A New Study Suggests It’s Okay to Leave Your Babies Crying, and Here’s Why

It’s hard to listen to your little bundle of joy cry, so you probably rush to their crib straight away. However, a new study suggests that letting your baby cry alone is actually beneficial and not as horrible as it might seem at first.

Bright Side is here to prove that your baby is safe and sound, even when they cry a little.

1. It has no adverse effects.

A study conducted by The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that leaving babies to cry has no negative consequences. During the experiment, no behavioral effects on infant development were found. Additionally, it didn’t worsen infant-mother attachment in any way. In a nutshell, leaving an infant to cry it out a few times isn’t as harmful as many might think.

2. They sleep better.

A study revealed that babies who are left to cry at night show better sleep patterns. In the experiment, the infants were divided into 2 groups: the graduated-extinction group (those who were left to cry) and the bedtime-fading one (those who were put to bed). As it turns out, the infants from the first group woke up fewer times and, in general, fell asleep faster.

3. They build self-control.

Not responding immediately to your baby’s needs can teach them to calm down on their own. Dieter Wolke, the professor who led the first study, advises against intervening. He says infants need some time alone to learn to calm themselves. Once they get used to it, they are able to self-regulate not only during the day but also during the night.

4. They learn to self-soothe.

Sometimes a baby is so overstimulated that the best way to let go of the excess energy is to let them cry it out. Besides, this is the only way for a child to learn to transition from being awake to asleep. Babies practice self-soothing skills, and they do so quite quickly. Most parents already see results in 3 or 4 nights.

5. They have fewer tantrums.

It’s believed that the cry-it-out technique helps kids be less finicky and naughty. Since the method requires a child to placate themselves without external help, it’s likely that they’ll have fewer tantrums as toddlers. They will feel happier throughout the day, and bedtime will not be a problem anymore.

6. They learn to go to sleep on their own.

After practicing self-soothing for some time, kids have no difficulty falling back to sleep when they wake up during the night. No need for cuddling, rocking, or parental assistance. Babies might cry at night simply because they need a parent nearby, just to be sure.

Do you think the method is safe? Would you try it on your kids?