Why Sleep Train Your Child?
Nobody plans to have a sleep problem, but habits can become easily ingrained and spiral quickly out of control, and you can find yourself sleep deprived, desperate, and not too sure what to do. — so, it makes sense to act now.
Sleep is essential for your baby’s health and development.
Babies’ sleep problems have been linked to emotional and behavioural problems, accidental injuries, and general irritability in babies. As there is junk food there exists “junk sleep” as well!
Uninterrupted sleep is so important for both you and your baby. Some of the advantages are:
- A happier, lighter mood in your baby
- Less fussiness and irritability
- More quality time with your baby due to improvement in your own mood and energy levels
Restorative sleep is crucial for development and memory consolidation, not to mention the peace within the family when a child sleeps well. When your baby has sleep problems, it affects you as well — maternal depression, stress, and marital discord are associated.
How does the training process work?
When parents hear about infant sleep training, they often think of babies left alone in their cribs to cry themselves to sleep but there are alternatives to such an approach. I will show and teach you such alternatives and make sure you will be comfortable with the sleep plan for your child.
To achieve this goal, I will study your child’s sleep patterns, daily routine and habits. From this information, I create a plan that respects your family’s sleep goals and your child’s unique personality and temperament. I’ll be by your side to offer knowledge and support throughout the entire sleep training process.
Will you ask me to let my baby “cry-it-out” (CIO)?
My definition of the CIO method is when you put your child down awake, shut the door, and don’t come back until morning. I wouldn’t feel comfortable using that technique with my own child, and I wouldn’t expect you to either. My belief and methods revolve around a gentle approach where parents support their child while they learn independent sleep skills.
We are all protective of our sleeping environment and we like the same things every night. Making a change to anyone’s current sleep habits will be met with some protest. The same will be true for your child. However, I will never ask you to leave your child alone to cry if that is not something that feels right to you.
That said, there will likely be some crying involved. How much? It depends on the child. I wish that they wouldn’t cry, but children typically don’t enjoy learning to fall asleep on their own.
They cry to let you know that they want to go back to their old method of sleeping. Think of it as “protesting” crying.
The good news is that I will teach you methods to minimize crying and give you tips on how to cope with the anxiety it may cause. Also, it won’t last! At the end of the journey, you and your child will be rewarded with a great night’s sleep.
Downloadable Resources
