A good routine is vital for all babies, particularly when it comes to sleeping and naps.
But there’s a lot of contradictory advice out there on babies’ sleeping patterns and routines, so no wonder us mums get confused from time to time.
So it’s good to do some research on what your baby really needs and what is just an urban myth. These are five things we’ve heard about babies’ sleep needs which don’t necessarily apply to every mum and baby.
1. Sleeping in your arms, in a car, a sling or pram isn’t “proper” sleep
It’s been claimed by some so-called sleep experts that sleeping anywhere other than a cot isn’t “quality” sleep and won’t benefit your tot. This is misinformation, some babies can fall asleep pretty much anywhere.
So it’s perfectly fine to let your little one drift off in your arms or in the back of the car when you’re going out, all rest counts.
With one child, you might be able to get home for nap time but once you have more than one, you’ll find it’s harder to do that.
2. You shouldn’t rock your baby to sleep
Rocking is a valuable method which has been around since the beginning of time.
In fact, rocking your little one to sleep can help develop their vestibular apparatus, a series of inner ear canals that send out special messages to the central nervous system.
As you rock your little one, fluid moves over these canals and allows them to send messages which help the development of your baby’s senses.
Later on, you can “wean” your baby from rocking by offering them gentle music and reducing rocking time at bedtime.
3. You shouldn’t breastfeed your baby to sleep
If you’ve breastfed a baby, you’ll know it’s not uncommon for your little one to doze off mid-feed or at the end of the feed.
Some mums worry that this might be creating a “bad habit” but it’s perfectly natural for your little one to doze off.
What’s really amazing is the breastmilk you produce at night-time contains special proteins and hormones that will help settle your baby at night.
If you’re worried your baby hasn’t has enough to eat, you can gently tickle their mouth to wake them up. Use your common sense and let your baby set the tone.
4. Babies “must” sleep for two hour intervals during the day
While your baby may sleep a lot during the first few weeks, the two-hour “rule” doesn’t apply to every single infant.
Like us all, babies are affected by factors such as different environments and being sick. You may notice your tot finds it hard to settle in unfamiliar surroundings or may sleep more when they are not well.
No-one knows your baby better than you, so use your motherly intuition and common sense when deciding whether to wake your baby or not.
Your baby’s sleep needs will adjust as they grow also and you’ll notice their sleeping patterns may change. So don’t stress if they wake up after an hour and 45 minutes and don’t want to go back to sleep, this is totally normal.
5. You “should” start the day at 7am, no matter when your baby last fed
Some mums prefer an early start but others are desperate to catch up on a few hours of sleep while their baby is asleep.
If your baby last fed at 6am and doesn’t need a change, there is little point in waking them up again.
It’s important to stick to the routine you have in place, rather than getting your baby up at 7am and disturbing them unnecessarily. You’ll have years of waking them up early for school, so enjoy this time while you can.
