SLEEP TRAINING
What is sleep training?
“Sleep training” is an umbrella term used for strategies to help a baby or young child fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Some confuse all sleep training methods to be the “cry it out” approach, where you put your child to bed and don’t get them until the following morning. However, that is far from the truth.
In fact, more recently, scientists have pushed for more gentle sleep training approaches. For example, some sleep training starts off by having the parent sleep next to the baby’s crib (a method called camping out) and then move out of the room gradually. Other approaches have the parent check in on the child in between set intervals that increase in duration.
Does sleep training work for everyone?
The majority of parents who have worked with us on sleep training strategies have noted some level of improvement in terms of their child’s sleep as well as their own sleep.
However, there are 10-20% of children, in our experience, who sleep training just does not work for.
Therefore, this process is highly individualized based on a family’s needs and level of comfort as well as the child’s temperament and whether other medical conditions exist (e.g., reflux).
Will sleep training harm my child?
One of the largest randomized controlled trials compared children whose parents implemented sleep training strategies vs. those who didn’t. They found no differences in emotional health, stress, or relationship with parents between the two groups.
We have research evidence that shows that sleep training does not result in harm; however, we have noticed that parents who are likely to be persistent with their sleep training plan are the ones who are committed to outcomes and believe in the science behind it.
At the end, there is no right or wrong approach with regards to sleep training. If you feel like you are a parent who does not want to sleep train, that is OK! And if you feel like you are a parent who is ready to sleep train, that is OK too!
OK, I am finally ready to start sleep training - how do I get started?
If you think you may benefit from services to help with sleep training, please call (470) 610-0414 to speak with one of our providers. We look forward to working with you!
Any questions? Contact us