The Importance of Positive Sleep Associations and the Problem With Sleep Crutches
A sleep association is anything your baby or child associates with falling asleep.
There are both positive sleep associations (e.g. consistent bedtime routine, sleep in the crib, sleep sack, etc.) and sleep associations that aren’t so great (e.g. nursing/bottle feeding, rocking, swing, etc.) – these are often referred to as sleep crutches. Sometimes something that starts out as appropriate and well-meaning can, over time, unintentionally become a sleep crutch.
So how do I know if I’m dealing with a sleep crutch?
If, for example, your baby is 4 months or older and always needs to nurse or be rocked to sleep and they are not able to put themselves to sleep on their own, chances are they have developed a sleep crutch.
Why are sleep crutches a problem?
The challenge with sleep crutches is that when your baby wakes during the night or one sleep cycle into a nap, they will have a hard time putting themself back to sleep without their “crutch.” This often results in more frequent night wakings and shorter naps.
How do I avoid creating a sleep crutch and start creating positive sleep associations?
Hands down, the most important thing you can do to avoid your child becoming attached to a sleep crutch (or crutches) is to help your baby learn to fall asleep on their own. For infants, this means learning how to go down drowsy but awake. For toddlers and preschoolers, this means learning to go to bed awake (forget the drowsy) after a short bedtime or nap routine.
What do I do if my child already has a sleep crutch?
Transitioning away from a sleep crutch can take some time and persistence. Focus on teaching your child to fall asleep on their own and avoid providing the crutch during the night. You can introduce and consistently use positive sleep associations like a consistent bedtime routine, white noise, a sleep sack, and, for children 12 months and older, a lovey. As you introduce these positive sleep associations, you’ll want to remove the sleep crutches from your child’s routine. This change may be met with resistance (this is how little ones protest change). Stay calm and stick with it! It’s never too late to change your child’s sleep associations!