As parents, you may be troubled by various sleep problems with your little ones, and the various opinions about baby sleep are making you more and more anxious. We have now compiled some common misconceptions about baby sleep to help you solve typical sleep problems with your baby.
1. It doesn't matter what time the baby goes to bed as long as they get enough sleep.
Adequate sleep is crucial for your baby's growth and development because during sleep, the endocrine system releases three times more growth hormone than usual. However, the quality of your baby's sleep is also important. The proportion of deep sleep and light sleep will change depending on the time of falling asleep. The later the baby falls asleep, the higher the proportion of light sleep and the lower the proportion of deep sleep. Deep sleep is directly related to the baby's growth and development, as growth hormone is mainly secreted during deep sleep. Light sleep is more closely related to the development of the baby's memory. Therefore, try to get your "night owl" to sleep earlier.
2. If the baby's sleep time does not meet the standard, it will definitely affect their growth and development.
In fact, although each age group of babies has their specific sleep requirements, there are also individual differences between babies. For example, some babies temperamentally sleep less. In principle, as long as the baby has a good mental state, normal appetite, no digestive problems, and good weight gain, it is acceptable. However, if there is a significant deviation, such as newborns needing 16-18 hours of sleep per day, and your baby only sleeps 12 hours, it may be necessary to consult a doctor for monitoring their growth and development.
3. It is essential to train the baby to take good naps.
For babies over 3 years old, they have a lot of energy during the day, and playing and continuous activities can consume their energy, ensuring that they sleep well at night. As long as the baby has sufficient and good quality sleep at night, it can meet their growth and development needs. Therefore, if the baby does not need a nap, parents do not need to insist on it.
4. Holding the baby to sleep gives them a sense of security and helps them fall asleep faster.
Holding the baby to sleep can indeed give them a sense of security but can also make them dependent. When the baby grows up, it can be difficult to change this habit. This dependence can also prolong the baby's falling asleep time and cause difficulty in falling asleep. Moreover, when the baby wakes up at night, if the parents cannot provide timely comfort, it will be difficult for the baby to fall asleep again on their own. This will have a negative impact on cultivating the baby's habit of independent sleep and forming a natural transition between deep sleep and light sleep at night. It is recommended to gradually let the baby sleep in the crib from now on and gradually cultivate their ability to fall asleep independently.
5. When the baby makes a sound, patting them gently can help them continue sleeping.
The baby's sleep consists of deep sleep and light sleep.
For young infants, especially newborns, deep sleep and light sleep each account for about 50% and alternate constantly. During deep sleep, the baby is in a state of complete rest, with no activity other than occasional startles and slight movements of the mouth. During light sleep, the baby's arms, legs, and entire body often move, and their face may make strange expressions, frowns, smiles, etc. These are all normal manifestations during the light sleep period.
Therefore, if the baby shows gentle crying or movement, do not rush to pat, hold, or feed them. Observe them by the bedside for a while to see if they can continue sleeping. Otherwise, excessive intervention will artificially disrupt the natural alternation between deep sleep and light sleep and disrupt the baby's sleep pattern. If the baby shows more signs of crying, then we can intervene.
6. Snoring indicates that the baby is sleeping well.
Occasional snoring in babies may be caused by a cold, and the snoring symptoms will disappear after the cold is cured. However, if the baby snores frequently, it may be due to adenoid hypertrophy, tonsil hypertrophy, or other reasons that affect nasal and pharyngeal ventilation. In this case, some babies may also experience nasal congestion and mouth breathing while awake. Over time, it can cause certain harm to the baby's brain development. If your baby does have sleep snoring and mouth breathing, it is best to take them to the hospital's otolaryngology department for examination.
7. When the child is young, it is unnecessary to emphasize their sleep habits, and it can be adjusted a few months before starting preschool.
In fact, 0-1 year old is a critical period for the formation of a baby's sleep behavior, and the 24-hour circadian rhythm is generally established before the age of 1. However, many parents only think about adjusting their child's sleep habits when they need to go to work or when the child needs to start kindergarten. Once the baby's sleep habits are formed, it becomes a bit difficult to correct them. Therefore, it is best to consciously cultivate good sleep habits for the baby when they are around four to five months old.
