Soothing drops for babies up to a year. What is the best sedative for children under one year old. Traditional medicine and sleeping pills

The child is not sleeping. This becomes a big problem for both parents and the baby himself. Rapid emotional, mental and physical development does not always have a positive effect on a small person.

The brain does not have time to cope with the flow of information. The child becomes capricious, whiny, there are changes in behavior. And exhausted parents ask themselves the question: “What to do? How to help the baby? Sleeping pills for children - maybe this is a way out of this situation?

If the child cannot fall asleep for a long time, help him, make a light relaxing massage.

The main thing is not to panic. Do not try to resolve the issue on your own or with the help of advice from relatives and friends. The right decision would be to consult a pediatrician. Only a doctor can correctly assess the situation and, if necessary, prescribe adequate treatment.

Sleep physiology

Sleep in children, like in adults, consists of two parts: fast and slow phases. In a young child, most of the sleep occurs in the REM phase. Whereas in an adult it is only 25%. It is during this period that the brain, all organs and systems should rest from daily stress, and the baby should have colorful dreams.

And the smaller the child, the more he should sleep: from 18 hours (1-2 months) to 12 hours (3 years). All data is approximate. Each person is individual. The duration of sleep depends on the character, temperament, mental and emotional development.

About 10% of children sleep through the night from the age of one month, however, another 10% of children do not sleep at night until six months.

If the baby is fed, is gaining weight well, is wearing a dry diaper, but the sleep-wake regime is not observed? This is an occasion to consult a doctor for advice.

Causes of sleep disorders

There may be several reasons why a child does not sleep: from banal overexcitation to serious disorders of the nervous system. In very young children, it can be problems with digestion and teething. In children 2-3 years old, uncontrolled viewing of cartoons or very active games before bedtime joins. Sleep function is negatively affected by an excess of vitamin D or a lack of Ca + vitamin D.

The most serious cause of sleep disorders can be damage to the nervous system, both a manifestation of a primary disease and a complication of other pathologies. If the cause of the sleep disorder is pain, then no sleeping pills can bring relief to both a tired child and exhausted parents.

Often, chronic sleep disorders can be caused by an allergy to salicylates, which are contained in aspirin, nutritional supplements, and certain vegetables and fruits (tomatoes, citrus fruits).

When contacting a doctor, disorders of the nervous system were revealed, the child is hyperactive - here sedatives or sedatives will really come to the rescue.

Is the use of sleeping pills in children justified?

It is necessary to prescribe sedatives with great care, as they:

• may contribute to disruption of the alternation of sleep phases;
• after application, apathy and lethargy are possible;
• possible addiction;

0 to year

There are only two situations in which it is necessary to prescribe drugs that normalize sleep:

1. Hydrocephalus of the brain.
2. Postnatal encephalopathy.

In all other cases, sleep disorders are corrected by nutrition, attention, and, most importantly, the calm attitude of parents to what is happening.

There is a milk formula, which includes tryptophan (an amino acid that has the ability to regulate sleep-wakefulness). This is Frisolak (Night formula). It is used if the mother does not have enough breast milk, or for some reason she cannot breastfeed. Can be used from birth.

The use of Frisolak does not provoke the occurrence of any undesirable / harmful side reactions.

For children after 6 months, many companies produce mixtures for restful sleep. They are thicker in consistency (can be used as complementary foods). The main mechanism of their action is a feeling of longer satiety. Very often, herbal preparations from chamomile, lemon balm and linden are added to their composition.

If a small child is very restless at bedtime, it is recommended to introduce soothing teas into the diet. They include medicinal herbs: thyme, lemon balm, linden flowers. Teas from Hipp and Babushkino Basket are very easy to use. They are packaged and sorted by age: up to a year, after 2-3 years and so on.

What kind of tea is suitable for a child can only be determined by a doctor.

After consulting a pediatric neurologist, the medications of choice for children under one year old will be:

1. Pantogam (improves blood circulation in the brain, reduces muscle hypertonicity).
2. Phenibut (helps relieve anxiety, irritability, affects muscle tone).

After a year - up to 3 years

At the forefront are behavioral disorders, hyperactivity, pathology of the nervous system, accompanied by nocturnal enuresis, fears, stuttering. Very often, a sleep problem is accompanied by problems in the family and a violation of adaptation in the team. It is categorically impossible to use drug treatment in such situations.

The children's room should not be completely dark. Dim lighting from a night lamp is best suited, in which the child, waking up, could see the surrounding objects or find an object intermediary in the bed.

Of the sedative drugs used:

1. Valerian root (cumulative effect).
2. Motherwort extract.
3. Persen (vegetable origin, contains mint, lemon balm, valerian).
4. Sanosan (extract of hop cones and valerian).
5. Bayu Bai drops (bioadditive, normalizes sleep phases, includes: citric and glutamic acids, mint, motherwort, peony, hawthorn fruit).
6. Potion with citral (includes magnesium sulfate, sodium bromide, valerian). It is used to reduce intracranial pressure and obtain a mild hypnotic effect.

The period up to 3 years is a period of active growth. Right now, there may be a lack of calcium in the body. And as a result - sleep disturbance, irritability. In this situation, calcium preparations glycerophosphate and calcium gluconate will help.

After 3 years...

Unfortunately, all sedative and nootropic drugs can only affect pathological changes in the cerebral cortex. And if the correct and adequate treatment prescribed by a specialist doctor was carried out, then all damaged areas of the brain and nerve cells should have been restored up to three years. Therefore, sleep disorders after 3 years are treated with the same drugs as before 3:

1. Persen.
2. Children's Tenoten (calming and anti-anxiety effect).
3. Glycine (reduces the release of amino acids responsible for the excitation function into the blood).

For children aged 3 to 12 years, the drug is prescribed only under medical supervision and only in the form of tablets.

Sleeping pills for children are prescribed only by a doctor. There should be absolute indicators, doses and terms of taking the drug should be determined. The child, in addition to the nervous system, has other organs. They may suffer as a result of unreasonable treatment.

Are there any consequences after taking sleeping pills?

Yes, there is, as with any drug. The most common include:

• constipation or diarrhea;
• headache;
• weakness;
• chaotic and uncontrolled movement of arms and legs;
• nausea and vomiting;
• allergic reactions.

The most severe manifestation of taking the drug is anaphylactic shock, angioedema, swelling of the face. If the child is allergic, it is necessary to inform the doctor about it.

The use of homeopathic remedies for sleep disorders

Homeopathic medicines are not herbal medicines. Homeopathy is produced according to certain technologies and recipes. In pediatrics, it is used in stressful situations. Preparations: "Hare", "Naughty", "Caprizul", "Notta".

Traditional medicine and sleeping pills

If the child does not have allergic reactions to medicinal herbs, you can sew an aroma pillow. Filled with lemon balm, mint, chamomile. Such an aromatic bag is placed next to a sleeping child or hung on a bed.

Evening baths with herbs have a very positive effect on the excited nervous system and the process of falling asleep. You can use the following decoctions of herbs: valerian, motherwort, needles, lavender, nettle.

Conclusion for parents

Children are people just like adults. It does not matter how old they are: a child under a year old or older. Among them there are "larks" and "owls". In this regard, it is necessary to plan the daily routine. Exclude noisy games before going to bed, watching TV. There are fairy tales and music discs that can be put on for a falling asleep little man.

The condition of the child very often depends on the parents themselves. The kid needs calm and balanced people. Sometimes it is the mother or father who needs to take the sedative, not the child. Sleeping pills for children are not a panacea for all ills.

If a small person really has sleep disorders, you should consult a doctor. Only a doctor can correctly assess the situation and prescribe adequate treatment. Self-administering sleeping pills to a child is strictly prohibited.

From the moment the baby is born to the first word, at least a year will pass. A baby can communicate his desires and worries only with the help of crying. It is not surprising that babies cry every day for several hours. And parents, in order to calm their child, need to understand

Why do babies cry?

Some inexperienced parents believe that baby crying is a way of manipulation. The child screams to be picked up. This is wrong! The baby is not yet so developed that it is “on purpose” to cry. But hunger, thirst, a wet diaper can cause unpleasant emotions in a small person. Some babies calmly endure, while others immediately report their discomfort with loud crying.

Fear is another reason for a child's cry. The kid just recently came into this world. He may be frightened by unfamiliar sounds and smells, the absence of a mother nearby, strange faces. To calm the baby in this case means to do everything so that the little person grows up as a normal, full-fledged personality. After all, many complexes and mental disorders come from childhood.

If a baby cries for every reason, it can be exhausting for parents. First of all, you need to consult with a pediatrician. A specialist can advise effective for babies. But the use of medicines is recommended only in the most extreme cases. There are many alternative methods by which you can distract your baby.

Baby doesn't sleep well at night

Baby crying during the day can be much less disturbing to parents than at night. What if the child wakes up every hour and at the same time does not want to drink or eat? No need to rush to run to a neurologist. Perhaps the baby just violated the regime of the day. Many people know that a child can confuse day with night. You should pay attention to how much the child sleeps during the day. It is worth redoing his regime in such a way that most of the day falls on wakefulness.

The day is a great time for the development of the child. At a time when the baby is not sleeping, you need to walk a lot with him in the fresh air, talk, show bright objects. A special massage provides a huge benefit to the child. It promotes not only physical but also mental development. If the baby spends almost all his waking time alone with himself, it is not surprising that he will be restless and whiny. You should not give a sedative for babies for any reason. The child requires attention and care, and medicines should be postponed in case of emergency.

White noise for restful sleep

Any baby is soothed by monotonous sounds, similar to the beating of the mother's heart. Therefore, a sedative for babies at night can be chosen according to this principle. The so-called "white noise" is a great alternative. Special sounds for reminiscent of the murmur of water, the sound of rain or sea waves. Children like this musical accompaniment very much. They fall asleep peacefully and sleep more soundly.

Classical music also has a good effect. Parents should accustom the baby to beauty even before birth. Scientists have long proven that babies hear perfectly in the womb. If the baby always includes the same slow melody, it can replace the sedative for babies. Hearing a familiar sound, children almost always calm down.

Water procedures

Another great thing for babies is herbal baths. Water procedures should be a mandatory item in the baby's daily schedule. Why not solve several problems at the same time? A variety of plant extracts added to warm water have a positive effect on the baby. He calms down quickly and falls asleep easily.

Herbs such as valerian, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, mint have a positive effect on restless babies. They have relaxing as well as healing properties. Soothing baths for babies with a series will be useful if there are irritations on the baby's body. Just a few procedures will be enough for the child's skin to shine with health again.

How to make a baby bath

Water procedures are best planned for the evening. It is not advisable to start bathing immediately after feeding. Soothing baths for babies should be carried out immediately before bedtime. The main role here is played by the temperature of the water. Water heated to 37 degrees is considered ideal. Babies who have not yet healed the umbilical wound, water procedures are carried out with boiled water.

Medicinal herbs for water procedures can be purchased at the pharmacy. They can be in regular packaging or sold in disposable bags. Herbal decoction is quite easy to prepare. A few tablespoons or disposable bags must be poured with a liter of boiling water. The decoction must be infused for 15 minutes. Then it can be added to the bath. Each time you need to prepare a fresh broth. It cannot be prepared ahead of time.

Tea as an alternative to medicines

Almost all herbs that are used to prepare soothing baths for babies can also be used internally. But you should not prepare tea for the baby yourself. Pharmacies sell many teas that have a relaxing effect. They use the optimal dosage for babies. Any tea that is offered in a pharmacy has instructions. Parents can easily brew a delicious and healthy drink.

Soothing tea for babies should be given with caution if they are breastfeeding. The drink may seem to the child more delicious than milk. The result may be the failure of the crumbs from the breast. In this case, the mother herself should drink soothing tea. Thus, it will be possible to solve two problems at once - to adjust the sleep of both mother and baby.

Before you prepare a soothing tea for babies using certain herbs, you should consult a pediatrician. Some plants may have more than just soothing properties. Motherwort, for example, lowers blood pressure. Soothing tea should be selected individually, taking into account the characteristics of the child.

Medications

For children who are very restless, baths and teas can only have a temporary effect. In some cases, it is impossible to do without medicines. There are a huge number of sedatives that are suitable for children under one year old. They have practically no contraindications, but they should still be taken with caution. You can buy medicines only on the recommendation of a doctor.

A good result will give an integrated approach. Additionally, a sedative for babies can be used. "Glycine", "Pantogam", "Phenibut" - this is an incomplete list of drugs that can be used to eliminate anxiety in infants. Good results are also given by homeopathic remedies (preparations "Notta", "Dormikind", "Hare", "Viburkol"). They are harmless, gently soothe the baby. But even such drugs should be used only after consultation with the pediatrician.

Mom's love and affection

Gentle mother's hands to the baby will not replace anything. Do not neglect baby crying. It is impossible to accustom a rebec to hands. No medications can give a good result if the baby does not receive affection and warmth from the mother. Of course, it is impossible to carry a child in your arms all day long. A sling can help.

Sling is a unique device that allows you to do housework with your baby. The child, being constantly with the mother, feels calm. The woman's hands remain free. The sling can be used from birth. Being in a physiological position, the child can both sleep and stay awake next to his mother. You can wear a baby not only in a horizontal position, but also in a vertical one.

Slings today are made from high quality materials. Only natural fabrics are used. This product is not cheap. But for the comfort and health of the baby, parents are willing to pay any money. In addition, the sling is much more useful than soothing drops for babies.

Grandma's funds

There are methods for calming babies that have been used by women since ancient times. song and motion sickness. If another sedative for babies is not available, a slow song performed by mom has an excellent effect.

Do not forget also about such a wonderful tool as a pacifier. Of course, there is no huge benefit in it. But sometimes you can't do without a pacifier. The baby satisfies his sucking reflex and calmly falls asleep.

Update: November 2018

A restless child of any age is a rather serious problem, exhausting the patience of parents and often annoying others.

Modern pharmacology is ready to provide a rich selection of drugs that can calm the most violent baby or teenager. But how expedient is it to resort to different groups of sedatives in children's practice? Let's try to figure it out.

Sedatives for a child

Sedatives (sedatives) are designed to gently regulate the balance between excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex. Most of them are herbal preparations, but there are also synthetic agents. Today, combined preparations in teas or tablets are very popular. This group of drugs is much milder than tranquilizers or sleeping pills, and can enhance their effect.

Sleepless at night

Babies quite often do not adhere to the traditional daily routine (eat and sleep). Many of them, for some reason, prefer to scream almost around the clock or, having slept for half an hour after an evening swim, proceed with a heart-rending cry for hours until four in the morning.

Let's make a reservation right away that a healthy child of the first three months of life normally eats and sleeps most of the day and night. No early development justifies staying awake for more than four hours a day at this age. Yes, and a grown-up baby, who has not reached one and a half years, should sleep for ten hours in a row at night (provided that he is fed and changed clothes).

• Consequences of hypoxia

What makes a baby scream or just stay awake at inopportune times? As a rule, brain hypoxia suffered in utero or in childbirth is to blame for everything, followed by postnatal encephalopathy, which is completely rejected by Western neurologists, but which, however, quietly exists even without this recognition.

The lack of oxygen, leading to damage to some of the cells of the cerebral cortex, or even to hemorrhages in different parts of the brain, leaves behind either a bursting head of the child and disturbing him with a headache, or dysfunction of the cortex, which affects the nervous excitability of the baby.

For newborns who confused day with night (born from mothers who liked not to sleep at night during pregnancy), the above is not relevant, since this category of babies quickly enters a normal schedule with careful observance of the daily regimen already during the first month of life.

• Intestinal problems

The second common cause of restless behavior of an infant is intestinal discomfort against the background of dysbacteriosis, irrational feeding or intestinal infection. Stretching the intestines with gases causes such severe pain that the child is ready to rage and scream for most of the day (see).

The third, rarer pathology that makes the baby scream is inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media), in which the pain is also not weak, and there is no way to endure it without anesthesia.

Rachitic lesions of the nervous system are also a common problem, especially for northern latitudes. In addition to sweating, the child has an overreaction to harsh noises, he shudders in his sleep and generally becomes too restless.

And only somewhere in the fifth place are the teething teeth so beloved by pediatricians (which in general rarely really force one of the kids to stay up at night or scream out loud) and other diseases that have quite expressive symptoms (fever, snot, cough, well, or at worst some kind of rash).

To calm the baby, you must follow the following algorithm

• feed
• change clothes
• Take on the hands and shake. Remember that Dr. Spock's recommendations that the child will yell and get used to falling asleep on his own have already given a couple of generations of neurotics who are accustomed from infancy to achieve everything only with a heart-rending cry. Calm the child as soon as he screamed, do not bring to tantrums - this becomes a habit of the baby and then it is much more difficult to cope with it.
• If your baby can't suckle as much as he needs, buy a pacifier. For babies, sucking is the best sedative.
• Show the pediatrician and neurologist.
• Make an ultrasound of the brain and take a stool culture for dysbacteriosis.
• Compensate for intracranial pressure (if any) with diacarb or magnesia. In severe forms of hydrocephalus, consult a neurosurgeon, if necessary, perform a bypass (see )
• Sanitize the intestines for dysbacteriosis (bacteriophages or), then drink a couple of courses of probiotics (premadophilus, linex, bifidumbacterin, see). In parallel, give the child defoamers that break gas bubbles (Bebicalm, Espumizan, Bobotik).
• In parallel, show the child to the ENT and exclude inflammation of the ears.
• Transfer the child to breastfeeding by age, adjust the mother's diet (when breastfeeding, see), stop overfeeding and feed cabbage soup from five months of artificial (see).
• Do not neglect the prophylactic intake of vitamin D. If in the region where the baby lives, the sun does not shine for eight hours a day for five months a year, it is stupid to be afraid of an overdose of this drug. After all, such severe forms of rickets, as in the Russian North, have not been seen in Europe for a long time.
• Establish a daily routine for the baby. More walks with the baby. Restless and violent children should be warmly dressed and put to bed with the window open.
• Do not be nervous when approaching a child. Do not shout or swear in his presence. Take herbal sedatives yourself.

Thus, the only situation when a baby from birth to a year really needs sedatives is postnatal encephalopathy,. In all other cases, you just need to be attentive to the baby and the patience of the parents, most children under one year old wake up 2-3 times at night and are restless for various reasons - this is normal!

Sedatives for the baby

If a neuropathologist has diagnosed postnatal encephalopathy in an infant, if the child is too restless (sleeps little, cries a lot) and has no other diseases that could interfere with his life, it is worth listening to the neurologist's recommendations regarding sedatives.

For intracranial hypertension:

• As a rule, most infants with intracranial hypertension come to an equilibrium state of mind already from banal diuretics.
• In parallel with them, a child may be recommended a mixture with citral, which is prepared in pharmacies according to a neurologist's prescription. The composition of the drug includes:
  • magnesium sulfate, which lowers pressure in the head, soothes and causes a mild sedative effect
  • sedative sodium bromide
  • valerian, inhibiting the nervous system.

  It is necessary to strictly observe the recommended dosages, since valerian can slow down the heart rate. Valerian prevents the destruction in the brain of substances that block inhibitory processes. It soothes, enhances the effect of sleeping pills, relieves intestinal spasms.

With rickets: Children with rickets of the nervous system are usually bathed with sea salt or coniferous extract.

Breastfeeding mothers you can recommend soothing teas and fees sold in pharmacies (provided that they do not cause allergies in a small one). The same soothing teas are available in the departments of baby food for the children themselves.

When bathing babies tincture of valerian or motherwort can be added to the water (40 drops per baby bath), not forgetting that alcohol solutions are not recommended even for external use in children. , lemon balm or also relax kids. Recommended and grass perforated .

• Bath with oregano, motherwort, valerian and thyme- take 3 tbsp. spoons of a mixture of these herbs, brew, let stand for half an hour, strain and pour into a bath, the duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.
• Coniferous soothing bath- perfectly removes the excitement of the baby, but take it no more than 5 minutes and no more than 12 baths per course.
• Sea salt bath- also perfectly soothes and is recommended even for newborn babies. You can bathe a child for up to 30 minutes by dissolving 250 mg in a bath. sea ​​salt.

Phenibut 20 tab. 120-170 rub. Anvifen 20 tab. 180 rub. (analogue) This is a more serious sedative, often prescribed for toddlers up to a year (although the instructions indicate a contraindication for up to 2 years). It removes anxiety, irritability and fear, causes drowsiness, relieves increased muscle tone and excessive motor activity in children. However, it has side effects in the form of excessive drowsiness, allergic reactions, headache, kidney and liver dysfunction.

The nootropic drug Pantogam (hopantenic acid) is often prescribed. It not only improves the nutrition of damaged areas of the cortex, but also removes increased muscle tone, smoothes obsessive motor activity, helps with motor disorders, delayed psychomotor development. True, today it belongs to drugs with unproven action, since there have been no wide randomized trials on the drug (great practical experience in pediatric neurology does not count, since the manufacturing campaign did not spend money on clinical trials).

From one year to three

After surviving the first year of the baby, most parents enter the era of normal life. At the same time, not all children whose nervous system malfunctioned in infancy, but was well compensated by the age of one, received any sedatives. After all, the children's nervous system is at the stage of development and has a huge potential for self-healing.

However, some children still have anxiety and sleep disorders. Some of them develop hysterical behavioral traits. Some have fears, night or. Therefore, the problem of sedatives remains relevant at this age.

It should be remembered that part of the problems of a restless child at this age comes from social or pedagogical neglect. Therefore, for example, replacing the problem of deprivation with a medical diagnosis and replacing full-fledged upbringing and love for a child with drugs of a calming series is not only illiterate, but also criminal.

At home, folk sedatives can be prepared independently. Here are a couple of easy recipes:

• Mint and linden - take one part of peppermint and linden flowers. Add half of the chamomile. Pour everything with two cups of boiling water and bring to a boil in a water bath. Insist in an enamel bowl. Give the child a tablespoon twenty minutes before bedtime.
• Mint and valerian- two tablespoons of mint and valerian root, pour two glasses of boiling water and insist for half an hour. Strain, cool, give the child three times a day a tablespoon for a week.

Many believe that if the drug is herbal, then it can be used without control, not limited, even “the more the better” - for both infants and older children. However, medicinal plants are also medicines, the composition of which is complex and very ambiguous, many plants in their composition contain, albeit small doses, but harmful compounds, and you should definitely consult a pediatrician or phytotherapeutist before use.

For example, children should not drink tea only with mint or only with lemon balm (mono tea). Soothing teas for babies usually contain valerian, chamomile, fennel seeds, string, linden blossom, etc. - soothing teas “Evening Tale”, “Soothing Children's”, “Calm”, Fitosedan, Baiu-Bai drops.

Calm-Ka tea 40-50 rubles. Green tea, thyme, motherwort, alfalfa, rosehip, lemon balm, mint, kelp extract powder.	Children's sedative "The power of Russian herbs" 40-50 rubles. Valerian, mint, thyme, motherwort, linden, St. John's wort, hawthorn, chamomile, plantain, rosehip, stevia.	Children's sedative 50-60 rubles. Rhizomes and roots of valerian, dandelion, mint, walnut leaves, plantain, stevia, hawthorn, cumin fruits, wild rose, hops, oregano, St. chamomile

Evening fairy tale 60-100 rubles. Anise extract, lavender, mint	Fitosedan 50-60 rubles. Sweet clover, valerian roots, thyme, motherwort, oregano	Buy-bye 120-150 rubles. Extract of hawthorn fruit, oregano, peony, motherwort, peppermint, glutamic and citric acid	Hipp tea 250-300 rub. Linden blossom extract, lemon balm and chamomile, dextrose.

Calming pills for hyperactive children

Denying existence, Western neurologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists practicing in children's environments are very prone to diagnose hyperactivity and distracted attention. But not only to make diagnoses, but also to fully treat patients with these ailments, connecting to the process a lot of drugs with a calming effect.

All nootropics improve metabolic processes only in the pathologically altered cortex. That is, they are effective in areas damaged by oxygen starvation or hemorrhage, but do not work on a healthy brain. But all the cells that could recover have already recovered at the age of early childhood (up to three years).

Here is a list of drugs that can be used to treat distracted attention and hyperactivity, but it is useless:

• Polypeptides: Cortexin, Cerebrolysin
• Racetams: Piracetam, Nootropil, Rolziracetam
• Neuropeptides: Semax
• Derivatives of gamma-aminobutyric acid: Phenibut, Picamilon, Pantogam.

Sedatives, which are resorted to from three to twelve, are all the same herbal sedatives:

• Valerian, motherwort, bromides
• Persen - combined tablets - dry extracts of mint, lemon balm and valerian roots
• Tenoten homeopathic for children - antibodies to the brain-specific protein S 10
• Nervoflux tea - a mixture of extracts of valerian root, hop cones, lemon mint, licorice root, orange flowers

Glycine

Over the past decade, the practice of prescribing children has gained momentum. Actually, this drug is not a sedative in its pure form, but refers to nootropics. It is an amino acid that is part of many biological fluids and tissues of the human body.

Receptors for this neurotransmitter are found in the brain and spinal cord. By binding to them, glycine increases the release of amino acids responsible for inhibitory processes in the nervous system (glutamine) and reduces the release of excitatory amino acids (gamma-aminobutyric).

These sweet pills are easily tolerated and readily taken by children, but are unlikely to have any significant sedative effect (at least in the dosages that are accepted in pediatric practice). Like all modern nootropic drugs, this drug belongs to drugs with unproven action, that is, its prescription remains on the conscience of the attending physician, and the drug is not included in neurological standards.

Homeopathic sedatives and dietary supplements for children

Adhering to the principle of “treat like like,” homeopaths should have composed their preparations from a mixture of roaring, whining whining and unreasonable jumps from the floor to the walls and back. However, these far-sighted healers resort to the same herbal sedatives, seasoning them with sugar and serving them in the form of sweet peas, which most children take for sweets, so they eat without problems. There are also sweet syrups, which also go with a bang. In this regard, in this matter, we are at the same time with homeopaths and are not at all against homeopathic sedatives for children.

The following soothing homeopathic remedies are currently available:

				BAD Bunny

Thus, sedatives in pediatric practice are always a necessary necessity. It cannot be assumed that taking such medications for a child is a daily practice and a normal state of affairs.

Sedatives are medicines that a doctor must prescribe according to strict indications in certain doses and for a specific period of time, after which the medicine must be canceled. More than half of the problems associated with children's anxiety are generated by their unreasonable behavior of adults who are responsible for the child. Remember that in addition to the nervous system, the child has a liver, kidneys and pancreas, which can suffer from unreasonable medication.

Sleeping pills are prescribed to babies only in extreme cases, when they experience serious problems with sleep. Sleeping pills for children are selected exclusively by a doctor based on the individual data of a small patient, his sleep problems and the reasons for their appearance. This is due to the fact that taking sedative medications can be addictive and adversely affect the nervous system.

Types of sedatives for children

Conventionally, sedative drugs for children are divided into several groups according to the presence of a certain active substance in their composition:

• those containing bromine;
• barbiturates;
• antihistamine medicines.

It is worth considering that all the listed drugs for insomnia are not completely safe for babies, so their use must be clearly justified. This is because antihistamines and drugs containing bromine contribute to the failure of the sleep architecture. With prolonged use, the ability to restore it is lost.

Barbiturates are addictive, which is why the baby later loses the ability to fall asleep naturally without taking medication.

That is why sleeping pills for children should be prescribed only by a doctor if the baby has somnological problems.

Effective and safe sleeping pills

Sleeping pills are prescribed to a child only if non-drug methods of normalizing sleep have not yielded positive results. The selection of effective and safe remedies for newborns or children under 3 years of age is based on their individual characteristics, the presence of sleep problems.

To reduce the likelihood of sleep problems when taking sleeping pills, parents should follow all the recommendations given in the list:

• medication should be taken only at bedtime;
• comply with the dosage indicated by the doctor;
• discontinue medications gradually so as not to provoke the reappearance of insomnia;
• Seek medical advice if any side effects occur.

Sleeping pills are rarely prescribed for children under one year of age. Their intake should be strictly controlled by the attending physician.

Products for newborns

Sleeping pills for newborns are prescribed by a neurologist only if the baby has serious problems with sleep. The following medicines can be used to treat newborns:

1. Phenibut. The active ingredient is gamma-amino-beta-phenylbutyric acid. The tool allows you to increase the duration of sleep. It is considered a mild sleeping pill, which does not adversely affect the nervous system.
2. . The active ingredients are magnesium carbonate, zincum valerian. The drug is prescribed for increased nervous excitability. Prescribe the drug from 1 day of life and up to 6 years.
3. . Prescribed with a lack of magnesium in the body. Can be used to treat babies of all ages.
4. The remedy is prescribed from the age of one month. It has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, cerebral blood supply, muscle tone, and sleep quality.

If the intake of these funds causes a deterioration in the well-being of the baby, it should be shown to doctors.

Phenibut

Sleeping pills for babies

For the treatment of sleep problems in children under one year old, all of the above medicines can be used. Also, infants can be prescribed a hare syrup. This medicine belongs to the group of herbal preparations, which is why it does not have a depressant effect on the central nervous system. For children of one year of age, such a syrup is often prescribed as a dietary supplement. Although it is a mild sedative, it should not be used on its own. The dosage and course of treatment that is safe for children's health should be determined by the doctor.

Preparations for babies up to 3 years

Before the age of 3 years, crumbs are often calcium deficient. Its lack provokes the development of sleep disorders, nervous breakdowns. If at the age of 2 the baby begins to tantrum, parents should immediately consult a doctor. To reduce the risk of neurological disorders for babies, the following drugs are prescribed:

• - characterized by an active calming effect due to the presence of chamomile, belladonna in the composition;
• - a homeopathic remedy, which includes chamomile, oats, zinc valerianate;
• - has a wide spectrum of action: normalizes sleep, calms the nervous system, normalizes metabolic processes.

Sleeping pills for children 2 years of age should be used only according to the testimony of a specialist. If any side effects occur during treatment, the therapy should be urgently adjusted.

Sleeping pills for children over 3 years old

At the age of 3, young children begin to have problems adapting to kindergarten. This provokes the occurrence of increased fatigue, stress, which directly affects the quality of sleep. To protect the children's nervous system from overstrain, doctors often recommend taking sedatives for a course of 10-14 days.

The most commonly prescribed drugs are:

• from 3 years old - Tanoten;
• from 5 years old - Atomoxetine;
• from 6 years old - Sanosan;
• from the age of 7 - Alora.

Contraindications and possible consequences

There are a number of contraindications to taking sleeping pills in infancy. For infants and older children, such medications are not prescribed if they are diagnosed with vascular pathologies, liver and kidney diseases, and decompression heart disease.

These contraindications also apply to taking sleeping pills for sound sleep, sold without prescriptions.

Taking tranquilizers by children under 1 year of age and older may be accompanied by the appearance of side effects:

• constipation, diarrhea;
• headache;
• allergies;
• weaknesses;
• dryness in the oral cavity;
• nausea, vomiting;
• muscle spasms;
• uncontrolled movements of the arms or legs;
• decrease in concentration.

If any side effects appear, it is necessary to consult a doctor, adjust the treatment method. In some cases, the doctor may cancel medications and prescribe infusions of motherwort or valerian, lemon balm and mint. These compounds are prescribed only in the absence of individual intolerance to them.

2 years - the age at which children often develop manifestations of hyperexcitability. Such cases are associated with stress, which undermined the psyche of the baby. Therefore, capriciousness and nervousness, in a sense, can be perceived not as the costs of improper upbringing, but as a violation that requires treatment.

Causes of nervousness in babies

There are a huge number of factors that can cause whims in a baby. Basically, all these are situations that bring discomfort or pain to the child. So, a violation of the functions of the nervous system can be provoked by such reasons:

• hunger;
• teething;
• intestinal colic;
• colds;
• excessive activity of the baby in the evening.

Sometimes the child's nervousness and capriciousness are associated with mental pathologies, but such cases do not occur so often and are usually easily detected by a specialist in a medical institution.

Manifestations of hyperexcitability

2 years is assigned if their behavior is characterized by such manifestations:

• problems with sleep, as well as with putting the baby to sleep;
• frequent whims and tearfulness;
• constant tantrums.

It should be understood that these symptoms cannot accurately indicate the need for therapy. Often you can deal with them by simply lulling the child and eliminating the irritant. Therefore, before you start giving your baby sedatives, it is better to visit a pediatrician. He will examine the young patient and give parents all the necessary recommendations.

Medical sedatives

If you do not trust traditional medicine, then, of course, you can turn to traditional medicine for help. However, it should be understood that the use of drugs intended to reduce hyperexcitability in a child should only occur under the supervision of a pediatrician. In addition, sedatives for children of 2 years old are prescribed with extreme caution, since at such a tender age the body is still poorly formed and can easily succumb to the attack of chemicals. And this means that there is a risk of developing side effects that will respond to the kidneys, liver, stomach or other vital organs.

Soothing pharmaceutical preparations for the smallest are sold in two forms: in the form of tablets or syrup.

Tablets for babies two years old

The classic version of drugs to reduce the activity of the nervous system is most popular with pediatricians. This is due to the convenience of using the funds: the tablet can simply be crushed to a powder state and given to the baby along with food.

The most famous medicine is "Glycine". The drug is prescribed even as it has a mild sedative effect on the body. It is possible to apply data for children of 2 years old to normalize sleep and relieve nervous tension. The product contains a special amino acid, which not only inhibits mental processes in the body, but has a positive effect on the functioning of the brain.

An excellent alternative to Glycine is a drug called Phenibut. It helps to relieve emotional stress, and also improves the sleep of the baby. The drugs "Pantogam" and "Magne B 6" have the same effect.

Means produced in the form of a syrup

Medicines of this type are less aggressive in relation to the children's body, so parents have formed much more confidence in them. Among the many analogues of medications that relieve nervous tension, it is worth highlighting the same Pantogam. It was previously said that it is available in the form of tablets, but there is also a liquid form of the drug on sale. Soft for children from 2 years helps to relieve the baby from insomnia and even cramps. It is noteworthy that the remedy is not addictive in a child, so it can be used for a long time until the symptoms of nervous overexertion pass. This feature puts Pantogam on the list of favorites among sedatives.

Tranquilizing drugs

In extremely rare cases, pediatricians prescribe small patients to take medicines such as Elenium, Phenazepam and Tazepam. These medicines belong to the class of tranquilizers, so you need to be extremely careful with them. Such drugs are strictly contraindicated to give to babies without a doctor's recommendation, as they greatly depress the nervous system and can cause addiction to the body. Similar sedatives for children 2 years old are used for severe stress.

Homeopathy for nervous overexcitation in a child

Recently, homeopathic preparations have become widespread among medicinal products for babies. They, as a rule, do not contain special instructions and contraindications, and also have a mild effect on the children's body. Most often, to reduce the hyperexcitability of the baby, such homeopathic remedies are used:

1. "Hare".
2. "Notta".
3. "Dormikind".
4. "Viburkol".

The principle of action of all these drugs is almost the same, however, these drugs still have their own characteristics. So, drops or candles "Viburkol" not only relieve irritability, but also reduce inflammation along with pain during teething in a baby. And if you are looking for a sedative for a child (2 years old) that helps normalize sleep, then Notta or Dormikind will do. As for the “Hare” tool, then parents can’t have any complaints about it at all. The drug is produced on the basis of fructose, which completely eliminates the development of allergic reactions or side effects in the baby.

Special baby food

Not always the child says that he urgently needs to be taken to the pediatrician for practical recommendations. Many caring mothers try to cope with this with simpler methods. One of these is the use of special cereals. Baby food manufacturers produce a series of products designed to ensure that the baby sleeps soundly at night and feels less hungry. Such cereals can be used as a kind of sedative for a child of 2 years. Parents' reviews note such infant formulas:

1. Nutrilon Good night.
2. "Hipp Goodnight."
3. "Humana Sweet Dreams".
4. "Unstoppable Happy Dreams".

Due to the presence of a complex of cereals, the baby receives a sufficient amount of nutrients before bedtime and, as a result, remains full all night. This saves him from frequent awakenings. In addition, some cereals contain soothing herbs that provide the basis for a sound and restful sleep.

Herbs to reduce hyperexcitability

If doctors prescribe medications to babies with some apprehension, then folk remedies are not prohibited even for babies. To cope with the excessive activity of the child, parents can start using sedative herbs. For children 2 years old, recipes based on such plants are suitable:

• calendula - helps eliminate inflammation and improve sleep;
• valerian relieves children from stress and nervous strain;
• sage actively fights colds and relaxes the baby's psyche;
• chamomile - relieves tension and pain in intestinal colic;
• mint promotes sound sleep and good mood;
• thyme has an active sedative effect, has anti-inflammatory properties.

As a rule, medicinal soothing plants are used for making teas and infusions or for bathing a baby (when breeding baths).

herbal teas

The beauty of using such funds is that they can be given to babies from the first years of life. It is better to start preparing soothing teas for children 2 years old on the basis of any one component in order to be able to explore the effect of using each medicinal herb. In addition, in the event of an allergic reaction, it will not be difficult to identify its cause. Over time, it will be possible to form the most suitable herbal collection.

Composing plants is quite realistic and independent, but if you don’t want to do this, you can purchase a ready-made mixture at a pharmacy. It is important that all the rules for the preparation and storage of medicinal herbs are observed, so it is worth refusing to purchase them on the market.

Soothing mint tea

In folk medicine, there are recipes based on complexes of medicinal plants. Tea from as well as mint leaves and hops is an excellent sedative for children 2 years old. The ingredients should be mixed in proportions of 2:2:1 respectively. One tablespoon of the resulting collection must be poured with a glass of boiling water, and then insisted for 20-30 minutes. The decoction is given to the baby several times a day and always before bedtime.

Rosehip and linden tea

To prepare this remedy, you need to take one part of linden flowers and rose hips. The components are mixed and filled with water. Next, you need to bring to a boil, for this it is desirable to use a water bath. It is advisable to infuse the drink for about 15 minutes, and add a spoonful of honey to it before use.

Chamomile tea

Such a recipe is ideal for calming a child in the evening and providing him with crushed chamomile flowers. Five parts of the last product are mixed with linden and lemon balm (1 part each). To prepare a sedative for a child (2 years old), you need to pour the herbal collection with water and bring it to a boil. Cooled tea is given to the baby about 15-20 minutes before bedtime.

Herbal baths

Baths with the addition of medicinal plants will help reduce the activity of the crumbs in the evening and at night. It is advisable to carry out such procedures immediately before laying the baby in the crib. In order for the child to get the maximum benefit from the bath and noticeable, it is necessary to properly prepare it. First you need to brew a strong decoction based on the selected herbal tea. It is recommended to add thyme, lemon balm, motherwort and nettle to the baths. Like other sedatives for children 2 years old, therapeutic water procedures must be carried out in courses. It is optimal to do herbal baths for three weeks once every two days. After that, it is advisable to take a break for at least a month.

Means to reduce nervous tension in babies: reviews

Each parent chooses his own way, which helps him to calm the child. Someone is quite enough special milk mixtures, and someone diligently prepares herbal decoctions. It is worth noting that not everyone uses medical sedatives for children 2 years old. The reviews of many parents prove that in the absence of disorders of the nervous system, the crumbs can cope with stress using folk methods. As some mothers have noted, even ordinary herbal baths are enough for restless sleep. Seeing a doctor is necessary only if home therapy does not help. In this case, the pediatrician draws up a treatment plan for the baby.

In order for the baby to feel good, it is necessary to provide him not only physiological, but also psychological comfort. If this condition has been violated, then you can try to correct the situation using a sedative for the child. 2 years is the age when crumbs are very prone to stress, so such cases are quite common.