Should I Sleep Train

Should I sleep train - Baby Sleeping Soundly Infant Room

People often throw around the phrase ‘sleep training’. For different people it can mean different things but most often it involves a schedule of minimal responses to your child’s crying until your child finally falls asleep. For many families they have no idea what else to do and give ‘sleep training’ a try.

A few things you should know about sleep training:

  1. It is really hard. It goes against all instincts to hear your child cry and not go to them to offer comfort. Parents often find it really difficult to follow through with the plan and often don’t feel good about the sleep training process.
  2. It doesn’t last. Many families think that if they just go through the few days of crying the child will sleep good forever. The truth is as a parent you have signed up for being sleep deprived. Even children who learn to sleep through the night  will regularly have periods of disruption brought on by physical or mental growth spurts or illness.

We recommend against sleep training . If you decide to let your child cry, our recommendations are that you first say to her, “I know you are safe in your bed, you are upset but I know you can do this. I love you, goodnight.”

You should also know that there is no research that sleep training is harmful to your child’s development socially, emotionally, or physically. We often say, “A baby has never died from crying.” If you are exhausted and frustrated and your child is clean, fed, and safe, taking some space for yourself might be the best thing for everyone. If you fear you might hurt your child, place them in their crib and give yourself some time to cool down.

There is however another way! Check out our resources around least possible help for sleep.

Categories: 
Tags:

Leave a Comment