The child wakes up at night and cries and screams terribly. Why does this happen and how can I help it?

Biorhythms of a newborn

Biorhythms, which make us active or, conversely, make us tired and want to sleep, return to normal after three to four months of the baby’s life, and are finally formed by the age of two years.
When a baby is not yet a month old, his sleep and activity cycle lasts 90 minutes. That is, three hours. This is the basis for feeding every three hours. By three months, this cycle is increasingly stabilized. The child may no longer wake up after 00.00, falling asleep at 21.00 and waking up around 05.00 - 06.00. If the night passes calmly, the mother also gets enough sleep and can breastfeed the baby normally. At two years old, the baby’s sleeping and waking habits become stable. But at the same time, this age can be a milestone when a turning point occurs in the child’s personality, and he wants more attention. Then it may be difficult to put the baby down.

Behavioral insomnia

Incorrect behavioral patterns when falling asleep include:

• falling asleep in your parents' bed or in your arms;
• with a finger in the mouth;
• while eating with a bottle in the mouth.

Most parents will ask, “What's wrong with that?” Everything is very simple. If the baby wakes up and does not find nearby what made him fall asleep, he will begin to demand it. To eliminate insomnia in children, it is necessary to follow the correct behavioral patterns before going to bed. What are they?

It is necessary to follow a certain algorithm for preparing for bed every day. Everything is simple here. Bathing, eating, staying near the crib for a short time and leaving the child alone. Accustoming your baby to this sequence is the key to comfortable sleep. Both for himself and for his parents.

A “subject mediator” will help a child develop the described behavioral model. This is a specific object that is next to the baby during sleep. For infants, this is, for example, a diaper that retains the mother’s scent, and for those who are older, it is a favorite toy. All this gives children a feeling of comfort and suppresses anxiety during awakenings, and also allows them to feel your closeness.

What to do if your child does not want to accept a certain sleep schedule? Every now and then he goes to the toilet, asks for water, or even comes to bed with his parents. Do not put pressure on the child under any circumstances. This will only make the situation worse.

It is necessary to unobtrusively persuade the child to comply with the regime. This will set your baby's brain up for sleep and prepare him for parting with you. So, for example, you can strictly determine the number of fairy tales you read before bed.

Why does a child cry in his sleep?

• Newborns crying at night may be caused by tummy pain.
• The cause of a baby's crying at 3-4 months may be bloating, and at 4-5 months it may be due to teething. At this moment, the baby may have a fever, and he needs increased attention from his mother.
• Up to a year old, a child may cry at night when they discover that mom and dad are not around. Another reason for a child’s crying at night may be sudden noise or loud sounds. Between the ages of 2 and 3 years, children can be very sensitive to pain, especially sensitive to fear. Therefore, you must always be prepared to pay attention to the child and calm him down in time.
• You should know that an infant's sleep consists of half an active phase and half a passive phase. The child tends to wake up precisely in the active phase - the phase of superficial sleep. You need to be prepared for this situation, to react to how the child tosses and turns, maybe moans in his sleep or tries to say something.

Is poor sleep a cause for concern?

Poor sleep in a healthy baby can signal that he wants to eat or drink, he needs to change diapers, or feel the warmth of his mother’s hands. In such cases, after waking up, the child groans, but after performing all hygienic procedures and feeding, he calms down.

Causes of sleep disturbances in children

Scientists say: interrupted sleep and frequent awakenings at night occur in 30% of children under the age of 3-4 months. In 20% of babies, night sleep disturbances are observed up to 6 months, and in 10% of cases, these disturbances persist into 1 year and later.

American neurologists and somnologists have developed a classification according to which sleep disorders in childhood are divided into two groups:

• Primary - problems with sleep and awakening are not associated with obvious external causes and are not accompanied by any painful manifestations.
• Secondary - caused by dysfunction of organs and systems of the child’s body (allergic reactions, emotional disorders, diseases of the ENT organs and digestive tract, and others).

Physiological features of children's sleep

Primary sleep disorders are most common in infants. The reason for difficulty falling asleep and frequent awakenings at night lies in the infant’s inability to fall asleep independently and in the inability to sleep continuously.

Favorable sleep conditions often help improve a child's sleep:

• Fresh air promotes sound, healthy sleep, so you should lull your baby to sleep in a well-ventilated room. Sleeping in the open air not only improves its quality, but also increases the child’s immunity and the child’s body’s ability to resist colds.
• Good sleep depends on the temperature in the room, the comfort of the pillow and blanket. The baby should not freeze or overheat while sleeping.
• Most babies from 2-3 months, waking up due to an uncomfortable position, can fall asleep without parental help, independently changing the uncomfortable body position in the crib. However, children with increased emotional sensitivity need the presence of their mother. Child psychologists and neurologists say: the desire to sleep with mom is a physiological need of the baby, and not a stupid whim. Mother's hugs contribute to the child's full mental development and normalization of sleep.

How to ensure your baby has a restful sleep?

In order for your child to wake up less at night, his room needs to have:

1. Optimal air temperature (18-20 degrees)
2. No drafts
3. The baby's room should be well ventilated
4. If a child is afraid of the dark, a soft, dim lamp should be lit at night.
5. There should be no sharp or loud sounds in the room or house at all.
6. The room should not have many carpets on the walls and floor to prevent dust from accumulating
7. A child can sleep with a favorite toy if it helps him feel calmer
8. Mom and dad should always be ready to get up and calm a crying baby. This way he will feel safe.

In such conditions, you will forget about this nightmare question; “Why does a child cry in his sleep?”, and the child’s crying will occur much less often because the parents have done everything possible for the comfort of their baby.

Treatment of insomnia in children

What can you do:

• Create a clear daily routine and meal schedule for your child so that he naturally falls asleep at a certain time.
• Use the baby's crib only for sleeping - do not play or eat in it.
• The use of special drugs that improve sleep is undesirable. They can be used occasionally to adjust the regimen. And then strictly individually, after consultation with a doctor.

For secondary causes of insomnia, treatment is reduced to eliminating the pathology that caused insomnia. To do this, you need to contact your pediatrician. During treatment, he will prescribe sedatives. However, even at the same time, we must not forget about the daily routine, diet and behavioral therapy.

If you are unable to force your child to follow the routine on your own, contact the Seven Doctors multifunctional health clinic in St. Petersburg. To make an appointment, please call 8(812)677-0-777. A professional somnologist will advise you on all your questions and select the most convenient time for your visit.

About a child's cry

With the advent of a baby, the family’s way of life changes dramatically; now all life belongs to him. All mothers worry that after the birth of their baby they will not be able to get enough sleep, because the newborn will interfere with proper sleep by crying at night. In fact, it is not at all easier when a child cries during the day. Let's first figure out why children cry at this age?

Crying is the only way for a baby to call for help and make sure that the mother is nearby. Having an adult nearby who will comfort and protect is a child’s basic need, psychologists say. These are not whims, not a desire to manipulate in order to be “taken into your arms.” The “cry - mom came” connection is a guarantee of survival*.

At the same time, an adult (or an older child) has other ways to say that he feels bad. Usually crying becomes a last resort, indicating the severity of the situation. Your baby has only one way - to call you with a loud cry.

There is no need to panic as if something terrible has happened. Perhaps the baby is simply uncomfortable lying down, but he cannot yet clearly say: “Mom, please straighten the diaper, it seems there is a fold there.”

Agree, nature has arranged everything very wisely: it is difficult to remain indifferent if a baby is screaming nearby.

So why is he crying?

Help from a neurologist for sleep disorders

If there are sleep disturbances or any suspicion of a neurological pathology, the child should be shown to a specialist. The doctor conducts a comprehensive examination, which makes it possible to detect deviations from normal development and determine the disease. The difficulty in diagnosis is that some diseases of the central nervous system cannot be detected before the age of 1 year, sometimes even until the age of three.

Treatment is aimed at calming, relaxing, normalizing sleep, and correcting behavioral characteristics. Complex therapy for neurological disorders includes:

• massages;
• physiotherapeutic procedures;
• baths with sedatives.

In some cases, the child is prescribed medication.

We draw the attention of parents that most often sleep disorders are not associated with serious problems and only require correction of the baby’s sleep pattern. However, if your child continues to sleep restlessly, you should consult a doctor about this problem. If you are looking for a qualified pediatric neurologist in Kaliningrad, contact the Edkarik children's clinic.

Neurological causes of sleep disturbance

Sleep disorders associated with disruption of the central nervous system are caused by the following reasons:

• the baby was born prematurely;
• During pregnancy, the woman suffered serious illnesses and took potent medications;
• As a result of a complicated birth, the child was born with asphyxia and various physical impairments.

In such situations, the formation of the nervous system occurs differently in each child. Its defeat is necessarily accompanied by behavioral and mental disorders, and sleep problems. To determine the level of damage, the nature of the disease, and exclude other causes, you should contact a pediatric neurologist.

Excessive stress on the baby's psyche

Overexcitement or overtiredness of a child often leads to disruption of the process of falling asleep. To avoid this problem, parents should exclude the influence of negative factors on the baby’s nervous system:

• The following can overstimulate the nervous system: watching cartoons before bedtime, noisy games, so mothers should control what their children do before bedtime.
• The emotional state of the mother affects the quality of the child’s sleep, as her irritability, increased anxiety, and negative emotions affect communication with the baby. Impressionable children suffer from an uncomfortable psychological environment in the family, which can also lead to sleep disorders. A loving, calm mother and harmony in the family are a guarantee of children’s peace of mind and their mental health.

Somatic diseases

To identify somatic problems that lead to sleep disturbances, you should contact your pediatrician. Timely treatment will eliminate the cause and normalize the baby's sleep.

Abdominal colic is a common cause of poor sleep and whims in a child. When the spasms pass, the baby calms down and sleeps peacefully. Such disorders are temporary and are associated with the characteristics of the digestive system of infants.

The most common cause of persistent sleep disorders in children under 1 year of age is rickets. Its development is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, as a result of which the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus is disrupted. Starting from 3-4 months (sometimes from 1.5 months), signs of increased neuro-reflex excitability appear:

• fearfulness, irritability;
• frequent shuddering, especially when falling asleep;
• severe sleep disorders;
• increased sweating during feeding and sleep.

The child's condition improves after the pediatrician prescribes a therapeutic dose of vitamin D.