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חמישה מיתוסים נפוצים על שנת תינוקות

When we become parents, we discover that there are quite a few myths about parenting in general and about parenting babies in particular that do not really prove themselves in the reality test. In the early years of our children’s lives, there is probably no area where these myths are more common – and more harmful – than in the area of ​​sleep. When it comes to baby sleep myths, they not only lead to unrealistic expectations and a sense of disappointment in ourselves, they may also cause us to adopt exactly the opposite behavior than we need to ensure the baby and ourselves a good and healthy night’s sleep. This post, therefore, will be devoted to dispelling some of these myths.

1. Small babies can sleep continuously for a night.

Even adults do not sleep a continuous night: we all wake up at night, sometimes partially awake and sometimes fully awake. A baby certainly cannot sleep continuously for 10-12 hours without waking up at all. At some point, however, he will be able to wake up and go back to sleep alone without parental assistance, but this will not happen until he reaches an age where he no longer needs night feedings. This is a stage that most babies reach at some point between the ages of six months and a year, and a minority even later.

2. The baby learns to fit into the parents’ agenda.

This idea sounds particularly appealing to parents who are having their first baby. Who said our agenda has to change? The baby can simply fit into our normal activities. Well, it is quite possible that in the first months of life, you can take the baby anywhere in a baby carrier or stroller and allow him to sleep that way. At some point, however, when you want to teach him good sleeping habits, you will need a regular night routine – and it is impossible to create such a night routine if the baby falls asleep every day at a different time and in a different environment. A baby needs consistent sleeping conditions: This is one of the reasons sleeping bags are so recommended, as they allow you, in cases where you are unable to be at home at bedtime, to give your baby at least part of his familiar sleeping environment.

3. If we keep him awake during the day, he will sleep better at night.

Many parents, exhausted from repeated night awakenings, believe that the solution is to ‘tire’ the baby by preventing him from taking naps and putting him to bed at a relatively late hour. The research-proven truth is exactly the opposite: sleep gives birth to sleep, and an exhausted baby is a baby who will have difficulty falling into a deep sleep and will probably also get up with the birds. The first step to improving a baby’s night’s sleep, therefore, is to adhere to the recommended number of daytime naps according to his age and get to bed early.

4. In the end he will anyway learn to sleep better!

Some babies do teach themselves, in the end, to fall asleep easily and sleep well during the night. But they are definitely the minority. Most babies need help to acquire the skill to fall asleep on their own, and if they do not receive this help in their early years, there is a good chance you will find yourself with an older, active and talkative child who still does not know how to fall asleep alone and needs your help. This is why it is worthwhile to maintain healthy sleeping habits already in infancy.

5. My baby just does not need much sleep!

For parents dealing with babies who refuse to sleep during the day or have difficulty falling asleep at night, it is quite easy to conclude that they have simply been blessed with a baby who does not need much sleep. But here too there are medical data that say otherwise. Of course, some babies need more sleep or less sleep, but there is also a minimum number of hours of sleep that each baby needs to function. A baby under one year of age needs at least 14 or 15 hours of sleep a day, and infants between one and two years of age need between 13 and 14 hours of sleep a day. Babies who do not get enough sleep are not only tired and nervous: their immune system is weakened and they even have more difficulty in the cognitive and motor field.