A recent study conducted in Japan has revealed that walking while carrying a baby is the most effective way to calm a crying infant and promote sleep. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, observed mothers attempting to put their babies to sleep in various ways while monitoring the baby’s heart rate to gauge their level of agitation. The study found that walking while carrying the baby had a significant calming effect, unlike simply holding the baby without movement. Additionally, the study found that waiting a few minutes before putting the baby to bed was also helpful in preventing the baby from waking up.
The team, led by Kumi Kuroda from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Saitama, aims to develop a device that can display a baby’s vital signs in real-time on a smartphone. This could help parents promote their baby’s sleep readiness and reduce stress caused by prolonged crying. Sleep problems and excessive crying without an apparent cause affect 20 to 30 percent of infants. The study involved 21 healthy infants aged two weeks to seven months from Japan and Italy, with their biological mothers as participants. The experiments began one to two hours after the last feeding of the infant and ten minutes after attaching electrodes to the baby’s chest.
The study found that carrying and walking the baby had the strongest calming effect, with the baby’s heart rate slowing down within 30 seconds and most babies falling asleep within five minutes. While this study provides valuable insights into effective ways to calm a crying baby and promote sleep, it is important to note that every baby is different, and parents should consider their baby’s individual needs when attempting to put them to sleep.
