Restless children take a lot of energy from moms, dads, and even grandmothers who are involved in raising. When trying to find a sedative for babies, parents want to get not only an effective, but also a safe remedy. What are the methods of normalizing sleep in children of the first year of life?
Before talking about sedatives, you should understand why the child does not sleep well. Babies of the first year of life do not throw tantrums from scratch. If the child is crying, worried and does not want to fall asleep, you should find the reason for this behavior. Small children worry about a variety of reasons, and parents do not always manage to distinguish all shades of anxiety of their crumbs. It is especially hard for mothers and fathers of the first-born, because they still have no experience at all in communicating with infants.
With a loud cry or a quiet whimper, the baby calls on parents for help. Perhaps the baby is hungry and needs a little "snack" for a restful sleep. Crying can be caused by abdominal pain, colic, gas, stool retention. In all these cases, the baby will not be able to fall asleep until the source of anxiety is removed.
Teething is a common cause of dissatisfaction among children in their first year of life. The pain when the tooth passes through the gums is very intense, and many babies simply cannot sleep under such circumstances. The child cries and is capricious, trying to nibble everything that he can reach. For many children, teething rises in body temperature, which also does not add peace of mind to already tired parents.
Some babies cry because they miss their mom. This often happens when a woman goes to work early enough and the child is with her grandmother or nanny all day. Returning home, mom gets a crumb that missed her attention. The little man is ready to spend the whole evening in his mother's arms, and, of course, he will be unhappy when trying to put him to bed. Loud crying is heard throughout the apartment, and the tired woman again and again tries to find the reason for this behavior of the baby. You don't need to invent anything here, you just have to try to spend as much time as possible with your baby.
In many cases, changing your daily routine, resting and caring will help you cope with your baby's poor sleep. But what if the cause of concern lies in diseases of the nervous system? This situation is not uncommon in children of the first year of life. The consequences of hypoxia, transferred intrauterinely or during childbirth, make themselves felt immediately after the birth of the child. Lack of oxygen leads to damage to the cells of the nervous system, which inevitably affects the condition of the baby. Intracranial hypertension and dysfunction of the cerebral cortex are the most common neurological causes of poor sleep in newborns.
The restless behavior of the baby is a reason to see a doctor.
The first step is to make sure that the baby is not hungry, is not cold and does not need to urgently change the diaper. After eliminating the main irritants, you can start other methods of calming the newborn. What can help your baby fall asleep?
Take your time using sedatives for your baby. It is not recommended to use herbs and drops without a doctor's prescription. Many of these drugs have many of these effects, and the benefits may be far less harmful than the potential harm. The dosage and duration of taking sedatives for newborns should be selected by the pediatrician after a careful examination of the small patient.
Evening bathing is the easiest and safest way to calm your baby. Baths should be taken at the same time so that the baby can get used to a certain daily routine. The water for should not be too cool. Proponents of hardening should postpone wellness procedures until the baby starts to sleep peacefully throughout the night. The optimum water temperature for bathing a child under one year old is 36-37 ° C.
Soothing baths for children are prepared an hour and a half before the expected sleep. It is worth adding herbs that have a sedative effect to warm water. For newborns, you can use mint, valerian, thyme, chamomile, lavender. Make sure that your baby does not have an allergic reaction to soothing herbs.
If you get a rash after bathing, see your doctor!
Evening bath herbs can be prepared on their own or purchased at the pharmacy. The bathing time should be 5 to 15 minutes. Coniferous extract can be used instead of herbal preparations. Baths with essential oils and sea salt are not recommended for babies in the first year of life.
Unfortunately, not all children fall asleep after an evening bath. Some babies, on the other hand, are aroused after water procedures. If your child is restless after the herbal bath, find another way to calm your baby.
Many children fall asleep to the cozy tunes of their mother. Lullabies are the best way to calm down a crying baby. Our distant ancestors rocked their little ones in wooden huts every evening. The words of the lullaby have been passed down from generation to generation, and now modern mothers sing for their children in the apartments of multi-storey buildings.
Do you need to know any special songs or play suitable soothing music? It is not at all necessary, because the child listens to the voice of the mother, and not her words. It is not so important what the woman sings - her song will be to the kid's taste. Hearing familiar notes, the baby will fall asleep, lulled by words he does not understand.
Not all women love to sing, and not always the mother has the opportunity to be near the baby's crib for a long time. If household chores require your attention, just play a soothing melody for your baby. Calm music will create a special atmosphere in the house, and the little man will fall asleep quickly enough. How to choose a melody for your baby?
Many women, even during pregnancy, introduce the baby to the world around them. Music included for the expectant mother has a beneficial effect on the condition of the fetus. Calm songs in any language are considered to be a good method for developing hearing and a sense of beauty. The music that you played for your child before he was born may still be useful now. Let the familiar song sound from the speakers, because to the usual music, the baby can safely fall asleep in his crib or in his mother's arms.
Let the music begin to play 15 minutes before the baby is laid down - this is how the child gets used to falling asleep to his favorite songs.
Music for lulling the baby should not be too loud. Many babies fall asleep well under the classics, not always waking up even for feeding. Muffled sounds have a beneficial effect on the child's psyche, giving him a healthy and sound sleep.
The music should sound as much as the child needs. A short song will be enough for one kid; another will need to listen to the entire album before bed. Some babies fall asleep to white noise. By turning on such music, you are most likely to be able to put your baby to bed in a fairly short time.
You can buy a special tea for your baby at the pharmacy or you can prepare it yourself. For newborns, the pharmacy collection "Evening Fairy Tale", "Soothing baby" and other mixtures are suitable. These funds contain useful herbs that have a beneficial effect on the child's psyche. Soothing tea stabilizes the nervous system, slows down all processes in the body and gives the child the opportunity to sleep peacefully throughout the night.
When choosing tea in a pharmacy, you should carefully read its composition and instructions. Some products are approved for use only after a year, while others are suitable for newborns. If the baby is breastfed, tea can be given to him from a spoon. The bottle can only be used if the baby is on infant formula. Babies over 6 months old can be offered a soothing tea in a plastic cup.
The herbs that make up tea, in rare cases, can cause an allergic reaction. If a rash and redness on the skin, sneezing or coughing appear, the tea should be replaced with another remedy. It is also worth remembering that medicinal herbs can cause stool breakdown, especially in children of the first month of life.
What if the parents have tried all the remedies, but the baby still does not sleep? Evening baths, light unobtrusive music and favorite songs did not bring the desired effect, and the child still worries and cries every evening. The best way out of this situation is to see a doctor. The pediatrician examines the child and, if necessary, will refer to a neurologist or other specialists. The doctor may also advise taking sedative drops designed specifically for restless children at night.
Most often, pediatricians prescribe glycine, magnesium preparations, and various nootropic drugs. These funds directly affect the child's nervous system, inhibiting all processes in the body. The dosage and duration of the sedation drops are determined by the doctor.
You should be very careful when using any medications in newborns and infants. Such therapy is prescribed only if soothing songs, baths and other methods have not brought the desired effect. If any side effects appear, you must stop taking the drug and consult a doctor.
There are no absolutely calm children in nature. Even if the baby always eats and sleeps on schedule, behaves quietly, does not scream unnecessarily and does not be capricious, this does not mean that one day he will not need a sedative. After all, the baby can get sick, experience stress, which will have a bad effect on his ability to fall asleep easily and soundly. Children's herbal teas with a calming effect will be a good help for parents. This is an alternative method that is practically harmless and very effective.
Teas, whose vocation is to gently soothe, stabilize the child's nervous system and have a mild sedative effect, are always made on the basis of plant materials. They are single-component and complex. Pharmacy (ready-made) herbal teas are sold both in the form of a dry herbal mixture for brewing, and in filter bags. They are exclusively herbal and with additives of prebiotics and pieces of dried fruit.
In addition, you can always make your child a soothing tea yourself from herbs collected with your own hands or from ready-made collections. It is important that the herb for tea is collected in accordance with all the rules, after all, chamomile can be different - one grows in the field far from settlements, the other - by the road, where it absorbs the remains of spent car fuel, dust, dirt and even radiation doses.
It is important that the raw materials for baby tea are environmentally friendly
For a baby soothing tea, the herb must be perfectly clean. If you are not a professional herbalist, it is better not to take risks and buy a ready-made collection at the pharmacy, safe, tested for toxicity and heavy metal impurities, collected and dried in accordance with all norms and requirements.
Then you can combine any teas from such pharmacy fees. The main thing is not to forget that herbal preparations also have a shelf life and storage conditions. If they are violated, herbs can lose all their beneficial properties.
Follow the rules for brewing and storing herbal preparations
The following ingredients may be helpful for making baby soothing tea:
Most herbs also have tonic properties.
For such a soothing tea, you need 5 grams. pharmacy collection of chamomile. Pour boiling water over the herb and let it brew for 25 minutes. You can even give this tea to newborns, starting with half a teaspoon twice a day.
For this soothing tea, you need 3 grams. dried flowers of calendula, mint leaves, 2 gr. motherwort dried. Mix the herbs and "grind" with a wooden spoon or mortar. You can prepare tea leaves in a separate glass container by scalding with boiling water or in a water bath. Then dilute it with water to a volume of 200 grams. A child can drink this tea from a starting dose of 3 teaspoons four times a day.... Increase the amount of tea gradually.
To prepare such tea, you will need mint (fresh or pharmacy collection) 3 gr., Dry motherwort 2 gr., Roots and rhizomes of valerian 3 gr. Mix all ingredients and grind finely with a wooden mortar. Pour boiling water over and leave for about 40 minutes. Take tea for a child under 4 years old, 2 teaspoons 2-3 times a day, for children older - 50-150 ml. (depending on age) three to four times a day.
0 to 4 months you can only give fennel one-component tea, it will relieve colic and improve baby's sleep. From 4 months to 1 year - fennel, chamomile one-component, chamomile combined.
1 to 2 years - in the above herbs you can add motherwort, lemon balm and sage.
From 3 years old to 5 years old - valerian and thyme can be added to baby tea.
About 7 years - feel free to add linden blossom and honey to tea, if there are no allergic reactions to it.
Be sure to follow the dosage when brewing tea
Discuss giving your child a soothing tea with your pediatrician.Usually, doctors allow the use of medicinal herbs from 4-6 months along with the baby's first complementary food. An exception is fennel tea or dill water. You can drink them earlier.
It is necessary to take herbal tea systematically, since its effect is slow and cumulative. Try to give it to your child before bed.
Nursing mothers can also take herbal teas, but you need to carefully read the composition, so that the child, along with breast milk, does not receive those herbs that are "not for his age" yet.
To avoid side effects, consult your pediatrician before taking tea
The most popular, according to parents, children's soothing herbal teas:
Newborns are most prone to nervous overexcitation when adapting to new circumstances and external conditions. This is due to an underdeveloped nervous system. A soothing tea for babies before bed is considered a mild but effective remedy. The herbal preparation can be purchased at the pharmacy or prepared by yourself. Its effectiveness will not change from this. The drink reduces irritability and promotes sound sleep in the infant.
An herbal soothing tea for children has been adopted for many problems. Its main property is the normalization of sleep function by providing a relaxing effect on the body. Due to the fact that it contains natural ingredients, the drink is absolutely harmless to children's health. The risk of developing side effects is minimized as much as possible. Drinking soothing teas can help you get the following results:
In the first months of life, herbal tea is taken to treat colic disorders. At an older age, the drink can help reduce hyperactivity.
In babies 6 months old, the problem of increased nervousness is associated with teething. In this case, taking herbal tea is especially relevant.
Soothing teas for children are conventionally divided into multicomponent and single-component. They are made on herbs that have a beneficial effect on the child's body. The composition completely determines the effect of the drink. Most often, the herbal mixture includes the following medicinal plants:
The advantages of pharmacy drinks include a strictly verified dosage, due to which the desired effect is achieved. Each of the herbal preparations is designed for a specific age category. Children's tea from a pharmacy does not require special preparation skills. It is packaged in single-use sachets that must be filled with hot water. When buying pharmacy tea for babies, it is important to pay attention to the composition and shelf life.
Tea for sleeping Babushka's basket on the basis of rose hips is allowed to be taken from 4 months. It includes iron, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins of groups C, E. A similar drink with the addition of mint is allowed to be taken from 3 months. It relieves nervous tension, which helps to normalize sleep. Due to its natural composition, the drink does not harm the health of the baby. Herbal tea with fennel, lemon balm and parsley not only has a relaxing effect, but also fights colic.
The soothing Hipp tea is considered a foreign analogue of the Babushkino basket. There are two variations of herbal collection. Chamomile and linden tea is intended for babies from 4 months. For older babies, a drink is provided with the addition of thyme, lemon balm and hibiscus. Sedative tea contains no sugar or harmful additives.
This tea is made from lavender flowers, anise fruits, peppermint and fennel. It provides restful sleep and reduces tantrums. Of all the teas, it is considered the most effective and most delicious. It is taken once a day just before bedtime.
Any parent can handle self-brewing herbs. This process does not require any special knowledge. The drink combines several types of herbs. They are harvested from late spring to early autumn. Initially, the plants are cleaned of debris and dust, and then they are dried using artificial heating. After that, use the following recipes for soothing tea for children:
Initially, use a single ingredient soothing drink, gradually adding additional ingredients. This is to prevent an allergic reaction. It is allowed to store ready-made tea no more than 2 hours. Freshly brewed better retains soothing properties.
Before using tea, you need to consult a pediatrician. Each drink has a specific list of contraindications. In some cases, there is a risk of developing an allergic reaction. It manifests itself in rashes on the body, itching and redness of the skin. Therefore, the correct selection of herbal tea is important.
Herbal tea will have a beneficial effect only if the components are presented in the required proportions. Then the soothing drink will be most effective.
Herbal tea is a good substitute for powerful sedatives. It tastes good and is harmless to small children. But the drink must be taken in accordance with the instructions in the instructions.
Children grow up in a dream - all parents know about this, therefore, they strive to provide the baby from the first days of life with all the conditions for good sleep and rest. But what if the baby is not persuaded to sleep for at least a couple of hours, and he does not want to let mom and dad get enough sleep? Safe herbal teas based on medicinal plants of different spectrum of action come to the rescue.
Children's tea can be used for different purposes. From easing digestion to eliminating anxiety and improving sleep depth. The bulk of off-the-shelf products are usually designed to address major infant problems:
The composition of children's soothing tea includes both medicinal herbs and flowers, as well as their seeds and fruits. The most popular tea ingredients for children of different ages are as follows:
The raw material for the preparation of the drink can only be a pharmaceutical preparation of proven quality.
At home, you can prepare the simplest chamomile decoction and give it to your child, starting with one teaspoon. Every mother knows the price of dill water and how well it helps with storms in a small tummy. Mint has a similar effect. A series will help fight against allergies, and linden will help with inflammation and temperature.
The best effect is given by collecting medicinal herbs, which is why you can buy tea from several names of plants and fruits in a pharmacy or a specialized store. For the smallest, starting from 1 month of life, they give mono-teas. It is safe and allows parents to analyze the child's reaction to tea, evaluate its effectiveness or uselessness, and minimize the likelihood of allergies.
When can you use a soothing tea? Typically, a sedative drink is recommended by pediatricians in response to parental complaints of increased moodiness and restless sleep. Doctors in such cases not only collect a more complete picture of the child's behavior, but also try to explain the possible reasons for such anxiety.
Babies, whose nervous systems are immature, are much more difficult to adapt to the world around them. Every day they receive new information about sounds, smells, pictures. It is new impressions that often prevent them from falling asleep quickly and continuing to sleep peacefully until the next feeding.
To such a problem are added difficulties with digestion, lack of mother's milk, intolerance to the components of mixtures, etc. At an older age, soothing tea for children is indicated in the following cases:
If a child is often sick, he has a weakened immune system, sedative preparations will also be useful as adaptogens, helping to balance the internal state without harm to health and help the body to tune in to fight diseases.
How to drink a soothing tea should be told by a doctor or recommendations on the package if the drink is purchased from a retail outlet. When the remedy is intended for the smallest, it is better to start using it for the mother, who will transfer some of the beneficial components to the baby through breast milk. In this case, it should be drunk 30-40 minutes before feeding.
If the child is artificial, weak tea is given from a bottle before daytime or nighttime sleep. The duration of treatment is 1 month.
You can strengthen the effect of tea with a bath of motherwort, valerian, oregano, pine needles. The bath is done in the evening before going to bed and its duration during the first session cannot exceed 5 minutes. In the future, the time stretches to 10-15 minutes. Course - 12 procedures.
A soothing drink is also useful for mothers during breastfeeding.
Among the soothing teas, there are packaged and granulated teas. Brands HUMANA, Baby Vita, Hipp and others offer ready-made products for babies almost from birth and new mothers. Their assortment includes mono-teas and products with a more varied composition. Suitable for the smallest:
For children from 3-4 months, you can choose:
Inexpensive and effective children's tea Evening fairy tale from Krasnogorskleksredstva is intended for children from 6 months to 3 years. These are filter bags with a mixture of peppermint leaves, lavender flowers, fennel fruits and anise.
For the smallest, it is more convenient to choose granulated teas that dissolve perfectly in warm water and do not require straining. Although in practice, mothers often prefer filter bags. Many manufacturers recommend diluting the prepared tea in warm boiled water for the first few days of consumption.
Even a healthy baby may need a sedative. Pediatricians recommend using herbal formula for children, which you can buy at the pharmacy or make your own. Herbal teas will help to normalize sleep, relieve nervous overexcitement caused by external stimuli. Some teas have anti-inflammatory and sedative effects in the treatment of diseases.
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Decoctions and soothing drinks are made from a single plant or several ingredients. Natural fruits and berries are used to improve the taste and aroma. Most often, tea consists of the following ingredients:
Soothing tea for babies should be not only effective and gentle on the baby's body, but also safe. You can not even use pharmaceutical mixtures intended for an adult. The composition, dosage of herbs and methods of use for children differ depending on age and purposes of use. Parents can buy herbal preparations at the pharmacy or prepare them on their own from harvested raw materials.
Before using any sedative for children, it is imperative to consult a doctor.
Pediatricians advise not to get carried away with the preparation of medicinal fees yourself. For a small child, the quality of the raw materials from which the product is made and the exact dosage are important. At the pharmacy, you can pick up a ready-made herbal preparation suitable for your baby.
Soothing teas are sold in bulk, and also packaged in filter bags. If you follow the instructions for use, it is easy to prepare a drink for an infant.
Baby teas under the brand name "Babushkino Lukoshko" are produced by a Russian company from high-quality vegetable raw materials without added sugar and other components. The package contains 20 filter bags of 1 g each and is accompanied by detailed instructions for preparing and drinking.
The Swiss company HIPP produces baby food and various drinks. HIPP herbal teas are intended for children from an early age. Unlike the Russian counterpart, they are produced not only in the form of dry raw materials, packaged in filter bags, but also in the form of granulated instant teas. Sugar free. Most foods contain dextrose and natural flavors.
For kids over six months, many parents recommend paying attention to the Russian-made Vechernyaya Skazka herbal tea. Complex multicomponent composition: lavender, mint, anise, fennel. The product is made from high quality raw materials grown in ecologically clean areas.
Using tea for babies solves several problems at once. Due to its composition, tea relieves nervous tension in a child, improves digestion, and replenishes the deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals in the body. Has a hypoallergenic effect.
Using teas for a child's drinking instead of water is not recommended. It is necessary to use herbal preparations in courses on the recommendation of a pediatrician.