Does it matter whether my baby sleeps in the car, stroller, or crib as long as she gets her sleep?
When it comes to our babies’ sleep needs, it’s important to know they need both the right amount of sleep and the right kind of sleep. I’m referring to quantity and quality.
Getting the right quantity and quality helps your sleeping baby produce growth hormones, build her immune system, and retain, store, and organize memories – the building blocks of learning.
But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures, and in the early weeks, some of you will feel like you’re in the trenches. I am guilty of driving my firstborn around in the middle of the night and know plenty of others who have done the same.
Motion sleep – which is what we call swings, strollers, and car rides – keeps baby’s brain in a lighter, more fragmented sleep, which means they probably aren’t getting the deep, more restorative sleep they need to feel well rested. Because of that, stationary sleep is best.
If you need to help your baby settle and get some longer stretches of sleep in a swing, car ride, or stroller, that’s fine in the early days. But after the first 8 weeks pass, start focusing on stationary sleep in a crib or bassinet and not in the car, swing, or stroller.
You can still use motion to calm a cranky baby but turn it off or park the stroller once he’s asleep. Of course, be sure to follow safe sleep guidelines and make sure the baby is on a flat surface with no blankets or items in with her.
