Infant sleep aides: Helpful or harmful?

May 19

Deciding to sleep train might as well come with a new language manual to help guide you through all of the terms used in the world of sleep teaching with your baby.

Sleep props, sleep associations, CIO, Ferberizing, awake windows, sleep crutches, time to rise, dwt (day wake time), and regressions - it’s all a lot to take in, especially when you’re sleep deprived.

But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. The process of sleep teaching, after all, is simply helping your child learn to sleep better by introducing and maintaining healthy sleep habits.

There are, however, things that can get in the way of that, such as sleep props. If you’ve ever done the paci dance all day and night, you know that I mean!

Sleep “props” are things like pacifiers, lovies, and white noise, while “associations” are more like being fed to sleep or being swaddled.

The tricky thing is, many sleep props and associations do help promote sleep when used properly, but there is varying advice given about which ones to use and which ones to stay away from. Some are great to use, while others can hinder your baby’s ability to sleep on her own.

Here are a few questions to consider if you find yourself relying on sleep props or associations to help get your baby to sleep.

Does your child rely so heavily on a sleep prop that she can’t fall asleep or go back to sleep without it? As in, is it causing premature nap wake-ups and multiple night wakings? To clarify, needing to fall asleep with a pacifier in or a quick replacement of the paci is fine, but if your baby is waking up every single time it falls out and you’re going in to replace it (remember the paci dance?) because your baby can’t yet, this could become an issue.
Do you feel like your baby’s human pacifier - as in, you are feeding multiple times per night or for naps even when your baby doesn’t need a feed? If so, your baby likely has an association with being fed to sleep. This is not to be confused with giving an actual feed when it’s needed. However, babies often want the comfort of nursing or a bottle, and they become used to pacifying in this way, as opposed to really needing the calories.
Does your baby need to be rocked, bounced, or have the constant involvement of a caregiver in order to go to sleep? Babies need to be taught how to self-soothe before we can expect them to do it on their own, and often your involvement is how we teach them these skills! We teach this in our 4-12 month online course and sleep guide, if you aren’t sure where to start.

Here are some of the sleep associations that you do want to practice consistently with your baby.

1. Have a bedtime routine.

Having a consistent bedtime routine, including things such as a bath, reading, a last feed, singing, praying, or/and massage, is a great way to help your baby stay calm and prepare for bed. Studies have shown that parents who use bedtime routines report definite improvements in their baby's sleep quality.

2. Swaddle your baby or use a sleep sack.

Swaddling keeps babies from startling themselves in the first few months of life, and using a sleep sack helps promote that snug feeling, helping your baby stay asleep longer. With swaddling, just be careful to do so safely. Make sure your baby can still breath easily, doesn’t get overheated, and can still move her hips and knees. And of course, make sure you are placing your baby to sleep on her back to avoid the risk of SIDS. Check out some of our favorites swaddles here, and for more information see The benefits and misconceptions about swaddling your baby.

3. Use a white noise machine.

In a 1990 study, 80% of babies who listened to white noise fell asleep within 5 minutes, while only 25% of the other babies did. White noise can be a great way to help your baby feel calm (it helps the brain slow down), as well as block out other background noises. However, be careful to not play the sound too loud! If you're unsure, download a decibel reader app on your phone and make sure the sound is not more than 50 decibels and that the machine is at least 7 feet away from your baby.

4.. Try offering a pacifier, but know when to leave it out.

Pacifiers have been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS, but it's hit and miss as to whether it will help your baby sleep better or longer. In a 2004 study, almost 2/3 of babies dropped their pacifiers within 30 minutes of falling asleep. We encourage you to offer a pacifier, but you don’t want it to get to the point where your baby wakes up and cries every time it falls out. If your baby is old enough to find the pacifier and put it back in, then great!

5. For older babies, offer a love.

First things first, it is a SIDS risk to have any object inside a baby's crib in their first year of life. However, once your baby turns 1, we do encourage the use of a small lovie, as it can possibly help your toddler self-soothe. In a 2002 study, 90% of babies who had a comfort object used it during the night.

Here are a few of the sleep aides/associations that can hinder your baby’s ability to sleep well.

1. Feeding your baby to sleep and for night/nap wakings.

What baby isn’t comforted instantly by a feeding? It's not just a question of filling an empty stomach - it's also the act of sucking that is calming, as is skin-to-skin contact. Feeding is most mothers' go-to sleep aide, but the problem is when your baby begins to depend on it, even when his stomach doesn't physically need it. Constantly feeding a baby to sleep, without trying other calming methods, can actually cause more frequent night wakings, as well as hindering their ability to self-soothe. (Related: Can a dream feed work for your baby?)

2. Rocking or bouncing your baby back to sleep each time.

Since newborns are used to being in motion in the womb, it is common for them to feel soothed and fall asleep in a swing, in your arms, or in the car. While that is fine in the first few weeks/months of life, and often inevitable, we still recommend attempting as much sleep as possible in her own crib/bassinet. Rather than waiting until your 6, 12, or even 18 month old still needs to be rocked to sleep, make sure you give even newborns some crib time from the beginning to create a positive sleep association with stationary crib sleep. Plus, it is much safer than a swing or other moving object! Some studies have also shown that babies who are rocked to sleep often have more night wakings, and while this doesn’t mean you can’t ever rock your baby to sleep, you just want to try and limit it in order to promote self-soothing.

3. Co-sleeping.

Many families start co-sleeping because they are too exhausted to try anything else. However, co-sleeping is a big SIDS risk - especially when the parents are completely exhausted! There are many other ways, as listed above, to help soothe your baby. If you don’t want a toddler sleeping in your bed in the future, then don’t get into the habit of it when they are a baby.

There are many healthy sleep props and associations for you to try with your baby. In everything you do, however, remember that you want it to be sustainable - something that will help your whole family get the sleep they need, rather than leaving you more exhausted than ever.

For more advice, check out our 4-12 month online course and sleep guide.

Sources:
https://www.parentingscience.com/infant-sleep-aid.html
https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/white-noise-for-babies

Safe Sleep

Melinda Muyargas