The Top 10 Sleep Mistakes Parents Make
"These are not negative or bad behaviors، but they become a problem—or a crutch—when they're so closely linked in the child's mind with slumber that [they] cannot drift off without them،" she says.
This means that each and every time your baby wakes up—and we all wake up several times throughout the night—they will need you to rock، nurse، swing، or sing them back to sleep. So although you can engage in these activities، you shouldn't let your child fall completely asleep to them.
The key is to put your child to bed drowsy، but awake (preferably starting between six to eight weeks for healthy، full-term babies) so that they'll learn to self-soothe and get back to sleep each time they wake up.
Switching From Crib to Big-Kid Bed Too Soon
"This is a classic mistake parents make،" says Faure، who advises not transitioning to a big kid bed until your toddler attempts to climb out of their crib on their own and are at risk of hurting themselves. Until then، "a crib's sides provide a very useful barrier at a time when your baby cannot understand or obey verbal boundaries (such as 'Stay in your bed')،" she adds.
If you are ready to transition your toddler to a big kid، West says there are two main ways you can approach the change:
- The cold turkey method: Simply remove the crib and replace it with the new bed. Just be sure to have guard rails on both sides (or if the bed is against the wall، place the rail on the open side).
- The gradual approach: Start by leaving the crib rail down، with a stool at the side so your child can get out by themselves، and some pillows near the crib in case they fall out.
