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Genes May Be Key To Baby's Sleeping Habits

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Some parents will tell you that they are lucky in the fact that their newborn babies sleep so well but there may be more to it than luck.

According to a study in the journal Pediatrics which looked at 1,000 twins - how well babies slept at night during their early years was primarily based on their genes. Certain babies sleep better than others except for one period of time...around 18 months.

For toddlers at 18 months things that parents controlled, like bedtime routine, played a more important role for sleep.

I like the author's conclusion of the study: if baby isn't sleeping well it might be genetic in which case there is little you can do - or your luck might change at 18 months.

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