Why We Should Ditch the Crib Mobile!

The crib mobile…that ubiquitous baby registry item!

Used to be, your nursery was NOT complete without one of these little spinning, musical, color coordinated toys hanging above the crib,

Well…if you’re wanting to maximize the amount of sleep your baby is getting, it’s time to rethink the mobile!

You may have seen articles, etc. about the importance of a calming bedroom for you to fall asleep in. Reduced clutter, blackout curtains, no tv, etc. - with the goal of training your brain that the bedroom is for SLEEPING, not for hyper-stimulating activities! It’s the same thing for your baby.

Crib mobiles are designed to stimulate your baby’s brain and visual development - entertaining them and keeping them alert and interested in their surroundings. For a young baby, especially a preemie, even this mild stimulation can wear them out and cause over-tiredness. As adults, we think of something like a hard workout or an afternoon of raking the leaves as something that would cause us to be tired. But babies are not like us, and even something as small and simple as parental eye contact causes stimulation which leads to tiredness.

We want to completely reduce stimulus in the crib area, so that the only “job” your baby must perform is going to sleep. Continual reinforcement teaches your baby to desire the crib when tired, and quickly fall asleep in it without spending a lot of time playing or making noise first.

I also must quickly mention that once baby learns to stand and reach, they can grab that mobile, and it can become a choking or strangulation hazard.

Now I’m not saying you have to take your mobile back to the store or delete it off your baby registry. You know where is an AWESOME place to hang a baby mobile? Above the changing table! Your squirmy baby who fusses during diaper changes will love having something interesting and distracting to look at while you’re getting the job done!