Who wants to talk about Baby Sleep Myths?! As parents, I know you’ve heard at least one of these myths offered as “sound advice.” Perhaps you knew it didn’t sound right when the advice was offered but didn’t know how to challenge it.
Or maybe you heard one of these Baby Sleep Myths and willingly accepted it as truth! Either way, All The Sleeps is here to set the record straight!
1. Sleep training your baby can cause brain damage.
Let’s start with this for our first Baby Sleep MYTH! There are all types of methods on the sleep training continuum. Some gradual, some not so gradual. Obviously, sleep training with no tears would be an ideal situation but depending on the age, temperament, and reliance on sleep props that your baby has, “no tears” is not usually possible. I will always work with the parents to execute their sleep plans in a way that they feel 100% comfortable with.
All of that being said, the whole idea of sleep training causing brain damage stems from the fact that cortisol levels can be elevated when baby is stressed. Increased levels of cortisol over LONG periods of time (think years and kids who grew up in orphanages) can interfere with healthy brain development.
That does not translate to sleep training being harmful. Sleep training your child over 3-20 nights simply does not equate to CHRONIC stress.
The evidence we have shows that babies who were sleep trained with cry-it-out methods (one extreme of the continuum) showed no lasting negative affects compared to their non-sleep trained counterparts. Babies from both groups were found to have healthy attachments with their parents and similar emotional and psychological health and development. Phew!
2. Never wake a sleeping baby.
I can totally relate to whomever started this MYTH! When a baby is sleeping peacefully, it just seems so wrong to try to wake them! However, there are some circumstances where waking a sleeping baby is better for them and you!
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To feed a newborn. Newborns need to be nursing quite frequently and if they happen to be napping for 2+ hours, you just might need to wake them. You should always discuss feeding concerns with your pediatrician to determine if waking is necessary. Check out my Newborn Cheat Sheet for more information on this one!
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If a newborn is going through day/night confusion. Day/night confusion can be tricky and the last thing you want is for baby to sleep all day and be up all night. Be sure to wake baby during the day for feedings and activities so they can start to learn that daytime is for playing and nighttime is for sleeping.
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If naps go too long for an older baby/toddler. Each child has a maximum amount of day sleep they can achieve without taking away from night sleep. If your child sleeps more than that maximum then night sleep will suffer. See this handy Free Nap Guide to determine what a typical napping schedule should look like.
3. If your baby wakes at night, it means he is hungry.
This is a tricky one because as parents we never want to worry about our little ones going hungry. Feeding (whether nursing or bottle) can be a huge sleep prop so it is important to know if little one is really hungry or just wanting comfort.
If you aren’t sure, you should always check with your pediatrician before dropping night feedings. Some signs that baby might be feeding for comfort rather than hunger:
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If baby does not fall back asleep after feeding or requires much more comfort to fall asleep.
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If baby drinks only a little before falling right back to sleep.
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If baby requires many feedings and has to be asleep when laid back down.
If your baby is showing these signs of feeding for comfort, then you’ve just proven my point! This MYTH is busted and you’ve got yourself a sleep association problem. Also see my recent post on Night Wakings: Hunger or Comfort?
4. A later bedtime will keep your baby from waking too early in the morning.
I know this one is counterintuitive but if you put a baby down earlier for bed, they are more likely to sleep better and later! Putting a baby down for bed too late can cause them to become overtired and this will make it harder for them to fall asleep.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released when babies become overtired and it makes it harder for baby to fall asleep! It can also result in more night wakings and overall worse sleep quality.
Most babies and toddlers sleep best with a bedtime between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. Night night, sleep MYTH!
5. Rice cereal in a bottle before bed will help your baby sleep longer.
Oh, I really hate this MYTH… first off, this is NOT recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Babies under 4 months are not able to handle solid foods nor do they have the oral motor skills necessary.
Babies (and adults for that matter) wake multiple times per night. We go through several sleep cycles each night and in between each cycle we may momentarily wake up.
Now, if your baby relies on you to put them to sleep (nursing, rocking, reinserting pacifier, etc) then they will not be able to make the transition from sleep cycle to sleep cycle. This is the cause of most night wakings. Once this sleep association is resolved, baby will not cry out overnight if they aren’t hungry.
If a baby truly is waking in the night because he is hungry, then he should be fed. No cereal necessary!
I’d love to hear any other baby myths/old wives’ tales (sleeping-related or not) that you’ve heard! And as always, Apply to Work with Me and we can chat about your baby’s sleep!
