The need to wake up at night is the very moment that spoils the pleasure of breastfeeding for so many mothers. At the same time, with age, children often begin to wake up more often, and the question “how to wean them from night feedings” is one of the most discussed on maternal forums.
First of all, the main thing to remember is that it is perfectly natural for a child to wake up several times a night. Any child, regardless of the type of feeding, up to 3-4 years old can sleep without a break for no more than 6 hours, and most often 4-5 hours. Uninterrupted sleep for 8-10 hours, as adults often expect, is simply not a physiological norm. Babies have different rhythms of superficial and deep sleep: in an adult, the duration of superficial sleep is about 20% of the total sleep time, and in a newborn - 80%. A six-month-old baby is in superficial sleep 50% of the total sleep time, and a two-three year old is about 30%. This is physiologically justified: according to research famous psychologist Winnicott, it is in superficial sleep that the active development of the brain takes place.
Superficial sleep is easily interrupted, and therefore the child often wakes up as soon as something begins to bother him - for example, the absence of his mother nearby. And the simplest and surest way to calm the baby is, of course, breastfeeding. Those parents who believe that "artificial" children sleep better are mistaken. Sometimes they really sleep better, simply because the mixture is digested longer and harder than mother's milk, and the body devotes all its strength to the assimilation of food, and this task becomes more important than adequate brain development. Other children still wake up, but they do not call their mother, because they do not expect help from her. They are already used to the fact that the mother does not satisfy all the needs of the child, but only those that she chooses herself, and there is no need to expect much support from her. And a significant part of the kids artificial feeding after all, she wakes up and calls her mother, and is not always calmed down by just one bottle, but requires, for example, motion sickness ...
From the point of view of nature, night feedings are very reasonable: maximum amount prolactin - a hormone on which the volume of lactation depends - is formed between 3 and 8 in the morning. It is at this time that children tend to wake up. In this case, the newborn will wake up because, after continuous intrauterine nutrition, he is unable to withstand long breaks between meals. Older children are more likely to wake up at night precisely after they begin to feed less frequently during the day - in the morning feedings serve the purpose of maintaining lactation. Children after six months are often woken up by cutting teeth. And those who are over a year old, in this way often make up for the lack of tactile communication with their mother.
Advice is very common, especially from the older generation, to “let the child scream” and then at some point he will stop disturbing his parents at night. Various methods are proposed, the purpose of which is to accustom the child to "independent sleep". Margo Sunderland, director of the Center for Child Mental Health in London, based on a 4-year study of the results of ultrasound of the brain and scientific research came to the following conclusion: “If you ignore a crying baby, put him to sleep in a separate room, you can cause serious damage to the baby's brain. This can cause many serious neurological diseases and emotional problems in the future.”
“So, suffering from sleep deprivation is inevitable?!” many will exclaim. However, there is also good news: firstly, the sleep rhythms of a nursing mother also change, and if they sleep together with a child, 2-4 wakings per night practically do not affect their mother's rest. Another thing is if the mother has to get up and go somewhere for feeding, when the rhythms of her sleep are not synchronized with the baby sleeping separately. But even then, daytime sleep with the baby can come to the rescue: do not try to redo all the things when the baby falls asleep, but go to sleep on your own, best of all - still nearby, this will provide a more calm and long sleep for the child.
Secondly, at some age, children necessarily stop waking up at night. And this happens the earlier, the more fully the needs of the baby in nighttime contact with their parents are satisfied. Finally, in addition to simply ignoring the baby, which is always a lot of stress for the baby, there are also gentler ways to reduce the nightly feedings that have become too frequent.
Improving the sleep of a child up to a year
In fact, there are many ways to reduce nighttime feedings that have become too frequent. But in every family, depending on the characteristics of the development of the baby and the psychological makeup of the parents themselves, some of them will work, while others will not. It remains only to try, carefully watching the reaction of the baby.
If a child is under a year old, then trying to reduce nighttime feedings by moving away the crumbs is dangerous for his mental balance. Persuasion also does not work yet, so the actions of parents should not be directed at the baby himself, but at factors that can cause frequent waking.
Starting from about 5 months (sometimes a little earlier or later), the discomfort from cutting teeth makes the children wake up more often. It is understandable that this is very unsettling for the mother, but breastfeeding remains the simplest and easiest way for the whole family to ease the baby's anxiety. Many mothers of "artists" at this age complain not only that the baby wakes up, but that they have to rock the aching baby for a long time in the middle of the night only to wake up again in an hour or two ...
A few ways to make things easier:
- try means to relieve pain during teething: for example, kalgel, desitin. Read the instructions carefully before use. As a rule, they should not be used more than once a day. In this case, try to make do with other means during the day (chilled teethers, etc.) so that the usage limit does not end prematurely.
- if a baby older than six months eats complementary foods in any significant quantities, at least a few spoons, you can try to move it closer to bed. Children who eat a big meal before bed tend to wake up less frequently. Offer your baby the breast right before you go to bed yourself: even if the baby is sleeping, most babies can take the breast and suckle without waking up. Feeding in this way is better than going to bed only to be woken up for feeding an hour or two later.
- think about baby baths. If they calm him down, move them for a while closer to sleep - and if, on the contrary, they invigorate, then it is better to spend them in the morning. Bathing with baby salt with lavender extract or soothing herbs (valerian, hops, motherwort) promotes a more restful sleep. Some mothers put 1-2 drops of lavender on the baby's pillow or diaper (attention, it is very important that essential oil lavender was natural - for example, Vivasan or Iris; The consequences of using artificial oils are unpredictable!)
Many children, mastering new skills, are very fond of learning about the world and almost stop sucking during the day. Such active kids, even if the mother herself offers the breast, they can feed for literally two or three minutes, and then they drop the breast and again strive somewhere. Sometimes the decrease in daytime contact with the mother is offset by a sharp increase in nighttime feedings. What to do in this case?
- try to arrange a place for quiet feeding. Restless babies are less distracted if breastfeeding is done in silence, in a dark place (for example, close the curtains) or under the cover of a diaper. Try to take advantage of the fact that children in any case suck longer around dreams - before falling asleep and after waking up. Let's suck longer before falling asleep, especially at night. Do not rush to wean as soon as the baby falls asleep - children have unique ability sleep and feed at the same time, thereby satisfying just the need for close communication with mom.
- keep as much body contact as possible during the daytime - caress, carry or in a sling, many children lack this. You should not strive for the baby to spend a lot of time in independent games - play with him yourself, touch him. There is another interesting pattern: many children begin to “hang” on their mother more often during the day or night just before they make a new leap in development - for example, start walking.
And one more piece of advice for mothers of children under one year old who wake up easily at night - try to fall asleep instead of with your child, this will reduce your lack of sleep. If you still need to leave, wait next to the baby for about 20 minutes after falling asleep - usually during this time the child goes from a phase of superficial sleep, which is easily disturbed, to a deep one. Some mothers put their clothes next to the baby, which they have been vilifying for some time - the child smells his mother's smell through a dream and believes that his mother is nearby, everything is in order. This is enough to ease a little anxiety.
Child over one year old
Not all children older than a year often wake up at night, some babies may only feed once or twice, giving their mothers the opportunity to have a good rest. A conversation with a friend whose baby sleeps more can cause bitterness and annoyance in mothers whose children wake up almost every hour or simply hang on their chest in the morning. It even leads some to think about weaning. However, for those who decide to take such a step, it often becomes a huge disappointment that the baby continues to wake up in the same rhythm!
The thing is that not breastfeeding causes nighttime anxiety. It is only easy way deal with an existing problem. A child older than a year does not wake up to breastfeed - on the contrary, he breastfeeds in order to calm down and fall asleep again in the most familiar way. How often the baby will wake up does not depend on the method of feeding, but on the temperament of the child, the conditions and characteristics of his development.
And yet, after a year, avoiding night feedings is easier, because the mother can use methods of influence that are simply incomprehensible to very tiny children. The previous tips can also work, but mom's arsenal of tricks is expanding. Important note: When you use these steps, carefully watch your baby's reaction! How correctly you behave at night, is necessarily reflected in the behavior of the child during the day. If after you have been using a method for several nights, the baby behaves as usual - you can continue in the same spirit. But if the baby becomes cranky, whines, throws tantrums, or seems withdrawn - this reduction in nightly feedings is not suitable for your child. At least right now. So what can help?
- if the baby sleeps with you, make the breast less accessible. Moms who are determined to stop night feedings put on bodysuits. The step is not so radical - to put on a nursing bra or clothes for feeding at night, from where the breast should be taken out. Sometimes, if the baby cannot find the nipple quickly, he may just fall asleep again.
- at the age of about one and a half years, most children already understand what exactly mom wants to tell them at night. Renowned childcare couple Martha and William Sears, who have raised nine children themselves, propose programming a child for certain expectations at night. "Program your baby to expect to be fed after waking up - for example, 'We'll feed again when the sun comes up.' When you feed before bed (either during the first or second night feeding), the last thing the child should hear is: "Mom will sleep, dad will sleep, baby will sleep, and boobs will sleep" (all favorite things can be mentioned in this row When a baby wakes up at night, the first thing he should hear is a gentle reminder, "Sisia will sleep. The baby will sleep too.” This program may take a week or two to repeat, and soon the baby will get comfortable with the idea that the day is for feeding and the night is for sleeping.”
- if mutual understanding is developed in your family, then dad can replace mom along with breasts with other ways of calming down. Rocking, singing lullabies, wearing a sling, offering water to drink - if your goal is to teach your baby to calm down without a breast, these can all help. Here is how Martha Sears describes this method: “Bill carried Stephen in a sling, so he got used to falling asleep next to Bill on the way. When he woke up at night, Bill had to provide comfort again, swaying Stephen in the nest under his neck while singing a lullaby. At first, the baby may protest against the proposal of the father instead of the mother, but remember, screaming and worrying in the hands of a loving parent is not at all the same as "crying for nothing." Dads, understand that you must remain calm and patient as you face the challenge of overnight parenting."
- Finally, if the baby sleeps with you, to avoid night feedings, you can try to increase the distance between the baby and mother. The simplest thing is to start laying the baby on the father's side. When the child wakes up, it is the father who tries to calm him down, and if this does not work out, the mother takes over the task. Sometimes a mother can just go to sleep in another room for the night, after the last feeding, leaving the baby with dad. And older kids can sometimes, after preparatory work and stories about how great it is, not bad to sleep with a brother or sister.
The calm, benevolent confidence of both parents is of great importance. The child must feel that nothing bad is happening. The fluctuations experienced by mom or dad are very clearly captured by the baby, and he begins to suspect something was wrong. And when the baby is worried about what is happening, you can not expect him to sleep peacefully.
And yet, do not rush to stop this happy time for the crumbs. Frequent nighttime waking is just an age-related stage that will definitely pass, and your child will still sleep through the night without waking up. Increased nighttime worries are a relatively short time, but it is now that memories of love and intimacy are being formed that your child will carry with him for the rest of his life.
Every mother of a newborn child is ready for the fact that within a few months you will have to forget about a good night's sleep. But it often happens that the period of night vigils drags on, in the opinion of the mother, for too long. How to wean the baby from night feedings, and make sure that he sleeps peacefully for at least 5 hours in a row?
From a physiological point of view, a six-month-old baby is quite capable of going without food for 5-6 hours, but the baby, out of habit, continues to wake up and demand his mother. A baby can use night feeds as one of the ways to spend more time with mom. Other causes of nocturnal awakenings can be teething or sudden age-related changes that occur during certain periods of a child's life.
You should think about the fact that your healthy sleep, good mood and well-being are no less important than the comfort of the baby. You will not be able to give him maximum attention and care if you are chronically sleep deprived. Whether to stop night feedings or not will largely depend on your personal attitude to this issue. If getting up at night and giving your baby a breast or a bottle is not a problem for you, if you enjoy these moments of unity with your baby, you should not refuse them. Gradually, the child will definitely unlearn himself. The practice of co-sleeping will allow the mother to lose a minimum of time at night for feeding and even doze off while the child satisfies her hunger or the need to feel the closeness of her mother.
On the other hand, if the need to get up repeatedly at night causes you a negative reaction, you are tired and unable to sleep, and your child is physically ready to refuse nightly food, it may be worth starting to take certain steps in this direction.
The process of giving up night feedings should be gradual and painless, given that the child is still too young, and really needs closeness with his mother, in her tenderness and comfort, which only mother's hands can give.
The process of weaning from night feedings should be approached step by step, gradually. It is better to start by gradually reducing the duration of each feeding. If the child eats from a bottle, slightly reduce portions. At the same time, try, as far as possible, to increase the intervals between feedings, trying to ensure that, upon waking up again, the child falls asleep without the usual portion of food.
Make sure your child gets enough food throughout the day. Many believe that best time practice moving away from night feedings - this is the time to start complementary foods, when the baby begins to receive more varied food, and not just mother's milk or formula. Sometimes for a child aged about six months, the problem of night feedings arises because during the day the child becomes more active, he has new interesting activities. If he is used to feeding on demand, he may forget to once again demand a breast when he gets hungry. As a result, the insufficient amount of food received during the day, he makes up for at night. Therefore, it is important for a mother to ensure that even a child who is busy playing gets enough food. And during feeding he was not distracted and really sated.
In the evening, it is advisable to offer the child an additional amount of food so that he gets hungry as late as possible. Sometimes it even makes sense to wake the baby up before you yourself go to bed to feed him again.
If the child is bottle-fed, you can try the following method: the contents of the night bottle are gradually replaced with water. That is, more and more is added to the composition of the mixture and more water, first by a quarter of the dose, then by half, etc. Ultimately, after a while, clean water appears in the bottle. And the child, most likely, will decide that, in general, it is not worth waking up for the sake of this water.
You do not need to plan activities to refuse night feedings for periods in which other changes in the baby's life occur. For example, you go to work and spend less time with him, or you plan to move, etc. If you start spending less time with your child during the day, try to make the most of this time: hug your baby, show all your tenderness and love. If he feels comfortable enough during the day, he is less likely to look for him at night.
Include the baby's dad in this process, if possible. Let him take over some of the nightly risings. On the one hand, this will allow mom to sleep more. On the other hand, when the mother takes the baby in her arms, he smells milk and starts asking for food, even if he is not really hungry. Very often, mothers are surprised to notice that if it is not they who approach the baby, but the father, the child can be quickly put back to sleep, and at the same time, he does not wake up much longer and does not require food. If you sleep with your baby, try to keep a barrier between you and the baby, for example, in the form of a rolled up towel or pillow - for the same reason.
Try to gradually reduce the number of night feedings. When the child wakes up again, try to calm or rock him. If the baby is already old enough to understand your speech, you can tell him that now it's time to sleep, and he will eat in the morning. You need to speak softly, but at the same time, firmly enough, while stroking the child on the back. Even if he is too small to understand the words, he gradually begins to realize that he can not always get a breast or a bottle at night. In many cases, a significant reduction in the number of nocturnal awakenings can be achieved after a few days of applying such simple techniques, and the child gets used to the new state of affairs.
If, despite all efforts to wean from night feedings, the baby continues to cry at night and demand a breast or a bottle, you need to return to the previous regimen and try again after 1-2 weeks.
We hope these tips will help you wean your baby off night feeds.
Night feedings: until what age?
Everyone knows that frequent nighttime awakenings, when a newborn needs to be comforted or fed, is a natural part of motherhood. How pleasant it is to hug a child in the silence of the night and attach it to your chest! But one day there comes a moment when the uninterrupted sleep of the baby and mother becomes more important than nightly breastfeeding.
Many parents are interested in night feedings: until what age should they be kept? When should a child be weaned from night feeding? In this article, we present the opinion of our American colleagues. Their recommendations may need tweaking, but it's certainly an interesting take on the issue.
BabySleep considers it necessary to emphasize that reducing nighttime feedings at any age does not in any way mean a complete rejection of breastfeeding, unless the mother has such an intention. This is just a reduction in the number of attachments to the chest during a night's sleep. The mother may still continue breastfeeding even if she reduces the number of nightly attachments.
It is also important to remember that breastfeeding is not only a process of saturating the child, but also a time of physical and emotional closeness between mother and baby. In some situations, this factor is of paramount importance and it is not worth reducing the number of feedings.
What do the doctor's say?
Many children continue to wake up for night feedings from one to several times a night, although they are already capable of sleeping for a long period of time without waking up. The reason is that they are used to getting calories at night. Very often, nighttime awakenings and the need to breastfeed in order to fall asleep again are caused by an association with falling asleep. This means that when waking up at the end of the sleep cycle (every 40-90 minutes), the baby simply cannot go back to sleep without suckling, even if at that moment he is not hungry. Some children only need to take a few sips to calm down, and someone eats, consuming calories that the body does not need at that moment.
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When the baby wakes up to satisfy his hunger, he actively sucks and swallows for at least 5 minutes or drinks more than 60 ml. milk from a bottle. If there is an association to fall asleep, or if the baby needs to breastfeed for comfort, the baby sucks out only a little milk. If the baby is really hungry at night, it is not recommended to drastically reduce the number of nightly feedings. If the child is hungry, he must be fed!
How many night feeds does a baby need?
Before you start reducing your baby's nighttime feedings, you need to make sure he's ready for it and your expectations are realistic. If there are no problems with lactation, the baby is healthy, calm, eats well during the day and is gaining weight, you can use the table as a guide, which indicates the number of nightly feedings recommended by American baby sleep experts.
Talk to your doctor before you start cutting back on nighttime breastfeeding. It is also important to consider the age of the child depending on the EDD (estimated date of birth). If the baby eats at night more often than indicated in the table, but sleeps well, and this suits you, there is no problem. If your baby is eating less often, but your pediatrician is happy with how he is growing and gaining weight, you are doing great too!
Until what age should night feedings continue?
The needs of children are different, but you can focus on the average data from the table:
Child's age
Average number of night feedings (depends on individual features child)
0-3 months
Feeding on demand. It is necessary to feed the baby at any time when he is hungry.
3-4 months
The first 4-5 hours of sleep without feeding, then 2-3 feedings.
4-6 months
The first 7-9 hours of sleep without feeding, then 1-2 feedings.
6-9 months
The first 7-9 hours of sleep without feedings, then 0-1 feedings.
9 months and older
When should a baby be weaned from night feedings?
A child's readiness to reduce nighttime feedings can be tested by answering the following questions:
Is your baby 6 months old or older and eating solid foods well?
Was the baby born at term with a normal weight?
Does the baby need night feedings, rather to calm down than to satisfy the feeling of hunger (applications are very short)?
Feeding for a baby is an association for falling asleep, does he not know how to calm down and fall asleep himself during daytime and nighttime dreams, does he often wake up at night?
Is co-sleeping a forced measure for you because of the association for the baby to fall asleep (see paragraph 4)?
Do all family members lack sleep and feel constantly tired (as a result of points 4 and 5)?
Are night feedings erratic (time and number of awakenings vary each night)?
Does your child eat more at night than during the day?
In the past, has the baby been able to sleep for three or more days in a row for long periods of time without feeding, or with one feeding between 22:00 and 24:00 (not during illness, etc.)?
Does the baby eat once a night - at 3-4 in the morning - and constantly refuses morning feeding?
If the majority of answers are yes, this shows the baby's readiness to reduce the number of nightly attachments.
Reducing nighttime feedings. Where to begin?
If you cannot say exactly what time and how long your baby eats at night, watch him for 2-3 nights. When you see patterns in nightly breastfeeding, you can draw up a work plan.
Start work with feedings in the first hours of sleep, when the baby has not yet had time to get hungry.
If nighttime breastfeeding is associated with falling asleep for your baby, separate breastfeeding and falling asleep—feeding before bed to soothe and relax, and then falling asleep without suckling.
Reduce the time your baby spends at the breast at night, or reduce the amount of milk in the bottle.
Increase your daily calorie intake.
If you soothe your baby at night without breastfeeding, but the baby starts crying when you put him to bed after that, this crying is most likely caused by an association with falling asleep. In this case, if you want to reduce the number of feedings at night, you need to help your baby learn to fall asleep without a breast.
If your baby has an association with falling asleep, making a work plan to reduce nighttime bedtime is not an easy task. If you need help and support from a sleep consultant, you can get it in the format of an individual consultation. We'll help you determine what's causing your sleep problem, how it can be managed, and how realistic your desired goals are.
Every mother of a newborn child is ready for the fact that within a few months you will have to forget about a good night's sleep. But it often happens that the period of night vigils drags on, in the opinion of the mother, for too long. How to wean the baby from night feedings, and make sure that he sleeps peacefully for at least 5 hours in a row?
From a physiological point of view, a six-month-old baby is quite capable of going without food for 5-6 hours, but the baby, out of habit, continues to wake up and demand his mother. A baby can use night feeds as one of the ways to spend more time with mom. Other causes of nocturnal awakenings can be teething or sudden age-related changes that occur during certain periods of a child's life.
You should think about the fact that your healthy sleep, good mood and well-being are no less important than the comfort of the baby. You will not be able to give him maximum attention and care if you are chronically sleep deprived. Whether to stop night feedings or not will largely depend on your personal attitude to this issue. If getting up at night and giving your baby a breast or a bottle is not a problem for you, if you enjoy these moments of unity with your baby, you should not refuse them. Gradually, the child will definitely unlearn himself. The practice of co-sleeping will allow the mother to lose a minimum of time at night for feeding and even doze off while the child satisfies her hunger or the need to feel the closeness of her mother.
On the other hand, if the need to get up repeatedly at night causes you a negative reaction, you are tired and unable to sleep, and your child is physically ready to refuse nightly food, it may be worth starting to take certain steps in this direction.
The process of giving up night feedings should be gradual and painless, given that the child is still too young, and really needs closeness with his mother, in her tenderness and comfort, which only mother's hands can give.
The process of weaning from night feedings should be approached step by step, gradually. It is better to start by gradually reducing the duration of each feeding. If the child eats from a bottle, slightly reduce portions. At the same time, try, as far as possible, to increase the intervals between feedings, trying to ensure that, upon waking up again, the child falls asleep without the usual portion of food.
Make sure your child gets enough food throughout the day. Many people believe that the best time to practice avoiding nighttime feedings is when weaning starts when the baby is getting more variety of food than just mother's milk or formula. Sometimes for a child aged about six months, the problem of night feedings arises because during the day the child becomes more active, he has new interesting activities. If he is used to feeding on demand, he may forget to once again demand a breast when he gets hungry. As a result, the insufficient amount of food received during the day, he makes up for at night. Therefore, it is important for a mother to ensure that even a child who is busy playing gets enough food. And during feeding he was not distracted and really sated.
In the evening, it is advisable to offer the child an additional amount of food so that he gets hungry as late as possible. Sometimes it even makes sense to wake the baby up before you yourself go to bed to feed him again.
If the child is bottle-fed, you can try the following method: the contents of the night bottle are gradually replaced with water. That is, more and more water is added to the composition of the mixture, first by a quarter of the dose, then by half, and so on. Ultimately, after a while, clean water appears in the bottle. And the child, most likely, will decide that, in general, it is not worth waking up for the sake of this water.
You do not need to plan activities to refuse night feedings for periods in which other changes in the baby's life occur. For example, you go to work and spend less time with him, or you plan to move, etc. If you start spending less time with your child during the day, try to make the most of this time: hug your baby, show all your tenderness and love. If he feels comfortable enough during the day, he is less likely to look for him at night.
Include the baby's dad in this process, if possible. Let him take over some of the nightly risings. On the one hand, this will allow mom to sleep more. On the other hand, when the mother takes the baby in her arms, he smells milk and starts asking for food, even if he is not really hungry. Very often, mothers are surprised to notice that if it is not they who approach the baby, but the father, the child can be quickly put back to sleep, and at the same time, he does not wake up much longer and does not require food. If you sleep with your baby, try to keep a barrier between you and the baby, for example, in the form of a rolled up towel or pillow - for the same reason.
Try to gradually reduce the number of night feedings. When the child wakes up again, try to calm or rock him. If the baby is already old enough to understand your speech, you can tell him that now it's time to sleep, and he will eat in the morning. You need to speak softly, but at the same time, firmly enough, while stroking the child on the back. Even if he is too small to understand the words, he gradually begins to realize that he can not always get a breast or a bottle at night. In many cases, a significant reduction in the number of nocturnal awakenings can be achieved after a few days of applying such simple techniques, and the child gets used to the new state of affairs.
If, despite all efforts to wean from night feedings, the baby continues to cry at night and demand a breast or a bottle, you need to return to the previous regimen and try again after 1-2 weeks.
We hope these tips will help you wean your baby off night feeds.
One of the most discussed questions on parenting forums is the question "How to wean a baby from night feedings?". In fact, many mothers suffer precisely from the need to wake up several times a night to feed their baby. Moreover, most mothers who have refused breastfeeding motivate this with sleepless nights and constant feeding.
Although the baby's nighttime awakenings are quite normal and natural. The uninterrupted night sleep of children under 4 years old usually does not exceed 6 hours, or even less. Moreover, this axiom is completely independent of the type of feeding. Of course, many parents dream that their child sleeps all night long and never wakes up. However, parents whose child sleeps for more than eight hours in a row without waking up should understand that such a phenomenon is not a physiological norm for a small child.
Yes, for an adult, an eight-hour night's sleep is the norm, but babies have completely different rhythms of superficial and deep sleep. For example, in an adult, the duration of superficial sleep is no more than 20% of the total duration of sleep, but in a newborn it is about 80%. A five-month-old baby is in light sleep about 50% of the total sleep time, and in a two-three-year-old child, light sleep is 30%. Do not be afraid that superficial sleep in children of different ages is significantly different. It is in the first year life goes active development of the child, and the development of the brain occurs just in superficial sleep.
Superficial sleep can be interrupted very easily, so babies are very sensitive to external stimuli. Children usually wake up immediately as soon as something disturbs them (bright light, sharp sound). Even the temporary absence of a mother nearby can cause discomfort and easy awakening of the baby. lactation is the simplest and the right way calm a crying baby. Those who think that formula-fed babies sleep better are wrong. Although sometimes artificial babies sleep better, this is because the mixture takes longer to digest than mother's milk. And often, the child's body gives all its strength to digest food, and not to the active development of the brain. But artificial children are sometimes much harder to calm down and put to bed, because in addition to a bottle of formula, such children need to perform lullabies and motion sickness.
From a biological point of view, night feedings are very reasonable, since in the period from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. there is a maximum production of the hormone - prolactin, which is responsible for the volume of lactation and for the production of milk.
Just at this time, the kids wake up. A newborn wakes up due to the fact that he is not able to withstand too long breaks between meals. Older children wake up at night for a reason reduction in daily feedings.
After six months, children begin to worry about cutting teeth, it is for this reason that children wake up at night, and some literally do not sleep at night.
A common reason for hanging on the chest at night is the lack of tactile communication with the mother.
Many believe that a child who has cried for several nights in a row will at some point stop disturbing his parents at night, as he will understand that there is nothing to expect from dad at night. But still, experts say that ignoring a crying baby can lead to problems in the brain, and this is fraught with serious neurological and emotional problems in the future.
You should not think that night sleeplessness will haunt a nursing mother for several years after the birth of a baby. The fact is that the nightly rhythms of the sleep of a nursing mother change, and adjust to the rhythm of the child's sleep, provided that they sleep together with the baby. Therefore, 3-4 waking up per night will in no way affect the mother's well-being. But if mom and baby sleep in different rooms, then the only thing that can make up for the lack of sleep is daytime sleep with the baby.
Do not try to redo all household chores while the baby is sleeping, it is best to lie down and sleep on your own. And the state of health will be better, and the mood will not disappear anywhere!
At some point, the kids will definitely stop waking up at night. Although there is no definite age limit, of course. It all depends on the baby himself, and on how fully the needs of the baby in tactile contact with their parents were satisfied.
You should not just ignore the baby, because for him it is to a certain extent - stress. There are more gentle ways that are aimed at reducing night feedings.
Up to a year...
Ways to cut night feedings very, very much. Some of them will work and some won't. It all depends on the characteristics of the development of the baby, the psychological makeup of the parents and the situation in the family. The only thing left to do is to try and monitor the reaction of the crumbs.
For a child who is not a year old, a separate sleep (i.e. in another room) at night will be very dangerous for his psychological well-being. At this age, persuasion will not work either, so the actions of parents are usually directed not at the baby himself, but at the factors that cause frequent crumbs to wake up.
Starting from six months, kids wake up from p. Naturally, for mom, this is very restless, and the only thing that remains - lactation, as this is the easiest and easiest way to calm a crying and restless baby. Mothers of "artists" complain precisely about the fact that a baby at 5-6 months old has to be rocked for a long time several times a night. At the same time, the baby wakes up every 2 hours, or even more often.
How can you alleviate the situation?
Firstly, you should use means to relieve pain during teething (gels, creams, etc.). These funds are very good for use at night. During the day, you can do without them, using chilled teethers.
Secondlyif the baby has already been introduced to complementary foods, then you can move it closer to bed. Babies who eat a big meal before bed tend to wake up less often.
Thirdly, before mom goes to bed, it is best to offer the baby a breast. It doesn't matter if the baby is sleeping, most babies breastfeed without even waking up.
After feeding the baby, you can safely go to bed and not worry that in an hour or two the mother will be woken up by the baby to hospitality.
Fourth, you should think about bathing the crumbs. For many, bathing has a calming effect, in which case it is better to move it closer to bedtime, and if after bathing the child is too excited and active, then bathing should be done long before bedtime, and even better in the morning.
Fifth, active children should more carefully and thoughtfully organize daily feedings. Many mothers may note the fact that during the day the children breastfeed less often than at night. This is explained by the fact that during the day the baby learns the world around him, and his mother's "sisya" is of the least interest to him, but at night, the child simply hangs on the mother's chest. Therefore, mothers should arrange a place for day feeding. A restless baby will be less distracted if he is surrounded by a calm and quiet environment, feeding nothing should be distracting (noise, fan operation and even daylight).
Before going to bed and after it, the breast should be given longer, so the baby will compensate for the need for close communication with the mother.
During the day, the baby should be picked up more often, caressed, worn in a sling. You should not strive to develop independence in a child from birth. It is best to prioritize joint games, let the baby stay longer near the mother during the day, thereby leaving at night - a time of rest for both herself and mother.
Sixth, if the mother needs to go somewhere, then you should wait about 20 minutes next to the falling asleep baby. It is not necessary to take the breast from the crumbs immediately after falling asleep, you should wait for the child’s sleep to move from the superficial stage to the deep stage. You can put your clothes near the baby, which have been vilified for some time - so the child will smell his mother's smell, and this is quite enough to relieve a little anxiety.
A year and older...
One-year-olds wake up at night much less often than newborns. Moreover, some babies may wake up at night for feeding only once or twice, and mothers, in turn, have the opportunity to get a good night's sleep. And some children even after a year wake up 5-6 times a night. And the problem is not that the baby wants to eat. The child wakes up at night only to take the breast to calm down and fall asleep again. It already happens almost automatically. In general, how often the baby will wake up at night, mainly does not depend on the method feeding, but on the nature and type of temperament of the child, the conditions and characteristics of his development. The calmer and more balanced the child, the less often he will wake up at night and ask for breasts and vice versa.
But still after a year the termination night feedings is much easier than up to a year. The fact is that a mother can already influence her child in ways that are not yet clear to small children.
Just do not forget that parents need to observe the reaction of the child. The correct behavior of parents at night is reflected in the behavior of the child during the day. If a method is used for several days and the child behaves perfectly and calmly during the day, then you can continue to use it further. However, if the baby becomes capricious, irritable, whines, seems too detached - it means that at the moment such a reduction night feedings totally unsuitable for a child.
What can help mothers whose children are already a year old?
If joint sleep is organized with the baby, then the mother should make the breast the least accessible. Usually bodysuits or bras are put on, that is, those things where the chest must not only be found, but also obtained. Usually, if the baby cannot find the nipple quickly, he will simply calm down and fall asleep.
A one and a half year old baby already clearly understands what exactly his mother wants to tell him at night. Childcare professionals recommend programming your child for certain expectations at night. For example, the child needs to be constantly explained that "We will feed again only when the sun rises." Before bed, during last feeding, the child should hear the following phrase: "Mom will sleep, dad will sleep, the baby will sleep, and the sisya will sleep." You can list anything you like, the main thing is that the child understands that everyone, including the “sisya”, will rest at night. During the night awakening, the child should hear that “Sisia will sleep. The baby will also sleep.” Of course, these phrases will have to be repeated for a week or even two, but after a while the baby will get used to the idea that feeding can only be during the day, and at night there should be a full sleep.
You can temporarily replace mom with dad, though dad doesn’t have the treasure that mom has, but dad can sing soothing lullabies, shake the baby, wear it in a sling, offer to drink some water. This method will be great for those who want to teach the baby to calm down without a breast.
Sleeping with the parents of the baby can be laid away from the mother, for example, from the side of the father. Awakened child in this case it is the father who should calm down, and if it doesn’t work out, then the role of the “calmifier” is transferred to the mother. Some couples practice mother's sleep in another room, that is, the baby stays to spend the night with dad. Older kids can easily sleep in the same room with a brother or sister.
The family environment is also important. If the parents treat each other calmly and kindly, there are no quarrels and scandals in the family (at least in the presence of the child), then the baby will be calmer and the transition to the new regime will be faster and without much concern.
However, don't be in a hurry to stop. night feedings only because of the frequent awakening of the child at night. It is worth remembering that everything will pass with age, but the baby will have warm and pleasant memories of care, affection and maternal intimacy.