Almost in every second family, parents face sleep disturbances in children - they restlessly sleep. This situation speaks more likely that under some external conditions the child does not sleep well and this rule, and not an exception. However, it is not worthwhile to run to the pharmacy for medicines for the child, most likely, there are no reasons for this and sleep can be adjusted without using medicines that are unlikely to benefit health. To do this, you just need to understand why a child does not sleep well at night.
The first reason is the age features
There is an opinion that children in the first months of life sleep very hard and long. Such babies, of course, are, but they are not the majority. A large number of babies, laid separately from their parents, do not sleep well until three to six months. This is related to the architecture of sleep. At children at this age not deep, and superficial dream prevails, therefore they very often wake up. The further behavior depends on the individual characteristics of the child: someone can fall asleep again himself, and someone needs help. In addition, physiologically some children up to a year, and sometimes older children, require night-time breastfeeding - this is also the cause of awakening (this does not apply to children on artificial feeding).
But it is worth noting that if in the first year of life the baby had no problems with sleep, this does not guarantee that then they will not exactly appear. The second difficult period is associated with sleep disorders in children aged one and a half to three years. During this period, children begin to appear various fears (darkness, fantastic characters, etc.), which can sometimes manifest as nightmares at night. This can cause problems with childhood sleep, even if the children used to sleep well.
The second reason is the temperament of the child
If the child is easily excited, quickly "lights up" and long "cools", often sits with parents in his arms, demanding of external conditions, then most likely, such a child is included in the group with "increased needs" (the term of William Serza - American pediatrician) . These children require a special approach at any age: in a month, in a year, and in seven years. Such children are especially prone to sleep problems: when they are young, they can not relax and fall asleep themselves, and then problems arise from excessive sensitivity and nightmares.
The third reason is the wrong way of life
If the baby does not sleep well at night, it is very likely that the reason for the small energy expenditure during the daytime. Thus, the child just does not get tired. According to Ukrainian pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky, this is the main cause of problems with childhood sleep. Perhaps parents believe that an hour and a half walking and playing dolls or cars is enough to consume all the energy, however, this opinion is from an adult's point of view. Children are very mobile and active, and sometimes some children can "wander" only after very long games on the street and at home.
The fourth reason is the uncomfortable conditions for sleeping
Discomfort can deliver completely different things. It can be uncomfortable pajamas or too hard bed linens. Maybe the parents wrap up the child too much, or maybe he has an inconvenient pillow, it's cold or, on the contrary, it's stuffy. If the reason is in some of this, then to understand it, it is necessary to analyze all factors well, perhaps it will be necessary to change something in the situation for this. If the factor is eliminated, then the child's sleep will quickly return to normal.
The fifth reason is well-being
Even an adult will sleep badly if he does not feel well: his teeth are chopped up with "wisdom" or his stomach hurts. In babies at the age of one or two, such "health problems" are often met and they can cause sleep problems.
The sixth reason - changes in the life of the child
Calling problems with sleep can and some significant changes in life, problems - is the reaction of the baby to these changes. For example, if the family moved to a new apartment or house, the family replenishment or the baby began to sleep separately from the parents. All this can cause feelings in the child, which becomes the cause of sleep disorders.