Sometimes I wonder if the person who coined the phrase “I slept like a baby” had ever met a real baby!

Sleep is a area of infant care is that is overwhelmingly crowded with anecdata and “expert opinions”. For desperate sleep deprived new mums there are endless “sleep programs” fool proof “routines” and “schedules” that promise your little one will “sleep like a baby”…. for a fee.

However there is no good quality large volume evidence to support any of these approaches and while there will always be babies that do respond to such programs, what about ones that don’t? And for the ones that do, is this the right thing for the baby and equally as important is it the right thing for you?

Before I continue I would like to preface that even as a mum of 3 and a doctor with special interest in this area, I don’t pretend to have all the answers about how to make a baby sleep, but I believe that by educating Mums about infant sleep from a neurodevelopmental basis,

But what I do want to share is  importance of taking a neurodevelopmental care approach. There are so many opinions out there about sleep and settling, but let’s focus on what we know from the research.

Dr. Pamela Douglas developed the Possums approach, which emphasizes the importance of understanding your baby’s cues and needs, and working with their natural sleep rhythms. This approach recognizes that babies have different temperaments and sleep needs, and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

From a neurodevelopmental perspective, it’s important to understand that infants are born with immature nervous systems, and their sleep patterns will naturally develop over time. By providing a safe and supportive sleep environment, responding to your baby’s needs in a timely manner, and following their natural sleep cues, you can help facilitate healthy sleep habits.

Remember, every baby is unique, and there is no magic formula for perfect sleep. But by taking a neurodevelopmental care approach and following your baby’s lead, you can help set them up for healthy sleep habits in the long run. Let’s work together to support our little ones’ sleep needs!