Almost all parents will be able to relate to having interrupted nights and suffering the effects of sleep deprivation. As a parent in a time of need we can quickly revert to Google to try and make sense of why your baby is waking. At some moment in time you may have seated sleep training, something that often sparks debates between parents.
Sleep training is something that is a personal choice and opinions on this can vary. A conflicting message can cause confusion in the matter, combined with knowing the difference between researched based facts, opinion and belief. That’s why I have collated some sleep training myths to help any parent decide if sleep training is right for them.
Sleep Training myth 1 – It is impossible to get your baby to sleep through the night
Fact
It would be unfair to expect your newborn or young baby to sleep through the night when as adults we are also prone to waking throughout the evening. It is completely normal for your baby to frequently wake, however if your baby is able to get back off to sleep without you needing to intervene you can be confident that night times are no different. Research suggests that babies have self settled from just 5 weeks old.
Sleep Training myth 2 – Sleep training means that you cannot feed at night
Myth
Sleep training is typically conducted in a holistic approach and the needs of the child should always be considered. Most babies will still need a feed at night. It is important to be able to determine if feeding at night is being done because they need it or because it gets them off to sleep.
Sleep Training myth 3 – Sleep training is dangerous to my baby and will cause harm
Myth
One of the biggest concerns any parent has about their child is that they are doing something that could cause harm to their babies. Sleep training is not one of them! There is actually no evidence to suggest that it causes any harm to your baby and is perfectly appropriate for any families who are having behavioural sleep problems. Sleep training will not work if there are medical reasons for your child not sleeping.
A study conducted across a 5 year time frame also showed that there was no difference in children who had been sleep trained to those who weren’t.
Sleep Training myth 4 – There are sleep training methods that guarantee no crying
Myth
What needs to be set clear is that no sleep training technique can ever guarantee a no cry solution. If there was a solution for this then it would not be kept a secret and everyone would be doing it. Crying is completely normal and needs to be expected, after all you are making changes to their sleeping routine.
For many parents instincts will always kick in and you will want to stop your baby from crying, it is important to see things from a different perspective. Once you look at everything from the bigger picture you will soon see that everything you are doing is coming from a loving place and you are not asking them to do anything bad.
Your child is free to show their emotions, it’s about working through them to help them realise that the changes you are doing are okay.
You should never be afraid to ask any questions about sleep training. No one should be telling you what you should or shouldn’t be doing. It’s all about evaluating your current sleep routing and supporting your decisions as a parent. If you would like to find out more about sleep training contact me today and I will answer any questions you may have.
