saliva, the kids are looking for any items to scratch their gums. Chewing food becomes painful. Often, these symptoms are accompanied by fever and changes in stool. All of the above, of course, affects the quality of sleep. Noticing frequent waking up in the baby, you can suspect active teething.
Breast-feeding. Babies who eat mother's milk are more restless than formula-fed babies. The baby needs to feel and find out that the mother is nearby, because their connection during lactation is extremely close. As soon as the baby feels his mother's warmth, drinks some milk, he immediately falls asleep sweetly again.
Diseases. The child may experience symptoms various diseases. These include otitis, colic, colds and others. Prolonged loud crying in the middle of the night indicates the presence of pain. The problem can only be solved with the participation of a pediatrician.
external stimuli. The child may be uncomfortable in clothes - for example, the seams rub the skin or wrinkles interfere. The little one also does not sleep well in a hot or too cold room. It is important to follow external conditions sleep, then the baby will sleep long and hard.
Incorrectly organized daily routine (we recommend reading:). A child can sleep during the day and not finish walking, and at night he wants to catch up.
Unrest and bright emotions during the day, as well as the presence of active and noisy games before bedtime.

Such a reason goes away on its own, provided that rest is observed in the following days. Violations that continue for a long time and bother you need to be corrected. The pediatrician should suggest the right decision.

Dr. Komarovsky advises to adhere to the following rules so that laying down the baby takes a minimum of time:

The room should be well ventilated, which means it is saturated with oxygen. If possible, it is better to sleep with the window ajar. The maximum possible temperature in the room is 24 degrees. The humidity level should be around 50-70%. A baby who is used to opening up in a dream does not need to be covered on his own. It would be more rational to put on pajamas before going to bed.
Quiet games before bed are the key to calm bedtime. Read good tales. A baby at 8 months is already able to listen to 2-3 fairy tales at a time.
Get a relaxing massage before bed.
It is better to bathe the little one in a large bath, so he can spend all the remaining energy, and then fall asleep soundly.
Buy a baby orthopedic mattress for sweet and pleasant dreams.
Sing lullabies your baby loves.
Wear disposable diapers at night.
Before going to bed, it is good and useful to take a little walk in the fresh air.

Parents themselves will see and appreciate the benefits of following the rules for organizing sleep that Komarovsky offers. Help the baby to train important and necessary skills.

The norms for the amount and duration of children's sleep are approximate. This means that if the child sleeps less or longer, more often or less often, you should not force him to sleep, or, conversely, wake him up early! The norms are just a guideline for the mother to correctly distribute the child's day regimen.

The duration of sleep of all children is individual.

As for an adult, a number of factors influence the duration of a child’s sleep: from psychological and physical condition to temperament and daily routine. If the child is healthy, feels good, alert and active during the day, but the child sleeps less than recommended, you should not worry. If, of course, we are talking about small deviations from the specified norms. However, a pattern is observed: less baby the more he needs to sleep.

Here are the average values for how much a child should sleep, depending on age:

From 1 to 2 months, the baby should sleep for about 18 hours;
From 3 to 4 months, the child should sleep 17-18 hours;
From 5 to 6 months, the baby should sleep for about 16 hours;
From 7 to 9 months, the baby should sleep for about 15 hours;
From 10 to 12 months, the baby should sleep for about 13 hours;
From 1 to 1.5 years old, the child sleeps 2 times a day: the 1st sleep lasts 2-2.5 hours, the 2nd sleep lasts 1.5 hours, the night sleep lasts 10-11 hours;
From 1.5 to 2 years, the child sleeps 1 time during the day for 2.5-3 hours, night sleep lasts 10-11 hours;
From 2 to 3 years old, the child sleeps 1 time during the day for 2-2.5 hours, night sleep lasts 10-11 hours;
From 3 to 7 years old, the child sleeps 1 time during the day for about 2 hours, night sleep lasts 10 hours;
After 7 years, the child does not have to sleep during the day; at night, a child at this age should sleep at least 8-9 hours.

Sleep 0 to 3 months

Before 3 months, a newborn sleeps quite a lot - about 17 to 18 hours a day during the first few weeks and 15 to 17 hours a day by three months.

Children almost never sleep more than three or four hours in a row, day or night. This means that you will not be able to sleep for many hours in a row either. You will have to get up at night to feed and change your baby; during the day you will play with it. Some babies sleep through the night as early as 8 weeks old, but most babies don't sleep continuously through the night, not only until 5 or 6 months, but beyond. It is necessary from birth to observe the rules of good sleep.

Sleep rules.

Here's what you can do at this age to help your child develop proper sleep habits:

Look for signs of child fatigue

For the first six to eight weeks, your baby will not be able to stay awake for more than two hours straight. If you don't put him to bed longer than this time, he will be overtired and won't be able to sleep well. Watch until you notice that the child is becoming sleepy. Does he rub his eyes, tug at his ear, do faint dark circles appear under his eyes? If you observe these or any other signs of drowsiness, send him straight to the crib. Soon you will become so familiar with your baby's daily rhythms and behaviors that you will develop a sixth sense and instinctively know when he is ready for bed.

Start explaining to him the difference between day and night.

Some babies are owls (you may have already noticed some hints of this during pregnancy). And while you want to turn off the light, the child may still be very active. For the first few days, you won't be able to do anything about it. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him to tell the difference between night and day.

When the child is alert and active during the day, play with him, turn on the lights in the house and in his room, do not try to reduce the usual daytime noises (sounds of the phone, TV or dishwasher). If he falls asleep while feeding, wake him up. Do not play with your child at night. When you enter his feeding room, dim the lights and noise, don't talk to him for too long. It won't be long before your baby starts to understand that night time is for sleep.

Give him a chance to fall asleep on his own

When your baby is 6 to 8 weeks old, start giving him a chance to fall asleep on his own. How? Put him to bed when he's sleepy but still awake, experts advise. They discourage motion sickness or feeding the baby before bed. “Parents think that if they start teaching a child too early, it will not work,” they say, “But it is not. Babies develop sleep habits. If you rock your baby before bed every night for the first eight weeks, why should he expect anything different later?

What sleep problems can occur before three months?

By the time your baby is 2 or 3 months old, he may already be waking up at night more than he should and developing negative sleep associations.

Newborns must wake up at night for food, but some may accidentally wake themselves up before they really need to feed. To avoid this, try swaddling your baby (wrap him snugly in a blanket) before putting him to bed at night.

Avoid unnecessary associations with sleep - your child should not depend on motion sickness, feeding in order to fall asleep. Put the baby to bed before he falls asleep and let him fall asleep on his own.

Sleep 3 to 6 months

By 3 or 4 months, most babies sleep 15-17 hours a day, 10-11 of those at night, and the rest of the time is divided between 3 and mostly 4 2-hour naps.

At the beginning of this period, you may still get up once or twice a night for feeds, but by 6 months your baby will be able to sleep through the night. It is not a fact, of course, that he will sleep continuously all night, but it will depend on whether you develop sleep skills in him.

How to put a child to sleep?

Set a clear nighttime and daytime sleep schedule and stick to it.

While your baby was a newborn, you could decide when to put him down during the night by watching for signs of sleepiness (rubbing his eyes, rubbing his ear, and so on). Now that he's a little older, you should set specific times for him to sleep at night and during the day.

In the evening good time for a child - between 19.00 and 20.30. Later, he will most likely be too tired and it will be difficult for him to fall asleep. Your child may not look tired late at night - on the contrary, he may seem very energetic. But believe me, this is sure sign that it's time for the baby to sleep.

In the same way, you can set nap times - schedule them for the same time every day, or go by feel, putting your baby to bed when you see that he is tired and needs to rest. Either approach is acceptable as long as the baby is getting enough sleep.

Start establishing a bedtime ritual

If you have not done this yet, then at the age of 3-6 months it is already time. A bedtime ritual may include the following: give him a bath, play quiet games with him, read a bedtime story or two, sing a lullaby. Kiss him and say goodnight.

No matter what your family's ritual involves, you must do it in the same order, at the same time, every night. Children need consistency, and sleep is no exception.

wake up your child in the morning

If your child often sleeps more than 10 - 11 hours at night, it is advisable to wake him up in the morning. Thus, you will help him restore the mode. Keeping a nightly sleep schedule may not seem difficult to you, but remember that your child should sleep on schedule and during the day. Waking up at the same time every morning will help.

What sleep problems can occur before 6 months?

Two problems, nocturnal awakenings and the development of negative associations with sleep (when your baby becomes dependent on motion sickness or feeding as a prerequisite for falling asleep), affect both newborns and older children. But by about 3-6 months, another problem may arise - difficulty falling asleep.

If your child has a hard time falling asleep at night, first make sure he doesn't stay up too late (as we mentioned, an overtired child has a hard time falling asleep). If this is not the case, then he may have developed one or more associations associated with sleep. Now is the time to get rid of them. The child must learn to fall asleep on his own, but it does not matter if you fail.

Some recommend waiting until the child “screams and falls asleep”, but what is more important to you: the child’s nerves or your own convenience when you put the child to bed and forget? At the same time, some babies not only do not fall asleep, but are also so overexcited that habitual methods sleep will no longer help you and the child will wake up crying all night.

Sleep 6 to 9 months

Children at this age need about 14-15 hours of sleep per night, and they can sleep for about 7 hours straight. If your baby sleeps longer than seven hours, he probably wakes up briefly, but manages to go back to sleep on his own - a great sign. This means that you have an excellent dormouse growing.

He probably falls asleep for a couple of hour and a half or two hour naps, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Remember: a consistent daytime and nighttime sleep schedule helps regulate sleep habits.

Norm - 10-11 hours of sleep at night and 3 times for 1.5 -2 hours during the day

How to put a child to sleep?

Set up a bedtime ritual and always follow it.

While you've probably established some sort of bedtime ritual long ago, your child is only now really starting to participate. Your ritual might include taking a bath, playing quietly, reading a bedtime story or two, or a lullaby. Remember that you must do all of these steps in the same order and at the same time each evening. The child will appreciate your consistency. Young children love a consistent schedule they can rely on.

Your bedtime ritual will indicate that it is time to gradually calm down and get ready for sleep.

Keep a regular daytime and nighttime sleep schedule

Both you and your child will benefit from having a regular schedule that includes both daytime and nighttime naps. This means that you should try to stick to a predetermined schedule. When your child sleeps during the day, eats, plays, goes to bed at the same time every day, it will be much easier for him to fall asleep. Make sure you give your child the opportunity to fall asleep on their own.

The child must learn to fall asleep on his own. Put him in the crib before he falls asleep and try not to accustom him to external factors (sickness or feeding) as a necessary condition for falling asleep. If the child is crying, then further behavior depends on you. Most experts advise waiting at least a few minutes to see if the child is really upset. Others advise not to wait until the child bursts into tears and advocate the joint sleep of the child with the parents.

Young children who have never had trouble sleeping may at this age suddenly start waking up in the middle of the night or have trouble falling asleep. Sleep disturbances are more often associated with the fact that right now your child is learning to sit, roll over, crawl, and perhaps even stand up on his own, it is not surprising that he will want to try out his new skills during sleep. The baby may wake up at night to try to sit or stand again.

In a half-asleep state, the child sits down or gets up, and then cannot lower himself and lie down on his own. Of course, he finally wakes up and starts crying and calling for his mother. Your task is to calm the child and help him lie down.

If your child goes to bed after 8:30 pm and suddenly starts waking up during the night, try to sleep half an hour earlier. You will be surprised to find that the child began to sleep soundly.

Sleep 9 to 12 months

Your baby is already sleeping between 10 and 12 hours at night. And two more times a day for 1.5 -2 hours. Make sure he gets enough of it - the duration of sleep plays a big role in the development of the child. It's also important to stick to a consistent nap schedule. If this schedule is movable, then it is likely that the child will have difficulty falling asleep and wake up frequently during the night.

How to put a child to sleep?

Evening ritual

Follow a regular bedtime ritual. This is important: a bath, a bedtime story, bedtime. You can also add some quiet play, just make sure you follow the same pattern every night. Children prefer consistency and feel safe when they know what to expect.

Day and night sleep mode

The child's sleep will become better if you follow the regimen not only at night, but also during the day. If the child eats, plays and goes to bed exactly on the clock, at the same time, most likely it will always be easy for him to fall asleep.

Let your child fall asleep on their own. Don't stop him from practicing this important skill. If a baby's sleep depends on feeding, rocking, or a lullaby, it will be hard for him to fall asleep again when he wakes up during the night. He might even cry.

What sleep problems can arise?

The development of the child is in full swing: he can sit down, roll over, crawl, stand up and, finally, take a few steps. At this age, he hones and trains his skills. This means that he may become overly excited and have difficulty falling asleep, or may wake up at night to exercise.

If the child cannot calm down and fall asleep on his own, he will cry and call you. Come and comfort the child.

Your child may also wake up at night because of the fear of being abandoned, he misses you and worries that you will never return. He will most likely calm down as soon as you approach him.

Sleep norms. From year to 3

Your child is already quite big. But he also, as before, needs a lot of sleep.

Sleep 12 to 18 months

Up to two years, the child should sleep 13-14 hours a day, 11 hours of them at night. The rest will go into daytime sleep. At 12 months he will still need two naps, but by 18 months he is ready for one (one and a half to two hour) naps. This regime will last up to 4-5 years.

Going from two naps to one can be difficult. Experts recommend alternating two nap days with one nap days, depending on how much your baby slept the night before. If the child slept once during the day, it is better to put him down early in the evening.

How to put a child to sleep?

Until age 2, there is almost nothing new to help your baby sleep well. Follow the strategies you've learned so far.

Follow a regular bedtime ritual

A proper bedtime ritual will help your child gradually calm down at the end of the day and get ready for bed.

If your child needs a burst of energy, let him run around for a bit before moving on to quieter activities (such as quiet play, a bath, or a bedtime story). Follow the same pattern every evening - even when you're away from home. Children love it when everything is crisp and clear. The ability to predict when an event will happen helps them to control the situation.

Make sure your child has a consistent daytime and nighttime sleep schedule

The baby's sleep will become more regular if you try to keep the regimen constantly. If he sleeps during the day, eats, plays, goes to bed every day at the same time, most likely it will be easy for him to fall asleep in the evening.

Let your child fall asleep on their own

Don't forget how important it is for your child to be able to fall asleep on their own every night. Sleep should not depend on motion sickness, feeding or a lullaby. If such a dependence exists, the child, waking up at night, will not be able to fall asleep on his own and will call you. What to do if this happens is up to you.

At this age, the child may have difficulty falling asleep and may also wake up frequently during the night. The cause of both problems is new milestones in the development of the child, especially standing and walking. Your toddler is so excited about his new skills that he wants to keep doing them, even if you say it's bedtime.

If the child resists and does not want to go to bed, most experts advise leaving him in his room for a few minutes to see if he calms himself down. If the child does not calm down, we change tactics.

You will also have to decide what to do if the child wakes up at night, cannot calm himself and calls you. Try to go in and see: if he is standing, you must help him lie down. But if the child wants you to stay and play with him, don't give up. He must understand that night time is for sleep.

Sleep 18 to 24 months

Now your baby should sleep approximately 10-12 hours at night plus a two-hour afternoon rest. Some children cannot do without two shorter naps until the age of two. If your child is one of them, don't fight it.

How to help a child fall asleep?

Help your child break bad sleep habits

Your child should be able to fall asleep on their own, without motion sickness, breastfeeding, or other sleep aids. If his falling asleep depends on any of these external factors, at night he will not be able to fall asleep himself if he wakes up and you are not around.

Experts say: “Imagine that you fall asleep lying on a pillow, then wake up in the middle of the night and find that there is no pillow. Most likely, you will be disturbed by its absence and start looking for it, thereby finally awakening from sleep. Similarly, if a child falls asleep every night listening to a specific CD, when he wakes up at night and does not hear music, he will wonder "what happened?". A puzzled child is unlikely to fall asleep easily. To prevent this situation, try putting him to bed, when he is sleepy but still awake, so that he can fall asleep on his own.

Give your child an acceptable choice before bed

These days your little one is starting to test the limits of his newly discovered independence, wanting to assert control over the world around him. To cut down on bedtime confrontation, let your child make choices whenever possible during his evening ritual - what story he would like to hear, what pajamas he would like to wear.

Always offer only two or three alternatives and make sure you're happy with either choice. For example, don't ask, "Do you want to go to bed now?" Of course, the child will answer “No”, which is not an acceptable answer. Instead, try asking, "Do you want to go to bed now or in five minutes?" The child is happy that he can choose, and you win no matter what choice he makes.

What difficulties with sleep and falling asleep can arise?

The two most common sleep problems in children of all ages are difficulty falling asleep and frequent nocturnal awakenings.

This age group has its own peculiarity. Sometime between 18 and 24 months, many babies begin to rise from their crib, potentially putting themselves in danger (falling out of a crib can be quite painful). Unfortunately, just because your little one can get out of his crib doesn't mean he's ready for a big bed. Try to keep him out of harm's way by following these tips.

Lower the mattress. Or make the walls of the crib higher. If it is possible of course. However, when the child gets older, this may not work.
Free the bed. Your child can use toys and extra pillows as coasters to help them climb out.
Don't encourage your child to get out of bed. If the baby gets out of the crib, don't get excited, don't swear, and don't let him get into your bed. Remain calm and neutral, say firmly that this is not necessary and put the baby back in his crib. He will learn this rule pretty quickly.
Use a bed canopy. These products are attached to the crib rails and ensure the safety of the baby.
Follow the child. Stand in a position where you can see the baby in the crib but he can't see you. If he tries to climb out, immediately tell him not to. After you reprimand a few times, he will probably become more obedient.
Do environment safe. If you can't keep your baby from getting out of the crib, you can at least make sure he stays safe. Soft pillows on the floor around his crib and on nearby drawers, nightstands, and other objects that he might bump into. If he is completely unwilling to stop getting up and out of bed, you can lower the crib rail and leave a chair nearby. At least then you won't have to worry about him falling and hurting himself.

Sleep rates: two to three

Typical sleep at this age

Two to three year olds need approximately 11 hours of sleep at night and one to one and a half to two hours of afternoon rest.

Most children this age go to bed between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm and wake up between 6:30 and 8:00 am. It seems that your child's sleep finally resembles yours, but the difference is that a child under four spends more time in so-called "light" or "REM" sleep. Result? Because he makes more transitions from one sleep stage to another, he wakes up more often than you do. That is why it is so important that the child knows how to calm himself and fall asleep on his own.

How to instill healthy sleep habits?

Now that your child is older, you can try some new methods to improve nighttime sleep.

Move the child to a large bed and praise him when he stays in it.

At this age, your little one is likely to move from a crib to a large bed. The birth of a younger brother may also hasten this transition.

If you're pregnant, move your baby to a new bed at least six to eight weeks before your due date, sleep expert Jody Mindell advises: bed." If the child does not want to change the bed, do not rush him. Wait until his newborn sibling is three or four months old. An infant can spend these months in a wicker basket or cradle, and your older child will have enough time to get used to it. This will create the prerequisites for an easier bed-to-bed transition.

The main reason why you should think about moving your baby to bed is because of his frequent climbing out of the crib and toilet training. Your child has to get up at night to go to the bathroom.

When your baby moves into a new bed, don't forget to praise him when he goes to bed and stays in it all night. After moving out of the crib, the baby may get up from his big bed again and again just because it is comfortable for him to do so. If your baby gets up, don't swear or get nervous. Just put him back in bed, tell him firmly it's time to go to bed, and leave.

Fulfill all his requests and include them in your bedtime ritual

Your toddler may be trying to delay bedtime by begging for "one more time" - a story, a song, a glass of water. Try to comply with all reasonable requests of the child and make them part of your bedtime ritual. Then you can allow the child one additional request - but only one. The child will feel like he is getting his way, but you will know that in fact you stand your ground.

An extra kiss and wish Good night

Promise your child an extra "goodnight" kiss after you put him to bed and tuck him in for the first time. Tell him you'll be back in a few minutes. Perhaps by the time you return, he will already be sound asleep.

What sleep difficulties can arise?

If your baby starts getting up more often than before after moving to a larger bed, put him back in the crib and give him a gentle kiss.

Another common sleep problem at this age is the refusal to go to sleep. You can solve this problem if you manage your child's requests before bed. However, be realistic: no child happily runs to bed every night, so be prepared for a fight.

You've probably noticed that the baby has some new nighttime worries. He may be afraid of the dark, monsters under the bed, separation from you - these are common childhood fears, do not worry too much. Fears are part of your child's normal development. If he has a nightmare, immediately approach him, calm him down and talk about his bad dream. If bad dreams are repeated, it is necessary to look for sources of anxiety in Everyday life child. Most experts agree that if a child is truly frightened, they can sometimes be allowed into your bed.

Any person understands that only with a long and sound sleep, forces are fully restored - physical and spiritual. This is especially important for children. But at the same time, not all parents know what the norm is. This is a serious omission. You need to know how much children sleep at a given age, and see if your son or daughter spends enough time in bed.

How much does a baby sleep in the first months of life

First, let's talk about the norm

In the first month it is easier to tell how long he is awake. Because a healthy child, who is not bothered by anything, has only two modes at this time - food and sleep.

He sleeps about 8 to 10 hours a night. Moreover, during this time, he manages to wake up two or three times in order to properly refuel with mother's milk. During the day, he also sleeps 3-4 times, and sometimes more. So if a child who is not yet a month old sleeps 15-18 hours a day, this is a completely normal indicator. It is worse if he sleeps much less - perhaps some discomfort, pain or hunger interferes with him. You should definitely see a doctor to check it out. Sometimes the problem lies in a short frenulum - the child cannot fully suckle the breast, eats very slowly, spending a lot of energy on it. As a result, he does not get enough sleep, which affects his nervous system.

At two months, the situation is almost the same. The child may well sleep 15-17 hours. But for some time he has already been looking around, studying the world. Although his main occupations are still sleep and food.

By three months, the picture changes slightly. In general, a baby sleeps for about 14-16 hours a day. Of these, 9-11 fall at night. He sleeps 3-4 times a day. He spends quite a lot of time not only eating, but simply looking around the world around him, licking his fingers and any objects that he can put in his mouth, makes various sounds, smiles.

We count sleep up to a year

Now we will try to find out the norms of sleep and wakefulness of a child up to a year.

The time spent on sleep is reduced gradually, but constantly. From 4 to 5 months, babies sleep about 15 hours at night, and another 4-5 hours during the day, dividing this time into 3-4 periods.

From 6 to 8 months, a little less is allocated for sleep - 14-14.5 hours (about 11 at night and 3-3.5 during the day). The child sits confidently, crawls, explores the world around him in every possible way, actively eats various complementary foods, although mother's milk remains the basis of the diet.

Further, if we talk about the sleep norms of children up to a year by months, a period from 8 to 12 months follows. At night, the child still sleeps for 11 hours (plus or minus thirty minutes). But during the day she goes to bed only a couple of times, and the length of each sleep session is not too long - from 1 to 2 hours. In total, approximately 13-14 hours are accumulated per day - it is quite enough for the growing body to have a good rest, recharge with energy and successfully develop in all respects.

Baby up to 3 years old

Now that you know the sleep norms for children up to a year by months, you can move on to the next paragraph.

At two years old, a child sleeps about 12-13 hours at night. There may be two daytime sleep sessions, but most often children are limited to one, usually before lunch or immediately after it - and they sleep relatively little, rarely more than 1.5-2 hours. Which is understandable - the body is already a little stronger, and there are a lot of toys around, with which you can have a great time, actively developing.

By the age of three, night sleep is reduced to 12 hours. There is only one daytime sleep, it is advisable to adjust it to the period after dinner, so that the child does not run on a full stomach, but sleeps peacefully, assimilating the substances received during meals. Sleep during the day is already quite short - about 1 hour, rarely an hour and a half.

And older

At four years old and older child already quite strong, he does not need as much sleep as before. In addition, they appear various options development. Yes, and one month does not play such a role as in infancy, when the child and his needs change surprisingly quickly.

For example, some children between the ages of 4 and 7 feel best if they sleep 10-11 hours a night and do not take a daytime sleep break at all. Such a schedule does not suit others - in the middle of the day they become lethargic, do not want to play, act up until they fall asleep for at least an hour. But thanks to such a break, night sleep is reduced to 9-10 hours.

From 7 to 10 years old, children almost never go to bed during the day if they have enough night sleep - this period should be at least 10-11 hours.

By the age of 10-14, the child is already very close to an adult. Therefore, he usually sleeps 9-10 hours.

Finally, after the age of fourteen, he ceases to be a child, becoming a teenager, and in some cases an adult. This is where individual needs come into play. For some adults, 7 hours of sleep is enough, while others can only work productively if they spend 9-10 hours a day in bed.

So that each parent can easily remember these data, we indicate the sleep rates of children in the table below.

How to calculate how much a child sleeps

Many practical parents include the child's rest time in homemade tables. Children's sleep norms have been presented above. With such data, it is possible to determine how correctly and harmoniously the child develops.

You can start such a table from the very first days of life. Just write down what time he fell asleep, what time he woke up, and then summarize the results and compare with the data above.

The main thing is to accurately determine the compliance of the day regimen of your child with the sleep norms of children under one year old. The table must be kept not for one day, but for at least a week, and preferably two. In this case, you can accurately determine how much the average child sleeps per day. After all, there is always the possibility that the child was frightened by an extraneous sound, or that he simply had a stomach ache from something, which prevents him from sleeping peacefully. But having data for a significant period of time, you will get the most accurate result.

And here it is desirable to avoid rounding. Did the child sleep for 82 minutes during the day? So write it down, not limited to the vague wording "one and a half hours." Losing 10-15 minutes at each session of daytime and nighttime sleep, you may well miscalculate for an hour and a half, and this is an extremely serious error that will necessarily affect the reliability of observations.

Also, many parents are interested in the rate of heart rate in children in a dream. In fact, this figure can vary significantly even in one child - from 60 to 85 beats per minute. It depends on the position of the body, the presence of diseases, the phase of sleep (rapid or deep) and other factors. So in a quarter of an hour such drops are quite possible - you should not worry about this.

Is it always necessary to meet the standard

Some people are very concerned about the rate of sleep for a child by age. After scrupulous calculations, it turns out that their child does not get enough sleep (or vice versa, sleeps) for an hour, or even two. Of course, this can cause panic.

However, in fact, in most cases there is no cause for concern. The main thing is to watch how the child behaves after waking up. If he is fresh, cheerful, plays with pleasure, reads, draws and walks, and in due time eat well, so everything is in order. Remember - first of all, sleep should satisfy the needs of the child, and not tables compiled by experts for "average" children.

Track how the child breathes in a dream - the norm is 20-30 breaths per minute for children under 3 years old, about 12-20 for teenagers. Moreover, breathing should be even, calm, without sobs and groans.

So if the child feels comfortable with the sleep mode he has chosen, there is definitely no need to worry.

How important is sleep?

But this point should be studied more closely. Everyone knows about the importance of sleep, but few can unequivocally say what threatens in childhood and adolescence.

To begin with, children who sleep less than 7-8 hours are usually at their worst. physical form. They get tired faster, are not able to withstand significant loads.

In addition, it affects the intellectual abilities. Memory, intellect, the ability to analyze the facts presented suffer. And the worst thing is that even if sleep is restored with age, and a person sleeps as much as necessary, it will not be possible to return the missed opportunities - if the potential inherent in the child is not revealed at the right time, then it will never be revealed.

Of course, lack of sleep and the nervous system are harmful. Adults who slept little or poorly in childhood become more fearful, insecure, more likely to become depressed, and prone to stress.

So the importance of a child’s sleep norm cannot be overestimated.

What determines the duration of sleep

As you noticed, one child needs 15 hours a day for healthy sleep, while 12-13 is enough for his peer.

This is due to various factors. First of all - the fortress of sleep. After all, if you sleep in a dark room, in comfort and silence, then you can get enough sleep in less time than in a noisy room, which is relatively brightly lit, on an uncomfortable bed.

Also plays a role heredity. If 6-7 hours of sleep is enough for parents to feel great, we should expect that the child will approach these indicators over time.

Finally, lifestyle is very important. It is quite understandable that a child attending a couple of sports sections and spending great amount energy, will sleep longer (and, we note, stronger - which has a positive effect on the nervous system) than his peers who spend the whole day at the computer.

What time to put the baby to bed

Another important question is how to choose the optimal sleep schedule. In infancy, a child often confuses day and night. He can oversleep all daylight hours and play or just mumble, look around all night long. But with age, he enters a certain schedule - it largely depends on the parents.

Experts believe that better for the child Like everyone else, go to bed early and wake up early. As practice shows, people who go to bed at 9 pm and wake up at 5-6 am are characterized by increased efficiency, do not get tired longer, and have an excellent memory. So if possible, try to adjust the child's schedule for this mode. Of course, for this, parents will have to change their usual way of life.

Signs of sleep deprivation

Be sure to pay attention to whether the child has signs of sleep deprivation.

Chief among them is increased tearfulness. The child, who usually behaves perfectly, begins to cry, get upset at every occasion.

You should also be wary if the child sometimes goes to bed 2-3 hours earlier than usual - the body tells him that sleep is clearly not enough.

Children aged 1 year and older falling asleep and waking up crying is also a warning sign. They definitely need to sleep more, and parents should not only study the sleep norms of children after a year, but also provide a dark room, a comfortable bed and silence.

Are medications needed?

And here we can definitely say - no. The child is a tool with surprisingly flexible tuning. And any medicines, even those that, according to doctors, are harmless, can cause great harm to his health.

If a child is often upset and cries over trifles, he is sleepy, then just give him the opportunity to get enough sleep. Sometimes scandals in the family are the cause of lack of sleep - try to protect children from this terrible side of adult life.

The child sleeps less than peers, but at the same time feels great, is not inferior to friends in physical and intellectual development? This means that you should not worry at all - all processes in the body are going normally, and the son or daughter just sleeps as much as they need. Any attempts to correct the established schedule will only bring unnecessary problems.

Conclusion

Now you know the norms of sleep and wakefulness of a child up to a year and older. Therefore, you can easily calculate the optimal schedule, protect children from any health and developmental problems caused by chronic sleep deprivation.