Newborns sleeping less is a cause for concern?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Ngo Thi Oanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital. Uncle Ho has over 10 years of experience working in the field of Pediatrics and has strengths in examining, diagnosing and treating respiratory, digestive, urological, and child nutrition diseases.
Newborns need to sleep for at least 16 hours a day, in the early stages of life babies will always have naps of about 2-3 hours and wake up to suckle. If a child sleeps less than the standard average time per day, it can be attributed to the child's own problems or external factors.

1. Why do babies sleep less?

Newborns sleep less for many reasons, the most common causes that make it difficult for children to sleep and sleep well are:
Children are hungry: Babies' stomachs are quite small so they can't hold much food. You need to wake up to recharge your body. If the child is not fed enough, there is a high possibility that the child will not sleep deeply and wake up easily. wet diapers: Wet diapers are the reason why babies are uncomfortable and easy to wake up Children affected by the surrounding environment: Noise and bright light are factors that make it difficult for children to sleep. Therefore, when the child sleeps, the caregiver needs to keep a quiet, comfortable space with appropriate lighting. Sick children: Newborns are susceptible to respiratory diseases such as colds, flu, ... sick will causes fatigue and poor feeding, factors that lead to inevitable sleep difficulties in babies.

2. Is the baby sleeping less during the day to worry about?

In fact, the normal infant spends all day and night sleeping and only waking up in between feedings. Daytime and nighttime sleep are usually approximately 8-9 hours during the day and 8 hours at night. Children's sleep is usually short 2-3 hours and babies often fall back to sleep immediately after a full feed. Each infant will have a different sleep time, so to determine how much or little sleep a child needs to look at the total sleep time of the child, if an infant sleeps less than 10 hours a day, the child is in a state of sleep deprivation. .

3. What should mothers do when babies sleep less?

Sleep is especially important for the nervous and emotional development of babies. Therefore, for infants who sleep less, mothers need to apply a number of methods to help them sleep better and be less startled:
Help children distinguish day and night: When babies are born, they cannot clearly distinguish between day and night. If the night leads to sleep disturbances, you can help your child distinguish this by opening the door during the day to let sunlight in and play with them more. On the contrary, at night, everything will be kept quiet with soft light and meet the needs of the child quickly for the child to fall asleep.

Feed the baby before going to bed: Babies cry and sleep less often because they are hungry, mothers need to pay attention to and watch the time of feeding the baby to meet the baby's needs. help children have a longer and deeper sleep Put the child to bed when the child has just fallen asleep: This helps to avoid creating a habit of sleeping in the child's mother's arms, helping the child learn to fall asleep on his own and not depend on the mother. Sleeping space: Children having difficulty sleeping may be because the space is too tight or too cold or too hot. Children need to be placed in a comfortable space, suitable temperature and quiet so that they can fall asleep easily and have a deeper sleep Change diapers often: Wet diapers are also a common cause of discomfort for babies leading to wakefulness. sleep. Controlling this is also creating a comfortable environment for children to sleep deeper. Moderate amount Pay attention to the child's nutrition: Infants with calcium deficiency are easy to cry at night, need to supplement milk as well as bask in the sun for children regularly to increase calcium for children. Children need to provide enough elemental zinc/day for them to eat well, reach the correct height and weight and exceed the standard. Zinc plays a role in affecting most biological processes taking place in the body, especially the breakdown of nucleic acids, proteins... Organs in the body when zinc deficiency can lead to a There are a number of diseases such as neurological disorders, irritability, etc. Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and guide them to appropriate zinc supplements for their children.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.