Let’s Talk About These Sleep Myths*
*Also known as lies
Responding to your baby’s cries will spoil them or create bad habits
Oh this one grinds my gears! Responding to your baby is exactly what you should be doing! When you show up for them, they learn that you’re there for them.
Responding to your baby’s cries is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. When you consistently respond to your baby’s needs, they learn that the world is a safe place and that you are there to support them.
“If you don’t sleep train by X age, your baby will have sleep issues for life.”
Cue eye roll! Sleep training isn’t some magic bullet you need to do by a certain age. Your baby’s sleep patterns are closely linked to their brain development and these patterns evolve naturally over time.
The idea that you must sleep train by a certain age to avoid lifelong sleep problems is simply not true. Every baby’s sleep journey is unique, and many babies eventually learn to sleep well without sleep training.
“Your baby will never learn to self soothe if you don’t let them cry it out.”
Ugh, can we stop with this one already? Self-soothing happens when a baby is ready, not because they were left to cry. Forcing it before they’re ready just stresses everyone out.
Self soothing is a skill that develops naturally as your child grows. Pushing a baby to self soothe before they are developmentally ready can actually lead to increased stress and may harm attachment. Each child is different, and they will learn to self soothe when they developmentally ready and it certainly isn’t at 4 months of age!
“Co-sleeping will cause dependency and prevent your child from becoming independent.”
Can we please stop making co-sleeping sound like the boogeyman? Co-sleeping doesn’t make your child dependent forever. When done safely, co-sleeping can actually support your baby’s emotional and psychological development.
The idea that co-sleeping will make your child overly dependent is a misconception. In fact, providing your baby with a sense of security now can foster greater independence as they grow older.