Do you have a newborn baby? Perhaps you have an infant. If you do not already know, babies can have odd sleep hours. Some parents may find themselves awake late nights for what feels like the entire night. There are a number of "old wives tales" that have many parents thinking that they can get a grip on their babies' sleep patterns; this is based on sleep myths that have been passed down for generations. The following are a few of those tall tales.

Add Baby Rice to Bottles

It is not ideal to introduce rice cereal to a baby before the appropriate time. Doing so could result in food allergies. It can also do the opposite of what you are trying to achieve; this means that because a newborn's digestive system is not developed, adding cereal to their bottles could result in them being irritable and unable to sleep. 

Train the Baby

It might seem like developing a routine will aid in making your baby sleep the exact hours you want them to; this may be true when your baby gets older. However, a newborn has not been in the world long enough to get comfortable with routines. Even if you try to develop a routine, chances are your baby will still sleep when they want and stay awake when they want. Rather than attempting to train your baby, try to get some sleep when they are asleep.

Pleasant Sleep At a Certain Number of Weeks

Some people mistakenly think that even after the newborn stage is over they can expect to get a good night's sleep when their babies reach the infant stage. There are no guarantees on when your baby will sleep all night. It varies from baby to baby.

Keep the Baby Awake

Trying to keep your baby awake at the hours that are convenient for you may cause them to have other issues. For example, it might interfere with their feeding habits and cause them to not want to eat. 

A pediatrician is a good resource to use if you are concerned about child's sleep pattern. It is particularly important to speak with a pediatrician if your newborn cries incessantly because there may be an underlying issue that is keeping them awake and crying. A pediatrician can offer tips to you that could aid in helping your baby develop a better sleep pattern. For example, a bath before the planned bedtime as well as playing classical music. To learn more, contact a pediatric office like Advocare Haddon Pediatric Group at Haddon Heights.