11/06/2026
Denmark banned the "cry it out" sleep method after 723 psychologists signed an open letter citing harm to infant brain development. The country did not issue a gentle suggestion. It issued a formal policy shift based on decades of attachment research and neuroscience.
Leaving a baby to cry alone repeatedly elevates cortisol, the stress hormone, to levels that can be toxic to a developing brain. When this happens often, the nervous system adapts by staying on constant alert. Long term consequences include higher anxiety, poorer emotional regulation, and increased risk for attachment disorders.
Denmark can take this stand because the country supports parents with long paid leave, affordable childcare, and community resources. In nations without that support, parents turn to cry it out for survival, not by choice.
The science is clear. The policy is bold. The question is not whether babies need response. It is whether society will help parents provide it.
