Sleep disorders in children. Treatment of sleep disorders. Peaceful sleep for a restless child

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, 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 with which you can distract the baby.

Baby doesn't sleep well at night

The cry of a baby in daytime may cause much less anxiety 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.

Day is beautiful time for the development of the child. At a time when the baby is not sleeping, you need to walk a lot with him on fresh air, talk, show bright objects. Great benefit to the child special massage. 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. Such musical accompaniment children like it 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 sedative 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.

Positive impact on restless babies render such herbs as valerian, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, mint. 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 umbilical wound, water procedures are carried out with boiled water.

medicinal herbs for water procedures can be purchased at a 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 it is on 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, reduces arterial 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.

Will give a good result A complex 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 also such medications 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 drugs can give 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 perform homework along with the 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.

All mothers know that the three pillars on which the health and immunity of the baby are formed are proper nutrition, hardening and healthy sleep.

If we can fully control both nutrition and hardening procedures, then with sleep it is not always easy. Many babies fall asleep hard, sleep very sensitively, and often wake up at night. Pictures that we often see on the Internet, where babies fall asleep in an unimaginable position and in any place, remain only a dream for us.

But do not despair - there is a way out!

Proper preparation and simple evening rituals are the key to a calm and sound sleep baby.

First, let's remember the reasons why restful sleep in children under one year old:

health problems (colic, diaper rash, teething, the baby reacts to weather changes),
non-compliance daily routine,
tense psychological situation in a family or stressful condition Mom,
too active evening leisure, as a result of which the nervous system of the crumbs is overexcited.

How to act?

That's right, it is necessary to eliminate the reasons that prevent the baby from falling asleep.

In order for the child to calmly go to bed, take on board a few tricks.

1. Follow the regime of the day . The baby should wake up and fall asleep at approximately the same time, daily walks should become a mandatory tradition, and the meal schedule should be clear and constant. In addition, do not overfeed the child, especially just before bedtime.

2. Evening swim . Make bathing your baby a daily tradition. After all, baths relax the baby and allow the baby's nervous system to prepare for sleep. In addition, a wonderful help for every mother will be - these are special fees medicinal herbs which not only provide positive influence on the crumbs of the baby, but also act as a tonic and sedative.

Bebivita phyto baths are collections of herbs from ecologically clean Transcarpathia, they can be used from the first months of a child's life. Phyto bath Bebivita from a series reduces allergic manifestations on the skin of the crumbs and becomes indispensable for sweating and diaper rash. Bebivita also offers a calendula and nettle herbal bath, which have wound healing and bactericidal properties. Phyto bath Bebivita from lovage will heal the skin of the crumbs and strengthen its hairs.

3. If the baby is worried about colic , a light massage around the navel in a clockwise direction and simple gymnastics with pressing the knees to the tummy will help. Also, mommy will come to the aid of fennel tea Bebivita, which contributes to the normalization of the functioning of the intestines and has soothing properties when the tummy is bloated in crumbs.

Pediatrician Maria Kislova tells: « Most often, colic in a child is caused by an accumulation of gases. After feeding, hold your baby upright until he burps the air he swallowed with milk, and do not pull the baby's tummy with a diaper elastic. To prevent colic in a breastfed baby, the mother should monitor her diet, it is necessary to exclude yeast pastries, legumes, spicy foods and spices, white cabbage, fruits and vegetables, it is better to use boiled or baked».

Good night and sweet dreams!

This problem affects every fifth growing man. About 20% of all parents complain about sleep disorders in their child. A good rest is actually necessary for both children and their mothers and fathers.

If the strength is already running out, and the child that night cannot sleep and does not allow parents to do this, adults are seriously puzzled by the question of how to choose a harmless and effective sleeping pill for their baby. And in general, should children be given sleeping pills?

Before you run to the pharmacy or look for answers in medical reference books, you need to figure out if your baby really needs sleeping pills? Not all sleep disorders are a sign of an illness requiring medical treatment.

Causes

Sleep disorders can be caused by psychological and physiological causes:

If the child is naturally "sleepless". In this case, frequent awakenings can be a feature of the character and temperament of the baby.
If the child has age-related psychological difficulties. He began to see scary dreams in connection with the active development of the imagination, he age crises(3 years old, 7 years old, adolescence)
If the family has a difficult atmosphere, quarrels, conflicts, or the child has experienced severe stress.
If the child is in pain. Sleeping pills in this case will not work.

A child who does not sleep because something hurts him will not be helped by sleeping pills

In these cases, the child does not need sedatives (hypnotics) drugs. He will be helped by the help of a psychologist, confidential communication with parents, game therapy. In case of pain, you need to consult a doctor and treat the cause, not the effect.

Sleep disorders in children and adolescents are of a different origin:

Shallow disturbing sleep, awakening is accompanied by piercing crying. These signs may indicate damage to the child's nervous system.
Night tremors are a very alarming sign. This may be the first "bell" in the event of the onset of epilepsy. The child urgently needs an examination.
Somnambulism. Or, as we call it, sleepwalking. This is a sleep disorder that is painful. The child can walk, talk, do something without waking up.
Bedwetting is enuresis. A wet bed does not contribute to a sound sleep of a child.
Sleep apnea. The child breathes unevenly in a dream, sometimes breathing is interrupted.
Syndromes of disturbed sleep phases. This is a "failure" of the child's internal clock. He can be sleepy during the day and stay awake at night. At infants The biological clock recover on their own or with the help of their parents. And older children syndromes of disturbed sleep phases may require, among other things, drug treatment.

There are many reasons why a child may not sleep well.

Types of drugs

By sleeping pills, we used to understand any sedative that helps to relax and fall asleep. From a medical point of view, this is not quite the right definition.

Sleeping pills are a group of drugs that have a psychoactive effect. There are three types of sleeping pills - barbiturates, antihistamines and medicines containing bromine.

The drug of the barbiturate group is a strong sleeping pill, which in its essence does not normalize sleep, but changes its architecture. Antihistamines have the same effect. Barbiturates, among other things, cause a strong physical addiction. "Sparing" sleeping pills does not exist.

What we used to call sleeping pills for children are herbal preparations, herbal preparations, homeopathic preparations. Let's talk about them in more detail.

How to choose for a child?

Before choosing a drug, you need to without fail consult a doctor, even if we are talking about herbal medicine, you need to minimize the risks of developing allergic reactions The child has.

Before choosing a sleeping pill for a child, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician

Newborns and children under 1 year old

At this age, there can be only two reasons for taking real sleeping pills: cerebral hydrocephalus in a baby or postnatal encephalopathy. This serious illness, self-medication for which is inappropriate.

Most often, herbal preparations are recommended for restless crumbs up to a year to normalize sleep. Mint, wasteland k, lemon balm have a mild effect. They can be drunk in the form of tea, added to the bath in which the baby bathes. Babies often make a decoction of the usual pharmacy chamomile.

At this age, the child has good reasons not to sleep: colic, wet diapers, uncomfortable diapers, hunger. Therefore, parents should look for what is the root of the baby's problems and eliminate negative factors. Sleep will improve even without medication.

For very restless babies, there is a milk formula with tryptophan (an amino acid that regulates sleep and wakefulness) on sale. It is called "Frisolak". It can be given from birth to six months.

For children of the first year of life, you can choose a milk formula with tryptophan

After the baby is 6 months old, the choice of such special "night" adapted mixtures expands significantly. Almost every manufacturer baby food includes a mixture with tryptophan in its line.

If your 6-month-old baby and older child has a doctor who finds disorders in the functioning of the nervous system, he may prescribe Pantogam. It is a mild sedative that improves blood flow to the brain. It comes in tablets, syrup and capsules. The tablet form should not be taken by children under the age of three.

Children's single dose of "Pantogam" starts from 0.25 grams, daily - a maximum of 3 grams. Depending on the diagnosis, the course of treatment will last from 1 to several months.

For children under one year of age, Pantogam is prescribed in the form of a syrup.

In the next video, a young mother will tell why the child the first year of life can sleep poorly and what should be your actions in this case.

Preschool children

Grown up peanuts (2-5 years), except for homeopathic and herbal preparations, the doctor may prescribe Phenibut. It is a nootropic drug that has slight effect tranquilizer. This medicine puts in order the blood circulation in the central nervous system, improves the activity of brain cells.

The pediatric dose of this drug is 20 to 100 mg per day. Treatment will last up to 4 weeks. "Fenibut" doctor can also advise on enuresis in a child and in the treatment of certain forms of stuttering.

Most often, pediatricians recommend a medicine with citral to normalize sleep for children aged 2-5 years. It has a mild effect, soothes the child and reduces intracranial pressure. Also helps with ascariasis. The dosage is calculated based on the weight of the child.

Magnesium preparations, for example, Magne B6, also normalize sleep, but you should not give them to a child without a doctor's recommendation. If the doctor, based on the results of the child’s tests, comes to the conclusion that magnesium is not enough in a small body, he will certainly offer you this particular drug. Magnesium improves the functioning of cells throughout the body, including the nervous system. Improves sleep, appetite, reduces anxiety.

The instructions for Magna B6 say that the children's dosage is 1-6 tablets per day. The amount does not depend on age, as many mothers think, but on the degree of magnesium deficiency in the body. That's why it's better to get tested first.

The dosage of Magne B6 is selected based on the degree of magnesium deficiency in the child's body.

homeopathic remedies

"Bayu-bay" - homeopathic drops, which contain extracts of medicinal plants - motherwort, hawthorn, peony. The manufacturers of these drops recommend starting at 5 years of age, but many parents (and I am no exception) practice the "bye-bye" method even before the baby is 1 year old. Of course, strictly dosed - no more than two drops before bedtime. Drops have a sedative effect, practically do not cause allergic reactions.

Bayu-Bai is prescribed for children over 5 years of age.

Tenoten tablets are prescribed for children over 3 years old.

"Persen"–it is a safe sedative that can be given to children from 3 years old in tablets, and from 12 years old–in capsules. As part of "Persen" herbs - mint, lemon balm, valerian. Often "Persen" is advised to be taken by children aged 10-14 years, who are having a hard time entering adolescence.

Persen is prescribed for children in the form of tablets or capsules, depending on the age of the child.

"Notta"- another homeopathic remedy that allows you to curb the emotional manifestations of a child and improve his restless sleep. Effectively reduces children's anxiety. "Notta" is available in the form of drops, tablets. Tablets are recommended for overly irritable and capricious children.

Notta's drug is prescribed to children in the form of drops or tablets.

Dormikind is a German homeopathic remedy. It completely eliminates sedative effects, and therefore it can be used by the smallest - babies from birth to 4 years. Often it is prescribed for hyperactive children. Tablets "Dormikinda" for babies are diluted in a teaspoon of water, older children are prescribed 1 tablet 4 times a day.

The advantage of Dormikind is that it can be used even for very young children up to a year

Children's syrup "Hare". Designed for restless and excitable children older than 3 years. Reduces stress, relieves anxiety, normalizes sleep and makes it strong. As part of the "Hare" - herbal ingredients (cumin, chamomile, valerian, hawthorn) and vitamins. It is taken by dissolving the dose in any liquid 1-2 times a day. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.

Hare syrup can be given to children from 3 years old

Quite often, parents of children from 3 years old are faced with such a problem as sleep disturbances in a child. Often, this is due to the fact that at this age children are very emotional and can get nervous from any little thing. For example, emotions experienced during the day or a strong fright can easily become the causes of sleep disturbance in a child. He can be overly cheerful, excited, frightened, moody, but falling asleep in the evening will be a very difficult task for him. In such cases, persuasion, screaming, punishment are powerless - the child is not to blame for the characteristics of his body. If this continues for some time, it is still worth taking immediate measures so that it does not develop into chronic insomnia.

Small children, of course, do not want to load medicines, because not only are they very harmful to child's body, so they can also be addictive, which then will be very difficult to deal with. The ideal solution would be ethnoscience: phytotherapy and aromatherapy.

Before starting treatment with herbs and aromatherapy, you should definitely consult a pediatrician and do allergy tests. You should not trust your friends if their experience of treatment with certain herbs was successful: the body of each child is different. You should not allow treatment to become a factor in a new, possibly more dangerous disease.

aromatherapy

It should be said that this topic is not as simple as it seems. Difficulties begin already with the question of choosing the oil used. Now available in pharmacies a large number of various spices, incense, essential oils. It is the latter that are considered the most affordable and effective, so it is recommended to use essential oils for children's aromatherapy. Before giving specific recipes, you need to know some rules for children's aromatherapy:

Be sure to check with your pediatrician and aromatherapist! It's simple Golden Rule for any kind of pediatric therapy;
Buy only quality products. Essential oil production laborious process, so even the smallest bottle cannot be cheap. Not expensive essential oils are products of chemical origin and with them you are more likely to do more harm than good;
An allergy test is required! You do not want to bring the child to sleep instead of treating insomnia. anaphylactic shock or rashes all over the body? Then be sure to do alert tests.

Before starting treatment, it is recommended to find out which oils are best not to use for children: oil peppermint not recommended for up to a year, thyme, rosemary, geranium and tea tree should not be used until 6 years old, clove oil should not be taken if the child is under 12. The rest of the oils are selected individually.

For example, a bath with 3-5 drops of lavender oil is a good option. You can also use cold inhalation this oil- just put a drop on the edge of a pillow or blanket and it will evaporate within three hours, and the child will inhale its vapors.

Phytotherapy to improve sleep

Phytotherapy - direct treatment with various herbs. Since ancient times, people have learned to recognize healing properties various plants and use them for their intended purpose. Prior to the production of essential oils, it was dried herbs that were the salvation of traditional medicine.

As safe as herbal medicine may seem, you should be careful when using it on children. Up to a year, phytotherapy should be minimized, and it is better not to use it at all. You must know the degree of allergenicity of your child, so as not to lead to trouble with such treatment. Also, be sure to take care of the environmental friendliness and purity of the raw materials used. Modern ecology requires caution in the use of even natural herbs.

So, now consider what are the methods of herbal medicine:

Sachets or phyto-pads. Made from natural fabric and filled with herbs. Then they are placed on the bed with the child. You should not keep them there all night - 2-3 hours after the child has fallen asleep, you can remove them. Ideal herbal collection for sachets, these are hop cones, St. John's wort, lemon balm and mint. You can also add Crimean rose petals, lavender, jasmine;
Infusions, decoctions, teas. Not very concentrated infusions are used for children, 1 teaspoon of dried herbs per glass of boiling water is enough. Ideal for children is a decoction of oats, milk and honey. First, oats should be boiled in water, then strained and boiled in milk. When it cools down, add honey and let the child drink at night.
Very good for kids nervous system melissa tea (after 2-3 years).
Valerian is an ideal sedative. For children, you can use both teas from it, and add it to the bathroom when bathing.

Using these methods, you will improve the child's condition, calm his nervous system and enable him to sleep soundly every night. Such herbs are especially useful not only for children, but also for adults. They are used when various problems with health.

Rules for laying the baby

1. A well-fed baby sleeps better. Therefore, the child must eat well during the day so as not to require food at night. Often, for this very reason, the child is fed porridge for the last feeding of the day, which has a higher calorie content compared to breast milk or a mixture. The effectiveness of this is disputed by scientific doctors, but this method still helps many mothers. Of course, you should not go to extremes and feed the baby for slaughter.

2. A child who has had a good night's sleep (meaning he has gone over his sleep norm - 1.5-2 hours, and not a well-sleeping child) will not sleep well at night. Therefore, do not be afraid to wake up a sleepy baby.

3. An overworked baby falls asleep with great difficulty and is more anxious, sleeps more sensitively. Therefore, it is better to put the child to sleep at the first appearance of signs of fatigue - he is naughty, rubs his eyes.

4. A physically tired child sleeps better and falls asleep easier, so for a sound sleep it is better to take a walk with the baby, give him the freedom to spend energy by jumping, climbing, crawling and running.

5. Strong positive emotions before going to bed (the arrival of new people, active games and other entertainment) also delay and complicate the process of laying down.

6. A special ritual of going to bed helps a lot to fall asleep (meaning night sleep). It can be an evening bath, light massage and feeding, light swaying (severe motion sickness can negatively affect the vestibular apparatus), stroking the baby, reading a bedtime story and listening to calm music ... Everything that a parent's fantasy will offer and will be pleasant to lull the child.

Patience, parents! And restful sleep, baby!