Having a baby is a roller coaster: there will be highs, lows, and a myriad of adventures along the way. Unfortunately, one of the most disruptive and frustrating aspects of parenthood comes in the form of interrupted sleep. Lots and lots of interrupted sleep. In the first two months of life, babies have not developed a circadian rhythm. This means they have no routine for wakefulness and sleepiness as they cannot differentiate between night and day. Add in the fact that they need to be fed at two to three-hour intervals, and you have a number of sleepless nights ahead of you.
Baby Sleep Training Benefits
There is a solution! Baby sleep training (also known as baby sleep coaching) is the process of helping your newborn learn how to fall — and stay — asleep reliably and consistently. The benefits are obvious: sleep is necessary for the sanity of the parents and the development of the baby — the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has suggested that critical brain-development periods are dependent on adequate sleep. With everyone in the household being well-rested, all the other subtleties of everyday life (especially when an infant is involved) will become more manageable and enjoyable.
However, many doctors and experts stress the fact that sleep coaching should be personal: whatever routine works best for your family is the right one to pursue. Just because one method was successful for a friend of yours doesn’t mean it’s automatically the best fit for you.
When Is The Right Time?
Exhausted parents everywhere may see sleep coaching as a solution to their most agonizing problem. Though you should always consult your pediatrician before hiring a baby sleep trainer, many experts believe that most infants are capable of handling some sort of sleep training at four to six months of age. This is the time they become developmentally ready to self-soothe; they’ll no longer need a rock, cuddle, or pat to fall back asleep, and will be able to get through the night without crying for one.
That’s not to say that you can’t sleep train your 10-month-old or one-year-old; it simply depends on whatever works best for your family.
For more information about sleep training, or to find a sleep trainer, contact Birthing Stone at info@birthingstone.com.
