Adult Baby Diaper

Baby Sleep Patterns - 5 Common Mistakes

By Chris Stone

Getting a good night's sleep can be challenging when a new baby enters the picture. It's important that infants get the sleep that they need and it's even more important for mom and dad to get their sleep. After all, a well-rested parent will be much more effective than one who is sleep-deprived.

It may surprise you that not all 'research' on baby sleep patterns can be trusted. Many studies, in fact, allow cultural factors to overrule biological laws of nature.

Your baby, however, will be certain to let you know what works and what doesn't. Trust your child's own mechanisms for informing you.

Let's review some of the most common mistakes parents make:

1) Ignoring Your Child's Cries

One should never ignore a baby's cries. The child could be hurt or in danger. In addition, babies are emotional creatures. They will not understand why their cries are going unanswered.

Babies are unable to say, "I'm tired," or "I'm hungry." Just imagine how easy things would be if they could! Instead we are left to take our best guess at the reason. You can be sure that baby is crying because they cannot solve the problem on their own and they need help.

2) Let Babies "Cry It Out"

Many experts seem to think that babies are able to soothe themselves to sleep. While this may be true to some extent, it is very unhealthy for the child. It teaches them that their parents cannot be trusted to solve their problems and could cause self-esteem issues later in life if they being to feel abandoned.

Your child must learn that you will respond to their needs quickly and efficiently. If you think that your child is just being fussy, try to evaluate the situation and make your response quick and to the point. You should always respond to their needs, however.

3) "How to Get Baby to Sleep Through the Night??"

Believe it or not, babies are simply not designed to sleep through the night. Infants need to feed several times a night. They simply will not acclimate to adult sleeping patterns. If they do, it is unhealthy and could be a sign of a larger problem.

Babies should have several short periods of sleep throughout the night. As you become familiar with your child's pattern, you can adapt. If you are married, perhaps you can take turns, provided that mom isn't breast-feeding. Even so, a well-placed bottle every now and then could help the child adapt to change.

4) Giving Baby Medicine to Help with Sleep

I am often surprised at how many parents give their baby Phenobarbital to aid with sleep, or worse, Valium. These drugs alter the brain's chemistry and will become addictive very quickly. The same holds true for alcohol. Never rub alcohol on a baby's gums as it could have the opposite effect...restlessness and agitation.

More importantly, these types of remedies are simply inappropriate for infants.

5) Adjust Feeding Time to "Train" Babies to Sleep

Your baby will tell you when it's time to eat. You should never try to adjust this schedule. The American Academy of Pediatrics is quite concerned about the rise in "parent-directed feeding schemes as alleged methods of training infants and children to sleep through the night".

Again, baby will tell you when it's time to eat. They might not even need to eat but rather they could need comforting, or a feeling of safety. As stated in numbers one and two, always attend to your child's needs quickly.

To summarize, baby sleep patterns are often difficult to figure out in the beginning and will take their toll initially. It is challenging, but a happy, healthy baby is worth the price you may pay over the first several months of life.

Chris Stone is an expert on baby sleep patterns who writes for an acclaimed informational website on baby sleep patterns. For expert advice & resources, visit http://www.sleeptightbaby.com.

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