As a pediatric sleep coach, there are a few questions I’ve I tend to hear when I start working with a family. Most parents are very interested in whether or not their child will cry and for how long. They also want to know if and when their baby will sleep through the night.
Nobody has actually ever said it quite like this BUT, some parents are looking for a “magical” solution to their baby’s sleep that works instantaneously without any crying, upset or effort.
What they actually say is more like this, “My friend got her baby a special sleepsuit and he’s been sleeping through the night ever since.”
I can actually hear the hope in their voice. They want me to assure them that said suit will solve their baby’s sleep in an instant.
When I see how many sleep contraptions for babies are on the market these days, it’s really not surprising that parents might think that one of them just might be the solution.
Maybe a vibrating chair?
A special sleepsuit?
A weighted blanket?
A hypnotizing bedtime book?
An auto-shusher?
I’m NOT making any of this up!
Parents that are desperate for sleep are often willing to try anything! And, you can find just about anything that claims to “help” with your baby’s sleep.
That’s not even close to a complete list but it’ll serve its purpose for this blog š
There are probably a few of you jumping up and down right now saying, “the vibrating such and such DID help my baby sleep!”
And, you’re right! Many of these contraptions do exactly what they say they’re going to do and that’s the problem!
Let’s talk about the hypnotizing baby book.
If you’ve got young children, then you’ve most likely heard of this book. It’s a self-published book and climbed to the top of the Amazon bestseller list which is a first. It promises to get your kids to go to sleep with repetitive phrases (and, constant yawning by the reader š LOL
So, you get this book, read it to your little one, and it puts them right to sleep. You know that children, like the rest of us, don’t just fall asleep in an instant and STAY asleep for 10 hours straight.
We sleep in cycles from light to deep sleep and back again. We tend to wake up between those stages. As adults, we often don’t remember these wake-ups because we’re able to get back to sleep without “help”.
If you have a child that relies on “help” to go to sleep, such as a hypnotizing bedtime book you’re setting yourself up for a night of reading over and over when your child wakes between sleep cycles, which would make for a VERY unpleasant night.
Sleep is a skill that we can teach our children from a very early age.
Much like walking, swimming, playing the piano, or driving a stick shift. Of course, we’re born with the ability to fall asleep, but some practice to refine that skill is almost always needed.
When you “help” your little one to sleep with feeding, shushing, vibration, or motion, you’re essentially doing ALL of the practice for them.
It’s equivalent to never letting go of the bike seat when they’re trying to learn to ride.
That’s what sets your sleep coach apart from these contraptions!
Together, we’ll teach your kiddo to master those sleep skills. Step by step, from beginner to expert, until you’re the proud and well-rested parent of the Tiger Woods of sleep!
What does this mean? It means that they can sleep anywhere, it doesn’t matter who’s watching them, and if the motor on their self-rocking crib conks out, they’ll be able to drift off to sleep and stay asleep straight through the night – ALL by themselves.
Having a well-rested child is amazing & being a well-rested parent is amazing, too!
But, that’s not all folks!
When your baby masters the skill of sleep – they’ll LOVE it! Just like any other talent that we’re really good at, we actually enjoy doing it!
It’s not upsetting or frustrating and we do it for sheer pleasure.
Both of my children, and almost every little one I’ve worked with, absolutely LOVE bedtime.
There aren’t any battles over bedtime. Just some happy family time before they hop into bed and do what they do best – SLEEP!
You can drop a few hundred bucks every time your baby outgrows their weighted sleep sack or $1500 when they get too big for their self-rocking crib.
But, why spend money on pricey training wheels, when it’s just treating the symptom and NOT the cause?
Teach your baby the skill of sleeping well and that is the best cure-all for their sleepless nights.
If your little one isn’t sleeping well and your ready for some rest.
We should talk. Book a complimentary 15-minute discovery call with me.
I look forward to hearing from you and helping, however, I can.
Here’s to a well-rested family,
