Baby Slings and Sleep

One of the comments I regularly hear from parents is 'I'm worried about my baby sleeping in a sling'.  This concern comes from a culturally taught notion that 'good' babies sleep in their cots, in their rooms, by themselves.  All other sleep, be it napping in the buggy or sling, or the inevitable crashing out in the car seat just as you pull into the parking space at the supermarket, is 'Not Real Sleep'.  Many so-called sleep experts advise against lettingyour baby sleep anywhere except in a darkened room, safely bundled up in their crib.  Woe betide the parent who actually relaxes about where their child sleeps!

Whilst I don't advocate a completely anarchic attitude towards babies' sleep - we actually suffered from being naively laissez-faire with our first-born, with some unpleasant consequences - babies can, and will, fall asleep when they are tired.  Some babies may fight sleep, some babies may need a large amount of parental input to fall asleep, but they will eventually fall asleep.  One of the keys to having a baby who falls asleep with relative ease is, as a parent, to relax about the details of where and how they DO fall asleep.  Easier said than done when you are almost shaking with exhaustion and would saw off your own arm for just an hour to yourself - to shower, drink a HOT cup of tea or coffee, eat.  Or even sleep yourself.



This is why slings are actually a godsend in the early days of parenting.  Most - not all, but most - babies will fall asleep quickly in a good sling, if they are fed and dry.  And even though you are not technically alone, you are a lot more free to do things than if you were holding the baby, or pushing the baby in a buggy.  Or - as I did for many, many, many months - driving around because your precious child will only sleep in the car.  You can (carefully) drink a cup of coffee, you can read a book, you can knit, you can watch TV, even go to the toilet.  You can even - when you get confident - go shopping for clothing.  Well, trousers and skirts.  And shoes.  (This may explain why I have so many shoes...)

And once the baby is asleep?  You don't have to put them down.  This is another common cultural issue in the West.  Holding babies seems to be frowned on, and we have so many gadgets which encourage lack of physical contact with the most scrummy, sweet-smelling, cuddly bundle of gorgeousness that you will ever see in your life.  This both saddens and frustrates me.  Yes, you cannot hold your baby 24/7 - 365.  But you can hold them - with a sling - and still be free to do lots more than the manufacturers of some of these items imply.  (And yes, I had a bouncy chair, it was a godsend for dinner time, and when I needed to wash my hair.)

As you get more confident in using slings, and your baby grows,  you can move to using a back carrier.  One the real joys of slinging an older baby is that often the only time you can get them to nap is on the go; in their favourite carrier, and favourite place in the world - your back!  I still have kept the sling which saw me through two lots of chicken-pox with our kids.  It saved my sanity!

Last but not least, the Back to Sleep Campaign has highlighted the dangers of putting your baby to sleep on their front.  Carrying your baby in a sling gives them a chance to sleep in a different position, which may be helpful in avoiding positional plagiocephaly, a topic which we will cover in more depth in the future.  We by no means advocate not following the current sleep guidelines, as any risk of developing plagiocephaly is far outweighed by the benefits of placing your baby to sleep on their back.

For more information on sleep, and slings, as well as practical help:

• The No Cry Sleep Solution - a godsend for parents struggling with their baby's sleep.  Elizabeth Pantley has also written a book specifically for dealing with napping issues.


• BabyCalm offers courses and one-to-one consultations for parents who may be struggling with settling their babies.  Best suited for the early weeks of your baby's life, or also available as an ante-natal course to prepare you.


• Baby massage is a great way to connect with your baby, and to relax both baby and parents.


• Make sure you are using your sling carefully by reading our guides, following the TICKS safety information, and coming to see us instore if you are unsure of how to get your baby safely into your carrier.

~ Becky