Baby Sleep: When to Let Your Baby Cry It Out | Parents

Watch as Parents tells you when to let your baby cry it out! Getting to know your babies diverse cries from irritation to worry over the first few months of their life can help clue you in to when crying it out before sleep is the best option. During these first few months, you do everything you can to help console your crying infant from feeding to rocking her. As you progress into determining a baby sleep schedule to help her sleep through the night, you'll have to face the sometimes difficult task of letting your baby be upset and learn how to soothe herself. This task is easier said than done, and can be absolutely heartbreaking but necessary in helping her fall asleep on her own and sleep throughout the night. It's important to untangle your emotions from your baby's during this time, as her cries can evoke powerful feelings or memories from your own childhood. When your baby is crying, she is not feeling afraid or scared like older children might but rather angry or upset. She has been used to your help to get to sleep in the past, from rocking to singing at any hour of the night. This first limit on your newborn sleep patterns will be beneficial down the road. Letting your baby cry it out may be difficult for both of you, but is an important step in how to get baby to sleep better!

About Parents: We’re here to help moms and dads raise happy, healthy kids—and have A LOT of fun along the way. Parents features information about child health, safety, behavior, discipline and education. There are also stories on women's health, nutrition, pregnancy, marriage, and beauty. It is aimed primarily at women ages 18–35 with young children.

Follow us today to become the best parent you can be!

[zbxosfy]

It should depend on how old the child is. If it is very small, it won't be learning anything soon, so you should hold them. The older they get, the more space you should give them.

[lisakitzmiller]

They learn self soothing it's good for them to have some time to themselves, I'm sure the mother would appreciate it also

[arielcazares]

This didn't answer the question "when?" When is a good time to start this

[AAPJM]

Young babies have no real awareness of time passing or spacial boundaries. When  young baby cries, it cries for the protection of its guardian so it can feel safe and secure whilst it's brain is still fully developing. This is why the world health organisation gives specific advice about breastfeeding within the first  year of life. When you allow a young baby to cry, that baby is too under developed mentally to have any awareness why its guardian is not there to protect it. This vid offers no advice about the babys age or development stage and nothing about sleep patterns of newborns. Seriously worrying that information such as this can be broadcast.

[blessedfela]

i never leave my baby to cry....but i always wonder what to do to the fact that my baby wants to sleep only when am holding her, but when i put her down to sleep she starts to cry and its not a genuine cry she seems to force it

[slopcrusher]

Fun fact, when I was a baby I had acid reflux, if my mom hadn't have came in to the room every time I was crying I would have had phenomnia and probably died, that's for the advice letting children cry themselves to sleep!

[mugen]

In nursing school, we learn that babies who feel safe, who know that their physical and emotional needs are taken care of, tend to grow up to be independent, confident, optimistic adults. Only let your baby cry if you are driven to the brink. Putting the child down and walking away for a few minutes is a better alternative to shaking/hurting it. Otherwise, always try to soothe your baby.

[pinkfurryhat]

Sam logic with puppies. Separation anxiety. They learn they wont die alone in about a week lol

[nuttpowder]

i just heard a bunch of emotion bs and not when...9 months? when?

[dencopier]

Poor babies! Parents these days just want everything to be easy, baby who was just brought into this cruel world and needs mothers protection and love has to be left abandoned just for parents comfort. Its just doesn't make any sense, so parent has to teach a baby how to sleep so the child would learn a good sleeping habit in the future because otherwise they wouldn't sleep??? Lol So people who weren't tortured like that as babies they don't sleep once they get older? Cmon people if you are not prepared to be a parent and not ready for some sleepless nights (it is normal) then don't have kids.

[isabellabuscio]

If your child is crying, and you want to comfort your child, FOLLOW YOUR PARENTAL INSTINCTS! They are correct! Pick a crying baby up, especially if you have the urge to do so! Modern psychology says that a crying baby is full of adrenaline and in panic. The notion of self soothing does not work in the early years of infancy. Rather, babies will stop crying out of exhaustion. The advice given in this video is wrong in my opinion.

[wenbiafra]

If you plan to let your baby cry, then don't have children on the first place.

[smile]

Bull.  There is NO reason to let your baby feel abandoned.  Some babies don't sleep well, no one said parenthood should be easy!  This is not ok.