Should You Let a Newborn Cry Themselves to Sleep?
Allowing your newborn to cry themselves to sleep is called self-soothing, and it is a much-debated technique. The two main schools of thought when it comes to your child's sleep are self-soothing and parent-soothing.
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Self-Soothing
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Self-soothing is the technique of putting the baby in her crib awake, to go to sleep by herself. The benefit of this method was thought to be that it would teach babies to soothe themselves for comfort instead of growing up reliant on their parents.
Parent-Soothing
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The parent-soothing method is when the parent aids in the baby's falling asleep by being present and rocking, singing or nursing the baby to sleep. The benefit of this technique is that the baby gains a positive association with sleep and learns that sleep is a secure place; it also builds trust between the parents and the infant.
What To Do
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Emotional health and well-being experts Martha and William Pieper say that it is appropriate for parents to be concerned about the negative side effects of letting a baby cry itself to sleep. As self-soothing can lead to feelings of abandonment, the parent-soothing technique of getting your baby to sleep is now the preferred method among experts.
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Its important to understand that theres no magic age when a newborn will sleep through the night. Heres what you need to know:* Newborns have different sleep needs: Newborns have tiny stomachs and need to eat frequently, often every 2-3 hours. This
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Its not recommended to lay a baby on their belly regularly, especially during the first few months of life. Heres why:* Risk of Suffocation: Babies are at risk of suffocation when placed face down, especially if they cant roll over on their own. Thi
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Its important to understand that babies feeling uncomfortable all the time and bad sleeping are very general descriptions. There are many reasons why a baby might experience these things, and a proper diagnosis and treatment plan should come from a h
