Want A Baby That Sleeps? Yes Please & Here's Why...
As a sleep consultant, I hear a lot of things. One is that some parents really aren’t “into” sleep training their children.
I totally get it and to be honest, I’m not so much into sleep training either!
It’s NOT the sleep training that I enjoy. It’s an amazing, life-changing end result which is a well-rested, happier, healthier family.
We live in a nation of chronically sleep-deprived people that continue to get less than adequate rest, daily.
The priority of adequate sleep often takes a back seat to our busy lives.
As a result of our lack of proper sleep, our children are not getting the rest they need and it’s an epidemic that needs to be seriously addressed.
According to Kids Health, “Most kids between 5 and 12 get about 9.5 hours a night, but experts agree that most need 10 or 11 hours each night.”
Think about how you feel without good sleep. This has become our new “normal” but seriously so many of us walk around in a sleep-deprived fog every day.
Why is it any different for a baby or child?
Just because they can’t express themselves in the same way we can, trust me, they feel terrible!
I hear a lot that babies are “suppose” to wake in the night. Yes, a baby under 6 months of age should be waking to eat. More often in the beginning and then tapering off as the baby gets older.
A healthy baby, 6 months or older is capable of sleeping 11-12 hours at night without a feed. So, if your 9 month old baby is waking 2-6 times per night – this is a lack of sleep skills and NOT hunger.
Exhaustion in little ones often manifests itself as hyperactivity and is, therefore, unfortunately, not attributed to sleep deprivation.
Humans are designed to get consolidated sleep at night and need it in order to feel well rested during the day.
Fragmented sleep doesn’t allow for proper brain development and has been linked to childhood obesity, hyperactivity, and an increased risk for diabetes in children.
Most people that question what I do assume that my method of sleep training is a “Cry it Out Method” which has gotten a lot of scrutiny due to the fact that you leave your baby unattended to cry until they go to sleep.
My approach couldn’t be more different.
My approach is much gentler and, I believe, more effective. It drives me crazy when parents tell me that their baby is a terrible sleeper. That’s because you haven’t taught them to be a good sleeper.
EVERY baby can learn to be an amazing sleeper. Just making some small changes to schedule and feeding times can make a huge difference in how well a baby sleeps.
For me there was absolutely no other way than to sleep train my children and here’s why:
I can always make it to 7:30pm:
Let’s face it, being a parent is hard work! It takes mental clarity, stamina, and consistency that can often make a well-rested person feel tired.
Knowing every day that my children will be in bed at 7:30pm, go to sleep easily and not wake until 6:30 am the next morning keeps me sane.
If my children were up late every night, woke multiple times per night and were up early every day, I simply wouldn’t be as good a mother. And I guarantee I wouldn’t have happy, well-adjusted children.
It saves my marriage:
Marriage is hard work and marriage combined with parenthood is extra hard work.
Staying connected to your partner after the arrival of children can be challenging at times. My husband and I have gotten every night from 7:30pm on for the last 10 years (since we became parents) to ourselves.
Even though we don’t sit down to a candlelight dinner every night, we know that time is just ours. 2 hours before we go to bed that is quiet, uninterrupted and blissful.
We can actually have an adult conversation and really listen to each other. I am certain my marriage survives and thrives in large part due to our young children’s bedtime (and the fact that I REALLY like the guy ;).
My children can sleep anywhere:
My mom was my guest blogger last week and she mentioned how awesome it is that our children have never had trouble sleeping at her house. They easily go to bed, without a fuss and sleep all night long – and they always have!
We have taken our children everywhere with us. We take their stuffed animals and maybe a familiar blanket and wherever we are in the world, they sleep and they sleep well.
They know when they are tired and very rarely protest at bedtime. People often say to me that they don’t look tired and can’t believe I am putting them to bed.
To that, I say, you’re right, they don’t look tired because they are well-rested and know to go to bed before they are overtired. My 10 & 8-year-old will ask to go to bed if they have had a particularly long day.
My children have gone to bed when we have had a party downstairs!
I know we will get sleep at night:
My children go to sleep all night long and so do we. We have our own sacred sleep space and they have theirs. My children have never even asked to sleep in my bed and wouldn’t want to.
They have their own sleep sanctuary that calls to them every night and it is completely separate from mine.
There’s no musical beds or bed-sharing in the middle of the night and because of this- we ALL sleep well. I don’t believe that as parents of young children we have to wear our fatigue as some sort of “badge of honor”.
Being a rested parent is an amazing gift to give to your child. And, teaching your child to sleep well is also an amazing gift.
I thought I would do it differently:
Before our older son was born I definitely had preconceived ideas about how I would parent. He arrived in June of 2009, healthy and amazing!
After 6 weeks of co-sleeping, I found myself so exhausted that I wasn’t enjoying being a mother the way I imagined it to be.
When I found someone to help me teach my baby how to sleep, it changed my life!
By 8 weeks of age, he was an amazing sleeper and I was able to get the rest I needed to be the best mom I can be.
Figure out a way that works to get your children sleeping:
I am certainly not here to tell you that you have to sleep train your children. 20% of babies become good sleepers on their own.
So, if you have one of those babies then that is great!
For the other 80% of babies don’t “outgrow” being bad sleepers and statistics show that 3-5 years later they are often still struggling with sleep.
I had a recent 4-year-old client that had NEVER slept through the night in her entire life! The parents thought she would outgrow it.
I am here to tell you there is help and I don’t believe it is ever too late to teach your young child to sleep well. I have worked with children up to 9 years old and have had great success.
Whether or not you agree with sleep training, your children should be getting adequate, consolidated sleep every night.
It’s not always convenient:
Let’s be honest- always being consistent and insisting on bedtimes and nap times every day is far from glamorous. Life can seem like “Groundhog Day” and the routine can be boring.
But, when I see how happy and healthy my children are the monotony of the schedule is TOTALLY worth it! We have missed many Birthday parties, dinners out with friends, and other social engagements that conflicted with our children’s bedtime and nap times and I don’t care.
My children’s health and well-being are more important than any social engagement. I don’t believe children have to fit into our busy schedules. I believe we should respect how much sleep our children need and rearrange our lives to make certain they get it.
How much sleep do babies and children need in 24 hours?
- NB – 3 months: 16 – 18 hours
- 3 – 6 months: about 15 hours
- 6 – 9 months: about 14 hours
- 9 – 12 months: about 13 – 14 hours
- 12 – 24 months: 12 – 13 hours
- 3-8 years: 11-13 hours
If your child isn’t getting this much sleep, I would take a good look at your schedule and figure out how to make this a priority starting today.
Good sleep hygiene is as important as good nutrition for your children. You wouldn’t deny your child healthy food so why deny them healthy sleep?
If you’re struggling with a baby or child that isn’t sleeping well, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether you just need to make it a priority or be more consistent- do something about it.
Don’t spend another day being exhausted because your children aren’t good sleepers.
Parenthood is exhausting enough when we’re well-rested!
Be sure to sign up for my “7 Best Sleep Tips For Sleeping Through The Night”. It’s a great free resource 😉
Here’s to a well-rested family,
