Article Review: "Sleep Baby Sleep: Parents' Behavior has Direct Impact on Children's Slumber

I just read an article conducted by the Department of Psychology at the Universit de Montral and its affiliated hospital. This study "investigated how parenting can affect sleep in children."

So, you are wondering? Can I mess up my baby/child's sleep? This study indicates that "the way parents put their babies to bed has a direct impact on how well children sleep when they reach four to six years old." I have always known that the way you put your baby to sleep is extremely important and lasting, but here you can statistically see how much it impacts them.

"The researchers found that the manner 29-to41 month old toddlers were put to sleep influenced how they would slumber between the ages of 4 to 6. Parents behaviors that most affected childrens' sleep included:

• Giving children food or drink after they awoke, which provoked bad dreams, sleep of less than 10 hours or delays in falling back asleep.
• Co-sleeping with children when they awoke delayed their falling back asleep by 15 minutes."

The researchers also found:

• Mothers often think that infants cry only when hungry and so they may continue to respond with food or drink when 29-41 month old toddlers awake- which can cause bad dreams and shorter total sleep when children reach 4 to 6 years old.
  
• "Parents often opt for co-sleeping as a reaction, but co-sleeping is not the best option to prevent future sleep difficulties. Co-sleeping and other uncommon parental behaviors have negative consequences for future sleep."

I just heard a mother of six speak on Creating Independence in Your Children, she said to be careful that when you make a parenting decision you are making it as a choice on how you want to parent and not as a way to avoid a struggle. Keep this principle in mind as you decide how you want your infant, baby, child to go to sleep for naps and each night.