Why does a child sometimes cry in his sleep? Why does a one-year-old baby wake up every night and cry in his sleep? What to do if a two-year-old child screams at night

In the first weeks of life, crying is almost the only way a baby can communicate to his parents about his needs. In most cases, the mother is able to understand the reason for the tears, but when infant cries in his sleep, adult family members begin to seriously worry and do not understand what to do. The nighttime cries of one-year-old and older babies are no less disturbing. Let's figure out why a child's sleep may be accompanied by crying.

Features of newborn sleep

The sleep structure of a newborn differs from that of an adult. Almost half of your rest time is spent in the REM (rapid eye movement) phase. This period is accompanied by dreams, as well as:

• active movement of the pupils under closed eyelids;
• moving arms and legs;
• reproduction of the sucking reflex;
• change of facial expressions (grimacing);
• various sounds - a newborn cries in his sleep, whines, sobs.

The predominance of the “fast” phase in infancy due to intensive brain growth and rapid development of higher nervous activity. If the baby periodically cries at night for a short period of time and does not wake up, then this is a variant of the norm.

Doctors call this phenomenon“physiological night crying” and they believe that it helps the child relieve tension caused by emotions and impressions received during the day.

Another function of “physiological crying” is “scanning” space. By making sounds, the newborn checks whether he is safe and whether his parents will come to his aid. If the cry remains unanswered, the baby may wake up and throw a tantrum.

Up to 3-4 months of age for all healthy babies there is a Moro reflex, which consists of automatically raising the arms in response to the action of a stimulus. Sudden movement can wake up a child. You can solve the problem with swaddling. There is a technique of loosely wrapping a diaper, which allows you not to hamper motor skills and at the same time provides good rest.

How to respond to “physiological crying”?

This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to find out from me how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

You should not be too active in consoling the child at the moment of “physiological crying.” It is enough to simply sing something to him in a gentle voice or stroke him. In some cases, after a few seconds of whining, children calm down on their own. Intense rocking in your arms or in a crib, or loud speech can completely wake up your baby.

The correct reaction to “sleepy” crying also carries an educational load. The child must learn to self-soothe and accept his night loneliness. If you pick him up at the slightest sign of distress, he will demand mom and dad's attention every night.

Approximately 60-70% of children learn to calm down on their own closer to the age of one year. However, the mother must know how to calm the baby if necessary.

Development crises

In the first year of life, a child goes through a huge journey of physical and mental development. In some periods, changes are felt especially sharply; they are usually called crises (see also:). They are characterized by a significant increase in load on nervous system and may cause crying at night.

It is important to protect the baby’s psyche from overload:

• observe intervals between sleep and wakefulness;
• at the slightest sign of fatigue, give him the opportunity to rest;
• avoid emotional overexcitation.

It should be taken into account that at 12-14 weeks the sleep pattern (structure) changes. The transition to an “adult” model leads to a deterioration in its quality or “4-month regression”. The child may burst into tears at night, wake up from this and not calm down for a long time.

During this period, it is worth teaching him to fall asleep on his own. One way is to perform actions that calm the baby, but do not bring him to sleep. It is necessary that before going to bed the baby is calm and not excited, then it will be easier for him to plunge into the arms of Morpheus.

Sleep cycles and phases

Changes lead to the appearance of the “shallow sleep” phase, which begins immediately after falling asleep and lasts 5-20 minutes. Then the baby plunges into deep dream. At the moment of transition, the child partially awakens. At first, this provokes crying, then he learns to overcome this period without tears.

In addition, hysteria during phase changes may be associated with emotional overexcitation or accumulated fatigue. To prevent this, you should put your baby to bed on time. If he nevertheless wakes up and cannot calm down, the next period of wakefulness should be shortened.

The changing stages (phases) of sleep form a cycle. In an adult it lasts about 1.5 hours, and in small child- 40 minutes. The duration increases as you get older.

The cycles are delimited by short-term awakenings, which the baby needs to assess the environment and his condition. A baby can cry if something doesn’t suit him - for example, the room is too hot or he feels hungry. You can calm him down by satisfying his needs. In the future, it is worth taking care in advance to eliminate provoking factors.

Emotional overload

In many cases, after 6 months, the child cries in his sleep due to emotional overstimulation. The reasons for this are an improperly organized daily routine and an excitable nature. An overtired and irritated baby cannot sleep normally, which increases tension in the nervous system. The accumulated “charge” prevents the baby from resting peacefully at night - even after falling asleep, he often wakes up and cries a lot.

• do not allow the baby to “over-walk” - start putting him to bed a little earlier than he begins to be capricious from fatigue;
• limit powerful emotions, including positive ones, in the afternoon;
• Minimize the amount of time allotted for watching TV; in the evening it is better to avoid it altogether.

Children over a year old may wake up at night crying due to nightmares or fears. You should find out the cause of the problem and help the baby get rid of it. You can read about corrective techniques in global network.

Physical factors

Why does a child cry in his sleep? Children of different ages may cry and scream under the influence of various external and internal negative factors. The first group includes:

• incorrect microclimate conditions in the room - non-compliance of temperature, humidity and air purity with standard indicators;
• bright light And loud sounds.

• physiological needs - hunger, thirst;
• discomfort associated with uncomfortable clothing, wet diapers;
• various painful conditions - teething, weather sensitivity.

Microclimate in the room

Hot, dry air in a child's room will not give the baby the opportunity to get a good night's sleep. He will often wake up and cry from irritation and fatigue. The famous pediatrician Komarovsky gives the following advice:

1. Maintain the temperature at 18-22ºС and humidity at 40-60%. To do this, you need to install regulators on the batteries and purchase.
2. Minimize dust content. Ventilation will help with this, wet cleaning, refusal of dust collectors in the room (books, upholstered furniture, plush toys, carpets).
3. Leave the window open all night. It is worth closing it only if the frost outside is about 15-18 ºС.

Ventilation of the room - mandatory action before going to bed. It is undesirable only if the baby is diagnosed with an allergy to pollen from outdoor plants. In such a situation, a split system will help, that is, a device that is equipped with the functions of cooling, humidification and air purification.

Hunger and thirst

If a newborn is hungry or thirsty, he first whines or makes other sounds, and then, not getting what he wants, begins to cry. In the first months of life, eating at night is a natural need for the baby, especially if he is feeding mother's milk. You can reduce the frequency of feedings by increasing the amount of food consumed during the day. It is especially important to ensure that your baby eats a large meal before bed.

Do not overfeed the baby, exceed the standard amounts of formula, or increase the frequency of meals. At breastfeeding, which is often carried out on demand, you need to monitor how carefully the baby sucks milk from one breast. Immediately after application, foremilk is released, which contains little nutrients. If the baby receives only this, he does not get enough. Artificial babies, as well as all babies in the heat when crying at night, should be offered not only food, but also water.

Unpleasant sensations during teething are another reason why a child cries in his sleep. The hardest time is for those kids who develop not just one, but 2-4 teeth at a time. Children experience pain and itching in the mouth, which prevents them from eating normally and causes them to cry out in their sleep.

A sure sign that whims are associated with teething is that the baby tries to chew clothes, toys, etc. You can alleviate his condition with the help of cooled silicone teethers, as well as special pain-relieving gels recommended by your doctor.

Meteosensitivity

Weather sensitivity is a painful reaction of the body to change weather conditions. Today, not only adults, but also children suffer from it. The risk group includes children who have had difficult births, C-section, intrauterine diseases suffering from increased intracranial pressure. TO feeling unwell crumbs, accompanied by whims and restless sleep, can lead.

“Sleeps like a baby,” they say about a person sleeping soundly. However, not all babies sleep peacefully. Many mothers experience nighttime crying and often cannot determine its cause. Today we will talk about why children cry at night and what a mother can do in this situation.

Crying children are a difficult test for every parent. It's no secret that for a small child it is very important healthy sleep, since it is during these hours that he accumulates strength for development. However, his mother also needs proper rest; only after resting, she will be able to give the baby her love and good mood. How to react to nighttime tears and what does the baby want to say with them?

The child cries at night - the main reasons

Babies interact with their parents through crying - they talk about their needs and problems: hunger, thirst, pain or the desire to communicate.

Older children relieve stress through tears and try to restore a comfortable state.

Therefore, in every specific case The child’s age and psychological characteristics should be taken into account.

Why does a newborn cry?

Very young children scream in their sleep due to any inconvenience. Parents shouldn't be left like this emotional manifestations without attention.

You definitely need to approach the little man, pick him up, examine him, and check if he is cold. What can cause night tears?

1. A whining baby wants to tell you that he is hungry. If you look at the clock, you will immediately understand from the demanding cries that it is time for the next feeding. Usually, a newborn falls asleep quickly as soon as he has had his fill of milk.
2. Newborns often suffer from intestinal colic, since their digestive system is not yet able to fully cope with her responsibilities. It is the hardest for those who are artificially trained, although children are natural feeding are not immune from this scourge. Try giving your baby special drops and take them in your arms, warming them with their warmth.
3. If you are sure that the baby is not hungry or colicky, he has probably just relieved himself and is communicating that he is uncomfortable and wants you to change his diaper or diaper.
4. Why does the baby cry in his sleep? He just misses his mom. He's already used to falling asleep in my mother's arms, and when he stops feeling her presence, he begins to whine. In this situation, you can simply take the baby in your arms and wait until he closes his eyes again.
5. The room temperature that is comfortable for you is not always ideal for a baby. If he cries, throws out his arms and legs, and his skin is covered with sweat, then the room is too hot. A baby with goose bumps and cold extremities is cold; you need to wrap him up warmer or turn on the heater.
6. If one month old baby cries all day and night and you cannot calm him down, perhaps the problem lies in the excessive sensitivity of the nervous system. Show the newborn to a neurologist and try to find a way out of this situation together.
7. If the baby wakes up at night crying and does not calm down for a long time, it means he is sick. Clear signs ailments are heat, wet or dry cough, runny nose.

The following diseases can also cause night tears:

• abdominal pain;
• stomatitis;
• discomfort when urinating and bowel movements;
• inflammation of the middle ear.

In this case, you cannot hesitate or hesitate, but you must urgently contact a pediatrician.

Why does a one-year-old baby cry at night?

The reasons why children aged one year and older cry are, in most cases, related to psychological characteristics this age. Two-year-olds experience nightmares caused by disruption of their daily routine or excessive activity before bed.

1. Having a heavy or late dinner can cause sleep problems. You need to make sure that your last meal is about a couple of hours before bedtime. And, of course, the food should be simple and light.
2. Often a prerequisite restless sleep interrupted by crying is overexcitement. This is caused by overly active games and excessive impressions throughout the day. To avoid such situations, practice soothing evening procedures - a warm bath, light massage, gentle stroking.
3. Uncontrolled TV watching and early computer use can also lead to night crying. Young children do not need to see scenes of violence and cruelty; harmless cartoons in large quantities. You should reduce exposure to blue screens, especially in the evening.
4. Overly excitable children react sharply to family scandals, conflicts with peers, fears, and resentments, which results in sleep disturbances. Try to support, encourage, and speak kind words to the child.
5. Another reason for crying at night is fear of the dark. Let your baby fall asleep with a night light if he is afraid to be alone in a dark room. This way you will help your child feel safe and avoid the occurrence of childhood neuroses.

Baby cries at night - what to do?

If you are faced with a similar situation where an infant sobs in his sleep, you must definitely find out why this is happening. And in order to night rest your child becomes calm and lasts as long as possible, follow a few simple tips:

1. Be sure to ventilate the nursery before going to bed.
2. Remember that the preferred air temperature in the room where children sleep is from 18 to 22 degrees.
3. Make sure that your baby is not disturbed by sharp and loud sounds (reduce the TV volume, install soundproof windows).
4. Particular attention should be paid to lighting - night lights, lamps.
5. Many children sleep more peacefully if their favorite soft toy is in the crib. Maybe you should buy a plush friend for your child too?

Try to respond to every call of your child. The baby needs to understand that you are always there and will certainly come to his aid.

If he whines but doesn't wake up, don't wake him up. Carefully check if he is cold, if anything is bothering him, pat him on the head and calm him down.

Reasons why your baby or one year old child cries at night, a lot actually. Your main task is to take a closer look at it, identify the traumatic factor in order to react to it correctly.

One baby needs the help of a pediatrician, while another only needs your presence. However, all children, without exception, need their mother’s love and care.

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Until the child masters speech, crying is the only way to attract attention. The tears of an adult are grief and emotion, the tears of a baby are natural remedy communications. Parents gradually get used to the fact that this phenomenon is normal and not at all scary, but they are lost if the baby suddenly starts Why does this happen?

Baby's sleep

Sleep is a special physiological state that performs two main functions: replenishing energy costs and consolidating what the baby has learned during the waking period. Full sleep- this is both a condition for the development of a child and an indicator of his physical and mental health. Therefore, parents are very concerned if the child’s rest is interrupted, and even more so if the baby cries in his sleep.

The sleep norm for a child up to six months is from 18 to 14-16 hours a day. But in the first months of life, the baby can wake up every 3-4 hours, and there is no pathology in this: a stable daily routine has not been developed, and confusion between day and night often occurs.

The baby usually wakes up due to a feeling of hunger, discomfort, or simply showing a normal instinct. Therefore, mothers need to have patience and remember that sleep is a conditioned reflex activity, which means developing a certain ritual for going to sleep at night and observing rules of three"T" (warm, dark and quiet) will help cope with the problem.

Night sleep

By what age is a child able to sleep through the night without waking up? This is purely individual, but most babies by six months can sleep uninterrupted at night for 10 hours. The child does not need to be rocked or put to sleep by force. He can easily cope with this task on his own if the parents catch the signs of drowsiness in time: the child yawns, closes or rubs his eyes, fiddling with a toy. If fatigue is present, the period of falling asleep is normally up to 20 minutes. If you do not create conditions for sleep (bright light, noise, presence of strangers), then this can provoke a situation where the baby cries in his sleep.

The process of falling asleep itself will be difficult, and night's rest will be disrupted due to the baby's overexcitement. To understand why this happens, you need to understand the main phases of sleep.

Sleep phases

Science distinguishes two: active and slow. They alternate with each other every sixty minutes. The activity cycle involves the work of thought processes, which is expressed in the following manifestations:

• A smile on the baby's face.
• Movement of the eyes under the eyelids or their brief opening.
• Leg movement.

It is at this time that the baby cries in his sleep without waking up. Nerve cells process information received during wakefulness. While experiencing the events of the day, the baby continues to react to them. Crying can be a reaction to experienced fear, a feeling of loneliness, or overexcitement.

During slow - deep - sleep, the child completely relaxes, restoring spent energy, and he produces growth hormone.

To wake up or not?

Whimpering, quiet crying and sobbing during active phase sleep is the absolute norm. The baby is able to see dreams that reflect impressions last day. But children's tears may have another meaning - an instinctive desire to check whether he is safe, whether he has been abandoned by his mother. If there is no confirmation of this, the child may actually wake up and burst into tears for real. What should parents do if their baby starts crying in his sleep?

Main reasons for crying

Why does a baby cry in his sleep if he wakes up? This means that he gives signals that must be deciphered, because he has no other way to attract attention to himself. Pediatricians identify about seven reasons for a baby’s tears. Dr. Komarovsky typifies them, highlighting three main ones:

How to recognize?

There are many reasons, but how to understand which one caused the baby’s tears? There is only one way - analyzing the actions after which the crying stops. You should start by identifying the causes of discomfort. It often happens: while awake, the child is distracted from what is causing him discomfort. For example, a rubber band gets stuck. When activity decreases, discomfort comes to the fore and interferes with falling asleep. If a child calms down after being picked up, then instinct has worked. There is a lot of controversy about this: is it worth reacting if a baby cries in his sleep for fear of loneliness?

There are pediatricians who say that it is even beneficial for a child to cry a little: the lungs develop, the protein from tears, which has antimicrobial effect, enters the nasopharynx. This develops the body's anti-infective defenses. Some parents call the baby a little manipulator and try to raise him without consciously reacting to crying or picking him up. Is it correct?

Neurologists believe that an infant is not capable of consciously manipulating a situation, and the answer lies in a different plane. Babies raised from birth in government institutions, they cry extremely rarely. There is simply no one to respond to their calls. They withdraw into themselves and stop hoping. This leads to developmental disorders - hospitalism. If a baby cries in his sleep, you should not be afraid to spoil him. The need for affection and care is a vital need for a baby in the first year of life.

What should you be wary of?

The nervous system of a child under one year of age is often susceptible to diseases due to: pathology of pregnancy, difficult childbirth, intrauterine infections and injuries. Along with other symptoms disturbing dream may indicate neurological or somatic problems. Every three months, a neurologist examines the baby, monitoring his development. He should be interested in finding an answer to the question of why a baby cries in his sleep in the following cases:

• If this is accompanied persistent disorder sleep (difficulty falling asleep, shallow or insufficient sleep).
• If sharp, hysterical crying is repeated regularly.
• If parents are unable to identify the cause on their own.

If the baby cries without waking up, the reason is in the features baby sleep. If tears are associated with the transition to the wakefulness stage, it means that the child is signaling the presence of problems that require adult intervention to solve.

A child's sleep can be very sensitive, he can react to any slightest sound. However, there are cases when parents notice that their child screams in his sleep. It turns out that it is missing normal sleep not only for the child himself, but also for his parents, who are concerned about this behavior of their child.

If this is an infant, then he screams at night so that not only the parents, but also all the neighbors can hear. Having woken up from his own scream, the baby still does not know how to fall asleep on his own, as adults do. In such a situation, the mother can help the baby by rocking him in her arms or offering her breast. However, it is worth understanding the reasons why a child screams at night.

Why does a child cry out in his sleep?

Sleep disorders in childhood occur quite often. Due to the fact that the child’s nervous system is not yet sufficiently developed, the child cries out at night. This may be due to the following reasons:

• the baby has accumulated a lot of impressions from the previous day and is overly worried about the events that happened;
• presence of psychological or physical trauma;
• active games before bedtime or prolonged sitting at the computer causes sleep disturbances, one of the manifestations of which is screaming;
• nightmares can cause screaming in your sleep;
• teeth are being cut;
• the baby feels pain in some area of ​​the body and cannot convey his feelings to his parents in any other way;
• It is very stuffy in the children's room where the child sleeps.

What to do if a child screams at night?

If or often screams a lot, then this may be a reason to contact a neurologist to establish the real reason such child behavior. To alleviate his condition, it is important for parents to observe bedtime rituals: dinner, quiet games, bathing, sleep. It would also be a good idea to limit your child’s viewing of TV and the computer. During When putting the baby to bed, the room should be fresh, quiet and comfortable, the lights should be dimmed. In this case, the child will easily go to sleep and will not experience a feeling of discomfort.

However, if a child regularly screams in his sleep, then in addition to visiting a neurologist, you need to do an EEG of the brain. In the absence of any pathology on the part of the body, the child can be shown child psychologist, which will help you find the reason for your child’s screams in his sleep. He will tell you how to adjust the toddler’s living conditions to help him feel safe and reduce stress, which causes the child to cry out at night.

Children who cannot yet speak show all their emotions through crying. For them, this is the only way to attract the attention of their parents. By this sound signal, adults recognize the demands of children.

Sometimes a newborn cries in his sleep and screams sharply at others, more serious reasons, which should be urgently addressed and measures taken to eliminate them.

Features of infancy

Sleep is special physiological state, in which energy costs are restored and information received by the child throughout the day is consolidated. For full development, the baby must sleep peacefully at night. This has a positive effect on his mental and physical health.

Children under six months old should sleep at least 15 hours a day. In the first weeks after birth, babies wake up only to feed, and this is not a deviation. After the first month of life, he will gradually begin to develop a stable daily routine, and he will not confuse day and night.

At what age will your baby stop waking up at night? It all depends on individual characteristics body. Many children sleep peacefully through the night after one and a half years, and some fall asleep without rocking and do not wake up for feeding at night at 6 months of age.

Sleep phases

Scientists have identified two phases of sleep: active and slow. They can alternate with each other every 50 minutes. During activity, a smile may appear on the baby's face, the eyes move under the eyelids, or a leg twitches. It is during this period that he does not wake up.

Processed in the body nerve cells information that was received during the waking period. Kids are acutely aware of all the events that happened during the day. That is why in a dream he will continue to react to them. Sharp crying in the middle of the night can be a reaction to fear, a feeling of loneliness or overexcitement.

Why is the baby crying

There are several reasons why a child cries in his sleep. Parents should not immediately panic - it is important to understand the prerequisites for this phenomenon. After eliminating the unfavorable factor The baby usually calms down and falls asleep immediately.

Physiological crying is not a deviation, and therefore does not pose a danger to the health of the baby. A restless state arises as a result of unstable functioning of the nervous and motor system. During the day, a child learns about the world, so emotional overstrain can trigger the appearance of bad dreams at night.

Such experiences can occur even after visiting guests or meeting new people. The child splashes out unnecessary emotions and overstrain through night crying. Parents should not panic about this. Some babies start crying, then the mother comes to the crib and he calms down.

This is a check for the baby to see if his mother is nearby. During pregnancy, a strong bond develops between the baby and the mother. Babies may cry out in their sleep, at the moment of transition of the slow phase of sleep to fast sleep. When the child grows up, his nervous system will become stronger and he will stop crying out during sleep.

Uncomfortable sensations

Often a baby cries in his sleep when he feels pain or discomfort. They may attract attention if they are cold or very hot, need to change their diaper, have gas in their intestines, or are teething. If a child cries in his sleep and does not wake up, but simply whines, this condition does not cause him discomfort.

Over time, parents begin to recognize crying and will be able to immediately determine the cause. If the baby long time does not calm down, then you need to take action.

Other Possible Causes

• feeling severe hunger;
• difficulty breathing with a runny nose;
• excessive fatigue;
• many emotions received throughout the entire waking day;
• diseases.

Many parents spend most time on the street, visit crowded places and go on visits. As a result, the stress hormone cortisol can gradually accumulate in the child’s body. It is necessary to protect him from long walks, heavy load and unnecessary flow of information.

Night sobbing can go away without adults, and there are situations when the child begins to scream sharply. Parents always come to the crib and monitor the baby’s condition and well-being. If the child is sleeping, then there is no need to wake him up, because he may get scared and then not be able to fall asleep for a long time.

When a baby checks on its mother, then he must be gradually weaned from this. But accustom to independent sleep Possible only at 2 years old. A newborn baby's crib should only be placed in the parents' room. If mothers go to the crib even at the slightest movement, the baby will gradually get used to such attention. The situation may worsen and the crying becomes more demanding.

Prevention measures

So that your child can sleep peacefully at night, parents should adhere to the following recommendations:

To prevent night crying, adults should carefully monitor their child's health. Parents need to develop their own ritual that will prepare the baby for a night's sleep after active day. A great end to the day There will be a relaxing massage that will relax the nervous system and muscles of the baby. It is important to give up outdoor and active games before bedtime.

The room must always be maintained at optimal temperature regime. Bed linen should be clean and warm. In order for the baby to sleep peacefully, there should be no tense situations or quarrels in the family. You can leave a night light in the room so that the baby is not afraid of the dark.