5 common myths about baby sleep (and what actually works)
Hey friend, I want to let you know you are not alone before diving into this topic. Baby sleep is one of the trickiest parts of early parenthood, and the advice offered can be overwhelming. Myths about infant sleep have circulated for years, leading to confusion about what REALLY helps. Here are five common baby sleep myths—and what truly works instead.
Myth #1: "Keeping your baby awake longer during the day will help them sleep better at night."
Truth: Babies who are overtired often have a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep. When a baby becomes overtired, their body produces more cortisol (a stress hormone), making it difficult for them to relax and sleep soundly. They may have a difficult time falling asleep or initially fall asleep easily due to sleep pressure but wake up every two hours at night due to the cortisol being released throughout the night.
What Works: Follow your baby’s sleep cues (yawning, rubbing eyes, becoming fussy) and aim for age-appropriate wake windows. This can vary, but in general, newborns can only stay awake for 45 minutes to an hour before needing a nap. As they grow, these wake windows extend. Check out my free awake windows download to check your baby’s age.
Myth #2: "A little rice cereal in the bottle will help babies sleep through the night."
Truth: There’s no evidence that adding cereal to a baby’s bottle helps them sleep longer. In fact, introducing solid foods before the recommended age (around six months) can increase the risk of digestive issues and may contribute to excessive weight gain.
What Works: Healthy sleep patterns develop with time. Babies under six months are naturally wired to wake up frequently for feeding. Ensuring they get enough calories during the day can help stretch nighttime sleep a bit, but waking is a normal part of infant development. You can expect a baby to wake 2 times a night around 6 months and once a night up to 12 months. If your baby is tracking well with their growth, we can always work on dropping a feed but ensure your expectations of what is normal is aligned with normal growth and development.
Myth #3: "Some babies are just 'bad sleepers' and won’t ever sleep well."
Truth: While every baby is different and some may struggle with sleep more than others, this doesn’t mean they are destined to be poor sleepers forever. Environmental factors, sleep routines, and developmental milestones all play a role.
What Works: Establishing a consistent bedtime routine can help signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep. A relaxing pre-sleep ritual, like a warm bath, gentle massage, or lullaby, can ease the transition to sleep and improve sleep quality over time.
Myth #4: "Long-term use of white noise can damage your baby’s ears."
Truth: This could actually be true in certain circumstances but it is an EASY fix so why not use it for all the benefits it offers? These benefits include drowning out noises, reducing crying in infants, and a consistent sleep environment no matter where the child is put down to sleep.
What Works: Many babies sleep better with white noise in the background. A white noise machine with low volume can create an ideal sleep environment that drowns out sudden noises and mimics the womb environment. All you have to do is ensure the white noise is between 50-60 decibels.
Myth #5: "If a baby is awake a lot at night, they must have day-night confusion."
Truth: While some nighttime wakings are due to hunger, especially in newborns, babies often wake for reasons unrelated to feeding. They may need a diaper change, comfort, or help transitioning between sleep cycles. The only time day-night confusion occurs in the first 8 weeks of a baby's life.
What Works: Respond to your baby’s needs, but if they are 8 weeks +, consider pausing before rushing in to see if they’ll settle on their own. If this doesn’t work, try the shush-pat method to settle them in their cot. This gentle approach can help them learn self-soothing skills while you still attend to their needs.
If they are younger than 8 weeks and their circadian rhythm hasn’t developed yet, you can follow these 4 tips to help them.
Expose them to indirect but natural sunlight during awake windows.
Lights out and blackout blinds for all naps and night sleep.
Don’t let them sleep longer than 2 hours in the day.
Stretch their awake times between naps by 5-10 minutes a day for 3 days.
Helping your baby sleep better is often about understanding their unique needs, staying patient, and creating a consistent sleep environment and routine. Babies’ sleep patterns evolve, and what works one week may change the next, so stay flexible and find what works best for your family.
If you are sleep-deprived and are ready to sleep-train your baby, book your discovery call now!
