First off, I want to start by saying as a certified sleep consultant, I truly dislike the term “sleep train”. Sleep training has such a bad name because let’s face it, when we think about sleep training, the first thing that comes to mind is Cry It Out – putting your baby to bed, closing the door and letting them cry until they fall asleep. I prefer to think about sleep training as “sleep educating” because when you work with a certified sleep consultant that is exactly what we do.
We sleep educate your child by teaching them how to fall asleep independently using gentle techniques so they can get the consolidated sleep they need to properly grow and thrive.
So now, the big question…why is it important to sleep train your child?
Getting proper sleep is so important for our health and well-being. Research shows a positive association between sleep and memory, language, executive function as well as overall cognitive development in infants and young children. Children are growing, learning and executing new skills on a daily basis, therefore, ensuring they get enough sleep is so important.
Studies show that sleep troubles in infancy do not get better on their own. So, a child will not just “grow out of it” even though family and friends may tell you this all the time. Sleep troubles in infancy tend to continue into toddlerhood and childhood. The purpose of sleep training is to teach a child how to sleep independently. This means being able to fall asleep on their own and put themselves back to sleep if they wake up in the middle of the night. This helps ensure a child gets the sleep they need to properly develop and grow so they can thrive in every way possible. Therefore, I believe starting to implement healthy sleep habits from the beginning in the form of routines and age-appropriate schedules is so important. It sets a solid foundation for success and ensuring your child gets proper sleep.
So what exactly is sleep training?
Sleep training is a combination of:
- Implementing routines
- Following age-appropriate schedules to optimize sleep pressure
- Applying specific methods according to your child’s needs and situation
Together this combination when applied correctly can get your child to go to sleep 100% on their own in their own designated sleep space weather that be a crib or bed depending on their age.
If you are having trouble with your baby, toddler or preschoolers sleep and want to work 1-on-1 with me, check out my sleep programs or book a free call.
