Sleep myths debunked: Common misconceptions about infant and toddler sleep
When it comes to getting your baby or toddler to sleep well, advice is never in short supply. From well-meaning relatives to online forums, everyone seems to have a “tried and true” tip that promises longer stretches of sleep. But what if some of this advice is actually working against you? Common sleep myths like feeding your baby cereal before bed, keeping them up late so they’ll sleep in, or never waking a sleeping baby have been passed down for generations—but they might be doing more harm than good.
In this blog, we’re going to debunk some of the most persistent sleep myths that could be standing in the way of better sleep for your little one. If you’re tired of following outdated advice that just isn’t working, keep reading to discover the truth behind these common misconceptions and learn what really helps when it comes to infant and toddler sleep.
Myth #1: “Put cereal in your baby’s bottle so they’ll sleep through the night.”
This is an extremely prevalent myth and no doubt you’ve heard it from at least one well-meaning person since having your baby. Unfortunately, this myth is not only unlikely to work, it’s also unsafe for your baby.
Putting cereal in your baby’s bottle is a way of encouraging parents to make sure their baby is really full before bed each night. The idea behind this is that if your baby is full, they’re less likely to feel hungry overnight and therefore they are less likely to wake at all. This might make sense if the only reason babies woke up at night was due to hunger. Unfortunately, that’s not the only reason.
Babies can wake for all kinds of reasons overnight: hunger, comfort, assistance to fall back asleep. In fact, the number one reason your baby is waking frequently throughout the night is most likely related to the way in which they fall asleep. If they need assistance to fall asleep (laying with, rocking, feeding, etc.) then when they have normal night wakings they will need that same help again to fall asleep. Read more about navigating night wakings here.
From a safety standpoint, a baby who is not old enough to eat rice cereal by spoon should never be given rice cereal in their bottle. They lack the oral motor skills to successfully eat this and it could become a choking hazard. What’s more, packing your baby’s belly too full before bed can cause tummy issues and discomfort for them.
Myth #2: “If you put your child to bed later, they’ll sleep in the next morning.”
This myth usually gets brought out around the holidays as little ones stay up later for the festivities. You might get weird looks when you have to duck out early to put your baby to bed and I’m sure you’ll hear someone call out, “If you keep them up later then you can stay longer AND they’ll sleep in tomorrow!”
Ohhhh if only that were true- but it’s not. What is actually more likely is that keeping your child up past their bedtime will cause them to wake up earlier than their usual wake up time. And that’s the last thing you need when you’ve been busy the day before!
So why does it happen that way? At various ages, your child will be able to handle differing amounts of time awake before they are ready for bed. At 4 months, you can expect that length of time to be about 2 hours. By 3 years, you can expect it to be about 5-6 hours. The window increases as they age. However, if you push them to stay awake longer than their ideal amount of time before they are developmentally ready, it will cause them to be overtired.
When overtiredness happens it increases their stress hormone, cortisol, and this can make it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. Not only that, but early in the morning their cortisol level naturally starts rising as it gets closer to time to wake up. If they are starting with an already slightly elevated amount of cortisol, then they are probably going to hit that threshold earlier and therefore wake up to start the day earlier too. Learn more about the reasons for early wakings here.
Myth #3: “Never wake a sleeping baby.”
Some parents feel it is criminal to wake a baby that is peacefully sleeping. And I get it, to an extent. Who wants to disturb a precious baby when they are sleeping? Not only that but when they are sleeping, you get a break! But once they are awake you are back “on duty” needing to constantly keep a close eye on them.
However, I’m here to tell you that there are absolutely times when it’s okay (and even best for baby) to wake them!
If you have a newborn or young baby who is awake a lot at night but then takes long, luxurious naps during the day… it’s time to start waking them up from their naps. A good rule of thumb is to wake them if they’ve been napping for 2 hours. This encourages them to break up their daytime sleep and get their needed awake time during the day so they aren’t making up for it at night.
If you are close to a nap transition but not quite there yet, you may have to micromanage your little one’s schedule in order to fit everything in without pushing bedtime too late. It can be challenging to fit in all your naps, wake windows, and not have bedtime super late so sometimes capping naps is essential during this phase. Read more about nap transitions and when to expect them here.
If your child is sleeping in for the morning but you have places you need to be or maybe you just know that letting them sleep in too much will throw off their whole day! It’s absolutely okay to wake them up around their usual wake time to keep the day moving smoothly for them (and you).
Myth #4: “Keep it loud and bright during naptime so your child will learn to sleep anywhere.”
This one I can absolutely understand the desire to teach your child how to sleep anywhere and everywhere. Napping on the go, taking a snooze at grandma’s house, and being able to travel and have your little one’s sleep totally unaffected sounds great!
The issue with this myth is that every child is different. I’ve found that some babies and toddlers will be able to sleep in any environment while others will struggle if the conditions aren’t ideal. However, I don’t find that this is something you can “train.” Additionally, many newborns and young babies are able to sleep easily no matter where they are but as they age and grow, they have a harder time settling down when there are distractions around them. Sleeping anywhere (especially for naps) tends to become more and more elusive as your baby ages.
It’s also important to understand that the quality of your child’s sleep is linked to their sleep environment and although you may have a child who does sleep in a bright room, or without white noise, or while people are laughing and talking around them, that sleep is just going to be less restorative than if they were in their ideal sleep environment.
Because of that, I lean towards creating that ideal sleep environment whenever you can provide it, so that your child gets good quality sleep as often and regularly as possible. Then, for the times when you can’t control their sleep environment, they’ll do the best they can. The sleep may not be as restorative but you know that when they get back home, they’ll be able to get better rest again!
Final Thoughts
When it comes to sleep, there’s no shortage of well-meaning advice—unfortunately, much of it is rooted in myths that can hinder your baby or toddler’s rest rather than improve it. By focusing on scientifically-backed methods and understanding your child’s unique sleep needs, you can set them up for better rest and happier days.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck despite your best efforts, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. I’m here to help! Let’s chat during a free 15-minute discovery call to see if my approach to sleep coaching is a good fit for your family. Together, we can identify what’s standing in the way of good sleep and craft a plan that works for you. Schedule your free call here. Let’s take the guesswork out of sleep and get your little one on track for peaceful nights and restful days!
