Should You Comfort Your Newborn Or Let It Cry All Night? Here’s What Studies Say

For starters, I hate children. And I say this with a burning conviction.

People have told me that it is in your 20s that you will experience a rapid downpour of maternal instincts. It’s one of those miraculous overcasts that magically transforms you.

Well, I’m two years into this game and the only epiphany I’ve had since is one that doesn’t involve babies! I’m above average!

Let’s cut the banter. Here’s the point of this article – a new study has found that leaving your baby to cry bloody murder is totally okay. This is according to Dr Claire McCarthy from Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing.

Does This Mean I Should Let My Baby Cry? 

Well, it’s an ongoing debate. According to Dr Claire McCarthy, it’s only human nature to want to soothe your crying child.

I had a Baby Alive Toy and I took out its batteries. What? It’s human nature!

She explained that it was okay to let a crying baby be, supporting it with a new study from the journal, Pediatrics.

The study suggests that letting your child cry itself to sleep will not expose him or her to any emotional or behavioural harm.

A Breakdown Of The Study 

Here’s how it went about. The participating families were divided into three groups.

The first group was told to practice “gradual extinction”. This meant that parents were to let the baby cry for a minute before soothing them. The amount of time taken to soothe the baby was gradually increased overtime.

The second group practiced “bedtime fading”. The parents in this group was instructed to delay their baby’s bedtimes just so that they would feel more tired.

The last group was the “control” group. They were mostly educated on babies and sleep, but nothing else.

According to the scientists who conducted the tests, the participating babies that were left to cry and the babies that were given more “attention” showed no difference in emotional or behavioural problems.

Parents will be thrilled to know that the babies that were left to cry are more likely to fall asleep faster and are less likely to wake up in the middle of the night!

The Verdict?

It’s okay to let your babies cry!

According to Dr McCarthy, “milestones in life involve some crying.”

So what does this mean for parents, you ask? Parents are free to sleep in. Of course, please don’t neglect your children and purchase top-notch sound proof earbuds just yet!

If your baby’s crying persists, it could be a sign that something is wrong. There are a multitude of reasons why babies cry. Should this happen, consult your paediatrician.

So, parents, please get some sleep!