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Baby's Sleep! Oh, the sleep of the whole family! Baby's Sleep! Oh, the sleep of the whole family!
04
May
Let's talk about baby sleep and the much talked about regressions! I don't consider myself a sleep specialist, because I only managed to get my son to sleep a full night when he was 3 and a half years old!
But all babies are different and we all have our own sleep patterns. The best example is our President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who sleeps a few hours a day!
Even though I don't call myself an expert, I share with you that there are many parents who have already applied the strategies I advised and who ended up achieving a good night's sleep!
In a first phase, don't forget that the baby comes without a timetable, doesn't wear a watch and it's the parents who have to adapt to the baby, and not the other way around. With growth, routines are essential for the long-desired good night's sleep!
The baby's development is constant. Step by step, he acquires, I would say daily, new achievements (social smile, grabbing toys, rolling around, crawling)..
We were happy with the baby's new abilities and everything would be perfect if the baby slept well. And the worst thing is that he already slept well!
When the parents, believed that they had been contemplated with a sleeping baby, suddenly everything changes, the baby starts to wake up several times, tiredness sets in and despair too!
The requests for help that come to me are at different stages of development:
“… I come to ask for help, because I don't know what to do anymore! Afonso was already sleeping well, and in September, when he was 6 months old, he started day care and since then he hasn't slept! We are so tired, is there a trick “
“Nurse Celia we need your help! Mariana only woke up once or twice to nurse during the night. For a week now he sleeps well, sleeps 3 or 4 hours and then no longer sleeps or sleeps and wakes up every hour. I can't believe it, the last message I sent her was because I had doubts about waking her up to breastfeed! And now 3 months old, I want you to sleep and not sleep! HELLPPP!!”
“Helo! Here I am again! Carolina still doesn't sleep well, but now it looks like it's worse!! As you know, I don't breastfeed and since she's already been a year old, I don't have time reductions anymore. I'm going crazy going to work without sleep. Tell me it will get better, PFF!”
How Baby Sleep Works?
until 4-6 months the baby has a sleep-wake rhythm that repeats every 3-4 hours. That is, every 3 hours he sleeps, wakes up, is fed, has a variable period of interaction and goes back to sleep.
Starting from 5-6 months of age, the baby acquires what we call a circadian rhythm, that is, the same routines are repeated over 24 hours, with a daytime period, when there is light and activities, and a night period, with reduced light and with the longest sleep period.
This rhythm repeats every 24 hours and is regulated by external factors , such as light, environment and activities, and by internal factors , like body temperature and hormones like melatonin.
But if the babies were already sleeping well, why do they relapse into sleep It will be normall?
The main causes for the baby to fall asleep are:
Child development – And if I told you that the Psychomotor development is to blame The baby's brain, especially, in the first 12 months, develops in order to acquire skills, such as holding objects, chatting, sitting, walking and talking. Development varies from child to child, and with each new acquisition, due to its demand, there may be a transitory sleep disturbance. Babies need to practice, either day or night, the new acquired skill. Who doesn't like to see a baby clapping their hands at night At this stage, your baby has to choose between sleeping, or practicing what he knows how to do again. novo.
start of daycare – A new space, a different environment (usually noisier), a new lap, new caregivers, a new bed and learning to share objects and the same space with creatures like him, are some of the many emotions that the baby has to to manage. The start of day care changes routines, increases fatigue and consequently has a great impact on sleep.o.
Changing routines (new babysitter, mother's return to work, holidays) Whenever the baby changes his daily routine, he feels lost. I venture to say that routine is essential for all babies and for a regular sleep pattern. Creating routines develops in the baby the ability to know what is going to happen next and this helps him to be ready to fall asleep, because he knows that this is the MOMENT. When we change what happens before sleep (the pre-sleep ritual, the environment, the crib/bed) the baby does not identify when to sleep, and can become confused and fight the need to fall asleep.ecer.
Falling asleep with another person (changing caregiver) is also a factor of anxiety for the baby, it can be the grandmother, the babysitter or even the father, but it is not the mother, who put him to sleep for 5 or 6 months! Around 9 months, the parents' separation anxiety (which is a normal stage of development) can cause the baby to ask for your attention more often, even at night.
Disease – If even adults sleep poorly when they are sick, imagine babies who don't understand why they feel this way! Pain and discomfort interfere with sleep. A slight nasal obstruction can be the reason for a sleepless night, especially if the baby needs to do it with suction support (sucking, thumb sucking, tongue, diaper). As they can't do it, they cry, wake up and there goes Sleep!!
I reinforce that each baby has its own development and that we must RESPECT it! It is between 3-4 months that the first developmental sleep regression usually occurs. Between 6 and 9 months, development occurs in a hallucinating way, and during this period the baby's sleep can have ups and downs.
There are no tricks or spells!”!
Yes, there are sleep hygiene strategies, which when applied safely, with respect and consistency, can regulate the sleep pattern and facilitate the resolution of these regressions. Try it:
- Keep regular meal and nap times during the day. On the weekend, I suggest you try not to change your routine too much for the week. About 30 minutes maximum is recommended, if not possible, try not to skip naps (even if they are not at the same time).
- Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime, preferring moments of affection and family interaction;
- Consistent bedtime routine, in the same place, repeated in the same way daily;
- Reinforcement of autonomy at the time of falling asleep, ideally for the baby to be placed in the crib while still awake and able to fall asleep without the presence of the parents;
- Prevent the child from falling asleep while eating, in order to avoid creating an association between food and sleep; USgrowth peaks, sometimes it is not possible. It's a matter of time!
- During small nocturnal awakenings, wait a while for the baby to have the opportunity to go back to sleep alone. If in fact it is necessary to comfort with a lap, feed, change a diaper, this process should be quick, with reduced light and minimal stimulation, so that the baby realizes that this is the time to sleep.r.
- The environment should be calm, with little or no light.
- If we are facing a regression that coincides with the acquisition of a new ability, for example, standing up in bed. Try to stimulate this ability as much as possible throughout the day, within your baby's limits, so that your baby doesn't need to practice it at night.e.
Sleeping babies is most often a challenge for families, but the biggest challenge is for the baby who has to deal with psychomotor development. Do not be discouraged, do not forget the routines and ideally, regress as little as possible in the strategies that have already been achieved.
Article Source:Celia Martins
Let's talk about baby sleep and the much talked about regressions! I don't consider myself a sleep specialist, because I only managed to get my son to sleep a full night when he was 3 and a half years old!
But all babies are different and we all have our own sleep patterns. The best example is our President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who sleeps a few hours a day!
Even though I don't call myself an expert, I share with you that there are many parents who have already applied the strategies I advised and who ended up achieving a good night's sleep!
In a first phase, don't forget that the baby comes without a timetable, doesn't wear a watch and it's the parents who have to adapt to the baby, and not the other way around. With growth, routines are essential for the long-desired good night's sleep!
The baby's development is constant. Step by step, he acquires, I would say daily, new achievements (social smile, grabbing toys, rolling around, crawling)..
We were happy with the baby's new abilities and everything would be perfect if the baby slept well. And the worst thing is that he already slept well!
When the parents, believed that they had been contemplated with a sleeping baby, suddenly everything changes, the baby starts to wake up several times, tiredness sets in and despair too!
The requests for help that come to me are at different stages of development:
“… I come to ask for help, because I don't know what to do anymore! Afonso was already sleeping well, and in September, when he was 6 months old, he started day care and since then he hasn't slept! We are so tired, is there a trick “
“Nurse Celia we need your help! Mariana only woke up once or twice to nurse during the night. For a week now he sleeps well, sleeps 3 or 4 hours and then no longer sleeps or sleeps and wakes up every hour. I can't believe it, the last message I sent her was because I had doubts about waking her up to breastfeed! And now 3 months old, I want you to sleep and not sleep! HELLPPP!!”
“Helo! Here I am again! Carolina still doesn't sleep well, but now it looks like it's worse!! As you know, I don't breastfeed and since she's already been a year old, I don't have time reductions anymore. I'm going crazy going to work without sleep. Tell me it will get better, PFF!”
How Baby Sleep Works?
until 4-6 months the baby has a sleep-wake rhythm that repeats every 3-4 hours. That is, every 3 hours he sleeps, wakes up, is fed, has a variable period of interaction and goes back to sleep.
Starting from 5-6 months of age, the baby acquires what we call a circadian rhythm, that is, the same routines are repeated over 24 hours, with a daytime period, when there is light and activities, and a night period, with reduced light and with the longest sleep period.
This rhythm repeats every 24 hours and is regulated by external factors , such as light, environment and activities, and by internal factors , like body temperature and hormones like melatonin.
But if the babies were already sleeping well, why do they relapse into sleep It will be normall?
The main causes for the baby to fall asleep are:
Child development – And if I told you that the Psychomotor development is to blame The baby's brain, especially, in the first 12 months, develops in order to acquire skills, such as holding objects, chatting, sitting, walking and talking. Development varies from child to child, and with each new acquisition, due to its demand, there may be a transitory sleep disturbance. Babies need to practice, either day or night, the new acquired skill. Who doesn't like to see a baby clapping their hands at night At this stage, your baby has to choose between sleeping, or practicing what he knows how to do again. novo.
start of daycare – A new space, a different environment (usually noisier), a new lap, new caregivers, a new bed and learning to share objects and the same space with creatures like him, are some of the many emotions that the baby has to to manage. The start of day care changes routines, increases fatigue and consequently has a great impact on sleep.o.
Changing routines (new babysitter, mother's return to work, holidays) Whenever the baby changes his daily routine, he feels lost. I venture to say that routine is essential for all babies and for a regular sleep pattern. Creating routines develops in the baby the ability to know what is going to happen next and this helps him to be ready to fall asleep, because he knows that this is the MOMENT. When we change what happens before sleep (the pre-sleep ritual, the environment, the crib/bed) the baby does not identify when to sleep, and can become confused and fight the need to fall asleep.ecer.
Falling asleep with another person (changing caregiver) is also a factor of anxiety for the baby, it can be the grandmother, the babysitter or even the father, but it is not the mother, who put him to sleep for 5 or 6 months! Around 9 months, the parents' separation anxiety (which is a normal stage of development) can cause the baby to ask for your attention more often, even at night.
Disease – If even adults sleep poorly when they are sick, imagine babies who don't understand why they feel this way! Pain and discomfort interfere with sleep. A slight nasal obstruction can be the reason for a sleepless night, especially if the baby needs to do it with suction support (sucking, thumb sucking, tongue, diaper). As they can't do it, they cry, wake up and there goes Sleep!!
I reinforce that each baby has its own development and that we must RESPECT it! It is between 3-4 months that the first developmental sleep regression usually occurs. Between 6 and 9 months, development occurs in a hallucinating way, and during this period the baby's sleep can have ups and downs.
There are no tricks or spells!”!
Yes, there are sleep hygiene strategies, which when applied safely, with respect and consistency, can regulate the sleep pattern and facilitate the resolution of these regressions. Try it:
- Keep regular meal and nap times during the day. On the weekend, I suggest you try not to change your routine too much for the week. About 30 minutes maximum is recommended, if not possible, try not to skip naps (even if they are not at the same time).
- Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime, preferring moments of affection and family interaction;
- Consistent bedtime routine, in the same place, repeated in the same way daily;
- Reinforcement of autonomy at the time of falling asleep, ideally for the baby to be placed in the crib while still awake and able to fall asleep without the presence of the parents;
- Prevent the child from falling asleep while eating, in order to avoid creating an association between food and sleep; USgrowth peaks, sometimes it is not possible. It's a matter of time!
- During small nocturnal awakenings, wait a while for the baby to have the opportunity to go back to sleep alone. If in fact it is necessary to comfort with a lap, feed, change a diaper, this process should be quick, with reduced light and minimal stimulation, so that the baby realizes that this is the time to sleep.r.
- The environment should be calm, with little or no light.
- If we are facing a regression that coincides with the acquisition of a new ability, for example, standing up in bed. Try to stimulate this ability as much as possible throughout the day, within your baby's limits, so that your baby doesn't need to practice it at night.e.
Sleeping babies is most often a challenge for families, but the biggest challenge is for the baby who has to deal with psychomotor development. Do not be discouraged, do not forget the routines and ideally, regress as little as possible in the strategies that have already been achieved.
Article Source:Celia Martins
