A sleep expert who specialises in paediatric sleep, has shared her tried and trusted ‘100-second rule’ that she swears will help babies drift back to sleep all on their own
Expert shares ‘rule’ that helps babies fall back to sleep on their own
A paediatric sleep consultant has urged parents of babies to try out her go-to “100-second rule” that she swears makes a “huge difference” when it comes to getting their little ones to drift off independently. As any parents of young children will no doubt know, just when you think you’ve got your baby to sleep, it’s sometimes not very long at all until their cries let you know they’ve woken up once more.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to help your child get back to sleep again, as explained by sleep consultant Lily, who encourages new parents to give her “respond versus react” method a go.
READ MORE: Families urged to use product in hotel bed for better night’s sleep on holiday
In a helpful clip shared via TikTok, Lily, who goes by the username @dreamcoach, advised: “Parents, when your baby wakes up and they haven’t slept for very long, I want you to do just one thing.
“I promise this one thing will make a huge difference in them settling back to sleep and learning to fall asleep independently.”
She then revealed: “All I want you to do is watch the monitor and I want you to count to a hundred. Don’t go in if they’re fussing, just watch and respond versus react.
“It’s normal for babies to wake up. They just need time to put themselves back to sleep. So giving them even just a hundred seconds can make a huge difference and it’s likely they will put themselves back to sleep.”
Lily, who also shares handy sleep content on Instagram under the username @lilbabysleep, added that parents can start trying this hack with babies of “any age”.
This video has been warmly received by many exhausted parents, who have thanked Lily for sharing her wisdom and vowed to give it a go for themselves.
One person approved: “We did this and boy what a huge difference. 9/10 [times] it works.”
Another commented: “This!!!! I don’t necessarily count but I always give her just a moment and 99 per cent of the time she’s back asleep by the time I get to her. It worked with all my kids.”
A third person wrote: “Yes!! My husband suggested we do this as he had a gut feeling I was disrupting the baby’s sleep. And he was right!! Now we have a dream sleeper.”
Others were a little more skeptical, however, arguing that the tip would only work for more “easygoing babies”, with one tired mother remarking that her son “screams” if she doesn’t immediately go to him.
Do you have a parenting tip to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
READ MORE: New ‘greens’ shake with ‘172 health benefits’ and ’27 superfoods’ in one drink
