Sleep Training is all about gently guiding your little one towards sustainable sleep by introducing a comforting, consistent routine and encouraging them to develop their own settling skills at their own pace with your loving presence and reassurance every step of the way. It’s about working together to create a predictable and safe environment to set them up for success overnight. Now, although that’s how WE define this term, others may define it differently and often the term has a negative connotation.
So what are some of the myths we commonly hear when it comes to sleep training?
-
I have to let my baby ‘cry it out’ on their own for them to learn how to fall asleep
-
I have to stay home all day, every day and settle my baby in their cot
-
I can never cuddle my baby to sleep or back to sleep
-
I will lose my connection and bond with my baby
-
I will damage my babies secure attachment
Some of these statements may be quite extreme, yet we frequently encounter such remarks regarding sleep training! It’s truly unfortunate that these messages exist as they can prevent parents seeking the help they need.
The truth is, you can work on your little ones' sleep in a lovingly attached way, whilst physically and emotionally supporting them through the whole process.
Let's break these myths down!
-
I have to let my baby ‘cry it out’ on their own for them to learn how to fall asleep
This is the most un-true of them all! There are plenty of ways in which we can support our little one to learn to fall asleep independently. Crying is a natural response from our little ones and the only way they know how to communicate. They will cry when something is unfamiliar and that is okay, but we lovingly reassure and support them through these big feelings until things feel familiar and good for them.
-
I have to stay home all day, every day and settle my baby in their cot
Here at The Sleep Teacher, we very much promote and encourage naps on the go. There are some naps in the day that are actually better achieved through motion or assistance so no, you don’t need to stay home all day!
-
I can never cuddle my baby to sleep or back to sleep
Initially, if you are wanting to move away from assisting bub to sleep, we ideally don’t want to cuddle them to sleep and back to sleep as this won’t help them learn how to fall asleep independently. However, once bub is doing well with self-settling, if you feel like cuddling them to sleep one night, go for your life! We know they have the ability to self-settle so cuddling them to sleep every now and again is amazing and so nice to have those cuddles when you both need them!
-
I will lose my connection and bond with my baby
Our little ones have SO much time for connection and bonding with us in their awake time. Yes, if your little one is at childcare for example, that time is unfortunately not as frequent but we are still able to build that connection and bond with them in the moments we have with them during the day. Those things are not lost when you are just helping your little one to love their own sleep space! Focus on your time together while they’re awake, fill their love cup!
-
It will damage my babies secure attachment
In psychology, "secure attachment" describes a healthy attachment style in which an individual feels at ease and confident in their primary caregiver. They trust that this caregiver will be accessible when needed, enabling them to explore their surroundings freely while knowing they have a dependable base to return to when required. In essence, it represents a positive and stable relationship with a caregiver, which fosters healthy relationships in the future. Ask yourself - how could we be damaging this if we are simply helping our little ones to establish a routine in their day and encouraging them to feel safe and confident in their own sleep space at sleep time?
If you’re feeling unsure about how to support your little one to learn how to fall asleep independently or even how to establish a suitable routine, please reach out!
Block out all the noise and do what feels right for you! xx
