Why is sleep training so hard for parents?
Making sleep training easier!
Sleep training your baby is something most parents have on their eventual to do list, once their baby is old enough. They know that their baby is struggling with sleep, which means they are too and they know that lack of sleep is not sustainable for their family! Sleep training… we all want it, but achieving it can be somewhat difficult!
And here is why
Sleep training is undoing bad sleep habits that your toddler or baby have and you see every day or night. It can be difficult to balance the need for sleep, figuring out what to do, and not having the time to implement new healthy sleep habits and routines. Our professional opinion is that time and knowing what your child needs are the biggest obstacles to making sleep training an easy success for parents.
What to do when and how to do it?!?
Obstacle number one for parents, knowing what to do during sleep training, when to do it and how to do it! Each child is different and if this is your first, you’ll learn that eventually, if this is not your first baby, you know what we are talking about! Your baby has never been a “good” sleeper, but now that they are older and you know that they CAN sleep better, you find yourself stuck on what to do first.
Step one: routine. Step two: implementation. Step three: consistency. Step four: tweak as needed.
It’s as “simple as that”!
Okay, that’s not very simple and we know that it’s not that simple because obstacle number two, time! Time is something parents already have very little of. When you welcome a new baby, you do not get extra hours in the day, you have the same number of hours, but more to do now! One of our suggested ways of making the transition to parenting easier is, Newborn Care Support, and many families find it the perfect addition to their first few weeks home. As your baby get’s older though and it’s time for better sleep to become a reality, where do you start with so little time??
Making time for sleep training!
After following our steps above and figuring out your routine and sleep training method, you should set aside time in a week to implement your new routine! Safety first, make sure the crib, room and baby’s age are all set for sleep training. A great way to do this is to take off a Thursday and Friday and utilize those days plus the weekend to sleep train your baby. This gives you the time to focus on sleep training that will be required for success. Plan to stay home and not go anywhere!
What if I just do not have the time or energy to sleep train my baby??
There is a solution for that and we are it! Many parents turn to our professional sleep coaches from Family Bliss to help their baby learn to sleep 11-12 hours at night and nap successfully in their own space! This is because having someone who has been there, done that hundreds of time, in your home, sleep training your baby, is an invaluable resource and provides success. * You do not have to ask the questions of what do I do when? You’ll know, because your sleep coach will be there the whole time and she will give you the tools you need to navigate future changes!
Best of luck! The rewards of sleep training are so worth it!
*Success is dependent on your ability to follow guidelines implemented by your sleep coach! Only choose to work with a sleep coach if you are 100% ready to commit!