If you’re curious whether sleep training is necessary to having a good sleeping victual or toddler, dig in and read on.
I asked a friend the other day, “How’s your victual sleeping?”
Her victual is 3 months old now and, stuff a certified sleep consultant, I’m curious.
“Fine, I guess… how do you know if she isn’t sleeping well?”
That was all I needed to know.
Because you know without a shadow of a doubt if your little one has sleep issues. Let’s wordplay some questions that may help you put your mind at ease if you’re wondering if sleep training is necessary or not.
Because the wordplay is: it depends.
When is sleep training necessary?
Let me unravel it lanugo to requite you supplies for thought for your own family’s situation.
- If your victual sleeps fine already, no need to sleep train.
- When victual struggles getting to sleep or staying asleep, then some form of intervention is needed to teach victual how to sleep well.
- If mama is sleep-deprived and and unable to function well considering victual won’t sleep, it’s time to sleep train.
If your little one can’t get to sleep, stay asleep, transition through sleep cycles or sleep until a reasonable hour in the morning… you don’t have to just live with it.
Fast, simple, and free strategies to implement if victual can’t get to sleep, won’t *stay* asleep, or is unsettled in general.
Does every victual need sleep training?
Simply put, no.
If you teach your newborn to sleep well from the whence then you typically never need to do any type of increasingly formal sleep intervention later.
I had 5 babies in 5 years and never had to sleep train any of them considering I used gentle and easy strategies from the beginning. I share these in my matriculation Newborn Settling Guide below.
Tried-and-true *hands on* newborn settling strategies that plane the most fussy (or wide-awake-sleep-refusing) newborns cannot resist!
Learn MoreSome babies sleep well and don’t seem to need any help. In this case, there’s no issue.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
On the other hand, babies who are often rocked, fed to sleep, slept with, unliable to pul hair, etc. (all constructive to get victual to sleep!) end up not stuff worldly-wise to sleep without those. That’s what we undeniability sleep props.
At some point, those will need to be weaned and you’ll have to do a increasingly formal intervention to teach victual to sleep. Victual will protest. And it’ll need to be purposeful so you know why and what you’re doing.
What exactly *is* sleep training?
Sleep training is, no increasingly and no less, than teaching your victual how to sleep on their own. It’s a process by which you teach victual to get to sleep, transition through sleep cycles, and stay unconsciousness on their own.
- without you needing to do ninja moves to get them to sleep
- without lots of short naps and night wakings
- and without helping transition victual through sleep cycles (45 ish minutes during naps, every 2 hourly at night)
You’ll substantially teach victual HOW to get to sleep. This will help them stay asleep.
Fast, simple, and free strategies to implement if victual can’t get to sleep, won’t *stay* asleep, or is unsettled in general.
Will babies sooner just sleep well on their own?
Pretty much not.
Some children will sooner decide to sleep longer stretches, but many go into toddler years and vastitude still unable to sleep well on their own. Simply considering they don’t know how to do it on their own.
They only know how to sleep when you do ninja tricks. And sometimes, not plane then.
I know many people whose 3, 4, 5 year olds don’t sleep well and never have. This is when a lot of reactive strategies happen. AKA you do things you don’t want to do considering you finger helpless to get your child to sleep.
- If baby’s sleep habits aren’t improving on their own, they likely won’t just miraculously change.
- When victual is struggling to sleep then it’s mom’s job to set victual up for sleep success by teaching them this essential life skills.
- Don’t finger like a victim of your baby’s sleep. You can teach victual how to sleep and everyone can thrive.
Fast, simple, and free strategies to implement if victual can’t get to sleep, won’t *stay* asleep, or is unsettled in general.
How do I know if I need to sleep train my baby?
Here are some signs it’s time to sleep train.
- erratic sleep habits
- struggle napping
- short naps
- waking a lot during the night
- early wakings
- crying and fighting naps
- night terrors
- inability to be comforted during night wakings
- exhaustion
- sluggishness
- hyper-alertness and that “buzzed” state due to adrenaline dumping
12 Medical Reasons Your Baby’s Not Sleeping (With Symptoms Of Each)
7 Reasons Your Victual Still Wakes Up At Night – And What To Do
Baby and Toddler SLEEP FAQs…Answered (with Video)
Baby Won’t Sleep In The Bassinet? Here’s Why & What To Do
Bedtime Battles: How To Avoid Stalling, Tantrums, & Constant Questions
Common Habits That Help and Hurt Baby’s Sleep When is the weightier age to sleep train?
The weightier time to sleep train is… now.
Ha. But okay fine.
If you’re asking and wanting a increasingly thought-out answer, I’d say that the 5 to 6-month period is an spanking-new time to sleep train. There are a few reasons for this and here are the highlights:
- Babies’ biological sleep rhythms have matured so they can sleep longer stretches increasingly naturally.
- They’re eating solids so this rules out hunger.
- They are increasingly awake and thus not falling unconsciousness at every single feed, you can alimony them awake to feed easier.
- They’re out of the newborn phase but not yet old unbearable to put up major resistance.
- They aren’t walking yet so less tempted to climb out of the crib.
Fast, simple, and free strategies to implement if victual can’t get to sleep, won’t *stay* asleep, or is unsettled in general.
How long does it take to do it?
Depending on the type of sleep interventions you use, it can typically take from 3 days to 2 weeks.
- fast sleep training methods take from 3 to 5 days typically
- slower increasingly gradual sleep training methods typically take virtually 2 weeks.
Slower methods are good for moms who are guilt-ridden and think they’re rabble-rousing their victual while teaching them to sleep. These methods are hands-on and in-room typically.
The faster sleep training methods are good for when you need massive changes pretty quickly (surgery, new victual coming, etc.) and can be washed-up much quicker.
Best of luck, mama!
Create sustainable sleep habits for your little lamb so the whole family can sleep peacefully without the stress, drama, and tears.
Learn MoreThe post Is Sleep Training Necessary? No. Also, Yes. appeared first on A Mother Far from Home.
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