Last Updated on October 19, 2022 by Marie Bautista
I bet you may have heard these baby sleep myths!
Every new moms expect to be sleep-deprived.
I was! Ever heard of “sleeping like a baby”? Every new mom knows that is SOOO not true.
And oh, those baby sleep myths! Much as my mom and grandma swore they were true, here are three baby sleep myths every new parent should not believe.
MYTH No. 1: You have to be really, as in REAAAALLLLY, quiet when baby is sleeping.
When baby is sleeping – after hours of playing at night when everyone, including you, should be sleeping, do you whisper and tiptoe just to make sure she does not wake up?
Although you would not want to risk waking her up (so you can also get your much-needed mommy sleep), tiptoeing and being very extra quiet may not be necessary.
Here’s why.
A baby experiences all sorts of noise while in the womb, and those sounds she heard in the womb can actually be a comfort to her. The phrase “sleeping like a baby” can be actually true, because babies can sleep through a lot of noise when she is in deep sleep.
White noise may also help your baby to sleep soundly. I used to play Disney Classic music to lull my daughter to sleep. When this does not work, I turn on the FM radio for some white noise. Amazingly, it works!
Just don’t be too dependent on white noise, because your child may not get accustomed to everyday sounds. The more she hears typical house noises, the better he will likely to be sleeping through all the noise.
MYTH No. 2 Rice or cereal added to your baby’s milk will make her sleep soundly.
Just don’t. Experts recommend to start introducing solid foods around six months. Before that, just pure breast milk or formula.
Adding rice or cereal to your baby’s milk could make her gain excess weight, too.
By the way, I am in love with this baby milestone blanket!
MYTH No. 3: If you let your baby sleep late at night, he will have a deep sleep and wake later the next morning.
This is absolutely not true. Just look out for your baby’s sleepy cues. If she started yawning, shaking her head (my daughter used to do this to lull herself to sleep), or rubbing her eyes, then she may be telling you it is her bedtime.
Eventually, you will get accustomed to her internal clock.
MYTH No. 4: All babies snore.
Studies show that about 15 to 25% of babies snore. And baby snoring is cute, don’t you think?
However, snoring can be signs of certain medical conditions like obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is when a baby pauses briefly while breathing causing her to snore. This can lead to loss of sleep and eventually, to developmental problems when she grows up.
Snoring in babies is nothing to worry about.
It may seem cute if your little one makes funny snoring sounds(studies show that about 15 to 25% of all infants do), but this could also be a sign of a medical condition.
Snoring and noisy breathing sounds while your baby is sleeping may be perfectly normal, but if it happens all the time, or you just have this gut feeling that the way your baby is snoring seems unusual, talk to your pediatrician.
My advice to all new moms is this: This, too, shall pass. Babies get into a regular rhythm of sleeping on or before their sixth month. Just enjoy your sleepless nights with your newborn!