"There is no miracle recipe": midwife Anna Roy gives her advice to help babies fall asleep

Lisa Soster 15:40pm, September 27, 2023

"It's scientifically proven: it makes you sad, it prevents us from feeling happy, it alters our cognitive abilities," says midwife Anna Roy when she talks about the lack of sleep of parents who are awakened too often by their baby, in the podcast "Sage-Meuf" produced by Europe 1 Studio. Because, it must be remembered, sleep is essential for the proper functioning of the brain and therefore for our quality of life in general: "The more we sleep, the less we argue, the happier we are! It's almost mathematical," she said. When the child does not sleep, or does little, at night, many parents feel helpless. This is for example the case of Mélanie and Hugo, parents of a four-month-old baby: "Nothing helps, he does not sleep (...) we are lost with Hugo, "says the young mother.

Each child has his own rhythm

When it comes to sleep, each child is unique: "Some babies will find their sleep rhythm after three months and others after three years," says midwife Anna Roy. According to psychologist Héloïse Junier, sleep depends more precisely on many factors: "There is the environment, there are endogenous factors, there is the child's temperament and there, we are completely passive in relation to this issue," she says in this episode of the podcast "Sage-Meuf". A baby who does not sleep, it is not necessarily pathological: "There is not much to do because it is normal that our babies do not sleep and it is already huge to know," reassures Anna Roy ...

Some keys to putting your baby to sleep

Scientific research has studied the sleep hormone: melatonin. To promote the secretion of this hormone, it is necessary to be exposed to darkness at night and light during the day. Based on this postulate, there are some simple gestures to help this hormone as much as possible to play its role: "We will avoid putting a night light too strong at night and put it orange, if possible" advises for example the psychologist Héloïse Junier in this episode of the podcast "Sage-Meuf".

At bedtime, the child must also be relaxed as much as possible because cortisol, which is the stress hormone, blocks the action of melatonin: "Massages, such as having a very slow tone of voice, can reduce stress," she recommends.

It is also recommended not to cover the child too much at night, especially his feet: "We know that the higher the body temperature of a child in the evening and at night, the more likely he is to wake up," says Héloïse Junier.

And when you are a parent, to best overcome the fragmented nights of your child, it is important to give yourself time to rest: "Take naps during the day. Pass the baton to friends if possible and do not hesitate to make room apart for a while if it helps you, "recommends midwife Anna-Roy in this episode of the podcast "Sage-Meuf".

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