Sleep Magic: Timed Technique from New Study Guarantees to Put Kids to Sleep!

A team of Japanese researchers has developed a straightforward technique to help infants fall asleep more easily, minimizing unnecessary fuss. Their study, focused on crying babies, provides a practical approach for more peaceful bedtime routines. When a baby cries, most parents scramble to find a soothing action that works. The aim here is not to offer a magical fix but to present a protocol whose benefits have been scientifically verified.

In a 2022 study published in the journal Current Biology, the team observed infants’ heart rates and reactions to different handling and carrying methods. The findings indicated that a specific approach was particularly effective at calming cries and encouraging sleep. The research, led by Kumi O. Kuroda and colleagues from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan, involved infants from a few weeks to several months old and monitored their responses during four different maternal interactions: carrying while walking, holding while sitting, laying in a bed, and placing in a moving cradle.

The study measured heart rate (via ECG) and behavioral state (crying, alertness, sleep). It turned out that when a baby cried, carrying them while walking for about five minutes significantly reduced both crying and heart rate. Conversely, simply holding the baby while sitting still did not soothe the crying; the infants’ heart rates remained high, indicating they were unable to relax. The study also examined what happened when babies were laid down: some woke up immediately after being placed in bed, showing that the activities before sleep are critical to preventing wakefulness.

Based on these findings, the researchers suggest a simple routine: first, walk with your baby in your arms for 5 minutes, ensuring smooth, uninterrupted movement, then sit and hold your baby for another 8 minutes without rocking, before finally placing them in their bed.

This sequence of actions helps to slow the baby’s heart rate and allows the baby’s body to transition into a deeper sleep before being laid down. On Instagram, sleep consultant Marine Denis recently shared this technique, describing it as: “It sounds a bit like a Sioux technique when put like that, but try it and see!”