The research about pediatric sleep, my professional experience, and my personal experience has taught me that making changes around a child’s sleep can be challenging, yes (as change often is), but it can also be so rewarding for children and their parents. These changes can include incorporating sustainable routines around sleep, creating an ideal sleep environment, being mindful of age-appropriate timing for sleep, and/or responsively sleep training to build independent sleep habits. With my own children, once they were sleeping independently and had the other pieces of their sleep puzzles in place (e.g., routines, timing, environment), our relationships really benefitted. Once we were all sleeping better, we were able to enjoy each other so much more.

Sleep training, one of the most talked about ways to make changes to a child’s sleep, has been  found over and over again in research to be beneficial to parents and their children in terms of sleep and parental mood, without causing harm (e.g., Bilgen & Wolke, 2020, Gradisar et al., 2016, Hall et al., 2015, Price et al., 2012). (Also did you know that sleep training is NOT just “cry it out”? That is but one method among many, and not one I use with families I support. I choose from over 20 methods based on a family’s needs and preferences.) The research shows sleep training does not cause harm to babies or to the parent-child relationship, including over time (e.g., Bilgin & Wolke, 2020, Hiscock et al., 2007, Price et al., 2012). It also shows sleep deprivation can be harmful to parents (e.g., Lawson et al., 2015, Okun et al., 2018)and that parental wellbeing can contribute to secure attachment for babies (Risi et al., 2021). So if sleep training can improve parental mental health to help them be more attuned to their babies, that can be beneficial to parents and baby!

All that being said, I do not believe everyone needs to sleep train. If what you’re doing around sleep is working for your family, keep doing it! I believe everyone gets to choose what works for them. If what’s been happening around sleep is no longer working for you and you’d like to make changes that mean more sleep for your family, I’m here for you.

If you would like to know more about me and the services I offer, please check out my Sleep Support page  to see the support options I offer and see my clinic’s contact information to book a call with me. I can’t wait to hear from you!