Sleep Training – Why It Can Have Long Lasting Benefits For Your Whole Family

sleep training

Should I Sleep Train My Child?

There is so much information and articles online on how to sleep train your child, why you should sleep train your child and also why you shouldn’t. With all the information available, it’s no wonder many parents become confused about whether to sleep train or not, which approach to use and how long to do it for. Throw in some sleep deprivation along the way and it can make the research process a minefield.

Many opinions available suggest the best – and only – way to do go is to do the ‘crying it out’ approach, where you let your baby cry themselves to sleep on their own (disclaimer – I don’t see this as sleep training and you certainly don’t need a sleep consultant to tell you to do this). Whilst other parents are strong against any form of sleep training, believing instead that you should only be led by your child and they will sleep when they are ready. At The Daddy Sleep Consultant, we believe in a gentle form of sleep training to make the necessary changes to your child’s sleep patterns and give your whole family the sleep it needs and deserves.   

Why ‘Crying It Out’ Is Not Sleep Training 

Whilst every parent should absolutely have the right to do what is right for their baby, sometimes the perception of sleep training is negative. This is often based on the crying it out approach – an  approach used by many families and many sleep consultants in Ireland today – where you leave your child on their own to try and self-settle, even if they are upset, periodically checking in on them.

However, this isn’t sleep training in our view; we believe it’s simply letting your baby figure things out with very little support and not something we do here at The Daddy Sleep Consultant. This includes the Ferber Method. Instead, our sleep training method involves you always being with your child, providing plenty of comfort until they are ready to fall asleep independently, usually around 2 weeks into the programme. Your baby is not being left to do it themselves and it really doesn’t need to be as upsetting and traumatic as many opinions would suggest. 

What Are The Benefits Of Sleep Training?

Here are our top reasons to do sleep training: 

  • Your baby will be able to fall asleep independently, a life-long skill they will take into adulthood.
  • They will be able to fall asleep much quicker, reducing long and painful bedtimes
  • They will be able to put themselves back to sleep during the night (all children and adults wake in the night) reducing night wakings.
  • Your baby will sleep better and longer.
  • Your baby’s mood and energy levels will be better, and they will likely eat/feed much more in the day.
  • Their cognitive and physical development will improve as so much of this takes place during the night when a baby should be sleeping. They will also have more energy to participate in enjoyable and stimulating activities.
  • And something we often forget, the positive impact on the entire family and relationship with a partner. When you are sleep deprived, you don’t have the time or patience for relationships with partners or friends.

 

We believe that with the gentle approach we take to sleep training, the changes are more gradual and longer-lasting meaning you aren’t waiting for the next sleep regression or holiday to set everything back.  

How Our 1:1 Sleep Training Programmes Work

The Daddy Sleep Consultant’s 1:1 sleep packages include a holistic view of your child’s sleep patters and may involve one of our sleep training methods. The programme is structured as follows: 

  • We get to know your baby, collecting 2-4 days of routine logs from you on your baby’s activities, nutrition and sleeping.
  • A 1 hour video consultation to discuss our findings from the logs, advise on the changes we need to make and build a sleep routine that will work best for you and your family.
  • We will also assess and decide on the best sleep training method for your baby or toddler’s sleep challenges.
  • We then send you a written and tailored programme based on our consultation with you.
  • Once you start we then provide you with unlimited, real-time support. We do not cut your support off after 2 or 3 weeks like many sleep consultants in Ireland. Instead, we remain with you through the programme and beyond, being your sleep consultant in the future if you have a setback, need a change in routine or just need some advice on your child’s sleep.

Find Out About Our Sleep Training Packages – Contact Us Now

If you are thinking about sleep training for your baby or toddler, the advice is to get started straight away. If you look at our Google or Facebook reviews, so many say “my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner”. Contact us today to find out more.

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