A child of the first month of life sleeps soundly enough both at night and during the day: his sleep is not disturbed by loud sounds, speech, or background noise. However, from the second month of a baby's life, the situation can change dramatically. Some babies start to fear the ringing of the phone, flinch from the hum of the coffee grinder, cry when they hear the singing of a clockwork toy. Parents, realizing that their child is afraid of loud noises, cannot find out the reason for this and do not know what to do.
When and why does baby fear arise?
The fear of loud sounds is manifested in almost all children at an early stage of their development (). A mother may notice that a two-three-month-old baby is frightened by laughter, the hum of a working vacuum cleaner, loud conversation and other harsh sounds. The child may flinch at annoying noise or cry when hysterical.
Why is the child still afraid (or has just begun to fear) loud noise / sounds? Almost all of the fears of babies are inherent in nature. The exception is the fear of a particular incident experienced by the baby, for example, after an unsuccessful bath. The reason for the fear of loud sounds is not in the wrong upbringing of the child or in the oversight of the parents. This is a reaction of the baby's naturally developing nervous system. Such fears of a child include the fear of being left without a mother, fear of strangers.
Fear of noise and harsh sounds is most often observed in babies for a short time. This fear can persist for up to a year or two. If the child continues to be afraid even after this age, perhaps his nervous system has problems that require specialist advice. How much and how long a baby experiences a sense of fear in the presence of noise depends on the behavior of his parents.
What should parents do?
Mom and Dad often can't figure out what to do if the baby is afraid. Some parents are capable of yelling at the child or even spanking him. However, with a baby under one year old, such behavior is not acceptable, it can only worsen the situation and turn it into a real problem for the child in the future.
To calm the baby down and gradually relieve him of the fear of loud sounds, parents should:
- talk more often with a child calmly and affectionately, using constant intonation and voice strength. It's good if the baby can hear male voices: this way he will quickly learn to perceive the baritone that is unusual for him;
- having heard a sharp or loud sound, noise, behave as usual, do not jump up or scream, otherwise the child will think that there really is a danger;
- sometimes turn on beautiful melodic music for the baby;
- show the crumbs the source of the sound that scared him. For example, consider together a humming vacuum cleaner ( read ), give to hold the ringing phone, look out the window at the signaling car;
- teach a child to make different sounds: quiet and loud. Carried away by new fun, the baby will become calmer to react to external noise;
- soothe and relax the baby, singing quiet songs to him;
- do not keep absolute silence while the child is sleeping. It is better if he falls asleep in an environment of quiet sounds: when the TV is on or when he is quietly talking. In this case, a sudden violation of the silence, for example, ringing the door, will not scare or even wake up the baby;
- when a child is constantly afraid of loud sounds, throws a tantrum every time there is a sharp noise, calms down badly, he must be shown to a neurologist. A timely appeal to this children's specialist will help identify a violation in the work of the baby's nervous system and find a way to calm him down. Together with the doctor's prescription, daily
The birth of a child is a great joy and trouble for parents. Everyone knows that at first the baby needs constant care, and the only way to communicate is crying. However, it is very difficult for the parents of a baby to determine its cause and understand what the baby needs this time.
Sometimes it may not be a physical need, but a reaction to nervous irritation. This phenomenon in a small child is known to many, but no one can say for sure how to identify fear in a baby. Therefore, let's take a closer look at this issue.
What is fright?
Fright is a reflex response of the body to an unforeseen factor, it is accompanied by an increase in pupils, an increase in heart rate, as well as a general destabilization of well-being.
In a baby, signs of fear are no different from a similar state in a completely adult person, he simply cannot say about them. Therefore, this stress is necessary and important to get rid of, as it can negatively affect the psychological development of the baby and the quality of later life. Fear, unlike fear, is just an emotion that is a consequence of the transfer of a nervous reaction.
The baby is scared: signs of the need for treatment
In medicine, this phenomenon is called nervous excitement, which occurs as a result of a strong emotional shock.
Despite the fact that children often forget a lot, there are episodes that lead to a significant increase in nervousness. To understand how fear manifests itself in infants, you need to know how it manifests itself.
Let's find out the signs:
- crying for no particular reason;
- decreased appetite;
- insomnia;
- bed-wetting;
- stuttering;
- arrest of speech development.
All this can be a reaction to a loud sound or any other situation that will greatly affect the baby. In order to get rid of the consequences as quickly as possible, it is necessary to notice the symptoms in time, establish the cause and begin treatment.
The main causes of negative nervous excitability
Increased fearfulness can manifest itself in a variety of forms. Severe night fears can be manifested by a sharp night cry of a baby. After a sudden awakening, it is very difficult to calm him down.
This cannot be ignored, since as a result, a persistent sleep disorder may begin, a decrease in appetite may appear and a state of constant fatigue may be present.
Another expression of nervous excitability can be the fear of loneliness. There are children who cannot be left alone, even for a short period of time. As soon as they lose sight of their parents, they begin to cry loudly. The reasons for the fright can be the peculiarities of the physiological or psychological development of the baby, as well as mistakes in his upbringing, for example, tameness.
Fear of loud sounds can sometimes arise. Due to a lack of understanding that the sound of a working technique is not fraught with a threat, the baby may be afraid of it as a monster. It is easy to check this by following his reaction at the moment the device is turned on.
The last common fear, which is the result of excessive nervous excitability, is contact with an animal, or rather dogs. The desire of the parent to introduce the baby to the pet can lead to nervous tension, since even a small dog may seem too big for a child.
What if the child is scared?
Each parent can answer this question in his own way, because only he knows what his baby likes and how he reacts to this or that manifestation of the environment.
However, there is a basic rule that is the same for everyone, the main thing that parents should do is not to leave him alone.
After all, right now, a baby who has gone through a fright needs your warmth and manifestation of love. Take the baby in your arms, slowly stroke him and explain in a calm voice how you love him and how special he is.
After stress, it will be helpful for your baby to hear a familiar voice that sounds calm and confident. For him, this will mean complete safety next to you.
How to cure infant fright?
A situation that will lead to strong emotional arousal can occur at any time, one cannot be insured against it. However, it is quite possible to identify the symptoms and treat a severe fear in an infant with the participation of a competent specialist.
There is no need to panic, it is better to try to quickly identify the fear in the baby and try to rid the baby of the fear. Unfortunately, traditional medicine does not yet qualify childhood fright as a common disease, therefore it does not have effective methods. And then they come to the rescue folk remedieswhich are quite effective in such cases.
Infusions. The first and simplest remedy is considered to be the use of an infusion of valerian or lemon balm. Everyone knows that they are great at helping to cope with any type of disorder. Additionally, you can take fees, which include chamomile, motherwort and nettle leaves.
Making tea is very simple. You will need to take the ingredients in equal quantities, for example, 1 gram each, and pour a liter of boiling water. The collection should be infused for half an hour, then it must be filtered and given to the baby in the morning and evening in a dosage corresponding to his age.
Baths. Such procedures also give good results. The difference from drinking is that the broth is added to the bath to obtain the desired effect through the smell. You can add lemon balm, chamomile, motherwort, lavender oil and even sea salt to the water. The skin of a newborn responds well to such baths. It is proven that the effect will be noticeable after just three uses.
Despite everything written, it is important to notice the signs of this problem in time, and if the baby still has a fear of what to do, it is better to ask the doctor, and not to self-medicate, which can only aggravate the situation.
What to do when a child is afraid of loud sounds? Why is this happening to the baby?
A newborn baby sleeps quite soundly both day and night, he is not disturbed by sounds, voices, background noise, however, after the second month of life, the situation can change dramatically. The child is afraid of loud noises: he wakes up from the ringing of a cell phone, he is afraid of sneezing, the roar of a vacuum cleaner, a hair dryer, a coffee grinder, and the buzzing of clockwork toys. Parents are horrified by the behavior of the baby, they try to understand what caused such fear, and how to get rid of it.
Why is a child afraid of loud sounds?
Most of the fears in babies under one year old are instinctive, that is, they are inherent in nature and are not a consequence of a child's experience. There are, of course, exceptions, these include, for example, the fear of water, provoked by an unsuccessful bath. When he is afraid of loud sounds, the reason is not in the wrong upbringing or oversight on the part of the parents, but in the normal developing nervous system of the baby. In addition to sounds, a first-year-old child may be afraid when mom is not around, and strangers' adults. Phobias gradually disappear: some disappear without a trace by the end of the first year, others remain up to three years. Rarely, fear of strangers and loud sounds persists up to 5-6 years, in such cases, parents consult with doctors.
When a child is afraid of loud sounds
After the baby is 2-3 months old, some mothers begin to notice that the baby flinches at sharp, loud sounds. He is frightened not only by the screams and noise of the vacuum cleaner, but even wind-up toys, coughs, and the sound of a flying plane. Often, the fear is not limited to a start, the baby goes into hysterics, cries.
Adults will be able to correct the situation with the help of a calm voice and soft movements. The mother presses the crying baby to her chest, strokes the back and speaks to him affectionately, explaining the nature of what scared him. Older kids who are afraid, for example, of a vacuum cleaner, can be warned in advance, then the noise will not come as a surprise and not so scare the child.
When a kid on a walk is frightened of something unknown that he sees for the first time, he needs to show the reason for the fright. Get the child out of the elite silver cross balmoral stroller or any other, cuddle, calm down and with him consider the cause of the tears. Whenever possible, children who are afraid of loud sounds should be protected from sources of fear.
Overly excitable children, throwing a tantrum at any harsh sounds and difficult to calm down, need the advice of a neurologist. Parents should not consider referral to this doctor as a challenge and a hint that their child is mentally "abnormal." Contacting him will help you better understand the structure of the baby's nervous system, the doctor will tell you how you can smooth out the excited state of the toddler. Perhaps, the correct daily regimen, a bath with a soothing collection and a mother's lullaby for the night, will be enough for the little one to more calmly perceive the surrounding sounds.
If a child is afraid of loud noises, parents should not panic, such a phobia in babies under one year old is not uncommon. A calm, affectionate word, a smile of a mother, a conversation will help the little one to get through a difficult period and get used to the noisy world of adults.
Anastasia Ilchenko
Young mothers are often frightened when their newborn babies flinch in their sleep, but this is not always a reason to see a doctor. In the vast majority of cases, there is no threat of a disorder of the baby's nervous system. The newborn baby is just adapting to life outside of the mother's tummy, the systems of his body are adapting. The baby may shudder when falling asleep, when moving from one stage of sleep to another, due to imperfect inhibitory mechanisms of the nervous system. At his age, this is a normal state. In premature babies, such flinches may appear more often, do not worry, soon this phenomenon will pass by itself. The newborn shudders in sleep from overwork. Before going to bed at night, the child should not be entertained, overloaded with games and communication, while preparing for rest, the baby should rest. Excited infants often do not have the strength to sleep peacefully, and the child begins to cry, going to sleep, and, falling asleep, often shudders. Babies over three weeks old may flinch during sleep due to abdominal discomfort. Colic sometimes bothers babies during sleep, because digestive system the newborn baby also adapts. It is necessary to consult a doctor about the baby's flinching if problems with sleep are repeated constantly. When a child falls asleep only in absolute silence, wakes up at least 10 times a night, cries in his sleep, a disorder of the nervous system is likely. If the baby used to sleep well, but now he constantly shudders in his sleep and wakes up, perhaps something is bothering him, perhaps pain in the tummy, temperature. A newborn can start rhythmically during sleep, in this case, show it to the doctor. This symptom may indicate metabolic problems leading to seizures. If the child flinched in a dream, others should react calmly. Sudden movements and loud noises at this moment can scare the baby. In any case, a child who flinches in a dream needs to be reassured, make it clear that mom is near. In the past, babies were put to bed with tight swaddling clothes. A baby in diapers will not wake himself up by waving his arms in a dream, besides, in tight diapers it is also warm and comfortable, like in a mother's tummy. You can try to apply this effective method to improve the child's sleep. If the baby sleeps next to his mother and shudders in his sleep, you need to gently stroke him, the child will quickly calm down and continue to sleep. Focus on your feelings, no one knows the child better than his mother. If the flinching has no apparent reason, it is worth taking the child to the doctor.
A hundred years ago, women believed that if a child smiles in a dream, it means that he sees angels in his dreams, but shudders, then the closest person, his mother, is taken away from him. And modern parents have no idea why a newborn shudders in a dream? What does it mean? However, according to doctors, flinching in a dream may indicate health problems.
People say that sleep heals. Children who sleep well and sleep for a long time are always in a good mood and gain weight. This applies to babies from birth to 3 years old. Since sleep at this age lasts 15 or more hours a day, the child's nervous system develops well, there are no problems with brain development.
Can startle in sleep be abnormal?
If the child is healthy, then he will not twitch in a dream. But if he makes sharp, convulsive and rhythmic movements - this is not at all good. It is one thing to be frightened by loud music, but if the room is quiet, you should immediately see a doctor.
Why does a newborn baby flinch in sleep?
Overwork.If before going to bed, the child received too many impressions, did not want to go to bed for a long time and therefore was nervous, then he may well flinch in a dream. This is one of the signs of overwork. Therefore, a few hours before bedtime, the baby should be in a calm, relaxed atmosphere. And also a bath and a relaxing massage help very well.
Prematurity.Most often, with startle problems, there are premature babies. This is due to impaired development outside the womb. As the newborn grows up, this problem will resolve itself.
Weakness of the nervous system. In newborns, the inhibitory system is still poorly developed, so the baby shudders in a dream when the dream passes from one stage to another.
If the child sleeps in complete silence and wakes up very often, then there may be a problem with the baby's nervous system or tummy anxiety. See a doctor.
The tummy does not let you sleep. After birth, babies are not yet adapted to the environment and new foods. Therefore, for a long time, babies are worried about intestinal colic. Because of this, sleep may be accompanied by flinching. In such cases, it is recommended to hold it in a "column", stroke on the tummy, massage the tummy with light, circular movements (with two fingers) clockwise.
Fear of harsh or loud sounds. Until birth, children live in silence. They are used only to intrauterine noises, which are significantly different from ordinary music and other things. You should not turn on the music abruptly, it is better to add the volume gradually.
Pathological flinching
Wrong metabolism. In this case, it is imperative to see a doctor. This may be evidenced by rhythmic, convulsive and very frequent shuddering in a dream.
Lack of calcium (D3). With inadequate nutrition and lack of vitamins, the disease "Rickets" may occur. It causes deformation of the child's skeleton, distorts the body, is able to displace internal organs and spoils the nervous system. From this, too, the newborn shudders in a dream.
Increased intracranial pressure. Restless sleep may indicate intracranial pressure - increased. This can manifest itself both in the form of postpartum trauma and a brain tumor of the head.
PNRV syndrome.Syndrome of hyperactive neuro-reflex excitability. This disease is diagnosed if a child is injured at birth. The nervous system suffers, which in the future can affect perseverance, sloppiness and cause memory loss.
External environment and adaptation
Temperature conditions. Even a child, shudders if he is not satisfied with the room temperature or may be too stuffy, which irritates the newborn.
- Regular airing during the day and before bed, even in frosty weather.
- Normal room temperature for newborns is 18-21 degrees.
- Wet cleaning.
- Do not wrap. One natural pajamas is better than 10 pieces of clothing.
- The playpen should not stand near instruments and batteries.
Inconvenient position. It is important to know that a newborn shudders in a dream, from an uncomfortable position.
- Sleeping on your tummy does not cause any inconvenience and saves you from choking if you accidentally regurgitate.
- Alternating poses "from side to side", "on the back", "on the tummy."
- If the child is not able to turn the head by himself, then the neck may become numb and hurt.
- Extra things and toys interfere with sleep.
Feeling insecure. "4 trimester of pregnancy", doctors called the first 3 months after childbirth. The child is absolutely not adapted to the environment, therefore it is necessary to create an environment that resembles the mother's belly. This includes stiffness of movement and the elimination of loud and harsh sounds.
- Swaddling a newborn.
- The use of special covers with buttons or zippers that fetter and prevent moving your hands.
How to calm and help a newborn?
Swaddling is necessary to calm the newborn from flinching during sleep. It resembles a constrained and familiar environment in the womb. Doesn't let you be afraid of your own unconscious movements.
If the child shudders in a dream, stroke the arms and legs with warm hands. Hand movements let the child know that he is safe. Touch is very important for every child. Movements should alternate: rubbing, stroking, then stronger, then easier.
Around the baby, there should be a calm, quiet environment. The child adapts to the environment faster. Nervous systemwill be much stronger. And this can help protect the health of the baby in the future.
If a newborn flinches during sleep, this is not always a cause for concern. Some factors against flinching can be dealt with without medical intervention. But if the house is calm, the child does not walk around before going to bed, the TV is not turned on loudly, and he often wakes up, shudders and cries, you should immediately contact the pediatrician to establish the reason.