The baby wakes up every few hours and also interrupts the parents' sleep. Not only freshly baked parents know the problem. Even after months and even in the first few years, this is anything but a rarity. At some point the exhaustion is also noticeable and it is no wonder that sooner or later mothers and fathers are looking for a miracle cure or trick to help themselves and your child. The big goal here is to sleep through - the big dream of every mother. And you don't have to look long to numerous supposed onesTips and tricksto find. One of them is a very controversial method: let the baby scream.
Parents turned this method decades ago. The so-called controlled screaming, also called Ferber method, is very well known, in which the child is to be slowly getting used to and the intervals of screaming are gradually extended. But can you let a baby scream? Numerous scientists and doctors are strict against these and similar methods. According to studies, they should have a negative impact on theDevelopment of the babyor have a child.
Today we explain to you why this is so. Find out what happens when you let baby scream, which is the reason why babies and toddlers wake up so often at night and why it is so difficult to fall asleep. Finally, we also give you answers to two more important questions: When can babies sleep through or how can my child learn to sleep?
Let the baby scream to learn to sleep - the myth and the truth
Babies cannot sleep. We adults also wake up in the same way. The difference is that we can no longer remember it in the morning. For these moments of growing up, there is also a simple explanation that is related to our origin and nature.
This is a protective function of the body. When we humans still lived in caves, it was dangerous at night. Sleep is a moment of weakness that predators could take advantage of. So the baby wants to make sure that it is still safe during sleep. It also feels safe close to the mother because it is protected from freezing.So babies watch regularly to check whether their protectors, i.e. the parents, are still present to take care of them.
“But we no longer live in caves, wolves cannot be accomplished and it is warm thanks to the heating around the clock,” you may think now. Well, the baby does not know and understand that. His body instinctively works, everything “works” automatically.
If you let the baby scream, put it in a state of fear. It feels relaxed and defenseless alone. And that is not only the case if you let an infant scream. Small children also have the need to be reassured by the parents.
Let baby shout - why does that actually seem to work?
Since this type of education has become so popular, there must be something on it, right? In fact, it seems as if the method is working. So let the baby scream in bed, isn't that wrong? After a few days or nights, the child no longer cries to sleep and even at night it is no longer noticeable. And exactly the last few words of this sentence are the crucial ones:It is no longer noticeable.This is to be understood as follows:
Should you let baby scream?
When you let the baby scream at night, stress hormones are released that aims to help a living being survived. The pulse increases, all vital organs are more supplied with blood and the skin, as well as secondary internal organs, are less. The brain switches off so that thinking is set and only reflexive action that serves to survive works. Everything is in full swing and the hormones demand a lot from the body. In the long term, this is harmful to health.
If the baby or toddler becomes calm and falls asleep after a while, this is not a sign that they have taught them how to fall asleep and sleep through. If you let the baby scream, it only falls exhausted to sleep. It gets calm because it instinctively understands that nobody will come and it is better to be quiet in order not to attract predators and to save energy.
Because the brain switches off, the baby feels neither panic, nor fear, but also no hunger or thirst, if this should occur at night. Likewise, it does not draw attention to a full diaper or if it is too warm or too cold. So if you let the child scream to fall asleep, it only learns to suppress your needs.
Can a baby learn to sleep or not?
No. It is intended by nature that we humans, whether baby, child or adult, become awake at regular intervals and in this way check whether we are safe. So believe that you have taught your baby to sleep by having it screamed, you are wrong. It just doesn't protest because it makes no sense in its eyes.
So if the baby wakes up at night, it is just there and switches off again so as not to make its needs unnecessarily noticeable and attract other predators. Biologists refer to this as rigid protection. Parents, whose Ferber method is positive, are probably not aware of these facts and do not understand that they have actually not achieved anything positive.
Let baby scream - follow
On the one hand, it will lose trust in them as parents if they let the baby scream. The mother-child bond is disturbed. They harm the original trust when they let the baby scream. How strong the effects are in later child and adulthood, of course, depends on many other factors, such as to what extent the bond is otherwise designed. But that's not all.
Why not let baby scream?
Too much stress, as in adults, has an impact on the immune system. If you let the baby scream, if it doesn't want to sleep, it gets weaker and the child is sick more often. In later years, the children, which are strongly stressed at the early age, become more difficult with stressful situations, they are lighter and sleep problems, anxiety disorders and learning problems can occur. There is also a risk of suffering from depression later or dependent on your baby or toddler.
Possible consequencesFrom stress when you let the toddler or baby scream to sleep, briefly summarized:
- lack of trust and emotional unstable
- weakened immune system due to the effects of the hormones on the central nervous system and consequently more frequent illness
- Sleep problems
- Learning problems
- Problem coping with stress
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Dependencies
- Impairment of growth
Baby screams into sleep despite the presence of the parents
Now you shouldn't worry if your child screams and cries despite your presence. This is quite normal, because the small beings can not say in any other way that they lack something. But how long can you let baby scream?
Child doesn't want to sleep - let it scream?
As long as they are there and keep it in their arms or otherwise try to calm it down and againto help sleep, is not a problem. Because in this case it is not fromLet crythe speech. Through the loving care that you give your child in this way, they help him to stabilize again and come to rest. They support it to reduce the stress level again and thus prevent the stress hormones from pouring out permanently.
Instead, other hormones help you fall asleep when you avoid letting your child cry and cuddling with your baby instead or are just there in other ways. The brain then releases Oxytocin, which is also called cuddly hormone and helped us to endure the pain at birth. It has a calming effect and also lowers the stress hormone level in the baby or child who rose during wine.Stress is broken down. However, if the child falls asleep without this hormone, the mirror remains high.
Even if the baby does not calm down after a long time, you shouldn't give up and let the baby scream to sleep. In this stressful situation, parents try many different methods in a short time, the babyto weigh asleep- First on the gymnastics ball, then through back and forth, then again in the stretcher, with narration or singing ...
What is meant is even more excited by the baby and overwhelms it. Instead, stay with a method and keep them with the motto “Less is more”. For example, some babies react positivelywhite noiseOr the monotonous sound of a hair dryer. But even if you use one of these methods for your baby, you should not leave it alone to fall asleep, but also calm down with your proximity. Also make sure that everything else is okay:
- Is it too warm or too cold?
- Maybe the child is in pain?
- Is the diaper full or maybe it has topotty?
- Is the baby hungry?
- Already signal newborns when theyTake off and hold the businesswant to become. Is that perhaps the cause of the crying?
When should baby sleep through?
From when sleeping through toddlersOr babies is one of the big questions that parents ask themselves. Every mother dreams of a long night and you hear from other mothers how lovely their children are already sleeping, the need grows even more. In addition, there is concern, you would do something wrong yourself. It is thatBaby sleep not only individually, but also relative.
On the one hand, sleeping in every age phase means something different. Babies, for example, can rarely sleep through a total of 8 hours, as they still feed on milk and get hungry after a few hours. Growth phases, teething, exciting experiences during the day or a full diaper also affect sleep. WithStart of complementary foodsIf the duration of sleep changes, because from a certain point in time, the body is enough to get through the night to get through the night.
Baby for 12 months no longer sleeps through
Sleep phases change depending on age, growth spurts and other factors. Your one -year -old child doesn't sleep through, although there was no problem with it so far? This is also normal and can change again soon.
Baby does not sleep through 15 months - is that still normal at this age?
In addition, each child needs an individual need for closeness and affection. Some are more sensitive and more dependent on the presence of mom and dad, while others are less necessary. That is why some children are no longer looking for their parents when they become awake at night, while others take longer to do this.
In general, you should be prepared that there will probably be nightly interruptions in the first 3 to 4 years. Over time, however, babies and children usually find it easier to sleep again, provided you are there for them.
Babies can learn to sleep without screaming if they get used to a regular daily routine. Your child, 9 months, doesn't sleep through? Then you could try the same daily rhythm. The baby should know when what to expect. Meals, walks and bedding at always the same time, as well as sleep rituals such as a bath, a story or a song that set the child to sleep, can be easily found in the Schalf And then to sleep calmly. It is not a guarantee, but it is worth trying and it is always better than the baby shouts at night.
Baby or toddler cry in other cases
The myth that we should ignore crying babies and children does not only exist in terms of sleeping and sleeping. It can also be done during the dayTo scream in babies- and wine attacks come. A frequent tip is also: let the child or baby scream. The reasons for whether you let the child or baby cry or not are the same as when it comes to falling asleep. Children don't cry for no reason. Babies have needs that they express in this way.
While toddlers can usually call needs such as hunger, thirst or business in other ways, screaming is usually the cause of overwhelming. The little ones now learn and discover so much new and that can be very exhausting. Often the children cannot cope with a certain situation when it comes to screaming attacks and then need the help and calm of the mother or father. Ignorance, scolding or even shouting back overwhelm the child only more. The consequences are the same as if you let the child scream at night.
