3 Myths About 0-4 Month Old Infant Sleep
As part of a larger project I am working on, I have been having a lot of conversations with mothers of newborns and it has reminded me just how much information is out there on infant sleep. Between the books, friends, and the internet, there is an overwhelming amount of advice on infant sleep and much of it is conflicting.
Several of the mothers I have spoken with recently brought up similar questions and concerns and I want to help debunk some of these common myths on newborn sleep. Additionally, I created Newborn Sleep Tip Sheets to help you guide your baby towards healthy sleep habits during those early weeks and months.
Myth #1: You can spoil your newborn by nursing them to sleep or holding them while they sleep.
During your baby’s first 6-8 weeks, they will sleep A LOT. This is the time when they will easily sleep inside a loud restaurant or at a party. During these early weeks, your baby is not mature enough to have sleep associations and will generally ease into sleep whenever he or she needs it. This is not the time to worry about spoiling your baby or forcing them to sleep in the crib at all times. Snuggle that sweet babe and let them sleep on the go. That being said, you should always provide your baby with a safe sleep environment and I do not recommend co-sleeping, but know that during those early weeks, you cannot spoil your baby or set them up for poor sleep habits by nursing them to sleep or safely holding them while they sleep.
Between 6 and 8 weeks, your baby will start to develop sleep associations and that is when you want to start being more aware about where and how your baby is going to sleep. This is the time to start practicing healthy sleep habits.
Myth #2: Keeping your baby up more during the day will help them sleep better or longer at night.
When your newborn seems to want to snooze all day long, it is easy to start to worry that they will be up all night. While it is possible that your baby will have day and night confusion during the first 6 weeks or so, working to keep your little one awake during the day will only make nighttime sleep worse. I promise!
The truth is, sleep begets sleep. Good daytime sleep helps promote good nighttime sleep. Work on keeping your newborn well rested during the day and night. In those early weeks, your little one may not be up for more than 30 minutes at a time. Their wakeful periods will gradually increase to 1.5-2 hours as they approach 4 months, but I do not recommend stretching beyond that or you will risk having an overtired baby on your hands.
Myth #3: You can sleep train a newborn.
In my opinion, babies are not developmentally ready for formal sleep training before 16 weeks (from their due date if they arrived early). Prior to 4 months, their circadian rhythms are not fully developed and they are still developing (with your guidance) their self-soothing skills.
While I do not recommend formal sleep training prior to 4 months, starting at 6-8 weeks, you can certainly do several things that will allow you to gently guide your baby towards healthy sleep habits. Working on these things early will ideally prevent you from needing to do formal sleep training when your baby is 4 months+. I have put together a Newborn Sleep Tip Sheets to help you know what to focus on when your baby is between 0 and 16 weeks old.
Click Here To Receive My Newborn Sleep Tip Sheets
Have a baby who is due on or after August 15, 2018? You don’t want to miss out on my newborn sleep course that will launch again the first week of November – Have Baby, Need Sleep! Click here to join the early interest list and receive an exclusive discount.