Is This the Right Time to Sleep Train?
There are 2 things I can pretty much guarantee you when it comes to teaching your child to sleep through the night.
1. It’s going to be a challenge.
2. It’s going to be worth it.
While there are some exceptions to the rule, most babies don’t go right down to sleep on the first night and just magically sleep through from then on. Some sleep through the night on night 2, some start seeing results on nights 3 or 4, but in all likelihood, night 1 will be taxing.
I will say though that I’ve never worked with a family who didn’t feel like they had made a tremendous decision once their baby did learn to sleep independently and through the night. The benefits to the entire family are almost indescribable.
However, like with all big decisions, there are times that are ideal and times that are less so to take on this challenging, but rewarding journey.
Here are a couple things I want you to ask yourself and consider before embarking on this ride.
Are you going to be around?
I like for one or both parents to be around for bedtime during the two weeks of sleep training. If you’re planning on traveling within the next 2 weeks, or have a day/night coming up that might really throw things off (like a holiday or people coming in to town), consider postponing!
Is the time right for baby?
The best change for a quick and effective solution to your baby’s sleep issues is to implement the changes when they are healthy and thriving. If baby is dealing with severe reflux or colic that is unmanaged, you’ll want to get that remedied/under control before you start sleep training. There’s going to be some fussing and protest in the first few nights, and we want to make sure it’s only due to the changes being made to their routine, and not because of actual discomfort. If they’re healthy, it’s going to be much easier to pinpoint the reasons for their fussing.
At the same time, if you little one is currently sick, consider postponing until they’re feeling better.
What about teething? Well, I’ve got a whole blog post on that, but if you’d like my short version: our babies teethe for the first few years of their life, so it’s no reason to push off working on sleep!
Is your partner on board?
If you’re raising your baby with a partner, it’s important that both of you are committed to the process. This can be a trying ordeal for the first few nights, and if your partner thinks it’s not a good idea, there’s likely going to be a point where they manage to convince you to give in and resort to whatever “sleep prop” you usually use to get baby to sleep. So before you get started, try to get on the same page as your partner so you can rely on one another for support.
Can you stand a couple of nights without a lot of sleep?
I won’t sugarcoat it. Changing up someone’s sleep habits is almost never met with enthusiasm, especially not for the first night or two, so nobody’s likely to get a lot of rest for the first 48 hours. If you have an important meeting or a major event coming up in the next few days that you need to be in peak condition for, you might want to wait until it has passed to get things underway. (I don’t want you to get the wrong idea though – you won’t be up all night. You just might end up getting a little less sleep than normal!)
Are symptoms of sleep deprivation starting to show?
Are you starting to feel depressed, moody, forgetful, unmotivated, clumsy, or unfocused? Is your sex drive starting to wane? Have you noticed an increased appetite and carbohydrate cravings?
These are all symptoms of sleep deprivation. I know in society, its considered normal, and often is joke-worthy, to be an exhausted parent, but the more we learn about the health effects of sleep deprivation, the less of a joke it becomes. If you’re sleep deprived or feel like you are on the verge, now is the time to take some action.
Are their accommodations ready?
Exceptions can be made in certain situations, but we’ll need baby’s room/sleep space to be as dark as you can possibly get it. Blackout blinds can be used, or you can go super simple and tape some garbage bags over the windows (may not be pretty, but the 100% darkness will really help with the daytime naps).
Get rid of any mobiles or light emitting devices that claim to help baby sleep. And ideal sleep space should be flat-out boring. It should be a space used only for sleep, so keep toys in another room.
For the older kiddos, be sure to have your sticker chart, behavior chart, bedtime routine chart, etc all set up and ready to go!
Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment!
Now might not be the ideal time to take the initiative to help your baby sleep through the night. Getting started and having to stop because of some bad planning is likely going to confuse your baby and minimize your chances for success. But remember, there’s always going to be something that isn’t exactly ideal. Teething, crawling, rolling over, and other developmental milestones – but that should not impede baby’s ability to learn how to sleep.
So now that you know all of this, if you feel like the time is right, and you’re ready to get started, let’s get going! Get in touch and we can start putting together a plan for your little one right away!
I know it’s a big decision, but the outcome is almost indescribably wonderful for the whole family.
I’m ready when you are!