The new rules for baby sleep

As soon as you tell your mom, grandma and all your relatives that you’re having a baby the advice will come flooding in. And just wait until your baby is born… you won’t be able to say or do anything without someone giving you their version of events!

Trouble is, baby care has changed since back in the day – and all sorts of new research suggests that the way things were might not be the safest plan of attack for bringing up your baby, especially where sleep is concerned. So is your mom giving you old-fashioned advice or are you behind the times yourself?

Your baby’s sleep position

Until the early 1990s, common practice was to put babies to sleep on their side or front – it was thought this protected them from choking if they spit up milk while they slept.

In with the new: lay her on her back

The number of crib deaths has reduced drastically since 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that babies be placed on their backs to sleep in the wake of research suggesting it was safer. Even so, this is probably one of the biggest bones of contention when it comes to baby care across the generations and you may find your mom or grandma keeps laying your baby on her front or side.

Their motives are good – they’re likely sure your little one may choke if she lies on their backs. Even showing her the little soaked-in spit-up stains on either side of where your sleeping baby’s head lies (ample proof she’s quite capable of turning her heads to spit out the spit up!) may not convince them. But stick to you guns on this one and tell mom, grandma or auntie that you won’t leave the baby with them if you don’t think she’s going to be safe.

Sleep soother

If you were a total nightmare at bedtime when you were a baby or toddler, it’s likely mom popped you in your crib with a bottle of milk or juice to keep you quiet.

In with the new: avoiding early tooth decay

Bottle caries is the official name for a toddler mouthful of little black stumps and gaps. The moral of the story is this: don’t give your child a bottle as he goes off to sleep. It’ll bathe his teeth in sugary milk or juice, and naturally occurring bacteria in his mouth will join forces with it to attack his baby teeth.

Crying it out

When you cried at bedtime or during the night, your mom may well have left you to get on with it. It was just the way moms did things back in the day and crying wasn’t thought to be in any way harmful to a baby or child.

In with the new: controlled crying

There’s still a lot of debate about this one, but even with sleep routines that are based on controlled crying it’s recommended that you never leave your baby for longer than 10 minutes and that you don’t do it at all if she’s under 6 months. This is another area where the older and younger generations tend to differ in their views – but letting your baby know you’re close by will make her feel secure enough to go to sleep all by herself in stead of allowing her to feel she’s been abandoned.

Swaddling your baby

Swaddling has been around since ancient times as a way of calming babies and helping them sleep – and it does seem to help babies settle more easily when they’re placed on their backs.

In with the new: only for newborns

Some baby sleep experts still recommend swaddling as a way of keeping a very restless young baby from waking herself with her own startle reflex. However, some experts believe the startle reflex is actually a primitive defense mechanism designed to periodically rouse your baby as she sleeps. Check with your pediatrician before swaddling, use a cotton sheet so your baby doesn’t overheat, and don’t wrap him too tightly. Keep in mind too that by preventing your baby from sucking her fingers or thumb, you may be denying her a self-comfort technique that could help her drift back to sleep if she wakes between feeds.

Co-sleeping with your baby

It’s actually other moms your own age you may be at loggerheads with over this one, since your mom probably didn’t let you co-sleep at night. In the last 10 years or so, co-sleeping has been very popular – particularly among moms who breastfeed, as it makes night feeds easier – and is actively encouraged by some breastfeeding organizations.

In with the new: close-by better than co-sleeping

Many childcare experts recommend that parents put their baby in his crib to sleep if they’ve been drinking or taking medication or drugs that induce heavy sleep. The AAP discourages co-sleeping and there is evidence that there’s an increased risk of SIDS if a baby shares a bed with its parents. Your baby may be safer in his crib next to your bed where you can reach him quickly in an emergency, rather than in your bed with you.

Rock-a-bye baby

Although your mom likely left you to cry it out at bedtime you may find she’s only too glad to rock your baby to sleep while your sleep-training routine going out the window!

In with the new: wake up call at bedtime

Most sleep training experts recommend that you put your baby down in her crib awake so that she can learn to settle herself to sleep without props – such as being rocked. Keep in mind that while rocking her to sleep when she’s tiny might be do-able (especially if you’re a stay-at-home mom with a fair chance of catching up on your own sleep the next day while she naps) spending half an hour three times a night rocking a larger, heavier baby won’t be a realistic option.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.