Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool (The ParentData Series)

by Emily Oster

sleeping choices after four months are very unlikely to matter for SIDS.

In a 2017 study, researchers evaluated whether a child’s sleeping in a room with a parent made for worse sleep. They found that it did. At four months old, total sleep time was similar for babies sleeping in a parents’ room and those sleeping in their own room, but sleep was more consolidated (i.e., in longer stretches) for those in the latter group. This makes sense: their own room will be quieter.

At nine months, infants who slept alone slept longer; this effect was largest for those who slept alone by four months, but also appears for babies who moved to their own room between four and nine months.

The most consistent schedule feature is wake‑up time between six and eight a.m. Earlier bedtime = longer sleep.

there is little evidence suggesting that having a stay‑at‑home parent after the parental leave period has either good or bad consequences for children.

But if you do want sleep train, you should not feel shame or discomfort about that decision. The data, imperfect as it is, is on your side.

It should be something you plan—​ideally with both parents and caregivers, and perhaps also with your doctor. And once you have a plan, stick to it.

offer your very young child a wide variety of foods, and keep offering them even if the child rejects them at first. As they get a little older, do not freak out if they don’t eat as much as you expect, and keep offering them new and varied foods. If they won’t eat the new foods, don’t replace the foods with something else that they do like or will eat. And don’t use threats or rewards to coerce them to eat.