Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova
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Last update articles: 25.05.2019
Sleep causes anxiety in parents throughout the entire stage of growth and maturation of the child. What if 9 month old baby suddenly stopped sleeping well, although before he had no problems with sleep, then this becomes a real tragedy for the whole family. No one can sleep, the usual rhythm of life is disturbed. To assess the severity of the situation, you need to know the sleep norms of a child of 9 months, perhaps everything is not so bad and it is enough just to change the daily routine. And yet - in the article you will find a life hack on how to teach your baby to fall asleep on his own!
Sleep duration of a 9 month old baby
How much should a baby sleep at 9 months? In babies of this age, sleep, according to the norms, should be 14-15 hours. Of these, about 10 hours are devoted to night sleep, and in the afternoon the baby must be given the opportunity to sleep twice for 2–2.5 hours (total 4–5 hours). Wake time at this age is about 10 hours. How much each baby sleeps may differ by 1-2 hours from the recommended norms, based on individual features small organism.
Subject to the regimen, the child will be well-rested, cheerful and cheerful. At this age, babies may not wake up for nighttime feedings.
To make the child's night sleep stronger, you should not give him the opportunity to sleep after 5-6 pm. He will sleep better at night if he gets tired during the day during games. Therefore, it is recommended to put the baby to rest in the morning, 3-4 hours after waking up, and also in the afternoon. 
Causes of sleep disturbance at 9 months
Not all children under the age of one year sleep throughout the night. Why does a 9 month old baby sleep badly at night? In fact, there are quite a few reasons for this phenomenon. It can be, first of all, physiological features. The most common of them according to doctors:
- sleep patterns at this age. For nine-month-old babies, a longer superficial sleep is characteristic, while deep sleep lasts much less in time. In connection with this feature, babies can often wake up at night;
- the need for food. This is more true for children who are breastfeeding, insofar as breast milk digested much faster than the mixture. Therefore, artificial children, in most cases, sleep better at night.
The reasons why the child does not sleep well may not be physiological, but related to the wrong daily routine and nutrition:
- the baby is not accustomed to the regime of rest and sleep. By the age of 9 months, this regimen should already be formed in the baby;
- an unusual place for a night's sleep, or the absence of parents. Children may not sleep well in an unusual environment, for example, visiting their grandmother, the baby will often wake up and cry;
- improper distribution of daytime and nighttime sleep. If the baby sleeps too much during the day, then at night a bad dream will not be surprising at all;
- violation of the feeding regimen. After 9 months of age, night feedings are optional. If the baby wakes up due to hunger, then the feeding regimen during the day should be reviewed;
- lack of physical activity. If children are inactive during the day, then at night, as a rule, they sleep worse;
- discomfort. This is another reason why the baby may not sleep well. If the room is too hot, stuffy or excessively humid, or vice versa, the air is too dry, sleep will not be comfortable and long. An uncomfortable mattress and diapers can also affect a child's sleep.
another reason bad sleep Your baby may have colic or teething. Sleeping when something hurts is difficult even for an adult, and even more so for a child.
If the child does not sleep well during the day, you should pay attention to the environment. In order for him to rest as much as he should at his age, it should be ensured that there are no too loud conversations, music, phone calls, etc. If harsh sounds wake up the baby and he starts crying, then it will be very difficult for him to fall asleep again.
Steps parents can take to improve their child's sleep
In order for the child to sleep as much time as required at his age, it is necessary to identify the cause of his restless sleep and eliminate it. Doctors recommend following a number of recommendations that help normalize a child’s sleep at 9 months:
- It is advisable to sleep in the same room with the child. In the same room with parents, the baby will be calmer;
- it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room where the baby sleeps - the room should not be stuffy. It is best when the humidity level in the room is at 60%;
- crumbs should be provided physical activity, play with it. So he will get tired in the evening and sleep better at night, however, excessive overwork can also negatively affect sleep;
- Do not allow your child to sleep too much during the daytime. If a nine-month-old baby does not want to go to bed during the day, you do not need to force him.
Identifying the causes of sleep disturbance and following the rules for their elimination will allow you to normalize the duration of your child's sleep.
As the baby grows older, his sleep will return to normal. After the baby reaches the age of one, the baby will sleep much better at night, without forcing the parents to get up several times and calm themselves down.
Why did the child stop sleeping well
Often there are situations when the child slept well, sometimes even all night without getting up, and stopped by nine months. Why is this happening?
As a rule, this is due to his growing up. Every month, the baby opens up more and more opportunities related to the capabilities of his body, and he himself becomes mobile and inquisitive. If desired, he can easily roll over from his back to his stomach and back, crawls well, sits and even gets up - now a lot is available to him. Accelerated growth rates are the reason that the child stopped sleeping well.
The second reason for poor sleep can be overwork. Sometimes kids are so passionate about learning everything new that they eat little during the day, they are not up to it. nine month old baby there are so many different items available that he can get and touch himself! At this age, the child also learns new dishes, because this is the period of introducing foods that are unusual for him into complementary foods.
As a result, in the evening, the baby can be so tired from his activities and impressions that he wakes up several times at night. It is more difficult for an overtired child to fall asleep, he falls asleep later and wakes up earlier, because there is a desire to eat and make up for daily losses. Thus, at night he sleeps much less than he should sleep at his age, and the daily duration of sleep is reduced.
How to put your baby to sleep at 9 months
Children who are overtired have difficulty falling asleep in the evenings. To put such a child to bed on time, it is necessary to carefully observe the daily routine.
It is important to monitor the emotions of such a child, especially in evening time. TV viewing should be limited, noisy and funny Games, communication with guests, contact with a computer and other modern digital devices.
Before going to bed, a special ritual should be performed. It should include procedures for bathing, dressing, using baby cosmetics etc.
If it was not possible to put the child to bed in time and the first signs of overwork were missed, he should be reassured, otherwise he will not fall asleep. You can read a book or chat with your baby in a relaxed atmosphere, sing a lullaby.
If a child at this age does not fall asleep well, even if they try to rock him, you should master the technique of falling asleep on your own.
If the baby falls asleep only in his arms or with the help of his chest, and sleeps restlessly at night and wakes up crying several times, you should put him to sleep a little differently. It is necessary to calm the baby, but only to a half-asleep state, while he has not yet completely fallen asleep, and put him in the crib.
It will take about 1-2 weeks of your patience to train him to fall asleep on his own. There will be screams and tears, you have to be prepared for this. Mark 10 minutes - according to the famous American pediatrician Benjamin Spock, this is the time the child can scream without the slightest threat to health. As a rule, children “give up” at 7–9 minutes. But then, waking up at night, the baby will not cry and, after lying down, will fall asleep on its own.
Evening baths for sound sleep
If the child has stopped sleeping well, then warm baths with herbal infusions before bed will help him calm down and relax. The use of herbs is harmless to the health of the crumbs. It can be chamomile, valerian, mint, lemon balm, lavender or thyme.
It is necessary to prepare an infusion of herbs in advance and add it to the water before bathing. To prepare a decoction, you need two or three tablespoons of dry leaves or herbs to pour a liter of hot boiled water and let it brew for 20-30 minutes. It is not recommended to do herbal baths every day, it is best to arrange such a procedure after one or two days.
Pine needle extract is very useful for calming emotional and excitable children. The use of baths with coniferous extract on a regular basis will allow you to put your baby to bed much faster, providing him with a good night's sleep.
Read more:
A nine-month-old baby is a true explorer. He already knows how to crawl, some babies even make their first attempts at mastering walking skills. The baby plays educational games with interest, watches cartoons and actively gets acquainted with the world around him. At this age, children begin to perceive more and more consciously, their temperament is formed. A poor night's sleep can overshadow the developmental progress of the little one. This disorder negatively affects the well-being of children and parents, because the whole family is deprived of a good rest. Consider what causes this phenomenon and how to deal with it.
Sleep rate for children 9 months
As babies get older, they need less and less time to sleep. Instead, they begin to acquire new skills, develop them, and get to know the world around them. If everything is in order with the health of the child, then in total he should sleep 13-16 hours. Night sleep takes approximately 9-11 hours, and daytime passes in 2-3 stages of 40 minutes each, if the little one prefers to sleep 2 times, then the rest should last at least 2 hours.
Often mothers think that children sleep according to established data, but this is far from the case. The numbers above are not a rule, but a guideline. Each baby is individual and has its own biological rhythm. Night sobs, twitches in sleep and groans are also the norm, as children transition from one phase of sleep to another. Mom just needs to gently stroke the baby and talk quietly to him, and the dream will return again.
However, there are situations when night tantrums and vigils are repeated almost every day. In this case, you need to find out why a 9-month-old baby does not sleep well at night.
Causes of the disorder
Parents exhausted by the insomnia of babies often begin to panic, because it seems to them that something is wrong with the child. Disturbances in the activity of the nervous system can indeed adversely affect a child's sleep, but in most cases the reasons are more banal. Consider in more detail what prevents children from sleeping at night:
Disorder emotional background mothers always entails insomnia in babies.
- Health problems. At 9 months, babies can still be bothered by digestive problems and teething. Also often in babies of this age there are infectious and inflammatory diseases. This can cause insomnia, whims, tears and loss of appetite.
Actions of parents
In most cases, parents can cope with their baby's insomnia on their own. To do this, it is only worth reviewing the daily routine of the crumbs and eliminating all the negative factors that can disrupt his sleep.
Consider how to return the child and the rest of the family to a normal night's rest:
In conclusion
Babies as young as 9 months may not sleep well different reasons. Most often, the violation is associated with the sudden maturation of the child, an excess of emotions in him. However, there are other factors that can negatively affect the baby's nighttime rest.
Parents should provide the conditions that are most comfortable for the sleep of the little one, so that he fully develops and is happy.
If a child does not sleep well at 9 months, then this does not always indicate the presence of health problems. More than 25% of babies suffer from nighttime or daytime insomnia, with a variety of causes.
Such manifestations adversely affect the well-being of the baby and his parents, because there is no possibility of a quiet rest.
The need to comply
For each nine-month-old baby, there are rules for falling asleep and waking up. Guided by them, parents are trying to form the correct sleep schedule. It should include several stages that require execution. If this is not done, you can undermine the emotional background.
Norms and sleep schedule
As babies get older, they spend less and less time sleeping. An alternative is outdoor games, the study of the world.
With good health, the baby should sleep for at least 13 hours for the whole day. At the same time, at night - up to 11 hours, and during the day - 40 minutes 2 or 3 times. If he gets up 2 times during the day, then the duration of sleep will increase to 2 hours.
Parents assume that falling asleep occurs according to established norms, but this is far from the truth. Time intervals are only an approximation.
Due to the individual characteristics of the organism, the biological rhythm is formed in different ways. Night sleep is sometimes interrupted: the little one can loaf and moan. But these are normal phenomena, because at this moment the phases are rearranged. Parents need to calm the child by talking to him or caressing him.
But if the child often wakes up at night, and increased emotional condition becomes the norm, it is necessary to establish the cause of what is happening. It is different for every baby.
What prevents a baby from falling asleep at 9 months?
A baby at 9 months does not sleep well at night for physiological, psychological or pathological reason, and therefore parents begin to worry about the health of the child. Nerve problems can also cause insomnia during the day or night. However, in general, such conditions have violations of a different nature.
Physiological causes
9 month old baby not sleeping well at night due to physiological characteristics or any irritants. However, you can get rid of them without much effort.
- At nine months, some babies can overexert themselves. The reason lies in the knowledge of the world and hyperactivity, there is a need for a quick perception of the new. That's just the nervous system is not improved in fully which often results in fatigue. That is why stress is produced, which prevents normal sleep.
- When preparing a child for sleep, it is worth making sure that acceptable humidity and room temperature are observed. Also clothes and linens should be made from quality materials that allow the skin to breathe.
- Angina, SARS, otitis media, tooth growth are the causes of restless sleep.
Children at the age of 9 months have difficulty falling asleep due to various factors. Common problems include high emotionality and activity. However, these conditions may also appear for other reasons.
Psychological sources of sleep failure
Most babies actively develop with the help of games, and also walk on fresh air and get to know new things. If a child has a lot of energy, then it is not always possible to spend it during the day. As a result, the child may wake up at night to play.
Pathological impact on the child's rest
Sleep problems can occur due to reasons such as:
- Problems with nervous system are not dangerous disease but appears in young children. They are more susceptible to infection than adults. Due to stress, babies are unable to fall asleep immediately.
- At this age, children should have their own daily routine. It includes: eating, wakefulness, physiological activity, daytime sleep contact with adults. If it is not distributed by hours, then there are difficulties in actions in a specific period. The lack of a routine entails anxiety, so the child has poor sleep.
- No definite sequence was found when falling asleep. Parents are required to perform specific actions before putting their child to bed: it can be bathing, reading a book. At this moment, certain associations are formed in the child, through which he will fall asleep more soundly.
- Sometimes inexperienced parents have no idea how to lay the baby. At the same time, frequent awakening is a harbinger of specific problems: dirty diapers, hunger, presence in a sleeping place a large number foreign objects.
If the little one began to wake up at night, then measures must be taken. First observe, and then, with the help of specialists, to detect and eliminate the cause.
Emotional background and psychology
If the parent is tense, depressed, or there are other negative emotions, then it is difficult for the baby to fall asleep. This is due to the fact that the state of the mother is well felt and adopted by a small person.
Important! Emotional outbursts of parents, and especially mothers, develop restless sleep in her child.
When should you sound the alarm?
If the baby has poor sleep, he begins to toss and turn and cry in the crib, then there is nothing wrong with that. Such changes characterize the change of phases, they are not yet formed properly.
However, if the symptomatology is repeated daily, and even for a long period of time, then it is worth contacting professionals. The reason may be serious illness- epilepsy.
If there is a squeak of tooth enamel, which lasts about 7 days, it is necessary to undergo an examination. With such symptoms, a disease of the jaw or disorders in the neuralgic plan are detected.
If the first signs of changing behavior are observed, then the child should be examined by a specialist, and then sent for the necessary body tests. Correct and prompt identification of the cause gives more chances for maximum recovery.
Often, parents are able to eliminate a sleep disorder in an infant without outside help. In order to realize the plan, it is necessary to re-examine the daily routine, and then get rid of the factors that adversely affect falling asleep.
Doctor, in programs and books, covers many problems occurring in children's body. However, the basic rule used in solving this problem remains unchanged: it is worth reviewing the time spent on daytime and nighttime sleep. Komarovsky is sure that young children feel tired or overly tense. The doctor recommends that parents teach the child to fall asleep on his own. But first it is necessary to distinguish between the time for eating and entertainment.
Important! main reason violations in the phases of sleep - this is a strong overwork.
If a baby at 9 months does not sleep well during the day, then the matter may be incorrect setting biological rhythm. It is possible to change the situation, but this requires the help of specialists. Other factors can prevent falling asleep: the ingress of light rays into the room, dirty or wet linen. In general, it is recommended to put babies to sleep in a dark room, protected from extraneous noise. However, in order to accustom the child to independent sleep, you need to put him to bed in a waking or half-asleep state.
A small person is an inquisitive, but not fully formed personality. That is why various factors can disturb his sleep. But if you follow the recommendations of experts, and also act under their control in case of problems, then this problem can be easily solved.
What to do if a 9-month-old baby does not sleep well at night? On this score, Dr. Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician, TV presenter and author of many books on children's health, has his own opinion.
The main postulate of Dr. Komarovsky for problems with falling asleep in young children is as follows: if it is difficult for a child to calm down before going to bed, you should pay attention to the time allotted for putting the child to bed - what time do you start to put it to bed and how much time does it take. Komarovsky believes that it can be difficult for children to calm down, either because they are very tired or because of hyperstimulation. The doctor strongly recommends that parents teach their baby to fall asleep on their own. This should be done after establishing the schedule of sleep and wakefulness and.
At first, it will be difficult for parents to hear the crying of the child, but in fact, he can quickly learn to fall asleep on his own. Before you go into the child's room and check on how things are going, look at the clock - do not leave him for more than 15 minutes. As soon as the baby learns to fall asleep on his own, he becomes more relaxed and happy.
In order for the child to calm down on his own, you should not allow the child to fall asleep at the breast or with a bottle in his mouth - so he can then sleep restlessly. It's better to do this: if the baby fell asleep during feeding, you should put him on the changing table and change the diaper (diaper) so that he wakes up. In the crib, he will already lie down not sleeping, but at least half asleep. Remember: the child must go to bed in an awake state.
The main reason why children do not sleep at night or do not sleep well is severe fatigue, no matter how strange it sounds.
Another reason is the excess contact of the child with adults before bedtime. Due to the fact that all adults want to caress him, take a walk, lisp, the child is overexcited. In addition, with children older than six months, active activities and games should be avoided. With children, you should try not to talk a lot before going to bed, speak in a calm and quiet voice, use the same words, such as “Good night, doll and bear, Good night, Andryusha.
After you put the baby to bed, leave the room and wait for about 15 minutes, no need to return to check if the baby is sleeping. If the baby is crying, wait a couple of minutes and only then come in. A child may cry because of incorrect associations with sleep. Children quickly learn to fall asleep on their own - in just a few days, give them the opportunity.
With proper distribution of sleep and daytime feeding, children gradually become physically and mentally able to sleep through the night without waking up. Healthy children can wake up at night, and this happens for the following reasons.
- During the day the child slept a lot.
- The child has knocked off the blanket and is cold.
- Baby got his feet stuck in the crib rail.
- The child is used to being fed before going to bed, rocked, and suddenly loses it.
