Babies and children can suffer, just like adults, from difficulty falling asleep.
However, it is important to know that during childhood, sleep does not come in the same way as it happens in adults, since it requires a development process where the sleep and wake phases are regrouped until you get used to them.
There are many situations that can facilitate insomnia, the most common being those produced as a symptom of a disease (fever, cough, itching, pain).
Other factors that cause childhood insomnia are:
- heavy digestions (indigestion)
- Reflux with pain
- Apnea obstructive.
- Sleeping for a long time during the day.
- Intense emotions just before going to sleep
- Night terrors,
- External factors (television on, noise in the street)
- Consumption of stimulants (soft drinks, medicines, excess sugar)
- Psychological states (anxiety, nervousness), etc.
To determine if a baby or child suffers from insomnia, it is important to observe if he does not fall asleep until it is very late, wakes up frequently during the night, or wakes up very early in the morning, since he cannot fall asleep again .
folk remedies
Remedy for childhood insomnia #1 Provide a warm bath to the baby or child before bedtime. This remedy has a relaxing effect.
Also read: Remedies for depression in adolescents
Remedy for childhood insomnia #2 Add 2 tablespoons of linden to a liter of boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes, filter, and add the liquid to a warm water bath.
Remedy for childhood insomnia #3 Pour 1 tablespoon of passion flower into a cup of boiling water. Cover and let cool. Give the child older than 2 years a couple of tablespoons before bedtime; dose that can increase up to a cup depending on the age of the child.
Remedy for childhood insomnia #4 Provide a bath to the baby or child that contains a concentrated infusion of chamomile (2 tablespoons per liter of water)
Read: Remedies for childhood anxiety
Remedy for childhood insomnia #5 Pour a couple of drops of essence of lavender on the child’s pillow, or on the mattress, in case you don’t use it.
recommendations
Establish a regular bedtime. Establishing a regular sleep schedule is really very valuable. By following a routine, babies and children will fall asleep more easily. This is due to the fact that our body has a biological clock that regulates these processes.
Ensure that the last meal of the day is easy to digest (liquid, semi-liquid or soft) and that contains foods that facilitate sleep conciliation such as those with tryptophan (milk, lettuce, turkey or chicken), and prevent the child from consuming coffee, tea, chocolate and cola drinks, as they can cause insomnia.
Discover relaxing foods to sleep
Do not «play» with the baby before bedtime (we can cause you some excitement)
Do not accompany him until he falls asleep. According to the latest research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, being with the baby or toddler until they fall asleep means that when they wake up in the middle of the night, they will want to be in the same situation in which they fell asleep: with an adult next to him and, when he doesn’t see him, he will surely burst into tears. On the other hand, if he falls asleep knowing that mommy or daddy left and is now in her room, he will probably manage to get back to sleep on his own if he wakes up in the middle of the night.
Avoid any external physical stimulus (light, noise), since little ones have more sensitive senses than ours
Verify that the conditions of the baby’s or child’s room are the most conducive to facilitating sleep That is, it is recommended to ventilate the room during the day, verify that the mattress is comfortable and that it has a soft pillow, do not give heavy blankets, that the room does not have excess humidity, very bright colors, etc.
Encourage self-wellness behavior. We are all genetically designed to sleep only when we feel safe. In the case of babies or young children, they feel safe with their parents, but they cannot stay up all night. Therefore, it is necessary for the child to become attached to something that can be available as a teddy bear. If the baby or toddler begins to associate the teddy bear with a feeling of safety, then she is learning the self-comfort behavior. Feeling safe, he will go back to sleep. If the child uses the bear daily, it is necessary to wash it from time to time to avoid the accumulation of bacteria that could affect the child.
Teaching the infant or toddler to self-soothe If a baby is upset, but it’s a situation you know he can deal with, ignore him or leave him alone until he calms down for a few seconds. One study found that half of children who were taught self-soothing skills during the day did not need further help with sleep problems at night.”
Follow the Farber Method, where a series of steps to manage sleep problems is indicated; among them, reading short stories (other than horror stories that can scare them), daily physical exercise, etc.
Maybe you are interested in knowing
Go to the pediatrician if the insomnia of the baby or child persists despite the natural remedies and the recommendations provided. It is advisable to visit the pediatrician so that he can investigate whether this disorder has an organic cause (reflux, large, swollen adenoidshydronephrosis, etc.) or if it is due to the consumption of medicines or food.
Also go if the child suffers from insomnia accompanied by nightmares, somniloquy (sleeping talk), somnambulism or rocking movements.
Also know
Foods to fight insomnia
Foods that cause insomnia
vitamins and minerals for insomnia
Natural remedies for freediving
Natural remedies to combat insomnia
Remedy to combat insomnia during pregnancy
Remedies for jet lag or jet lag
video of the month