Why should you sleep train your baby? Are there any benefits of sleep training to the baby and most importantly to you?
Well, being a mother of 2-under-3, I have had my share of challenges especially in terms of sleep. My first born was not much of a sleeper but at least she would sleep for at most 4 to 5 hours at night. My son (and last born) on the other hand, would sleep for at most 2 hours. I would try to nurse him, check his diaper, check the temperature and other things that we do when we can’t figure out why our babies are crying. I became sleep deprived, which made me feel tired and confused all the time.
It was frustrating, to say the least until I heard about sleep training.
A close friend told me that it was possible to have my son trained to sleep through the night. What relief!!.
But first I had a couple of questions regarding sleep training.
What is sleep training and how does sleep training work?
After doing my research, I learnt that sleep training is simply helping a baby learn to fall asleep independently and actually stay asleep through the night.
Well, and how does it work?
Based on what I read and got from friends, there are several techniques that are used to help a child learn to sleep on their own. One is the Cry-Out Method and the other is the routine method.
The Cry-Out Method
In this method, the baby is left to cry without being comforted until they fall asleep. This is never easy for any mom but if you need to rest, then you have no choice. The aim here is to let the baby learn to self-sooth and ultimately fall asleep without your assistance.
Do you think the cry-out method would work for you?
The Routine Method
Well, if you feel the cry-out method will not work for you, try the routine method. In this case, you help the baby to develop a routine before bedtime so that in time they begin to know when bedtime approaches. With this method, consistency is the absolute key to success.
Are there any benefits of sleep training?
According to sleep consultants, sleep training has many benefits to both you and your child.
For instance, according to renowned sleep consultant Dana Obleman, the founder of the Sleep Sense Program, sleeping training helps to prevent future sleep problems in your toddler. She argues that failing to sleep train an infant makes the child grow up experiencing sleep issues even as a toddler.
Another benefit is that the child gets to rest; hence, becomes less fussy in the evening and at day time. Some of the reasons why babies get fussy in the evening were discussed in our previous article. Read it here.
When it comes to the parents, sleep training helps them to get the much-needed rest and sleep through the night as well. No more waking up several times at night to attend to a crying baby unless you only want to check on him. In addition, you get to enjoy time together with your partner, just the two of you.
But, when do you start sleep training a baby?
It is perfectly normal for a newborn baby to wake up a few times at night to feed. And that is their right so you shouldn’t deny them. For this reason, you should not start sleep training a newborn.
However, from around 5 to 6 months they are “grown-up” enough not to need feeding in the middle of the night. This is also the age at which you start moving them from a cosleeper or bassinet to a crib.
According to Dr. Ferber, babies at around 6 months of age understand that when they need some attention, crying is the way to go. Therefore, you have to practice tough love and let them know that crying does not necessarily translate into being cuddled, fed, or rocked.
So, when will baby sleep through the night?
Well after dealing with all the crying and trying to establish a routine for your baby, you may be wondering when will baby sleep through the night.
Most sleep consultants argue that sleep training may take a week or longer depending on how well the baby adapts to a specific method of training.
Where do I get help with sleep training my baby?
When most people hear of sleep training, the first thing they think about is hiring a sleep consultant. They believe that the sleep consultant must come to their home every night for a couple of days or weeks to train their baby to sleep independently.
But that is not always the case.
Thanks to technology, you can communicate with the sleep consultant in a number of ways such as video conferencing, email, website, and social media.
Moreover, you can get personalized recommendations from various sleep consultants online. For instance, you can get in touch with Dana Obleman the founder of the Sleep Sense Program and get personalized recommendations that will work best for you and your child.
I highly recommend Dana because she shares with you, sleep training recommendations based on the age, sleeping habits as well as the personality of your child. This means that you have to provide her with answers to some basic questions about your child so that she can use the data to make recommendations.
Why should you get this Sleep Sense Program by Dana Obleman?
- It is highly customized for your child. You cannot get this in most of the other sleep programs, which tend to be one-size fits all.
- Comes with a 14-day sleep coach video training system. These video show you what to do exactly when sleep training your baby whether during the day or at night
- It has a step-by-step process that is extremely easy to follow.
- Comes with a video library with in-depth lessons about babies and toddlers
- It gives you everything that you need to sleep train your baby successfully from the start to the end. You do not have to come back to buy anything else. It is a complete step by step guide that is well customized for your baby.
- Most importantly the Sleep Sense Program’s hotline is included so you can have a live chat with Dana every week. Dana also includes her personal email address where you can reach her quickly when you have questions that require urgent answers.
Dana’s sleep program has helped so many parents deal with sleep problems in their babies and toddlers and it can work for you too.
Isn’t it amazing that you can learn how to successfully sleep train your baby without having to open your doors to a stranger to spend several nights in your house in the name of sleep training your baby?
