Why That 'Drowsy But Awake' Sleep Advice Is Pretty Much BS
“The theory behind ‘drowsy but awake’ is that your baby is already very close to sleeping, but that they are still aware of their surroundings and crucially, aware of where they are falling asleep,” says sleep consultant Emily Houltram, founder of The Sleep Chief.
“Babies who fall asleep in their parents’ arms or whilst feeding and then transferred to their cot once asleep will sometimes then stir after their sleep cycle and be disorientated as they are waking somewhere different to where they fell asleep.
“This can cause them to ‘alert’ and cry, requiring parental input to re-settle them, rather than briefly rousing and returning to sleep independently.”