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How to get enough sleep with a baby. What is dangerous about mom’s lack of sleep and what to do about it? Build your own schedule

Many expectant parents await the arrival of their baby with slight horror. Frightened by the stories of eyewitnesses, they expect a lot of problems to appear and the end peaceful life. The first question that a young mother and father is asked is: “How are you getting enough sleep?” Unfortunately, few can answer in the affirmative.

Before the birth of the child, we, like all decent people, bought a crib. However, we didn’t need it with either our first or second child. As a result, it served only as a fence for the large parental bed. Of course, every family chooses its own path, and it seems to me that we simply chose the easiest one. I still can’t imagine how much effort it must take for a mother or father to get up to the baby at night: to hear, get up, go to the crib, force himself to wake up, take the child in his arms, sit somewhere, feed, put him to sleep, put him back in the crib , go to bed, fall asleep, so that after half an hour you can hear the familiar squeaking sound again. Moreover, in many families, the baby is initially “trained” from birth to sleep in his own crib and in his own room. I accept that some people feel more comfortable this way, and every child is unique. But for myself, I almost immediately realized that this option was not suitable for us.

Probably many parents know that the most difficult moment- transfer the baby from your arms to the crib; on the first try, in 99% of cases he will wake up, and you will have to repeat the whole procedure. Therefore, both children immediately began to sleep with us, while everyone was absolutely calm and comfortable. The child fell soundly asleep next to his mother, feeling her smell and warmth. The mother was nearby, as a rule, subconsciously forming something like a cocoon around the child. Dad slept as usual, next to mom. No one’s rights were violated, everything was, although unusual at the very beginning, quite comfortable. If the child wanted to eat, he could do it right on the spot, half asleep, and the mother didn’t have to wake up much.

In the first year, instincts are quite strong, so I usually woke up at the same time as the child or even a little earlier. If something happened, the baby had to “croak” once or twice to remind herself and feed. So I don't remember our girls making noise or crying at night, with a few exceptions. Dad could sleep completely peacefully and go to work in the morning. Someone will say “lucky”, but I will say – don’t buy a crib!

By the way, our eldest daughter slept with us until she was three years old (I fed her until she was about 2 years old). When she was three years old, her grandmother gave her a beautiful bed sheets with Winnie the Pooh. At that moment our child said: “I’m already sick and I’ll sleep with Winnie the Pooh!” This is how she moved to her room, to her Winnie-Furry bed. Of course, my husband or I always put her to bed, read her, and more often composed fairy tales or lullabies. Then she fell asleep and we could return to our place.

With the second child it was even easier. She already told us when she was two and a half years old that she was going to bed. older sister. So, our “resettlement of peoples” passed quite calmly. Until now, one of the parents always puts them to bed, discusses the past day and tells invented fairy tales. Sometimes I speak out angrily about this, but I go anyway, because it’s also a pleasure to talk, hug, wish Good night, see how cute they are sleeping and sniffling, and then go back to their bed and get a good night's sleep.

Young mothers know firsthand what sleep deprivation is. This is a harmful condition that affects the nervous system. And strong nerves are necessary for any mother, because a baby requires so much strength. What to do? You need to learn to get enough sleep provided that you have a charming pink-cheeked “alarm clock” that sounds at intervals of 3-4 hours or even more often. How? Tips can be divided into several groups:

Optimize your daily routine;

Deal with the problems causing the child’s anxiety;

Provide a comfortable environment for yourself to fall asleep. These include: specific sequence actions before going to bed, the comfort of the bed, the nature of the lighting and other things.

Master one of the rash techniques.

Now let's talk about everything in order.

Daily routine of a young mother: looking for time reserves for sleep

As a rule, a young mother must not only care for her newborn, but also perform a bunch of other duties: go to the store, cook dinner, clean the apartment, do laundry, iron diapers. Many mothers like to do this “in a calm environment” when the baby is sleeping or goes for a walk with dad. But it's better to spend this time sleeping. Of course, taking several two-hour siestas every day is overkill. But you can easily afford to sleep for an hour during the day. Option: arrange for yourself " quiet time“Not every day, but every other day. It all depends on the needs of the body.

The baby sleeps little and wakes up often

Little children have many reasons for concern: from colic in the tummy to a blanket that is too warm. Every little thing can make the baby wake up and wake up the mother. To minimize the likelihood of your baby waking up prematurely, it is recommended to answer the following questions:

Did the baby fall asleep well-fed? If a baby falls asleep after barely sucking the breast, he may sleep much less than the required 3 hours. Within an hour or even half an hour, the baby will want to eat again.
Is the baby's clothing comfortable? A thick seam or a protruding button can cause discomfort to the baby. Instead of a blanket that constantly slides down, it is better to use a sleeping bag or put the child to sleep in a special onesie.
What's with the diaper? Children really don't like wet, dirty diapers. When putting your treasure to bed, make sure your baby's pants are dry and clean.
Is the room too hot? Comfortable temperature for children is 22°C. If the room is cooler, you may need to dress your baby warmer. If it's hot, let him sleep in one slip or bodysuit.

And a few more points that you need to pay attention to.

Bathing – great way calm the child and relieve stress. There are babies who, after a bath and evening feeding, instantly fall asleep in a sweet dream. Other little ones, on the contrary, from water procedures They get a boost of energy and don’t want to close their eyes for a long time. Which category does your baby fall into?
Is the child overtired? If during the day the baby was in a crowded place (clinic, supermarket), this can cause a whole bunch of emotions in him. A bath with a relaxing agent will help: sea salt, chamomile.
Is the baby sick? Maybe he is worried about colic or gas in his tummy? There are many ways to combat colic: a warm diaper, dill water, laying on the stomach. You need to know these methods in order to be able to help your baby in time.

Comfortable sleep for a newborn

An important factor influencing the duration of sleep is the convenience and comfort of the baby.

A baby who is accustomed to the comfort of his mother’s tummy and has recently been born experiences a certain fear and anxiety if there is a lot of free space around him.

In order to solve this problem, unique devices have appeared on the market - cocoon-cradles for newborns, allowing the baby to feel protected. In such a baby cocoon, you can rock your baby to sleep, use it to carry the sleeping person and put him in the crib, without fear that precious sleep will be disturbed.
The best such device, according to neonatologists, is the Farla Baby Shell.

Comfort in the bedroom

You need to decide how you sleep most comfortably.

Many babies sleep better if their mother puts them in bed with her. This may not seem right to your spouse. But you need to try to explain to your husband: it is better when a wife gets enough sleep with a baby at her side than if she walks around tired, having run to the crib during the night. This is a temporary measure for the very first months of the baby’s life. But there is a danger: in the future, it may be difficult to train your little one to fall asleep in his own bed. This must be taken into account and not delay the issue of “relocating” the child back to his crib.
It may make sense to change the mattress, blanket or pillow, or purchase a special half-length bed that covers the entire body. A young mother has too little time to sleep, let it pass with maximum comfort.
During the day, when there is little time to sleep, and you want to fall asleep quickly, you can use a mask like those issued on airplanes.
Research shows that to fall asleep you do not need complete silence, but light, measured noises. There is a special device - source white noise. It helps you fall asleep faster and not wake up due to extraneous sounds(baby crying is not one of them).

Dream as it is

It’s a pity for a person to spend a third of his life sleeping: 8 out of 24 hours every day. Therefore, many are looking for ways to get enough sleep in 6, 5, 4 hours in order to devote the freed up time to something more interesting.

Techniques are widely used short nap in special forces. Yogis also have their own secrets in this regard. They say you can set yourself a goal and learn to get a good night's sleep in 4-5 hours. The technique is based on alternating phases of fast and slow sleep. But while caring for your baby, you probably don’t need to conduct such experiments on your body. Just remember the following things:

Sleeping less than 7 hours a day is fraught with decreased attention, rapid fatigue, and deterioration of immunity. The result is frequent colds.
It is better to go to bed early, despite the fact that you will soon have to wake up and feed the baby. 1 hour of sleep before midnight is equal in its value for the body to 2 hours of night sleep.
The air in the room should be cool (don’t forget about evening ventilation), and the blanket, on the contrary, should be warm.
No need to eat at night. This will keep you awake for a long time. Why take away precious sleep time in favor of digesting a hearty dinner?
A short evening walk with your baby will help both mother and baby sleep better.
TV and computer create tension and make it difficult to “switch off” and fall asleep like a baby. Don't watch TV series before going to bed, don't read forums. Better - books and relaxing music.

Children from birth sleep shallowly and often wake up at any time of the day. This is nature. And there are periods when it’s unlikely that anything can be done about it. Just adapt. For example this first months of life, when the baby’s stomach is too small to go without food for a long time, and he himself is so helpless that he wakes up from the slightest inconvenience. Or periods when sleep deteriorates due to the imminent emergence of a new skill, the growth of new teeth. And intermittent restless sleep in this case it can last for weeks.

At the same time, in order to feel healthy and happy, an adult needs get enough sleep every day. We all need 7-9 hours of sleep per day, of which we must sleep 5-6 hours continuously, otherwise it will be difficult to get quality sleep. It sounds like a mockery for Moms whose children have not yet learned to sleep peacefully, or are going through a period of restlessness. interrupted sleep associated with the natural process of their development.

How to sleep for the mother of a baby who does not sleep? Some obvious tips:

Always sleep when your baby sleeps. At night - definitely. During the day - whenever possible, but preferably no later than 16.00, so as not to confuse your biological clock.

Sleep when someone can take care of the child themselves - go for a walk with him, play in the next room. Don't refuse help. Ask for help.

If the baby is older than 1.5 months and you have no problems with lactation, express and store in the refrigerator a supply of milk for at least 1 month. complete feeding. Let Dad take part in the baby's process and give you the opportunity to rest from at least one feeding at night. The same applies to bottle-fed babies.

If you are annoyed by your child's long stays at night, remove the clock from the bedroom.

If your baby is over 6 months old and healthy, start sleep training. You can do this yourself by reading free information on the websites baby sleep consultants, or by listening to them webinar, or in individual format consultations. The process requires patience and strict adherence to the chosen tactics and takes on average 2-4 weeks, but the result will give you several extra months (and sometimes years) good sleep.

Sleep in another room, and maybe use earplugs for a more restful sleep when someone else can “watch” near the child. For many mothers, it is difficult to get enough sleep in close proximity to the baby, because... they react sensitively to his every move.

To fall asleep easier when you can sleep, eliminate foods and drinks containing caffeine (coffee, cocoa, green and black tea, chocolate, cola, energy drinks) from your diet. There is still no clear opinion about whether caffeine penetrates into breast milk, but it definitely affects hormonal and nervous system Moms. So beloved by nursing (and non-breastfeeding) mothers, tea, if there is no allergy, can be replaced with warm berry compotes, herbal infusions(chamomile, linden, fireweed, rooibos).

Visit regularly fresh air, in the sun, find an opportunity for physical activity and walks. It is best to sunbathe in the first half of the day. But try not to exercise after 7-8 pm. Adrenaline released during sports is a bad sleeping pill.

Get into the habit of putting your smartphone and computer aside at least 1 hour before bed. And remember that there are programs that remove “blue rays” from the glow of the screen, and it is these rays that effectively destroy melatonin, a hormone that helps you fall asleep and sleep deeply and peacefully.

Sleep is one of the most pressing problems for most young parents. How to organize your child’s sleep and your own rest so that all family members feel comfortable? Dr. Komarovsky formulated 10 basic rules.

1. There is no separate baby sleep" Normal sleep is when not only the child sleeps well, but also the mother and father.

2. From a medical point of view, there is no regime. Mom and dad must themselves set the child a routine that is convenient for them - with some persistence, any child can be accustomed to any daily routine.

3. It is better for the child to sleep in his own bed, and for mom and dad to sleep in theirs, together.

“If you really like to sleep with your child, you can do this, but as a doctor, I believe that for the well-being of your family, dad should sleep next to mom, and he also has the right to mother’s breast... If dad sleeps somewhere on the rug “This is a woman’s fundamental mistake,” says Dr. Komarovsky.

During the first year of life, the baby's crib should be located next to the parent's, and then it should be gradually removed to another room - the nursery.

4. From a biological point of view, a child's sleep time is a certain amount hours. If your child is a sleepyhead, don't be afraid to wake him up. If a 6-month-old baby takes three three-hour naps during the day, he will definitely not sleep at night.

“The trouble is that when a child who has slept poorly at night goes to bed during the day, his unhappy mother also goes to bed next to him. They get enough sleep, and when dad comes home from work, he wants to sleep, but mother and child don’t want to sleep - the family is in crisis. More than anything else, more food and drinking, more sleep and air, the child needs good, well-rested, loving friend friend’s mom and dad,” emphasizes Dr. Komarovsky.

5. The “don’t eat heavily before bed” rule applies exclusively to mom and dad. The child has a slightly different metabolism, and with an adequate active lifestyle, a hearty meal before bedtime provides the child with sound sleep.

6. How your child spends the day determines how you spend the night. If he has been running, jumping, cavorting all day, tired, exhausted, naturally he will sleep at night.

7. Obviously, if the room is clean, cool, and humid, then you can sleep easily. Optimal parameters for a children's bedroom:

- temperature 18-20°C (in European countries– and even 16°C)

— humidity 50-70%

“This is fundamentally important. Main problem of our women: the child is revealed. I assure you that when the temperature is 16-18°C, no one opens up. At 28°C everything opens. Cool air is important for the child, but warm clothes, a warm blanket, his own room, where the child will sleep at 16°C, and mom and dad will sleep in theirs at 21°C,” says Dr. Komarovsky.

8. If you bathe a child in a large bath of cool water and then warm him up, he will pass out for several hours.

9. Correct bed: a flat, hard mattress and no pillow until the age of two.

10. You definitely shouldn’t limit night feeding.

Thus, if during the day the child was cheerful, walked a lot, did not overheat, was not overfed, and late in the evening, after a massage and gymnastics, he was bathed in a large bath and fed very well, then the baby, as a rule, for 6-8 hours turns off.

“All children sleep this way, without exception. Sleeping is the same physiological need, how to breathe, eat, drink, pee and poop - you can't stay awake after a certain period of time. If we constantly follow the child’s lead, then it’s bad for us, and sooner or later it ends in conflict in the family and is taken out on the same child. These priorities need to be clearly analyzed. Make decisions together. Women, consult with men, they very often say things that are inspired not by instinct, but by the desire to sleep, by common sense, and this can be the most the right option", recommends Dr. Komarovsky.

Tired of pregnancy, exhausted morally and physically by childbirth, the young mother finds herself on the verge of new difficulties, previously unprecedented stresses associated with the need to care for such a long-awaited and beloved baby. She doesn't have time to come to her senses. Literally a couple of hours after the birth, the nurses bring the already washed child, leaving him in her full care. From this moment the care begins, the mother is taught to swaddle, put on diapers, lubricate the baby’s folds and much more.

Regardless of how much a woman has read specialized literature on child care, only practice gives her the appropriate skills and knowledge. Already from the first days, the mother understands the mood of the “cub”, his desires; no one else can do this. It is the mother who determines on a sensory level whether he wants to eat, sleep, or whether his tummy hurts. She worries about the newborn every second, gets up to him at night to feed him, calm him down, lull him to sleep and even just check if everything is okay. After just a few weeks, postpartum euphoria, caused by the indescribable happiness of the birth of a baby, passes and the mother fully feels the consequences. chronic stress and fatigue, caused, among other things, by insufficient quality and quantity of sleep.

During this period, the question becomes acute: how to get enough sleep with a newborn? Any book on child care proclaims an unshakable rule for young mothers: “The baby sleeps, you sleep.” Most young mothers face " daytime insomnia", they cannot fall asleep during the day, even if the baby gives them such an opportunity. In addition, women often find it difficult to fall asleep even at night, since the body and psyche experience unprecedented stress caused by recovery from childbirth and a qualitatively new load on the muscles, as well as a state of “constant vigilance.” Therefore, in order to get enough sleep with a newborn, you need to learn how to quickly relieve tension and calm the chaos of thoughts reigning in your head. Relaxing breathing, massage, muscle relaxation, yoga and even relaxing fantasies are ideal for these purposes.

As soon as the child falls asleep, the woman should also take a horizontal position, a comfortable position, and stop worrying about the child. By the way, later the child should have his own children's mattress. If you can’t calm down, focus your attention on your own breathing, do deep breath, followed by an equally deep exhalation, do everything possible to relax as much as possible. Gradually your breathing will become slower, try to free yourself from anxiety, fatigue, tension, thoughts scurrying back and forth. Focus solely on relaxation. If thoughts, despite all your efforts, continue to “obsess”, replace them by reading your favorite poem or song to yourself. Before you know it, you will fall into the much-desired sleep, even for 15 minutes. This will certainly restore strength.

Of course, it is best to achieve the ability to sleep continuously for at least 5 hours. But how can you do this with a newborn? It is logical that the child should sleep no less than the specified time. Of course, it will not be possible to achieve such a result with a baby under one month of age, but gradually you can accustom him. The child must differentiate between day and night, so no games at night, eat, let out the air and go straight to sleep. Gradually, the intervals between night feedings need to be increased. To this end, to begin with, it is worth replacing one feeding with water (baby tea), thanks to this it is possible to achieve next effect: the toddler’s stomach stops producing at night gastric juice, without making him feel hungry, since he is not given food anyway. Thus, the baby will wake up less often at night to feed, which means the mother will have more time to good sleep, sufficient to restore vitality.