3 Common Baby Sleep Myths

I don’t mess around when it comes to sleep and so when I hear these sleep myths being shared on Facebook Mom Groups or from well-meaning grandparents, I feel compelled to step in and set the record straight!

Sleeping too much during the day will negatively affect night sleep

No way, no how. NO. NO. NO. This myth is one that I hear SO frequently and it is the one that just makes me so upset.

Yes, newborns don’t have a developed circadian rhythm and can sleep more soundly during the day then at night. But once the circadian rhythm is established, consistent, well-timed naps will actually make night sleep better! If you’re keeping your baby up in the hopes that they’ll sleep better at night, all you’re doing is stressing your baby out and making them over tired, almost guaranteeing that they’ll sleep worse at night.

Rather than ignoring daytime sleep, focus on an Eat, Play, Sleep schedule that allows for naps every 90 minutes to 3-4 hours (depending on baby’s age).

Sleeping is a natural process and can’t be “taught”

Ok, this one is kind of true. Sleeping is definitely a natural process as we are designed to sleep and at regular intervals. When we don’t, like gets hard! And ultimately you can’t teach someone how to be “sleepy” or how to make themselves more “sleepy”. What you can do is teach independent sleep. Or rather, teach your baby to fall asleep on their own and put themselves back to sleep if they wake before they’re fully rested. This is where we come in and we’d be glad to help you!

A later bedtime means your baby will sleep in later in the morning

Most babies will sleep better, longer, and fuss/cry less when they are put to bed at a consistent time and typically when they are put to bed earlier rather than later.

Putting your baby to bed too late can lead to them being “overtired”. This may look like they got a second wind, but really it means they’re cortisol levels have increased. Combine that with a melatonin decrease, it will make it more challenging for your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep!

If your baby has been consistently waking early or is waking many times throughout the night, try for an early bedtime (as early as 6 or 6:30) and see if that helps! Also, working on getting your child to fall asleep and put themselves back to sleep independently will help regulate night sleep. If you need support through sleep training, we’re here to help!

There’s a lot of conflicting information about baby sleep, especially on what approaches to take when you decide to sleep train. And while I don’t subscribe to one particular method when helping Metro Detroit families sleep train, I will always tell you when a certain myth or piece of advice is straight up bogus or harmful!