As parents, we teach our kids all kind of skills. Eating, speaking, walking, reading, and the list goes on. Did you realize that we also have, I believe, a responsibility to teach them the important skill of how to fall asleep?
Sounds easy, right? Well, tell that to the moms and dads out there who are stuck in a rut of constantly soothing their babies to sleep, holding them for hours, repeatedly popping the soother into his/her mouth just to get them to settle. These are all behaviours that we resort to when we’re just so exhausted.
Sleep training doesn’t necessarily mean sleeping through the night, but it does mean teaching your baby to fall asleep independently. For young babies, night time feeds are still very important, but the sleep training will allow your baby to fall back to sleep quickly and easily on their own.
And, let’s talk about crying. Sleep training doesn’t mean “crying it out.” There are many different methods you can use such as come and go or sit and support. Cry it out is usually not the first method of choice.
My top three tips for sleep training babies and toddlers are:
- Your child must go down 100% wide awake independently. No external props.
- Bedtime feed, if there is one, needs to be at the beginning of the bedtime routine.
- Consistency is key.
Many parents are quite surprised that it really only takes five nights to get things going on the right track. Some parents even notice an improvement on night #2. Teaching a baby or infant/toddler to sleep well will most likely involve some amount of protest on the child’s part. Change does not always come easy, but it will get better, and parents can most definitely teach their children this important life skill.
If you can teach your baby to sleep well, you will set them up to be a good sleeper for life!
– Shan Roth
