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There is a lot of hullabaloo about babies’ sleeping pattern. All that a newborn does is sleep for the most part of the day. So, you might wonder whether your baby would through the night or not. Putting a baby to sleep is one of the biggest challenges for a mother. Therefore, it is little wonder that there are several myths around when and how to put them to sleep. Here we debunk a few myths for you:
Myth 1: Feeding your baby with solid food could help it sleep longer
Fact: You cannot put your baby on solid foods until she is between six months old. Although mothers believe that solid foods might keep the baby feel full for longer hours, and therefore make them sleep longer, the reality is your baby cannot digest solid foods before turning four months old. In some children, there might also be chances of allergies due to feeding solids early on.
Solution: Until you introduce solid foods to your baby, mother’s milk can provide ample diet and can be filling, unless your doctor has recommended formula feed. Your baby can sleep for a long period even on breastmilk. Your baby would start drooling when its tummy is full, and you know that it’s time to put him to sleep
Myth 2: Putting your baby to sleep late means it wakes up late in the morning
Fact: It is quite natural for parents to think that delaying the bedtime of your baby will make it sleep better through the night and that it can wake up late in the morning. But in reality, early bed time which is in the evening works the best for babies as their bodies signal them to sleep just around this time. While trying to delay your baby’s sleeping hours, you might think that your baby is still active and ready for playtime. But the truth is they are over exhausted and cranky.
Solution: One must look for cues for a baby’s exhaustion. If your baby rubs its eyes or yawns, slows down or begins to get erratic, it’s a sign of being tired. The latest you must put your baby to sleep is 7pm.
Myth 3: Your baby’s cry is not going to do it any good
Fact: Crying is a natural instinct in babies. Your baby won’t have any negative effects on it by crying before going to sleep. If your baby is well-responded to, it will feel secure and nurtured and bedtime cries will not have an influence.
Solution: At times your baby’s cries might be hard on you. Set a time limit. If your child doesn’t calm down even after say 15 minutes then you might want to cuddle and pacify and rock it to sleep. If your partner has more tolerance than you then ask him you pacify the baby. .
Myth 4: Babies should sleep throughout the night
Fact: That is what might sound ideal to an adult. But your baby refuses to sleep at a stretch especially when it is around four months old as it needs additional feeds to gain weight. Also, unlike adults who can go back to sleep once they wake up, babies cannot do so. They would wake up to about four times in a night and while some manage to go back to sleep, some babies start crying for help.
Solution: One way to overcome this is by helping the baby getting to sleep. Do it by lullabies, reading books or rocking your baby to stimulate sleep. Sometimes, you can facilitate sleep by placing stuffed animals, soft pillows or blankets alongside your baby. Cushion-effect of stuff around can also induce sleep in babies. These strategies might help your baby learn to sleep off on their own.
