2. Rocking or Feeding to Sleep
You are probably excited that you have found the magic method to getting your little one to sleep, through a complicated routine of feeding, rocking and singing. While you may have succeeded in getting them down for the night, you could potentially be creating a scenario that is difficult to repeat and one that your child will demand in order to go to sleep. These are known as “sleep crutches” and can be tricky to navigate if you ever need someone else to put your child to bed. I have a friend with a near 2-year old who allowed so many sleep crutches from infancy, that she still has to spend 1+ hours every night getting her child to sleep. Don’t let this be you! There is no issue with a bedtime routine that involves any of these types of activities like rocking, but you should try and put your child to bed awake, so they can learn to go to sleep on their own.