A method which is based on precise physiological observations, going beyond the framework of a simple “parent thing”.
A team of Japanese researchers has uncovered a simple method to help infants fall asleep without unnecessary scrunching. The study, carried out on crying babies, thus opens up a concrete avenue for making bedtimes more peaceful. Indeed, when a baby cries, many parents look for a soothing gesture that works. The idea is not to promise a miracle solution, but to propose a protocol whose effects have been measured.
Good news since in a study published in 2022 in the journal Current Biology, researchers observed the heart rate and reactions of infants subjected to different forms of support and transport. The results revealed that a very specific model was able to better calm crying and promote falling asleep. For their analysis, the study authors, including Kumi O. Kuroda and colleagues at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan, recruited children aged a few weeks to a few months and measured their responses during four types of interactions with the mother: carrying while walking, holding while sitting, being placed in a bed, or being put in a mobile crib.
Observation focused on heart rate (via ECG) and behavioral state (crying, wakefulness, sleep). It then turned out that when a baby cried, walking while carrying the baby for about five minutes significantly reduced crying and heart rate. Conversely, simply sitting without movement did not calm the crying: the babies’ heart rates remained high, a sign that they were unable to relax. Then, the moment of placement in the bed was analyzed: some babies woke up immediately after being placed. The study thus shows that the dynamics preceding sleep are crucial to limit awakenings.
With this data, the researchers then recommend a simple protocol: first, walk your baby while carrying him for 5 minutes, without twists or sudden stops, then sit and carry your baby for 8 minutes without rocking him, before putting him in bed.
This succession of gestures helps slow the heart rate and allow the baby’s body to enter a deeper sleep before the pose. On Instagram, sleep consultant Marine Denis recently relayed this method, presenting it as follows: “It sounds a bit technical saying Sioux like that, but try it and you’ll see!”
