My name is Mica. I am a certified sleep consultant and founder of Rested Mama, Happy Baby. I help families on their journey to establish healthy sleep habits and get the whole family sleeping again! Let’s talk about this for a second.  One thing quite a few families have asked me is, “isn’t sleep training bad?”  My quick answer to this is NO, but let’s dive into the why and the evidence behind it. I believe sleep training has developed a bad name for several different reasons.

3 Misconceptions about Sleep Training:

1: Assuming it's "Cry-it-Out":

    People associate sleep training with the “Cry-it-Out” method, which is a method also known as extinction, where you leave a child awake at bedtime and allow them to cry it out with no intervention from you until they fall asleep.  This idea leaves so much negativity and is not the only method of sleep training.  So when some families think about sleep training, they picture their sweet angel being put in their crib crying while you shut the door and never look back.  That’s NOT what we recommend here or the only method.

The Truth: 

    First, it’s time to reset what we mean when we say “sleep train.”  Sleep Training is the method used to teach a child how to fall asleep independently without intervention from mom or dad.  It’s enabling them to know when it’s time to sleep and be able to handle the tired feeling of going into a restful slumber.  There are MANY methods to sleep train, which is also why many families need helpful guidance.  The technique has to be suitable for your family and your baby’s personality and developmental age.  Choosing the wrong method can end in failure and loss of hope. 

2: We've Tried, it Doesn't Work for Us:

    People may have tried the CIO method or other various methods, and they haven’t worked.  (I will address why this might be the case.) 

The Truth:

    That leads me to another observation that parents will try a method for a day or two at times, see no results, and then feel that sleep training will not work for them or their child and succumb to several years of insufficient sleep.  The problem with trying different methods is that you create a pattern of inconsistency and confusion, making it more challenging with every attempt you try. So it’s vital to have a plan in place and be committed to seeing it out. 

3: I won't be able to CUDDLE my Baby!

    People assume that sleep training means you shouldn’t cuddle, snuggle, or bond with your baby.

The Truth:

     Sleep training and bonding are certainly not mutually exclusive.  If anything, studies show that independent sleep skills and various sleep training methods not only show no impact on a child’s well-being but far exceed in benefits for health.

    So the next time you wonder if sleep training is bad, think of it as a significant change that will help your child thrive in the long term!  In our programs, we help you devise the right sleep training plan to fit the uniqueness of your family, along with the proper sleep schedule in place.  Reach out to us for more information, or check out our programs here, because a rested mama and dad, lead to a happy baby! 

  Learn more about how we work with families to help their babies sleep 10+ hours at night without Cry-it-out or Ferber.  Join our free webinar!

Sleep is around the corner, 

Rested Mama, Happy Baby Founder