Ask Our Expert - Comforting Sick Infant to Sleep

October 13, 2008

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Ask Dr. Jana Comforting Sick Infant to Sleep

QUESTION


Dear Dr. Jana, My son is seven months old. For the past few nights he has had trouble sleeping because of a bad cold. If I lay with him in the bed to comfort him and help him sleep, will this likely cause him to become dependent on me being beside him when he's well? My husband and I are having a hard time with this. — Unsure In GM

ANSWER	March 22, 2001


Dear Unsure, There really seems to be two different parts to your question - the first being the more obvious part about whether laying with and comforting your seven month old while he is sick will cause him to become dependent on you to sleep. The simple answer that comes to mind is--probably so. That said, what seems to be the implied part of your question is should you comfort your son while he is sick by having him sleep with you. I firmly believe that you should go with your instincts and comfort your child while he is ill. You should just realize that when he is well, there may be an adjustment period where he'll have to get used to sleeping on his own again. While some infants return to their previous sleeping patterns without much effort, others take a few nights to fall back into their normal routine. — by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.

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