A sleep prop is anything a baby uses to help him/her fall asleep. Nursing and rocking to sleep are the most common, but there are many others: use of a pacifier, white noise, bouncing, swinging, comfort nursing, movement in the car or stroller, etc. Sleep props are a normal part of falling asleep.
Only when these props disrupt a baby’s sleep do they become a problem. Helping a baby learn to fall asleep on their own without sleep props is a crucial component of sleep training and is the very first step to getting a baby to sleep well. Some babies may nurse or get rocked to sleep and can sleep through the night just fine, so there is no problem with doing this. Other babies, however, are more dependent and will need that same exact prop all throughout the night, especially when transitioning between sleep cycles.
Eliminating these props and helping a baby learn how to self-soothe will be key to improving the baby’s sleep. Babies with strong sleep associations usually have very poor sleep habits and patterns. This is because they are so dependent on these props to help them get to sleep and stay asleep. When those props are not readily available, they tend to wake up completely between sleep stages/cycles and cry out for their parents’ help. Once they receive their prop(s), they’ll fall asleep, only to wake again shortly thereafter. This becomes a vicious cycle, and both the baby’s and the parents’ sleep are constantly disrupted.
IS MY BABY A ‘SLEEP PROP BABY’?
Your baby is a “sleep prop baby” if he/she
- Will not go to sleep, or go back to sleep without nursing, rocking, bouncing, stroller ride, use of a pacifier, or any other prop
- Falls asleep while bottle feeding or comfort nursing
- Wakes up crying or screaming only 30 to 40 minutes after being laid down to sleep
- Wakes frequently at night (usually every 1 to 2 hours)
- Will not sleep through the night without help from the parents
- Needs a pacifier reinserted multiple times a night
- Needs to be rocked or nursed back to sleep during the night
- Naps poorly (usually no longer than 30 to 40 minutes, the equivalence of one sleep cycle)
- Cries hysterically when laid down awake at bedtime or naptime
- Is clingy, cranky, and fussy throughout the day from all the fragmented sleep
- Bedtimes and naptimes are often hectic and chaotic, and parents are usually stuck rocking or feeding until the baby is completely asleep