One of the problems of early childhood is that a 1-year-old child does not sleep well at night. Most often, this is due to the first age-related crisis in the child’s life, leading to deterioration of sleep.
The crisis is caused by changes in the baby's life. His rhythm of life stabilizes, his daily routine is formed, he discovers something new every day, and shows independence.
Such emotional overloads are not in vain - many mothers complain that their baby has had problems falling asleep since six months. At 1 year of age, the problem already manifests itself more acutely: poor sleep haunts the child almost every night.
Let's consider whether we need to be wary of this period and how we should behave.
Reasons of a physiological nature
Most often, a 1-year-old child does not sleep well at night for reasons related to physiology; as a rule, they can be easily found and eliminated. Such reasons include all factors that cause a child to feel discomfort, anxiety, or concern.
Most often, these are the reasons that prevent a child from relaxing and falling asleep:
- Uncomfortable posture when falling asleep or body position during sleep.
- Inconvenient place to sleep: too hard (or vice versa, soft) bed or playpen.
- Tight or uncomfortable clothing, usually restricting movement.
- Excessive fatigue (both physical and mental) during the day.
- Strong emotional experiences.
- Digestive problems – both undereating and overeating.
- The presence of external irritants: sources of sharp sound, bright light, unpleasant odors.
- Changes in the usual everyday environment.
- The presence of strangers.
- Failure to perform traditional bedtime rituals.
The physiological reasons listed above are easily removable. The main way to overcome them is to review and properly organize the child’s daily routine. In this case, slight changes in eating and sleeping times are possible.
You should also pay attention to the place where he sleeps: the bed should be comfortable, the room should be ventilated before going to bed. Often the problem of why a one-year-old child sleeps poorly is solved by improving the conditions of night rest.
In the vast majority of cases, a 1-year-old child does not sleep well at night and often wakes up because he is very tired at the end of the day. Therefore, it is very important for parents to monitor him during this period and avoid any overtiredness, which could be a potential cause of poor sleep.
Often children at this age have a very negative attitude towards daytime sleep periods; sometimes their protests are categorical. Many parents in this situation make the mistake of giving in and believing that the child will sleep well at night. You can’t think that the baby sleeps the same way we sleep. If you don't want your baby to become irritable, be sure to make an effort to get him to sleep during the day.
At this age, a child's sleep should consist of three main stages: one night sleep of eight to nine hours and two sleeps during the day. Daytime sleep periods should range from one to two hours.
This rest regime is due to the fact that the nervous system of a one-year-old baby is not able to cope with the load normally at that age.
It is also recommended to keep your child busy with physical exercises in the first half of the day. A baby who has played enough during the day and received enough oxygen will sleep well during the day and will almost never wake up in the middle of the night; and in the morning, well-rested children will wake up and get out of bed in a great mood.
Sleep and nutrition. Introduction of complementary foods
Where to start with complementary feeding?
Despite the publicly available recommendations, be sure to consult with your pediatrician to determine the products and the required amount specifically for your baby.
It is worth starting the introduction of each of the new products as complementary foods with small quantities (half a teaspoon). Gradually, over the course of a week, the volume of complementary foods is brought to the norm according to age. Offer something new in the first half of the day, while the baby is alert and patient. Use a special baby spoon, plastic, with a long handle, for complementary feeding. Regular metal ones can injure your gums.
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend introducing fruit juices into the diet of children under one year old to avoid the risk of diarrhea and tooth decay. The National Health Center recommends starting the first complementary foods for infants with vegetable purees and cereals, then comes the turn of single-ingredient fruit purees and juices.
It is better to offer the breast to the baby immediately after complementary feeding. Breast milk promotes better digestion. Keep in mind that vegetable puree can cause increased gas formation, so it is better to give it to your baby after waking up in the morning or 30 minutes to 1.5 hours before bedtime, depending on the baby’s age. This way you can track your baby’s reaction to the product and eliminate physical discomfort before falling asleep at night.
Such intervals between meals and sleep will also help the baby not to form the habit of falling asleep during feeding or on a full stomach.
The pediatrician may prescribe porridge as the first complementary food if the baby is not gaining weight well. Start with rice - it is hypoallergenic, has a delicate texture and pleasant taste.
Any juice contains natural sugar, so it is better to give it between meals so as not to spoil the baby’s appetite or contribute to the growth of excitability. Up to a year, in order not to provoke an allergic reaction and gas formation, it is recommended to limit the range of juices to apple, black currant, carrot, pumpkin, pear, plum or apricot.
If the baby does not have any negative reactions to the type of food offered, you can give complementary foods before bedtime. Going to bed on an empty stomach is the prerogative of adults and their personal choice; this scheme is not suitable for children.
So, how are sleep and nutrition related, and what foods can positively affect the quality of sleep for our little ones?
- The content of potassium and magnesium in foods helps reduce muscle tension: dried apricots, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, cashews, walnuts, dietary meat (turkey, rabbit, beef, chicken), fatty fish, milk, plain yogurt, potatoes, bananas, avocado.
- the content of Omega 3 fatty acids and tryptophan in foods promotes the production of melatonin and helps to relax: fish oil, eggs, olive and rapeseed oil, tuna, herring, trout, salmon, halibut, veal, beef, pasta. Tryptophan has a positive effect on the production of the “pleasure hormone” serotonin, which in turn improves appetite and sleep
