The Sleep Advice That I Could’ve Done Without

The sleep advice that I got, that I didn't really need…. 

1. If you put rice cereal in his bottle, he’ll sleep through the night – Really? I’m not so sure about that. Every time I heard this, I just shrugged it off. For the first few weeks, he was up every 2-3 hours, at least once or twice a night for the next several months, and finally slept through the night consistently somewhere around 6 months or so. Here’s the thing, it wasn’t until our pediatrician told me that I could start giving him rice cereal that I actually did, and it didn’t seem to make any noticeable difference in how long he slept. Go figure, right?   

2. If you let him sleep with you, he’ll never sleep by himself – Okay, this is seriously the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. From the day we came home from the hospital, he slept in a bassinet-style sleeper. Every morning when he woke up around 3-4 AM, I would feed him and then, ofcourse, burp him – guess where he passed out? Exactly – on my chest – and that’s where he ended up staying all morning. When he learned to roll over and sit up, I transitioned him to his crib. I seriously thought I was going to have a nightmare on my hands – at least the way everyone else told the tale. Ironically, not at all… The first night wasn’t perfect, but every night after – I put him in his crib, give him his pacifier, turn music on, and walk away. Most of the time, it’s that simple.   

3. If you put him on his tummy, he’ll sleep better – This is really a matter of unto each their own, but it’s definitely not something I was ever comfortable with the idea of doing. I had to watch videos and sign off before we were discharged from the hospital stating that I knew the possible risks associated with putting an infant on their tummy to sleep. We’re at the point now where he can roll over and I still put him on his back. If he chooses to roll over, that’s on him – I’m fine with it. I suppose that’s a far-cry better than going into his room and rolling him back over again before I go to bed every night, isn’t it?    

How many times did well-meaning people tell you the same few things over and over? Was there advice you got that you could’ve done without? Leave a comment and tell me about it – I can’t possibly be the only one who’s gotten some advice that they didn’t quite agree with. 

Written by: Cristi Wuenschel