"Keep baby up all day and they'll sleep all night!"

Oh man. 🤦‍♀️ I *think* this myth is on it's way out. I don't know many people who still give this advice or who take this advice seriously. Which is a good thing because this is TERRIBLE sleep advice.

👉Ready for the why behind this myth?

From the moment you wake up in the morning, a neurotransmitter called adenosine is released and starts to build up. For well-rested adults, it happens slowly enough that we can go all day without needing to sleep. But for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, it builds up quicker and a nap is needed in order to flush it all out.
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👉This is the reasoning behind using age-appropriate schedules. As your child grows, they can handle more and more time awake before the adenosine builds up and the pressure to sleep becomes so high that they must take a nap.
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On the flip side, if your child is not offered a nap at that ideal time, the adenosine will continue to build and build which then puts your child's body into a stress response. This stress response can cause cortisol and adrenaline to be released and this makes it HARDER for your child to sleep. 😳

This can also lead to an INCREASE in length and occurrence of night wakings.
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👉That's one reason why naps are SO crucial throughout the day. Day sleep and night sleep are intimately connected and without adequate day sleep, night sleep will suffer.

🙋‍♀️Anyone ever been told to keep baby up all day?

Check out my video on Instagram that pokes fun of this myth!