Sleep training. If you are a parent, chances are you probably have heard of this controversial topic. My goal with this blog is to make it less controversial and help give insight on what it is, what it is not, why it works to improve babies and children's sleep, and how it can help your entire family get quality rest.
What Is Sleep Training?
Sleep training is an umbrella term for the many different methods and tactics to changing the way a child falls asleep in order to improve the quality of sleep. The term sleep training is often tied to the "Cry It Out" method. Because of this association, sleep training can be a hot topic. But with quality information and insight into what sleep training is one will see that sleep training doesn't have to be all or nothing and can be tailored specifically to a family's goals for sleep.
What Sleep Training Is Not
Sleep training is not putting your baby or child in their crib or bed, leaving the room, and not returning until morning. It's not teaching your baby or child to never call for you again in the night because you won't come. And it definitely is not something that will harm your baby or child's attachment to you. Even though there are claims made that it does, there are zero evidence-based, controlled studies proving this and plenty of research on the parent-child attachment that shows how that bond is formed and nurtured and how sleep training can actually strengthen it.
Why Sleep Training Works
A baby's sleep cycles mature somewhere between 3-5 months of age. Once this happens, they now will be cycling more frequently through sleep in the night. At the end of each sleep cycle, they will slightly wake, and as long as they are how they were when they initially went to sleep, they will transition into the next sleep cycle. If your child is used to you giving a lot of assistance in getting them to sleep, they will want and expect this same assistance in getting back to sleep.
If your baby is able to connect sleep cycles on their own (they are independent with sleep), then they won't fully wake and need to call for you; they will be able to just transition right into the next sleep cycle on their own as long as they don't have a need they need to be met such as they are hungry, too cold/hot, not feeling well, etc.
How To Sleep Train
There are so many different ways to help your child learn to fall asleep on their own! This is great news because every baby and child will have different temperaments and needs. A method that may fit well with one child may not at all with another. Every sleep training method works to do the same thing - help your child eventually be able to fall asleep completely on their own with your assistance or presence so that they are able to connect sleep cycles in the night on their own and in result, improve and consolidate their night sleep!
How Sleep Training Can Help Your Family
I think every family brings home their newborn fully expecting sleep to be inconsistent and lacking. But I don't think anyone expects it to not get better. Sleep deprivation that is on going can bring on some serious mental, physical, and emotional health concerns.
Sleep training to improve your child's sleep will also improve quality of sleep for the parents as well which is truly life changing. Sleep deprivation is directly linked to post party depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Many mothers report an almost instant relief in symptoms once they are getting adequate rest.
Quality rest is equally as important for our children. They are growing, learning, and developing at a rapid rate and they need quality sleep for all of these things to happen efficiently. A well rested baby is happier, better abled to handle every day challenges and stressors, eats/feeds better, plays more, and is more engaged with you. Sleep training isn't just for you as the parents - it is to meet your child's need for adequate rest!
In conclusion, sleep training is a safe and effective way to improve the quality of rest for the entire family. Sleep is a vital human need - we all, including our children, are happier when we are getting enough of it!
Comments