Sleep training can have a negative association, where many people think that it means that you have to remove all night feedings, place your baby down at bedtime, they’ll cry all night and you can’t go back in until morning. This is a common misconception that the team at MyBaby Sleepology hears, so let’s set the record straight!

So then what is sleep training?

More often than not, independent sleep is something that has to be taught. Sleep training is the process of teaching your baby or toddler how to sleep well and independently. When we sleep train, we are equipping our children with the tools and confidence to seamlessly get themselves to sleep at bedtime and for any night wakings! This leads to less fragmented and much better quality sleep for both your child and yourself.  This can be done by choosing a method that you are comfortable with and being 100% consistent.  Some of those methods include:

• Cry It Out/Extinction (High Cry Tolerance): Where you’d place your child down and let them work through it until morning.
• Ferber (Medium Cry Tolerance): These are timed check-ins where you start at an interval you are comfortable with, tend to your child without picking them up and increase that interval each night.
• Pick Up Put Down (Low to No Cry Tolerance): You would tend to your baby as soon as they cry and pick them up as needed.
• Chair Method (Low Cry Tolerance): This is for parents who want to be in the room with their child while they are learning. You would sit in the chair and move it further from the crib each night until you’re outside of the room.

Outside of being 100% consistent with your chosen method, the other key factor in helping your child to sleep well, will be timing!  A child being overtired is the #1 trigger for sleep issues. If you can get your child down at the right time for naps and bedtime each day, that will be half the battle!

What about a nighttime feed?

If your baby nutritionally needs a feed or two based on their weight gain, or if it would make you feel more comfortable to include one, then that is okay!  A baby can easily be weaned off the feed(s) when ready.

Why is good quality sleep so important?

Good quality sleep is important for so many reasons! Here are a few:

• Consolidated sleep helps aid in a child’s physical, cognitive and emotional development.
• Sleep is when babies’ brains and muscles are growing, and when the mind and body gets restored.
• When a child is getting the healthy, restorative sleep they need, there is often great improvement in their mood, ability to listen and many also start eating better!
• And let’s not forget about the parents! For parents to function at their best at work and at home, they need sufficient sleep. A lack of sleep can influence parents’ mood and emotional reactivity.

If your baby is not getting the quality sleep that they need, chat with a sleep consultant to see how they can help!  The team at MyBaby Sleepology meets parents where they are and helps them to come up with a plan they are comfortable with to help them achieve their goals!