Your baby slept well during the day and you had time to do all your household chores and relax. But your baby has grown up, he is already 2 years old and refuses to sleep during the day. What happens and what should parents do if a child does not sleep during the day at 2 years old? Let's figure it out together!
Why is it important to maintain daytime sleep for as long as possible?
We recommend maintaining naps during the day for as long as possible, at least until the age of 4 years. Why? The answer is simple - the child’s body right up to school age not suitable for staying awake all day. Benefit nap First of all, it’s about giving the baby’s nervous system a break and briefly limiting the flow of incoming information so that the baby’s brain has the opportunity to process it.
If the baby does not get rest during the day, then the biological functions of his body are disrupted, this is often expressed in emotional and behavioral disorders.
Children grow up and in toddlerhood can sometimes skip naps without much consequence. But it is not necessary that the child has completely outgrown naps. Most children need naps during the day before the age of 4 years.
Daytime sleep directly depends on how suitable the baby’s daily routine is
The most important myth of modern parents: the child will fall asleep on his own when he wants to sleep. It's not like that at all. Beginning with early age It is much more interesting for children to be awake and communicate with their mother than to sleep.
If your child goes to bed later, gets up later, sleeps normally at night and during the day, leave everything as is, if this schedule is suitable for you and for the baby.
2) Morning sleep
By 18 months, most children have moved to one afternoon nap. If this hasn't happened to your baby yet, don't worry. This situation is rare, but it is normal. Read the article “How and when to switch your baby to one nap during the day” to make this transition smoother.
3) Lunch and afternoon nap
Lunch most often starts at 12 o'clock. Afternoon naps for 2-year-old children begin at 12.30 - 13.00, possibly at 13.30. Sleep lasts on average up to 2 hours at the age of 2 years and 1.5 hours for 3 years.
Slight variations are normal. Don't worry if your schedule is otherwise consistent and adjust your naps slightly if deviating from your schedule leads to other sleep problems. For example, if your 2-year-old baby sleeps 3 hours a day, but is cheerful and sleeps well at night, you don’t have to change anything. But if after long sleep during the day, the baby does not want to go to bed on time in the evening, gradually reduce daytime sleep or move it to a slightly earlier time (remembering that it is still in the afternoon). Keep in mind that the break between waking up after a nap and sleeping at night for a 2-year-old child should be 4 hours; by the age of 3 years - already 5 hours.
4) Dinner
Resist the urge to put your baby to bed later so the baby can see daddy. Feed your baby at 5 or 6 p.m. "Early Mode" fits better with the child’s biorhythms. If going to bed early means that your baby has less contact with dad, find another time to compensate him for this communication - for example, in the morning. You can read a book to him in the morning, just as you do in the evening. And active games, which dads especially love, are also more suitable for the morning than for the evening.
5) Time to sleep
Calm rituals before bed- it is necessary! So set aside enough time to prepare your little one for bed, emotionally and physically. The time for sleep, namely sleep in bed, should come between 19.00 and 20.00 (namely the time of sleep, and not of thoughts that it is time to go to the bedroom).
Figuring out the specific time that's right for your baby (the "sleep window") is half watching his signs of fatigue and the other half doing calculations. Think about the average time your baby wakes up and count back the number of hours he needs to sleep. For example, if your baby wakes up at 7 am, and on average he needs 11 hours and 15 minutes of sleep, then he should go to bed at 7:45 pm. Start putting him to bed at 7:00 pm - 7:15 pm depending on how long bath time takes and your usual bedtime routine. If a 2.5-year-old baby wakes up at 7.00, and on average he needs a little less than 11 hours of sleep, put him to bed at 20.00, or a little later. Those. at 7.15 or 7.30 you should already be heading to the bedroom. This is on average. Your baby may need half an hour more or less. Look at the baby's condition, put him to bed when he is tired, but not overtired.
When a child is just born, if you create comfortable conditions for him to sleep, he, as a rule, sleeps. You quickly get used to this state of affairs and, at times, it seems that it will always be this way. And while the child is sleeping, the mother will easily and naturally manage everything.
But the baby grows, develops, adapts to to the outside world and more and more often comes into contact with this world. This surprises the young mother every now and then.
- Like this?! I just got ready to sleep three hours later, and here it is on you! It's already two in three!
Closer to two or three years, the time of X comes. This is when the baby categorically refuses to sleep at any time other than at night.
This, on the one hand, is commendable. After all, another person has grown up in your house, making independent decisions!
And everything would be fine if not for one “BUT”. Without a nap, this person never makes it to the evening. In the late afternoon he turns into a whiny “bunny” and ruins the evening for himself and those around him.
– What to do if the child refuses to sleep during the day?
- you ask.
The question is certainly an interesting one! And I, for example, do not have a universal answer.
With each child, literally every day, I vary various techniques known to me. And, as a rule, one of them works. If, suddenly, it didn’t work, it means one thing - I just didn’t really want my child to sleep right now.
Well, since this topic has long been relevant in Masha’s and my life, I decided to collect all the methods of going to bed that we have studied in one reminder. After all, it very often happens that at the right moment, seemingly perfected skills are suddenly taken away and forgotten.
And here, please, a cheat sheet! He took it out, moved his finger, selected the desired item and - to action!
So, we have collected our most effective ways put your 3 year old child to bed with this cheat sheet for mom.
There were exactly ten ways.
Of course, it would be possible to remember more.
But I decided that 10 ways to put a 2-3 year old child to sleep is a completely sufficient range of mother’s cheat sheets to confidently guarantee the success of the enterprise.
I tried all sorts of different methods. For any, so to speak, taste and color.
So, come on over and choose! One of the methods will probably suit you and your baby today!
Method one:
Fall asleep next to you, or pretend
Most often this method works like this.
Mom (or dad) lies down next to the baby and with the thought that he will now lie down for a while, wait until the beloved child loses his vigilance and dozes off, and will immediately return to his business “vigorously”.
In reality, it turns out like this: exhausted by the continuous “cheerfulness”, mom (or dad) “passes out” first. The child jumps and has fun on mom (or dad) for a long time, and then, when he realizes that mom (or dad) still doesn’t want to play, out of despair they sit next to him and fall asleep.
Pros: Works. Simple, affordable (if, of course, you have a place to lie down). If you're not in a hurry - perfect! Good for health, vigor, preserving youth and restoring the nervous system of mom (or dad).
Minuses: It may turn out that things will have to wait. If you still need to do something while your child is sleeping, you should not be optimistic about your stability while lying down. However, if you are absolutely confident in yourself, or don’t mind sleeping, then I don’t find a single disadvantage in this method.
Method two:
Shrek. The work of Marina and Masha. Now, apparently, Masha has nothing to fear
Grandfather Babai, the wolf, Shrek and other mother's helpers
Who didn’t hear about Grandfather Babai before going to bed as a child? By the way, there is also a wolf. As a rule, gray.
And we also have Shrek in our arsenal.
Previously, when Masha was less smart and took everyone’s word for it, and the honorable duty of putting her little sister to bed went to the eldest Marina, the caring little sister came up with Shrek. Shrek worked flawlessly. Marina simply said:
- Well, that’s it, Mash! Now, if we don’t go to bed, Shrek will come.
And Masha obediently went to bed with Marina.
Then Masha began to guess that it was actually Marina who was inventing Shrek.
And then she also began to get scared. At the same time, the thought that Marina was still inventing Shrek did not leave her. In a word, the method first began to fail, and then almost completely fell out of our use.
The truth remains like this (sometimes it helps). Marina hides some Car toys and says:
- Masha. Shrek doesn't like it when babies don't sleep. He hid your horses. And he asked me to tell you that he will return them only when you sleep!
Masha courageously falls asleep to save the horses. And when he wakes up, he runs to look for them.
Pros: It also works quite often. Especially at a young age.
Minuses: The child can be seriously and permanently frightened. I think any psychologist would disagree with the use of this method. Blackmail and intimidation are still not pedagogical methods.
Method three:
Calming games before bed
You can play, for example, that your baby is a mother. Mom has children. And they don't know how to sleep. You need to show your kids what it’s like to sleep.
– As you already showed? Look, mom! All your kids are running away! Show it well!
Marina and Masha play pussy. Marina is a pussy mom, Masha is a pussy baby. Pussies go to their cat house and there they go to bed. As a rule, they also have some kind of foreplay. For example, pussies wash their paws.
You can play pretend games. Mom and baby close their eyes together and imagine that they are somewhere. For example, in a meadow. And a discussion begins about what they see there, where they go, what they do.
– I see red poppies in the meadow! Do you see, Masha, my poppies?
- I see! And I have daisies!
- And a goat came to me! She wants clover. Let's look for clover for the goat.
- Let's!
- Do you see the clover?
- No. I do not see.
- It seems to me that the clover should be waaaay behind that rosehip bush. Let's get to it along the path and take a look.
- Let's! Top top.
- Top-top. Are your feet shod or barefoot?
And so on…
Pros: This game is always and from any point of view good, “developmental” and one of continuous benefit.
Minuses: Often the baby refuses to play, realizing that this is not just a game, but an attempt to put him to sleep.
And also... Our Masha loves to play pretend. We close our eyes and begin to look with her for the lambs lost in the grass. Great! But until Masha finds all the lambs, she won’t even think about sleeping!))
Method four:
How to quickly put a child to sleep?
Well, of course, drive away!
Please do not confuse it with motion sickness! Motion sickness in children, in my opinion, is fraught with rapid addiction. As a result, the child falls asleep only in rocking conditions. And this is terribly inconvenient.
So. Just roll it away. This method is divided into three types of rolling:
- In a stroller
- In a bicycle seat
- In a car seat
The choice of product depends entirely on our plans, time of year and weather.
Roll in a stroller
The stroller and I are still friends to this day. Because very often we go somewhere far away, for half a day. And Masha is with us. We take a stroller with us; it contains everything we might need. In the middle of the day it happens and manages to “roll” Masha. True, the closer to three, the more often such attempts turn into skiing along the routes indicated by Masha.
- Now for the stumps!
- Now for the donuts!
- Now to the red apple...
Pros: Sleep on fresh air useful! Mom can simultaneously dream, and sometimes listen to music or chat on the phone.
Yes! You can run with a stroller. And this is a PLUS - free fitness.
I did this often when Marina had a smaller bike. Now I can only combine this with a scooter. I can’t catch up with the bike :).
You can combine your younger child's naps with some visits. For example - sections, shops, libraries...
Once our Masha even went to the Music Hall in her sleep! True, I woke up as soon as it started. Interesting!
Minuses:
Sometimes it doesn't work. It is not always necessary to go somewhere. Good in summer, so-so in winter.
Ride in a bicycle seat
Yes Yes! This is the second season we have been practicing this method in the summer. First we have lunch, and then we go on a trip. Masha has her own bicycle seat. It's good to rock and fall asleep in it.
The main thing in this matter is to choose a route so that on the way back you have to drive without stopping for a decent amount of time. So that the child can fall asleep.
But in moderation. So that the baby does not start falling out of the chair. It is especially uncomfortable with a baby sleeping in a bicycle seat on rough terrain - the head begins to tilt and fall.
It seems that there are chairs with a strong tilt back. BUT. In my opinion, such a tilt will greatly disrupt the aerodynamics of the bike. Even with our tilt, it’s a little difficult to roll the bike.
It would be optimal if the bike seat had a headrest. Perhaps these have already been invented.
Pros: Despite the apparent intricacy of the method, it works. If you love riding, walking, fresh air, and in the summer it’s much more pleasant for you to go for a ride with your children than to read your twentieth fairy tale in a stuffy room, this is great way for summer “on occasion”.
Minuses: Not suitable in rain (otherwise there are raincoats), winter and many other times. And it’s not at all suitable if you are not friendly with a bicycle.
Roll in the car
Well, what can I say – we sat down and let’s go. You can even give me a ride in a car. I confess honestly.
Pros: Works.
Minuses: Need a car. And gasoline. It doesn’t really correlate with sleeping in the fresh air.
Method five:
Take the child in your arms
Masha often falls asleep with us anyway. By the way, at the same time she often endures such hardships as reading a book to Marina, or to her mother.
Pros: Can be combined with any additional activity.
Minuses: Inconvenient. And also - there is a danger of falling asleep.
Method six:
The baby can fall asleep instantly if he is... teased!
The other day, when even the promise of ice cream failed, I remembered such a thing as the “two-year crisis.” That’s what they told me when Marina was Masha’s age, they call it a sudden protest against everything in a child.
Then we told Marina to put on a sweater,
– Marina, don’t wear a sweater!
And she put it on.
It is on this principle that I stated:
- Masha! I no longer allow you to climb into bed, cover yourself with a blanket, and, especially, put your head on the pillow!
Masha slammed her fist on the crib in indignation, and immediately did all this.
Or you can do this:
– Does Masha know how to go to bed on her own?
- No! What do you! She is still small! She needs her mom to put her to bed! It's just big girls know how to do this. They will come to their room, take off their shorts and T-shirt, carefully hang them on a chair, and lie down on their pillow. And they even know how to cover themselves with a blanket!
And then they close their eyes and sleep.- Yes. Marina, when she was little, could do this! What, Masha can’t do it?!
- No! Masha is still little!
After this, most often the child finds himself in a crib with his eyes closed and clothes neatly hung on the high chair.
Pros: If it suddenly works, it’s the least troublesome method.
Minuses: It might not work.
Method seven:
Read to your child until he falls asleep
Why is this method number seven and not number one?
Yes, because it helps infrequently. At some age, children often snatch books out of their hands and are not allowed to read. Then they start to get interested. And this is great!
But! They listen so intently that they just can’t fall asleep.
And so, only quite recently, when Masha was almost three years old, I discovered that if she can be persuaded to lie down and close her eyes, “Books are read only to those who are lying down and have their eyes closed,” then I can read to her quietly for a very long time and in a sleepy voice (only what Masha likes)... Then Masha eventually falls asleep!!!
Pros: During bedtime, the child will learn many new things and repeat many old ones. literary works. And mom’s horizons will probably also expand.
Minuses: We've had it for a very long time. Masha can listen like this for two hours. It happens that I start to fall asleep earlier. A deliberately quiet and sleepy voice makes itself felt.
Method eight:
It will help to put your baby to sleep during the day...
Daydream Fairy!
– If you put a small coin under your pillow, the Daydream Fairy will come. He will take the coin and leave the candy. But only when you fall asleep!
Pros: Works. We use it often.
Minuses: Doesn't really fit the ideas either proper nutrition and education.
Method nine:
Falling asleep reward
- Masha. Those who sleep with us now will receive a cockerel on a stick!
- Masha. If you don’t fall asleep right now, dad will see that you can’t sleep during the day and won’t take you on a hike!
- Masha. As soon as you wake up, we will immediately go get ice cream.
Pros: The filling reward works flawlessly and lightning fast!
Minuses: You need to figure out what to promise. It's not every day that a family goes camping. All that's left are the cockerels and ice cream. Not a very successful afternoon snack, to be honest.
Method ten:
Sleepy Tales
Tell your child a fairy tale according to which the child urgently needs to fall asleep.
For example, this one.
– When the kids fall asleep, a fairy meets them in their dreams. Fairy who gives away dreams. The fairy has different dreams, but only a few of each type. Here you are, Masha, what do you want to dream about?
- About sweet candy!
– The fairy has dreams with big sweet candies! The baby will get such a dream, and throughout the dream he will feast on the biggest and sweetest candy. Only the fairy has few such dreams. And they are the first to be sorted out. Many children love candy. Is it true?
- Is it true!
- Here. If you want to have a dream about candy, you need to fall asleep as soon as possible!
It happens that the conversation turns in a direction we don’t need.
- But mom! I don't want to sleep at all!
– Now it seems to you that you don’t want to. And in two hours, you won’t feel that way anymore.You will really want to sleep. Because little babies don't know how to stay awake all day.
And so, in two hours you will fall asleep, and all the most good dreams The fairy has already been taken apart by other kids. Who listened to their mother and went to bed on time.- What kind of dream will I have? – Masha is worried.
- About the bebeka-byabyaka.
- Who is this?
- Don't know. And the fairy doesn't know. These are the remnants of dreams. The oldest and most worn out. These were probably good dreams before. And then, a lot of time passed, and they wore out. Many of their letters have been erased. So we ended up with dreams about something incomprehensible. About bebeka and about byabyaka.
- I don’t want to talk about bebeka! – Masha concludes and, sighing doomedly, puts her head on the pillow.
Pros: such a good falling asleep fabulous method
Minuses: A common counterargument is “I’m not going to sleep at all”
That's it for our ten ways.
All of them have been personally tested by us and have been used many times. All at a certain point in time and in certain circumstances have served us well more than once.
So, I hope that now putting your baby to bed has become a little easier.
Good luck with your application and speedy good night to your baby!
The result of a child's sleep should always be his excellent mood, active behavior and wellness!
Daytime sleep is very important for children. Babies draw their strength from sleep; they need it for growth and full development. If a child gets enough sleep, he will always be cheerful, cheerful and active. He eats well, plays and enjoys making contact. It is believed that a child should sleep during the day until about 6-7 years of age. In addition, there are certain sleep standards. For example, for newborns the norm is sleep that lasts 16-20 hours, of which 6-8 hours (at least 4 times) are naps during the day; for one-year-old children this daily norm is reduced to 4-6 hours (2 times); and for children from one and a half to 7 years old - up to 2 hours (1 time). However, we must understand that these data have average values and are only advisory in nature. All children are different and each baby's need for daytime sleep is individual. Some children sleep soundly during the day even in adolescence, some give up daytime sleep after 2 years, and some do not sleep even in a year.
At the age of two, children often refuse daytime sleep; this age is a turning point. At the same time, mothers’ concerns are often associated not with the fact that children deviate from accepted sleep norms and any opportunity for them to take care of personal affairs disappears, but rather with the fact that children who refuse lunchtime naps become disobedient and capricious. At the same time, in the evening they begin to whine and fall asleep, and when it is time to go to bed for the night, they again become restless and active. Therefore, today we will talk about why a child does not sleep during the day, and how to teach him to rest during the daytime?
The main reasons why a child does not sleep during the day:
1. BABY DOES NOT NEED DAYtime SLEEP.
Strong healthy sleep- this is a natural need of the human body, however, not daytime sleep, but nighttime sleep is considered an indicator of normal and full-fledged life activity of a child! If the baby sleeps soundly and sweetly all night, falls asleep calmly and quickly in the evening, and wakes up without problems in the morning, there is no need to worry about him refusing daytime sleep. Why doesn't the child sleep during the day? Because he doesn’t need it. But we are talking here only about those children who do not have such things as: nervous breakdowns, bad feeling, inappropriate behavior, groundless whims, increased excitability or attempts to fall asleep earlier than usual. If you periodically encounter similar problems, then most likely the reason why the child does not sleep during the day is completely different.
What to do in this case?
You should not panic, but calm down and try to understand the specifics of your child’s body and come to terms with the fact that your baby does not need naps during the day. However, in this case, you still need to teach your baby to relax for a few minutes in the middle of the day. It is necessary that the child can lie quietly, even without falling asleep, for some time. This is especially important for those children who go to kindergarten.
Engage your baby with a story and conversation to put him to bed. And perhaps, to your delight, he will fall asleep after all.
2. FEATURES OF TEMPERAMENT.
In pediatrics, there is such a thing as “children with increased needs,” or, more simply put, children who have neurological features. This is not a disease, but a diagnosis that you are unlikely to get rid of, but to which you can adapt. Essentially these are hyperactive children. They are very emotional, impressionable, impulsive and overly active. At the same time, they get tired quickly, do not know how to relax and have difficulty falling asleep. As a rule, it is these children who have problems sleeping. They may suffer from insomnia, sleepwalking, nightmares, pathological drowsiness, enuresis and other diseases associated with sleep disorders, even in adulthood.
What to do?
Consultation, observation and, most likely, treatment by a neurologist are required. Such children are shown a strict daily routine, emotional calm, the love and patience of their parents, as well as the absence of any nervous shocks. They are contraindicated computer games, watching TV for long periods of time and playing too much.
3. BABY GOT OVEREXCITED.
Here we mean one-time events: a trip to the cinema, circus, zoo, a long trip or some kind of strong shock, both positive and negative. This also includes accumulated fatigue – hyperfatigue. For example, if for some long time a child had to get up early or go to bed late, and also if for several days his life was too busy, active and emotional, then reluctance to sleep is a response child's body for overwork.
Try very hard to put your child to bed a little earlier than he wants to sleep. Try to take breaks between your child's active activities, play passive games and give your baby the opportunity to rest more.
4. THE CHILD, ON THE CONTRARY, IS NOT TIRED AND HAS NOT SPENT HIS ENERGY.
This reason is also usually short-term. Children aged from one to 7 years have so much energy that any adult can only envy. Perhaps, for some time, due to some reasons, your child walked and played less than usual and, accordingly, did not use up his daily energy reserve.
Increase your time outdoors, send your child to a dance club, play sports or play outdoor games.
5. THE BABY DOESN’T STICK TO A DAILY ROUTINE
If yesterday you woke up at 9 am, skipped a lunch nap, went to bed at 10 pm, and today you got up at 7, went for a walk instead of a nap, and at 8 pm you already fell asleep for the night - it’s not surprising that your baby does not want to sleep at lunchtime, and also has difficulty sleeping at night.
In this case, it is necessary to create a daily routine for your child and be sure to stick to it!
6. SLEEP MODE IS DISABLED.
Why doesn't the child sleep during the day? Remember, perhaps today he took a nap on the bus or closed his eyes for a couple of minutes in the car. Perhaps yesterday he slept late because of guests or got up very early in the morning to go to the clinic.
What to do in this case?
Try to distract your child in every possible way during trips and do not let him nap outside the bed. Observe the time and place of his night sleep and daytime rest, no matter what the circumstances in your life. Follow your child's bedtime routine. Lonely, repeated actions before bed: reading a book, singing a lullaby, massage, kissing, and similar things habitually relax the child and prepare his body for sleep. Try to ensure that your child always sleeps in the same room and in the same bed.
7. THE BABY EXPERIENCES PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISCOMFORT.
Bad weather, wind, heat, cold or stuffy room, clothes that are too tight or warm, uncomfortable bedding - all this can negatively affect a child's sleep. The reason for the child’s reluctance to fall asleep may be rearranging the furniture in the room, renovating or moving to a new apartment. Computer games and prolonged watching of TV also have a bad effect on the baby’s sleep. Perhaps he has seen enough horror movies, he is unfamiliar with the new environment, or he is simply afraid to be alone in bed.
What to do?
Make the moment your child falls asleep comfortable, and when the environment changes, stay with him. Talk to your child about what might scare him, and to calm him down, give him something familiar, such as a favorite toy.
8. HE DOESN'T FEEL POOR OR IS SICK.
The tummy hurts, the ear hurts, teeth are cutting – but you never know what can bother a child. Such sleep problems begin suddenly: the baby falls asleep, but suddenly wakes up, screaming and crying.
Find and eliminate the cause of the child’s discomfort.
9. SERIOUS CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED IN THE CHILD’S LIFE.
Why doesn't the child sleep during the day? Perhaps this is a reaction to significant changes and events: you moved or divorced your husband, your second child was born or your baby went to kindergarten - something extraordinary has happened in your life, which the child is not yet used to and may be very worried about.
If something has changed a lot in your life, be patient with your child, show him more care, affection and love. Show your child that no matter what, nothing has changed in your relationship with him and that you still love him.
The result of a child's sleep should always be his excellent mood, active behavior and good health. If your baby, despite the lack of daytime sleep, is alert, active and cheerful, there is no need to worry and think about why the child does not sleep during the day. However, if the baby does not sleep well at night, wakes up hard in the morning, is capricious during the day, falls asleep in the evening, and a little later cannot fall asleep - try to find the reason for this behavior and teach him during the day, if not to sleep, then at least to rest.
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Somnologists and consultants children's sleep are not ready to give a single answer to the question about the advisability of daytime sleep. In most Western countries, children three or four years old will not be forced to sleep during daylight hours if the child is active and does not show signs of overtiredness.
In our country there is also a trend towards abandoning daytime sleep. Meanwhile, the nervous system of a 1.5-3 year old child experiences significant overload from the abundance of impressions received during the waking period. To “reboot”, she needs 12 to 13 hours of sleep a day. When refusing daytime sleep, parents need to put the child to bed very early - at 6-8 pm. For many Russian families, early bedtime is unacceptable: fathers are not ready to sacrifice almost the only opportunity to communicate with their child on a weekday.
What are the consequences of going to bed late in the absence of daytime sleep?
We predict the result: lack of sleep will make the child irritable and capricious, he will have tantrums more often, and his ability to concentrate will decrease. Some parents will attribute these symptoms to a “difficulty” of character and will take measures to re-educate the child, not realizing that his nervous system simply needs rest. On the contrary: children who have full rest grow and develop faster. Therefore, you should not reject the traditional practice of “quiet hour”.
How many hours a day should a child sleep?
Children need to sleep a lot, much more than adults. Need for sleep one year old baby is at least 14 hours a day - this time consists of 11 hours of night sleep and two daytime “siestas”. At the age of one and a half years, the regime changes: there remains one daytime nap lasting 2.5-3 hours. Ideally, “quiet hour” should be maintained until school, but this does not always happen - due to age and individual characteristics children may give up their afternoon rest much earlier.
At what age do children begin to protest against naps?
As a rule, for the first time a child tries to organize a “strike” at the age of 1-1.5 years. This is related to crisis of the first year of life, and with parental attitudes towards non-compliance with the daily routine. Going through an important stage of growing up, the baby tests the boundaries of what is permitted, learns to accept the first volitional decisions and stand up for your desires. This is completely normal.
Children aged 3 years may not sleep during the day for various reasons:
An unsuccessful schedule for “developmental activities” that coincides with nap time.
Three-year crisis, expressed by negativism, stubbornness and other symptoms of a radical personality restructuring. You just need to get through this period, remembering that behind every age crisis lies a positive content.
Early laying on night sleep, when the child sleeps the full 12 hours assigned to him by age.
The reason for refusing daytime sleep may be changes in lifestyle: change in family status (divorce of parents), addition to the family ( birth of a second child), etc.
Reluctance of parents to make efforts to organize the child's daytime sleep.
What to do if a 1.5-2 year old child refuses to sleep during the day?
First of all, parents should understand that at this age, refusing an afternoon rest is false. In other words, the baby protests not because he has ceased to feel the need for daytime sleep, but because he is worried age crisis. It is worth being patient and continuing to organize a quiet hour despite active protest. Don’t force yourself to fall asleep against your will; just lie in bed at your usual time. The difficult period of rebellion, as a rule, lasts no longer than four weeks - if you show calm persistence, over time the baby will begin to sleep during the day again.
At three years old, you can stop putting your child to sleep during the day only if:
- Performed daily norm sleep during the night (12 hours);
- The child is awake during the day without showing symptoms nervous fatigue(aggression, tantrums);
- A predominantly positive, even mood remains.
It so happened that in Lately Many parents come to me for pediatric appointments with the problem of their 2-3 year old baby refusing to nap during the day.
The concern of parents in such cases is quite natural, since sleep for children is not only rest. Both the functioning of the nervous system and immunity depend on the child’s adequate sleep. And that children grow in their sleep is also true. I’ll tell you more about why a child needs to rest during the day below.
So, today we’ll talk about the most pressing topic for modern parents and modern children: a child does not want to sleep during the day at 2-3 years old.
Let's discuss possible reasons baby's refusal to go to bed during the day. In what cases is this physiological feature, and in which cases – a reason to consult a specialist. We will also talk about what to do in such situations.
Let's get to know physiological norms The needs of babies of this age for sleep both during the day and at night.
I can say that modern children, starting from infancy, have a tendency to sleep less than medically accepted norms during the day.
For example, a newborn baby should sleep from feeding to feeding. That is, spend 18-20 hours in sleep. In practice, such cases are rare.
So, modern pediatrics offers the following sleep needs for children two to three years old:
| Child's age | Daytime nap | Night sleep |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years | 2 hours | 10-11 o'clock |
| 3 years | 1-1.5 hours | 9-10 hours |
Children are individuals. Therefore, no one demands strict adherence to these norms. The difference in sleep duration, plus or minus up to an hour and a half, is acceptable at this age.
As a rule, by the age of 2, babies go to bed once during the day. And they sleep for at least 1.5 hours. That is, after every six hours of wakefulness they need a short rest in the form of sleep.
Often, by the age of 3-4 years, children refuse daytime sleep without any consequences. But most still need proper rest in the form of naps before school age.
If your baby refuses daytime sleep, and during the night he gets “his norm” of sleep (12-13 hours), then this is his right. There is no need to worry when the baby feels great, remains cheerful, active, inquisitive and does not become capricious when left without naps.
Many parents of children who have given up napping during the day note the pattern that in early childhood they themselves broke the habit of sleeping during the day early.
This cannot be called a hereditary predisposition)) But this interesting pattern from practical experience gives food for thought...
Why does a child need a nap during the day?
And without any scientific evidence, mothers know that good sleep baby has a beneficial effect on his mental condition. A well-rested child is cheerful, calm, and shows interest in new things. He is able to independently find something to do, fantasize, and come up with games.
Good sleep is the main prevention of behavioral and neurological disorders at the guys.
By about two years of age, neuropsychic processes in the human brain become seriously complicated. Therefore, a child who has not slept during the day very often cannot fall asleep in the evening due to overexcitation. All this is the result of overwork of the nervous system.
It is completely wrong to believe that during sleep the nervous system and, in particular, the brain rest. They work. More precisely, they “process” the received information, impressions and emotions of the child. Sleep is a so-called “reboot” for our brain.
Chronic lack of sleep can cause imbalance in many organs and systems of the body. After all, many hormones and biologically active substances are produced during sleep.
Therefore, constant lack of sleep negatively affects the baby’s immune system. Also, these children have a reduced ability to concentrate, learn and remember. The boys' behavior also suffers. They become irritable and moody.
There can be many reasons for disruption of daytime sleep in children 2-3 years old.
Most often you have to deal with the following:
- The child gets up late (closer to noon) due to a prolonged night's sleep. When a child sleeps until 10-11 o'clock in the afternoon, he simply will not get tired by 14-15 o'clock in the afternoon. As a result, the child does not want to go to bed during the day. Towards evening, the child may want to sleep, but so late evening sleep again delays the transition to night sleep. Late bedtime A late rise in the morning also promises a child's sleep at night. The circle is closed.
- No wasted energy. If a child does not run enough, walk enough, or play outdoor games, then he, without feeling tired, cannot and does not want to fall asleep. It is walks in the fresh air that allow the baby to expend a lot of energy. But at the same time, the child’s nervous system is not overexcited, as during active games “within four walls.”
- The baby is excited. Many parents have noticed that when the usual way of life is disrupted by some non-standard event (the arrival of guests, a trip to the store, a trip somewhere, a change in time zones), the excited baby does not want to go to bed during the day. Sometimes all attempts to put the baby to bed come to naught. As a result, both mother and baby are exhausted, but the goal is not achieved. Frequent cases - emotional overstrain and nervous overexcitation associated with excessive active games in the first half of the day.
- External stimuli. Stuffy or cold in the room, uncomfortable clothes for sleeping, too light, extraneous sounds, inappropriate crib design, uncomfortable bed dress– this is only approximate and far from full list everything that can prevent a child from falling asleep.
- Non-compliance with the daily and sleep schedule by parents. Many parents will say: “A regime for a child sounds a bit harsh.” I hasten to assure you that the concept of regime does not mean training and requirements for specific actions at a given moment, but the sequence of actions and events during the day. This gives a feeling of stability and comfort. Thanks to this, the child clearly orients himself in time.
For example, it is morning, and in the morning we have breakfast. Then we brush our teeth. Then we take out the toys that have already fallen asleep and play. And very soon we will go on our first walk. And after the walk, everyone needs to rest. Etc.
Children quickly adopt the behavior model of adults in the family. They often perceive all actions or events unfamiliar to them with caution or with obvious rejection. And if the events are predictable and familiar, then he won’t have to explain for a long time that this is necessary and everyone does it.
This is an excellent method to teach a child from childhood to brush his teeth, make his bed, put away toys, and the like without much persuasion.
I know what I’m talking about... I want to share my experience of improving my son’s sleep by switching to “routine.” But more on that below.
When you start to figure out with the baby’s mother how the problem started, very often the same situation becomes clear. Moms say: today they couldn’t put them to bed, there was no time to put them to bed, because...
Today mom didn’t have time for one reason, tomorrow for another... And after a week the baby was already used to not sleeping. The body has adapted, a habit has formed. And to form a reverse habit takes effort and time.
So before you ask the question of why your baby doesn’t sleep during the day to someone else, ask yourself. And answer yourself honestly. Of course, not always, but often this way it is possible to find the cause and solve the problem.
It is also worth highlighting separately pathological causes neurological nature, due to which the baby’s sleep was disturbed.
1. Hyperactive baby. These energizer babies are in constant movement, are very active, perform actions impulsively, without any thought.
They find it difficult to concentrate on the game. They fuss, are sloppy - they break or drop things. There are emotional outbursts and rapid mood changes. As a rule, they sleep little, restlessly and intermittently. These are all features of the functioning of their nervous system.
It is too early and wrong to talk about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at the age of two or three years. But general trend It is necessary to catch the development and behavioral characteristics of a baby at this age.
The behavior of parents of such hyperactive children should “extinguish” this hyperactivity or direct it in the right direction. And the wrong position of parents can harm the child and form complexes in the baby.
Thus, parents who are always irritable and/or blaming everyone around for all their “sins” expose their child to chronic stress.
For hyperactive children, a daily routine is simply necessary. Repeated actions every day in a certain order stimulate the body's production of " biological clock" This will make it easier for the children to adjust to a change in activity.
2. Hidden somatic diseases in children over two years of age can cause anxiety and sleep disturbances. Strong emotions or impressions experienced during the day can interrupt their sleep.
Only a specialist will help you understand the true reasons for your baby’s sleep disturbances. And such a visit to the doctor should not be postponed.
What should the parents of the baby do?
The quality and duration of a baby's sleep directly depends on how the child spends the day. Everything matters - how the baby eats, how and where it walks, where it sleeps, and so on.
Namely:
1. Do not overfeed your baby before bedtime. At least half an hour should pass after the last meal and bedtime.
2. Eliminate all possible external irritants (noise, bright light, uncleaned toys).
3. Ventilate the room where the baby should sleep. Monitor the humidity and temperature in the room. Too dry air will cause the child's mucous membranes to dry out and become thirsty. The baby will be uncomfortable and will wake up frequently. The optimal room temperature is 19-21˚C.
4. Stick to a routine. Try to put your baby to bed at the same time every day. Bedtime should be preceded by “sleepy” rituals that are repeated day after day.
This could be reading books, drawing or any quiet activity. You can invite your child to put his toys to bed, close the curtains, and change into pajamas. He will be calmer if he knows that everyone will relax with him.
5. Eliminate visual and emotional overload. Don't let your child watch cartoons before bed. All communication with “on-screen friends” should generally be kept to a minimum at this age.
Cartoons playing in the background all day long is a huge evil. The mother needs to be weaned off this first. The general objection is that it’s so convenient: you turn it on and the baby is busy, so mom can do something. But you somehow choose for yourself from two options - it’s convenient for you or a healthy nervous system and normal sleep for the baby.
6. Don't scold your child if he can't sleep. Maintain a calm atmosphere in the family. The mother's irritable tone only excites her even more nervous system crumbs. Therefore, screaming and threats not only will not help put the child to sleep, but will leave persistent negative attitude in general for sleep and bed.
At this age, children have the so-called “mirroring” syndrome of their mother’s emotions and mood. Children often adopt their mother's communication style and emotions. They imitate their parents in everything. Be good example for your child.
7. Organize your child’s day so that in the first half of the day he receives the necessary physical activity. The child must throw out energy and play well and actively on the street.
Also make sure that such activity smoothly transitions into quiet time before bed. Avoid overly emotional games. This can interfere with your baby's restful sleep.
8. Children in at different ages It takes different times to fall asleep. Children aged two years may need 20-30 minutes to fall asleep. And three-year-old children can spend an hour falling asleep. Show love, calm, patience and fortitude.
All children are different. You always need to take into account the characteristics of a particular baby, his temperament.
And yet, it is more than desirable for a two-year-old child to maintain daytime naps. Especially if you are going to send your child to kindergarten later. There, sleep is part of the daily routine. If the child is not used to sleeping, this is additional stress when adapting to kindergarten.
By the age of three, children are more likely to refuse sleep. And they reach such an age - “I don’t want to, I won’t!” In other words, a crisis of three years.
Of course, you can get out of this using their own methods. Say that you won't sleep today. The kid will want to resist this too and, quite likely, will say, “No. Will!"
If the baby categorically refuses to sleep during the day, but at the same time behaves calmly until the evening, then you should not be zealous. Replace sleep with quiet reading, modeling, drawing, putting together puzzles, large beads or pasta into a “necklace” for mom.
It is likely that such babies go to bed early in the evening and get a full night's sleep to compensate for the lack of daytime sleep.
Unfortunately, not all sleep problems can be solved by correcting the child’s daily routine. If your child’s sleep processes and falling asleep are disrupted not only during the day, but also at night, you should contact a pediatrician and neurologist. Especially if such sleep changes are systemic in nature.
A neurologist will conduct an examination and rule out neurological causes of sleep disturbance. He can prescribe a relaxing massage, baths with soothing ingredients, herbal medicine and other useful and effective procedures.
Since birth, my son has slept fitfully. After constant awakenings, I had to put him to bed, rocking him in my arms. So I instilled in him bad habit- sleep in your arms.
Gradually, transferring to the crib became more and more difficult for us. Something had to be changed.
As a doctor, I understood that he did not have neurological disorders that could lead to sleep disturbances.
Sleeping in a stroller on the street was also not a salvation for us. Almost from the moment my son learned to sit up on his own in a stroller, he preferred to look at everything rather than sleep on the street.
All parents want to somehow plan their day. I'm not an exception. And gradually I came to the conclusion that the child needs a routine.
As a result, we introduced two walks into the regime: before naptime and in the evening. Thanks to this, the child began to sleep more soundly and longer. After good sleep the child woke up in good mood, and not with the feeling of an accidentally interrupted sleep, as before.
Gradually, motion sickness in the arms was reduced to a minimum. We developed “rituals” before going to bed. We collect the toys, put our toy “car park” in the garage, close the blinds, say goodbye and wish Good night in the evening or sweet dreams during the day for all family members, read fairy tales.
And then, together with the mother, we spend a long time listing all the animals the child knows who have already gone to bed. This way the son falls asleep more peacefully, because he knows that the “movement” and games are over not only for him alone.
I repeat once again that many (most!) children’s problems are in the behavior of their parents. I had a hard time explaining to our dad that the baby’s crib should only be used for sleeping. And you should not use it as a playpen or trampoline.
It is impossible and not necessary to strictly and scrupulously adhere to the daily routine down to the minute. First of all, you need to focus on the child’s behavior and mood. If my son woke up early in the morning, then I plan a walk, his lunch and nap a little earlier than usual.
The unity of opinions of parents, confident persistence and purposefulness of all actions are very important in this process of establishing sleep. May you and your baby enjoy your sleep! Let him sleep soundly and grow big, big and healthy!
Practicing pediatrician and twice-mother Elena Borisova-Tsarenok told you about the problem of children refusing daytime sleep at 2-3 years old.
