The bad news is there is a lot of misinformation about infant sleep out there. New parents are warned that cuddling, nursing, rocking and feeding to sleep are going to create “bad habits” or negative sleep associations. The good news is responding to your baby and supporting them to sleep are actually going to foster secure attachment in the long run. Do you know any 22 year old who need to breastfed to sleep? Right. With that said, let’s debunk other myths on newborn sleep:
- Add rice cereal to their bottles to help them sleep longer: please don’t, this is advice is actually an outdated choking hazard.
- Babies need to learn to self soothe: actually, newborns require adult support for co-regulation. As is the case with walking and talking, sleep is developmental and unfolds on a spectrum as unique as the child.
- Feeding to sleep creates a sleep crutch: we don’t know about you, but some yoga nidra, magnesium, and a cuppa chamomile really help us drift off. It is normal to seek comfort before bed (or anytime, really!)
- Keep the baby awake during the day so they sleep at night: In the case of an infant: sleep begets sleep! An overtired baby will actually produce more cortisol to help keep them awake which in turn will make them *more difficult* to get to sleep.
Sorry aunt Gertrude, but it’s time to put this we these misconceptions to rest!
Wanna get more rest? Keep a packet or two of your {m}othership milk at your bedside along with a thermos of warm water. When baby wakes, you can quickly prepare a bottle of fresh breastmilk all bleary-eyed RIGHT FROM YOUR BED. Breastmilk at your finger tips when it isn’t available straight from the tap. Zzzz