A 7 month old child does not sleep well during the day. Sleep disorder in a seven-month-old baby: causes, useful tips

Some children at 7 months begin the process of adjustment, and switch from three naps a day to two. Sometimes it may seem that the child is already “big”, but still sleep at this age is just as important as for a newborn.

How much should a 7 month old baby sleep?

A baby's daily sleep requirement is 13.5 - 15 hours, about 3 - 3.5 hours are allocated for daytime sleep, and 10 - 12 hours for nighttime sleep. At this age, the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness can change significantly, but still this process remains a predictable alternation of sleep and active pastime.
A 7-month-old child may take 2-3 naps during the day, sometimes this number is not set, and everything will depend on the baby’s mood. Usually, what falls out of the schedule is evening sleep, i.e. persists morning and afternoon, lasting more than an hour.
A child’s night sleep at 7 months undergoes a process of consolidation, i.e. The baby sleeps less and less during the day, but sleeps more at night. Some babies can sleep all night, until 5 - 6 am.

How to put a baby to sleep at 7 months?

The process of switching to two naps a day can be associated with some difficulties. It is important to be attentive to your baby's condition: Note signs of fatigue and try to help him relax. The transition period can last from several days to a couple of weeks.
To help your baby fall asleep, you need to show maternal care. The best sedative and “sleeping pill” is your mother’s breast. The feeding process has a calming effect on the baby, he calms down and quickly falls asleep.
Quiet, calm music will help you fall asleep quickly; it can be a lullaby or a classic, or a mother’s voice.

Why does my child have trouble falling asleep?

Contrary to the popular belief of mothers, problems with children's sleep are not associated with capricious character, but only with characteristics nervous system. In the first year of their life, children cannot yet consciously isolate themselves from extraneous stimuli. This condition made it possible to identify the main reasons why a child has difficulty falling asleep during the day and at night:
incorrect daily routine. There are cyclical periods during which it will be easier or more difficult for the baby to fall asleep. It is important to start from the baby’s condition, what time he woke up in the morning, and remember optimal time for going to bed: morning dream from 8.30 - 9 am, 12 - 1 pm, evening 16 - 17 o'clock, but the child's morning rise was no later than 7 am.
sudden change of activity. Kids are just learning to manage their emotions and cannot switch quickly. Hot interesting game the child simply will not be able to fall asleep quickly. To solve the problem, it is necessary to develop a bedtime ritual that will help the baby fall asleep quickly. Daytime sleep is always heavier than nighttime sleep, and it is necessary to create suitable conditions- relative silence, dim light and peaceful atmosphere.
The process of transition from three sleeps a day to two and one sleep a day is a temporary phenomenon and does not require outside intervention.

Why does my child sleep poorly at night?

At 7 months, a child may wake up frequently, literally every hour, and this may be due to physiological process- teething. Each baby's reaction to this process will be purely individual, and sometimes there may be completely different reasons for poor sleep.

When a 7-month-old child sleeps little, especially at night, it is necessary to be attentive to the state of his health, as this may be a symptom of the development of the disease. But, as a rule, due to the restructuring of the child’s daily routine, parents mistakenly assume that the baby sleeps little.
Little babies also have dreams that may not always be sunny, especially if there are conflicts in the family or the mother is very nervous. Nightmares can also explain why a 7-month-old child often wakes up at night.

Is it possible for a 7 month old baby to sleep on his stomach?

The observations of many mothers and the opinion of experts boil down to one thing - sleeping on your stomach is beneficial. In this position, babies sleep more peacefully and longer. This can be explained by better gas passage after feeding, the baby will not disturb itself with random movements, during such sleep the abdominal and neck muscles develop, and in the future it will be easier to crawl, sit down, etc. It has been proven that this position will provide correct formation hip joints, absence of prickly heat

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how much a baby sleeps at 7 months; each baby is individual. And if one baby sleeps three times a day, then the other two times, some children prefer to switch to two naps much later.

When a child at 7 months does not sleep well during the day, parents begin to worry. In this case, interruptions in night sleep may also occur. If the child is constantly capricious and often wakes up, the daytime and night sleep patterns may be disrupted, or maybe the baby does not have normal conditions for relax. The fact is that the baby, other than crying, cannot complain about discomfort. Therefore, mothers need to be attentive to the whims.

Daytime and night sleep a seven month old baby is different from age groups, when children are several years old, according to the following parameters.

Time. Rest is divided into two periods - daytime and nighttime. Afternoon 7 one month old baby should sleep 3-3.5 hours. At night 10-12 hours.
Frequency of sleep. The baby's daytime sleep should be divided into several periods. He should stretch the allotted time over about three naps during the day.
Physical activity. Babies begin to move and crawl quite confidently, so the nervous system becomes overtired faster. Many little ones are already trying to stand. Such exercises can affect sleep, including daytime sleep.

All these changes make adjustments to the general regime. The baby used to sleep during the day, but now he mostly moves, sleeps infrequently and little by little. During active movement, a lot of energy is spent, so the child asks for food more often. Sometimes this is the reason for waking up and the fact that the child does not sleep well at night and in daytime. It should be taken into account that nap cannot be adjusted to any template. Some kids sleep three times a day, while for others two are enough. Everyone has their own temperament, despite their tiny age.

A child under one year of age develops at a very rapid pace. Every day he learns something new, and changes occur in his body. As a result, they sleep differently, depending on their developing character and the environment.

A 7-month-old child does not sleep well at night or during the day. various reasons. Some of them may well be corrected by parents, but regular disturbances in nighttime rest can lead to diseases, and can also be indicators of them. In this case, of course, a consultation with a pediatrician is required.

The most common reasons are as follows:

In addition, very often parents do not teach their child to follow a routine. A chaotic arrangement of daytime and night sleep, the absence of any order and ritual can lead to huge problems with falling asleep and have a good rest.

Most causes of poor sleep are related to everyday life families. By the way, stress from constant scandals and even simply moving to another bed and room can provoke a restless night.

If a 7-month-old baby has difficulty falling asleep at night or often wakes up and is capricious, it is important to find the reason. If insomnia recurs regularly and nothing helps to improve it, then you need advice from a pediatrician who will explain why the child is not sleeping. But first, you just need to use a few healthy sleep rules, which, according to Dr. Komarovsky, will help all family members rest peacefully.

These methods include:

Most often, this is enough for the baby to sleep peacefully. These rules are decades old. If the problem gets worse, you will have to see a doctor who can conduct an examination for diseases of the nervous system or other health problems.

For a healthy sleep, there is enough warmth in the room, fresh air, satiety and a little fatigue. Then the baby can sleep for several hours in a row.

The ideal option for normalizing sleep is a certain ritual that will calm the baby and help him tune in to sleep. deep sleep.

This ritual includes:

Sometimes a child simply lacks normal contact with his mother. At this age, he is still very dependent both emotionally and physically. Sometimes it’s enough to take your child in your arms, and he immediately becomes quieter and understands that we are sleeping. Of course, this does not mean that the mother has to carry him in her arms all night, for more than one year. But sometimes you need to sit next to each other for a while. At the same time, it is at this age that many parents begin to teach their child to sleep independently. In any case, you should not put your baby next to you. It is very difficult to wean off later. And later learning to be independent affects the formation of personality in the future.

Even adult figures from childhood often remember their mother’s lullabies. This is a great way for the baby and then the mother to fall asleep. You can swing it in your arms, but you shouldn’t get carried away.

Sleepless nights- this is far from the norm. Especially after six months of age. The child can sleep very calmly for 10 hours at night without your participation. And if a seven-month-old child does not sleep well at night, and this repeats regularly, try to establish a sleeping and feeding schedule, walk more, do not make too much noise while sleeping, and maintain a normal environment in the family. This is enough for normal sleep healthy child.

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

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Last update articles: 04/15/2019

Many parents are concerned about why their baby does not sleep or sleeps poorly at night. In desperation, adults can resort to the most sophisticated methods to ensure that the child is comfortable and does not wake up. But before you do anything, it’s worth understanding the reasons. After all, they can be very different, even to the point of illness. And only then take measures to solve the problem.

Causes of sleep disturbances

If a 7 month old baby wakes up at night, this is considered quite normal. Despite clear daily schedules, the baby is just learning to develop a routine. He gets used to sleeping until the morning without waking up for months. At first it is waking up about hunger every 2-3 hours. But at 7 months new reasons are added here.

And this is due to the peculiarities of development. A seven-month-old baby can do a lot. WITH physical development There is an increasing curiosity about the world around us. At this age, many people already crawl and sit up well. Some feel bad, but are already trying to stand, holding onto the crib rail or wall. And when a child learns new things, he wakes up easily and can even start playing at night! But in any case, such a phenomenon as night awakenings requires a special approach and analysis.

Let's try to figure out what might disturb the child.

Character traits. If the baby is hyperactive, he sleeps very lightly and poorly. The slightest rustle, sound, even your own movements in a dream are a reason to wake up.
Room climate. It would seem, but heat or coolness can greatly affect a baby’s sleep.
Hunger. At 7 months, many still wake up at night to eat. For all children this happens at different intervals. Some require milk 3 times a night, while others only wake up once. It’s good if the baby eats at 11 pm and sleeps peacefully until the morning. But there are very few of them. The little one will still need a lot of time to get used to the normal regime. And this will only come with age.
The child sleeps poorly due to some other illness. Very often, 7 months is marked by the appearance of the first tooth. And this may be accompanied by vomiting, fever, and diarrhea. General malaise a baby can easily be confused with a cold or poisoning. But do not rush to give antiviral or other drugs. Check your baby's mouth. Perhaps you will see the long-awaited tooth. If this is not the reason, then it is better to use the help of a specialist immediately. The illness can be due to anything. Perhaps a viral or bacterial infection or something else.

But whatever the reason, the period of waking up at night is very difficult for any family. After all, dad needs to get up for work in the morning. And the mother takes care of the baby and does household chores.

How to help your child normalize sleep

When a child does not sleep well, this situation is difficult not only for the parents, but also for the baby himself. Imagine yourself in his place when you don’t get enough sleep. And children need rest in order to develop properly and well. How will he show interest in what is happening if he has not fully rested? Often such children begin to be capricious, their eyes are uninterested and focused on one point.

But when an adult understands why exactly his child does not sleep at night, this will be half the success. After all, now you know what exactly you have to fight with.

Quiet games before bed. In general, this rule applies to any restless person, regardless of how well he sleeps. It is impossible to sleep well if the body is overstimulated. Try to interest your child in interesting but quiet activities. Distract from active games by any means. But don't scold the baby. He is just learning about the world and still cannot understand much.
Bathing in herbs. Use herbs to calm an overexcited child. Brew them first and add a little to the water when bathing. Valerian and motherwort are suitable for these purposes.
Ritual. If your baby has trouble falling asleep in the evening and sleeps restlessly all night, try preparing him for the sleep process with a kind of ritual. Repeat the steps every night before going to bed. This will help the baby understand that he will soon go to bed. And children really like such actions. Include here events that bring joy to the child. One of these is massage or just light stroking. The touch of a mother's tender hands always has a miraculous effect on children. Reading a calm little fairy tale with beautiful illustrations will also attract and calm your little one.
Ventilation. So simple and affordable way will have good influence and will calm you down. Monitor the general microclimate in the room where the baby sleeps.
The child should feel that his mother is nearby. The kids get very upset if they find that she is missing. Therefore, at the age of 7 months there is no point in moving him to his own separate room. Moreover, if a child wakes up at night in a room where there is no mother, he may even get scared.

But along with these manipulations, the baby must already be taught independence. After all, the moment is approaching when the child will need to move to his own apartment. And this takes some getting used to. And many children, if they sleep poorly and wake up, then cannot fall asleep on their own. They need rocking, lullaby, lullaby. At first, this is the norm. But there comes a time when you need to wean yourself off this. How to teach a baby to fall asleep without mom's help?

Teaching a child to fall asleep on his own

Very important point in the life of parents is to wean the baby from already established habits. But why do many mothers put off this moment? This is explained by elementary fear. For example, in order to wean someone off the pacifier, you need to endure several nights of hysterics. And the sooner this happens, the more painless it will be for the baby. So it is with accustoming to falling asleep independently. There are several ways to ease the plight of the baby.

Strong, healthy sleep- this is a natural need, necessary for the baby for complete physical, mental, emotional development And wellness. If a child at 7 months does not sleep well, this is due to a number of reasons that need to be clarified and eliminated so that the baby can fully rest and gain strength.

The importance of maintaining a sleep schedule and duration

During this period, the daily routine of a seven-month-old baby has not yet been established; it can still change and adapt to waking hours. Despite this, parents need to make every effort to put the little one to bed at the same time. This will make the process of falling asleep easier and will develop the necessary reflexes that promote complete, peaceful rest.

The total number of hours of sleep ranges from 13.5 to 15 hours per day. During the day, the child should have 3 to 3.5 hours of rest, and at night about 10-12 hours. The process of going to bed should be accompanied by the same rituals. The rhythm of life at this age for a child is measured, moderately active, filled positive emotions, acquisition of new skills and knowledge.

Following a routine will have a positive impact on the development of:

Physiological. At this age, his skills consist of trying to stand up, take several steps while holding onto support, quickly and nimbly crawl forward and back to the intended goal, and kneel. Can distinguish and designate objects already familiar to him when they are spoken about.
Psychological. Psychological condition The child's education allows him to be a full-fledged participant in the dialogue, take part in educational games, and be interested in books with bright, colorful pictures. At seven months, the child reacts and knows his name, all his relatives: father, mother, grandmother, grandfather, brothers, sisters.

By adhering to the routine, the baby will not develop worries, feelings of anxiety, hysterics, and many other negative feelings that affect his well-being and mood.

Sleep routine norms

Sleep norms are always relative, conditional, because... Each baby is individual. It is recommended that at 7 months your baby sleeps at least 15 hours. You should react and take certain measures if the baby sleeps 3 or more hours less than necessary. And also when he has no desire to rest during 4-5 hours of wakefulness, if he has obvious signs of overexcitation: has trouble falling asleep, restless sleep, wakes up often, every 5, 7 minutes.

Causes of violations

A baby's sleep at 7 months is still stabilizing, so frequent waking up can be considered normal. A lot of new information and skills acquired contribute to the fact that during a night's sleep he wakes up, can toss and turn, spin and even start playing. But there is more serious reasons creating discomfort for the baby:

Painful sensations. This may include excessive gas formation, colic, which completely disappears only by the age of 3, and pain in the gums associated with teething.
Allergic reactions to new foods. This may be accompanied by redness of the skin and itching.
Excessively calm or disturbed routine, when he is not tired enough during the day and falls asleep shortly before going to bed at night.
Extraneous noises can provoke constant waking up, because... children at this age are sensitive to them and react negatively to them.
Inappropriate furnishings in the room, uncomfortable clothes. With low humidity or dry air, which leads to drying out of the nasopharynx and other unpleasant sensations.
Feeling of hunger, thirst. There may be a need to eat and drink.
A tense atmosphere in the family, a bad, irritated mood of the mother or the person putting him to bed.

All this may be the reason that the baby will fuss for a long time, put it to bed, get ready for rest, and often wake up during it.

Consequences of constant lack of sleep

If a child at 7 months does not sleep well during the day or at night, it means that he is constantly lacking sleep. Against this background, a syndrome arises chronic fatigue. What in at a young age may have consequences such as:

Irritability. He will constantly be dissatisfied with something, cry for no reason, throw tantrums.
The emergence of fears, fears, and feelings of anxiety.
Nervousness.
Demanding attention due to a perceived lack of love.
Growth retardation because growth hormone is produced during sleep.

This will also affect the ability to perceive new information, he will not be able to absorb it properly.

Scientists believe that accumulated fatigue during active development is associated with restless, poor sleep. This leads to changes in the child's brain structure. In the future it will negatively affect the formation of character, i.e. he will be timid and insecure, there may be frequent mood swings, an impulsive reaction to what is happening, poor academic performance, inability to find mutual language with others.

Diseases associated with lack of sleep

Lack of sleep at night and during the day can have far-reaching consequences, which become apparent in the later stages of growing up, and contributes to the development of such diseases:

childhood obesity;
hyperreactivity syndrome, attention deficit disorder;
diabetes;
disruption of the central nervous system;
inflammatory bowel diseases;
cardiovascular diseases.

Such a child is susceptible psychological disorders, teenage depression, he is unable to adequately respond to the events occurring around him.

When to worry and contact a specialist

In most cases, a 7 month old baby does not sleep well during the day or at night for minor reasons. Therefore, it is important for parents to identify and eliminate them. But if he continues to have trouble falling asleep, constantly wakes up, experiences anxiety, fidgets, is regularly bothered by dreams, and also:

gets up early in the morning;
is in drowsy state during the whole day;
shows aggression for no reason;
has difficulty remembering and is inattentive.

If the above symptoms appear over a long period and cannot be eliminated on your own, you should contact a somnologist. This will eliminate or prevent the development of more serious illnesses, incl. establish a daily routine.

To eliminate the problem of a situation where a 7-month-old baby has trouble falling asleep at night or during the day, parents can take the following actions:

Before falling asleep, exclude all active, outdoor games. You should spend time in a calm, relaxing environment.
Create your own falling asleep ritual. It can consist of any actions. The main thing is that they occur at the same time, are identical and consistent;
Prepare the room. Make a damp cleaning, ventilate well, organize the supply of fresh air. During the daytime rest, you can curtain the windows, creating a subdued atmosphere.
Regular walks on fresh air. While the little one is small, if possible, let him sleep outside.
A calm atmosphere in the family will eliminate bad dreams and worries, which will contribute to proper rest.
Bathing with herbs as it is relaxing and soothing.

You can also try motion sickness, but experts do not recommend this, as it is addictive in children. Subsequently, they cannot fall asleep on their own. It is important to strictly adhere to the established daily routine. Thanks to this, at 7 months the baby will develop certain reflexes; over time, he will get into a routine and be able to fall asleep on his own.

What absolutely should not be done

To eliminate the causes of a child’s sleep disorder, the following actions should be avoided: deliberately waking the child up, feeding him tightly before bed, yelling at him, getting irritated, visiting places large cluster people, leave him alone in a dark room, do not put him to rest during the day for greater fatigue, use various sedatives to fall asleep faster.

It is important to be patient, to be restrained, and calm, since children at this age are very sensitive, so they adopt your condition and can sleep poorly and restlessly because of this. Show love, care, attention - this will calm the baby, make him feel protected and needed. From this understanding he will relax and fall asleep faster.

How to teach independence

Having eliminated the reasons why your 7-month-old baby does not sleep well during the day or at night, you can gradually teach him to go to bed on his own. To do this you can use the following:

offer to go to bed with your favorite soft toy;
hang interesting pictures over his bed;
read a bedtime story, a fairy tale, sing a lullaby.
talk to him in a calm, monotone voice.

If he wakes up, do not rush to go to the crib, give him the opportunity to go to sleep on his own. A seven-month-old baby can get up in the middle of the night for various reasons, so don’t rush to pick him up. Sometimes it is enough to talk calmly, indicating your presence. When teaching independence, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the toddler and his needs.

In order to bad dream has become fruitful, strong, and calm. Komarovsky recommends placing the baby in his own crib, located in the parents’ bedroom. You shouldn’t overfeed and offer food every time you wake up. Emphasis on active days and more outdoor activities to tire him out.

The bedroom should be properly prepared and sleeping area. The air in it should be clean, cool, fresh. To do this, regularly do wet cleaning, ventilate the room, and humidify the air. The mattress in the crib should be dense and even; it is better not to use a pillow until the child is two years old. Make the bed only with linen made from natural fabrics, and to wash it use products intended for children's clothes. By adhering to these simple recommendations, your baby will sleep soundly, peacefully, and develop properly accordingly.