TOKYO -- A baby that just won't stop crying is a nightmare for anyone involved in child care, or simply within earshot. To ease stress, an international team including the Japanese government-backed Riken research institute announced it has scientifically confirmed the best way to put a baby to sleep.
Babies are known to stop crying and relax when a caregiver carries them while walking around. The team figured out the mechanism behind this effect, and announced their findings in 2013. But as babies can sometimes wake up and start crying again, researchers had been looking for a more reliable method.
The team tested 21 pairs of babies aged 7 months or younger and their mothers. The subjects were drawn from a range of nationalities and races, including those from Japan and Italy. In the experiment, when their babies cried loudly, moms randomly combined four actions -- carrying them on a walk, sitting while holding them, putting them to bed, and rocking them in a stroller -- about every 30 seconds. Researchers then looked at the heart rate of the babies and how much they were crying.
Results showed that the most effective way to put a baby to sleep was to carry them and walk around for five minutes, sit and wait for five to eight minutes, then put them to bed. Even if the baby is asleep, they notice when they have been separated from their caregiver. By sitting down to rest after the baby stops crying, they can apparently be put into a deep sleep.
The team's findings were published in the digital edition of the American scientific journal Current Biology on Sept. 14. Based on the results of their study, the team will work on developing apps and devices that predict a baby's condition and give advice on what to do.
Riken researcher and team leader Kumi Kuroda joined the experiment with her two children. She says the trick was to hold the baby close to her body, and walk at a constant speed on a flat surface. She explained, "Even though child care is something I'm familiar with, there are things I can't understand just based on my own experience. Scientifically quantifying that leads to support (for caregivers)."
(Japanese original by Yui Shuzo, Science & Environment News Department)
FAQs
Results showed that the most effective way to put a baby to sleep was to carry them and walk around for five minutes, sit and wait for five to eight minutes, then put them to bed. Even if the baby is asleep, they notice when they have been separated from their caregiver.
How do the Japanese put their babies to sleep? ›
The results showed that carrying and walking was the most effective method to stop the crying, with all of the babies quieting down and 45.5% of them falling asleep within five minutes.
What is the best way to get a crying baby back to sleep researchers say they ve figured it out? ›
Story at a glance
After that, researchers suggest sitting down and holding them for five to eight minutes before gently laying them down to sleep.
What is the 5 8 Japanese sleep method? ›
The strategy involves caregivers holding and walking with the baby for five minutes without abrupt movements, followed by 5-8 minutes of holding while sitting, before laying them down for sleep.
What is the cry it out method for baby sleep? ›
What is the cry it out method of sleep training? Cry it out, also known as the "extinction method," is a sleep training technique that involves putting your baby to bed in her crib and allowing her to fuss or cry until she falls asleep on her own.
What is the Japanese sleeping setup? ›
The biggest differentiator in the traditional way the Japanese sleep is that they sleep on the floor, on top of a precisely arranged combination of cushions and mats. At the bottom is a tatami mat, followed by a Shikifuton (or mattress) and a kakebuton (the duvet), and topped off with a buckwheat hull pillow.
What is the Japanese myth about sleeping? ›
In Japan, it is believed that if you can't sleep at night, it's because you are awake in somebody else's dream. The Japanese also believe that the first dream you have in the new year, known as hatsuyume, is foretelling of your luck over the next year.
What is the 5 8 rule for baby sleep? ›
Kuroda reiterated that walking with an infant in your arms for five minutes continuously is crucial — then it can be followed by five to eight minutes of sitting with the child in your arms in order to "stabilize their sleep." "The first five to eight minutes of sleep is shallow sleep," she explained.
What is the 5 8 rule in Japan? ›
Results showed that the most effective way to put a baby to sleep was to carry them and walk around for five minutes, sit and wait for five to eight minutes, then put them to bed. Even if the baby is asleep, they notice when they have been separated from their caregiver.
What is the 10 3 2 1 method of sleep? ›
10 hours before bed: No more caffeine. 3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol. 2 hours before bed: No more work. 1 hour before bed: No more screen time (shut off all phones, TVs and computers).
Is cry-it-out damaging? It's never easy to hear your baby cry, so it's quite common to wonder if leaving a baby to cry could damage their brain development or emotional health. Rest assured that crying it out isn't harmful to your little one and won't do any damage.
Is the cry it out method emotionally damaging? ›
Babies express their needs through crying. Letting babies "cry it out" is a form of need-neglect that leads to many long-term effects. The "cry it out" method releases stress hormones, impairs self-regulation, and undermines trust.
What's the longest you should let a baby cry it out? ›
As long as your baby isn't hungry, sick or injured, it's fine to leave your baby to cry for an hour or more, this is an essential aspect of the Cry It Out sleep training method. While we understand it's hard to hear your baby cry, rest assured that crying does not hurt your baby.
Why does Japan have low rates of SIDS? ›
The rate of infant deaths due to SIDS fell by half between 1984 and 2004, decreasing from 0.42 deaths per 1,000 live births to 0.24 per 1000, according to a study , opens new tab that credited the decline to public health campaigns starting after 1996 that discouraged putting infants to sleep face-down, and other known ...
What is the Japanese tradition of sleeping? ›
However, in Japan, the traditional sleeping arrangement is quite different - Japanese beds are placed directly on the floor. This unique style of sleeping with a floor bed has been a longstanding tradition in Japan, with its roots dating back centuries.
What is Japan Kaizen sleep method? ›
It simply refers to immediate, unplanned and quick implementations. In order to improve your sleep, you can plan out certain quick tactics like decluttering your bed area in 5 minutes before sleeping, shutting out the lights, blocking out noise and a lot more.
What is the Japanese tradition for newborn babies? ›
“o*kuizome” (first meal) is the Japanese traditional ritual that parents perform around the 100th day after the birth of their baby along with their family and relatives (sometimes friends, too) to wish the baby will never starve by sharing a celebratory meal.
