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Rocio Zunini, PhD
@rociozunini_newbornparents

13,667 followers

Imagine that your sleep association is a favorite pillow. Now imagine you woke up at 2 a.m and your pillow was gone. You would probably feel disoriented and would struggle to fall asleep. When your baby's sleep association is you, then you are likely functioning as their pillow. This little piece of advice is part of a sleep plan that someone I know got from a sleep consultant. It was one of the many arguments sprinkled throughout the plan to convince that is ok to leave baby to cry. If you come across this type of advice, please dismiss it. I said this before and I will say it again over and over again: Infants are not a mini-adults. We are our infant's "sleep association" because of their immature nervous system and because of attachment. They NEED to feel safe to fall asleep, and we are safety for them. Their immature nervous system is safe and balanced through the co-regulation that we provide with our mature nervous system. In most infants, the attachment system turns on when falling asleep or when waking up in between sleep cycles because the infant wants to feel safe when falling asleep. This is evolution. It is our survival mechanism. It is HARDWIRED. The limbic system and brainstem are commanding the infant to do what they are supposed to. This is BRAIN SCIENCE. Your infant is going to search for their safe haven, and that is YOU. Saying that a parent is functioning as a pillow is PREPOSTEROUS. Your body and your presence are the WORLD for your infant. Your body and your presence are SAFETY. Tired of getting crappy infant sleep advice? Get your FREE ticket to Little Zzz’s Infant Sleep Summit L:nk :n B:o . . #infantsleep #sleeptraining #sleepteaching #selfsoothing #sleeplearning #ferber #controlledcrying #infantdevelopment