Sleep disturbances and fears through the eyes of a neurologist

“Our baby does not sleep well at night … probably he has intracranial pressure ….” 

If a healthy baby sleeps well during the day, but badly at night, then either he gets enough sleep during the day, or does not have time to get tired by the night’s sleep, or is strongly overexcited on the eve of sleep.

If the child is not yet walking, then the only way to tire him out is to give him a long bath, preferably the water should be no higher than 36 *. While he splashes, she will cool down a little more and take with her the irrepressible energy of the baby. A hot bath relaxes and soothes only tense adults, and for restless children it only lends itself to the energy they already have in abundance.

If the child is already walking on his own, then before going to bed you need to move, walking on the street. The child should be physically tired and saturated with oxygen. Many are well aware that if a child stays at home for a long time, then his character deteriorates, appetite and sleep are disturbed. Once you start walking and everything goes away. Walk not for the sake of the child, but at the same time with him: play, run – your sleep will also be more complete. If your toddler has been waiting and missing someone during the day, take time to chat with him in the evening. 

Never scold your child before going to bed – he will definitely not sleep better after that.

So, to improve falling asleep and sleep, the child after a year should take a walk before daytime and nighttime sleep. Organize a pleasant and active walk for him. It’s good if the walk will be with a person whom the kid misses and would like to communicate.

Never scold your child before bed, come up with other ways of laying.

If, despite your efforts, sleep does not improve, then you need to look for other reasons together with doctors (pediatrician, neurologist and possibly other specialists).

• “The child does not let me go anywhere … this is not normal …”

Each age has its own fears.

Until the age of 3, many children are most afraid of losing their mother. 

Mom is protection, affection, comfort. And a child at this age is very vulnerable: he does not speak enough and does not serve himself, is weak and cannot stand up for himself, so he only feels good with those to whom he is accustomed and adapted, who knows about his needs – with his mother. Parting with mom at this age leads to stress, often with far-reaching consequences. The child feels vulnerable – he does not know what will happen to him without his mother. He needs time to get used to the other person and understand that he is under protection.       

Some mothers make the mistake of trying ahead of time to accustom an affectionate child to independence, separating from him. This leads to increased attachment and insecurity in the mother, who does not understand the child’s need for stability. The fear of the outside world becomes even stronger . Children’s impressions are the strongest. And some fears can remain at a subconscious level for life.   

So, try to be inseparable with your child until the age of 3, until you see signs of independence and decisiveness, when the interest in new experiences overpowers the fear of separation. 

This will have a positive effect on the self-confidence of a growing man with the inconstancy of the world around him.  

If the fear of parting is very pronounced after 3 years or is accompanied by prolonged sleep disturbance, appetite, anxiety or detachment, then you should seek help from a neurologist or psychiatrist.