Any new parent is well aware parenting advice is something no one else seems to be in short supply of and as newborns do little more than sleep, eat and poop. Sleep being the first of three is a big advisory topic. Unfortunately, this advice is littered with myths and mistakes.

Baby Bedtime myths you may hear include:

• You can control when your baby sleep and how long, if you can’t you’re doing something wrong. This is untrue. Infants are unable to be forced to sleep, and until around 6 months of age even lack the ability to have normal sleep patterns. Your baby’s irregular sleep patterns are not your fault.
• Skipping a nap or keeping baby up longer than he/she wants to be will make him/her fall asleep faster and sleep longer. Over exhaustion will actually result in the baby being more active, less likely to go to sleep and far more cranky.

Some mistakes you honestly could make:

• Skipping a bedtime routine. Even if it is a myth that you can’t make a baby sleep establishing a bedtime rituals early makes them more effective later on.
• Being inconsistent. When you put your baby to sleep, comfort him/her back to sleep and wake him/her the method should always be the same. Your baby will learn to react habitually and trust in your reactions.
• Being active at bedtime. If your baby won’t go back to sleep no matter what you do, do not cave in turn the lights on and ensue in active playtime. Keep the room dark and calm, make being awake boring for baby. This makes baby far more likely to go back to bed rather than messing up what little sleep pattern he/she may have.
• Being to reliant on objects. Don’t always count on the motion of a swing or car, or the sound of music to put your baby to sleep. Only condition things you will always without doubt have on hand to prompt baby that it’s bed time.

Remember that every baby, family and parents are different. What works in one home may fail in another, the biggest myth in parenting is that there is an absolute right and wrong way to do it.