Common Misconception: Sleep Edition

Let's talk, people. I've got some things to say regarding common misconceptions about babies. There are so many false things put out about what is "normal" and "right" for a baby to be doing at any given stage. I'm here to set some things straight with facts.

1. "Babies should sleep through the night!"

FALSE. 100% FALSE. Babies, like adults, go through stages of sleep throughout the night. If for some reason a baby sleeps through the night soundly, that's awesome! But, not all babies sleep through the night and there are many reasons as to why that is.

For great resources about infant/toddler sleeping habits and healthy, effective products to help your baby sleep soundly, visit www.nestedbean.com.

2. "Rice cereal in the bottle will help baby sleep!"

In fact, rice cereal does NOT make a baby sleep better. While sleep is something we all desperately crave as parents, the myth of cereal helping a baby sleep better by "keeping it full" is just that. For more information on that particular myth, see the article below!

https://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-true-that-eating-rice-cereal-can-help-a-young-baby-sle_10304430.bc

3. "Cosleeping creates spoiled, clingy children!" Or, the flip side of that, "If you don't cosleep your child won't love you as much."

This is simply not true. Infants and children are new and are still learning everything. They spent months hanging out with mom, safe, warm, secure, happy and peaceful. Naturally, they would want that same connection outside the womb. The worst part about cosleeping is the lack of privacy, if you ask me. Cosleeping is not for everyone! It wasn't for me. I am a very restless sleeper and disturbed my child's sleep. She still loves me just as much as if I coslept with her and is perfectly fine in her crib.

For information about the pros/cons of cosleeping, here is an article from NestedBean!

https://www.nestedbean.com/blogs/zen-blog/co-sleeping-pros-cons

4. "You'll never sleep again!"

Well, this one is a little bit of an exaggeration, but, a study done recently shows that many parents don't sleep well again til their child is old enough to start kindergarten! Naturally, women are more affected than men.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-parents-may-face-six-years-disrupted-sleep-180971583/

Some tips and tricks that worked for me, but, may not work for you are listed below! Feel free to add yours!

• For babies not yet rolling, I highly recommend the Nested Bean Swaddle! I will be giving one of them to everyone I know who has a baby in the future!

• White noise. I absolutely swear by white noise. If you don't have a white noise machine, there is a 10hour loop of it on YouTube! (LINK: https://youtu.be/oewj_XEM1js)

• A lamp that dims! One of these puppies are a lifesaver. I use a salt lamp because I like the soft light.

• Mustela chest rub for congestion. It has a light pine scent and is mild and natural. I apply it when my baby is congested and she has an easier time at night.

• An air purifier or humidifier to improve air quality helps a lot!

EDIT: Since everyone seems to be cynical, rest assured, I'm not being paid by NestedBean. The company and specialists have helped me a ton. I think people could benefit from their products though. Y'all are so negative. Just because someone highly recommends a product or site doesn't mean they're getting paid by them.