Let the baby cry or not, a subject that provokes many debates between parents!
It’s hard to listen to your little one cry, so you probably rush to their crib right away! However, a new study suggests that letting your baby cry alone is actually beneficial and not as horrible as it might seem at first glance.
Here’s why it’s not unhealthy to do so:
1. There are no side effects.
A study by the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that letting babies cry doesn’t have negative consequences. During the experiment, no behavioral effect on infant development was found. Moreover, it in no way worsened the mother-child attachment. In a nutshell, letting a baby cry out multiple times isn’t as bad as many might think.
2. The baby sleeps better.
One study found that babies who cry at night have better sleep patterns. In the experiment, the infants were divided into 2 groups: the extinct group (those who were left to cry) and the progressive extinction group (those who were put to bed). It turns out that infants in the first group woke up less often and, in general, fell asleep faster.
3. They develop self-control.
Not meeting your baby’s needs right away can teach her to calm down on her own. Dieter Wolke, the professor who led the first study, advises against intervening. He says infants need time on their own to learn to calm down. Once they get used to it, they are able to self-regulate not only during the day but also at night.
Sometimes a baby is so overstimulated that the best way to get rid of the excess energy is to let it cry. Plus, it’s the only way a child can learn to transition from wakefulness to sleep. Babies practice self-soothing techniques, and they do it quite quickly. Most parents see results after three or four nights.
4. They have fewer temper tantrums.
The screaming technique is believed to help children be less temperamental and mean. Since the method requires a child to calm down without outside help, they are likely to have fewer temper tantrums as toddlers. They will feel happier throughout the day, and bedtime will no longer be a problem.
5. Baby learns to fall asleep on his own.
After practicing self-soothing for a while, children have no difficulty falling back to sleep when they wake up during the night. There is no need for cuddles or parental assistance. Babies may cry at night just because they need a parent nearby, just to be sure.
Do you think the method is good? Do you or did you let your baby cry?
