How NOT to Put Your Baby to Sleep – Series Part 2

This is part two of the How NOT to Put a Baby to Sleep Series.  In the first series we went over 3 methods that many people use to put their baby to sleep that they should not.  In this segment of the series we will continue to provide methods that you should not use to put your baby to sleep.  You may find them humorous, disturbing or perhaps you may think there is nothing wrong at all using the following methods.

Feeding Baby Until They Fall Asleep – Many, many parents make the mistake of continually feeding their baby either by breastfeeding or bottle feeding until their baby falls asleep.  Some parents believe that feeding their baby lots of food before they go to sleep will help them sleep better and longer.  In fact, using the method to put your baby to sleep is very unhealthy.  One of the reasons it is unhealthy is that it begins a bad routine for your child, having them expect a full belly when going to sleep.  Another negative of this method is that it makes your baby feel like it has to be sucking on something when it falls asleep.  Last but not least, putting your baby to sleep this way can also cause them to have an upset stomach and will likely result in your child sleeping in a soiled or waking in the night because of it.

Letting Baby Sleep Where They May – The title of this bullet may seem confusing to some.  Let me explain.  Many parents will let them baby stay up until they just pass out and never build a routine around bed time.  This of course is a bad idea and not a healthy way to put your baby to sleep either.  Routines are essential in a baby's growth and development.  They crave routine and you should take advantage of this craving.  Having a routine to put baby to sleep should include a task you do every night before bedtime.  This task may be giving baby a bath, singing, reading, massaging, etc.  If you make it a habit of doing a specific task with your baby each night he/she will begin to associate it with bed time.  Having a routine will also help your baby settle down into their own crib, allowing baby to sleep without crying and fussing.

A Little Bit Of Cough Syrup Does The Trick – I know it sounds absurd to you, but this is much more common than you may think.  Generally when someone puts a baby to sleep using cough syrup it's not the parent. Often it is a nanny, babysitter or even a relative. They  do this so the baby will go to sleep and not bother the caregiver.  The parents will come home, ask about the baby and often the response is, "He/She is such a good kid.  He/She has been catching up on his/her sleep."  Of course this not a healthy way to put your baby to sleep, but the sad fact is some people use this horrid and disgusting technique to put a baby to sleep.

How NOT To Put Your Baby To Sleep is a series. The more readers I have, the more parts will be in the series. You may follow the series here or by visiting my very fun and informative site at http://www.babycarepointers.com.  To be continued…