Plenty of baby sleep advice gets passed around because it sounds logical or worked for someone's cousin. Some of it is harmless, some just doesn't work, and a few beliefs can put babies at risk. Below are ten common ones, each checked against guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the NHS, Australia's Red Nose, the Australian Breastfeeding Association (Australian Breastfeeding Association), the Lullaby Trust and others. The safety myths — sleep position, swaddling and monitors — are the ones that matter most.
| Myth | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| Cereal in the bottle helps sleep | It doesn't, and adds risks |
| Formula or early solids help sleep | No evidence they do |
| Keep baby awake in the day | Overtired babies sleep worse |
| Babies should sleep through by a set age | No set age; night waking is usual |
| Feeding to sleep is a bad habit | It's normal |
| Swaddling is fine once rolling | Stop at signs of rolling |
| Side sleeping is safer for reflux | Back is safest, even with reflux |
| A monitor prevents SIDS | No monitor has been shown to |
| Teething causes fever | Fever is a false teething sign |
| Holding too much spoils babies | You can't spoil a young baby |
Myth: does cereal in the bottle help babies sleep longer?
No. The AAP says plainly that putting cereal in your baby's bottle will not help them sleep through the night. It adds calories your baby doesn't need, and babies under 6 months get everything they need from breast milk or formula. The AAP suggests a simple bedtime routine, such as a warm bath or a lullaby, instead.
There are also risks. The AAP's guide to solid food shortcuts warns that cereal given too early can increase gagging and the chance of inhaling the thickened mixture into the lungs, and that it can be a form of force-feeding that makes it harder for babies to regulate how much they take. Unicef UK also says not to add cereal or anything else to bottle feeds.
The exception is a thickened feed your baby's doctor has prescribed for a medical reason. Don't make that change on your own.
Myth: will a formula top-up or starting solids early make my baby sleep through?
There's no evidence it will. The Australian Breastfeeding Association says there's no evidence that giving formula will help your baby sleep better, and that starting solids before 6 months is unlikely to improve sleep and may upset your baby's tummy. Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne's guideline agrees: introducing formula or solid foods does not improve infant sleep or crying.
Unicef UK warns against encouraging a baby to take more milk than they want in the hope they'll sleep longer. It says forcing a baby to finish a feed can be distressing, can lead to overfeeding and can make them colicky. Feeding responsively — letting your baby decide how much — is the safer approach. See responsive vs scheduled feeding and dream feed.
Myth: should I keep my baby awake in the day so they sleep at night?
No. KidsHealth advises against keeping your baby up during the day in the hope that they'll sleep better at night. Overly tired babies often have more trouble sleeping at night than those who've had enough sleep during the day.
What helps more is making day and night feel different. KidsHealth says it can take a few weeks for a baby's brain to know the difference between night and day, and suggests keeping night feeds and nappy changes quiet and calm. Let your baby nap in the day, and keep the lights low and the interaction minimal at night. See overtired baby and wake windows.
Myth: should babies sleep through the night by a certain age?
There's no set age. KidsHealth says some babies start sleeping "through the night" — which it defines as 5 to 6 hours at a time — by 2 to 3 months, but some don't. The Lullaby Trust says it's usual for babies under one, and sometimes older, to wake during the night.
Unicef UK says it's both normal and essential for young babies to feed at night, because they grow quickly and have small stomachs. Comparing your baby with others, or with a milestone from a book, tends to add stress rather than sleep. See sleeping through the night for what to expect at each age.
Myth: is feeding or rocking to sleep a bad habit?
No. The Australian Breastfeeding Association says most babies naturally feed to sleep, even as they get older, and that this is normal and supported by research. It says feeding to sleep isn't a "bad habit", and that babies can still learn to settle in other ways. During breastfeeding, a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) is released that makes babies sleepy, which is why so many drift off at the breast.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association also says babies who know their parents will respond to their needs often settle more easily as they grow. If feeding or rocking to sleep is working for your family, there's no need to change it. If it isn't, there are gentle ways to shift it — see feeding or rocking to sleep.
Myth: is swaddling still fine once a baby starts rolling?
No. The AAP says to stop swaddling when your baby looks like they're trying to roll over. Rolling usually starts around 3 to 4 months but can happen earlier. Australia's Red Nose's visual safe sleep guide says the same: once your baby shows signs of rolling, stop wrapping so their arms are free. Its wrapping advice adds a limit of 3 months of age, whichever comes first.
The AAP also notes that swaddling doesn't reduce the risk of SIDS. A sleeping bag with arms out is the usual next step — see swaddling.
Myth: is side or tummy sleeping safer for babies with reflux?
No. Australia's Red Nose says babies with reflux should be placed to sleep on their back from birth, because the risk of sudden death on the tummy or side outweighs any benefit. It also says tilting the sleep surface doesn't reduce reflux and isn't recommended, and that propping a baby on a pillow can be a suffocation hazard.
The only exception Australia's Red Nose describes is when medical staff advise, in writing, that a baby must not sleep on their back for a medical reason. Otherwise, every sleep should be on the back, on a firm, flat surface. See reflux and spit-up and safe sleep.
Myth: does a baby monitor prevent SIDS?
No. The AAP says not to use home cardiorespiratory monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS, and that there's no evidence consumer devices reduce the risk. Australia's Red Nose says there's no scientific evidence that any type of monitor will prevent a sudden unexpected infant death.
A monitor can still be useful for hearing your baby or for peace of mind. Just don't let it replace the steps that do lower risk: back sleeping, a clear cot, a smoke-free home and room-sharing for at least the first 6 months. See sleep products to avoid.
Myth: does teething cause fever and sleepless nights?
Partly. The AAP's teething guide says teething can disrupt everyone's rest, but that fever is a false symptom of teething, based on extensive studies. It says teething discomfort generally isn't severe enough to make a baby cry more than usual, so extra crying might mean your baby is unwell.
Blaming a fever on teething can delay care. The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E if a baby under 3 months has a temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, or a baby aged 3 to 6 months has 39°C (102.2°F) or higher. The AAP also warns that benzocaine teething gels can be dangerous and that teething necklaces pose choking and strangulation risks. See teething.
Myth: can you spoil a baby by holding them too much?
The AAP says you cannot spoil a young baby with attention, and that if you answer their calls for help they'll cry less overall. Unicef UK says babies rely on the security and comfort of being close to their parents, at night as well as during the day. Holding, cuddling and responding quickly in the early months is meeting a need, not creating a problem. If you're exhausted, see contact napping for safe ways to share the load.