Going Out to Dinner with Kids While on a Sleep Schedule
How to Stay Consistent with Sleep Training
It’s likely, without knowing it, that you have sleep trained your child. By that I mean, the habits and routines that you consistently use to help your child to fall asleep or fall back asleep are how they have been trained. For some children, these habits and routines have an unintended negative impact on sleep. If a child has difficulty falling asleep, wakes frequently at night, or takes short naps, these might be signs that how a child is falling asleep may be impacting the way in which they are able to connect their sleep cycles.
A formal sleep training plan should not only look at how a child is falling asleep at night, but also the child’s whole day. Sleep environment, movement, nutrition – all play a role in sleep. Equally important to consider, is a family’s goals. A qualified sleep consultant will typically know if a family’s goals align with maintaining consistency and having success.
Many Opinions About Sleep Training
Sleep training is no easy feat. It can be exhausting, and you are most likely already sleep-deprived when you start. Listening to the opinions of others can easily weigh on you. Staying consistent with new habits and routines can be especially challenging when considering the multitude of varied opinions on sleep training.
Many could argue about studies or share what they did with their children. We go further into some of the studies, here. Ultimately deciding to sleep train, and maintaining consistency in sleep training, is a personal choice based on what you believe is best for your child. For sleep training to work, you have to feel both confident and comfortable with what you are doing. You have to be able to trust the method. Consistency is key when it comes to sleep training, but if you don’t have faith in it, it’s going to be hard to be consistent.
Knowing What to Expect
One of the reasons that working with a sleep consultant is so valuable is because we know what to expect and are able to guide you and troubleshoot where necessary. It can be so easy to walk away when you haven’t gone through this process hundreds of times. Having expert guidance, can be advantageous to maintaining consistency.
It is no secret that we believe in the positive impact sleep can have on an entire family (consider the source of this article). We feel this way because we have seen it time and time again. After almost 10,000 clients, we consistently hear that a child is happier after sleep training. We have also never heard that a child stopped calling out when they need their parent as a result of sleep training. In fact, many families site this as being one of the many positives of sleep training. A parent knows when a child is sick or needs attention because them calling out in the night has become rare versus the norm. Parents regularly report that because they are meeting their child’s needs all day, and they have a solid foundation for healthy sleep their bond remains loving and strong.
Why is Consistency Important for Sleep Training?
If your goals align with sleep training, your confident in your belief in sleep training, and you have a partner or expert to help guide you through making the habit changes that will result in good sleep, you are more likely to be consistent with sleep training. But it can also help to know why consistency is so important.
Just as children know to buckle their seatbelt in the car or put a helmet on when riding a bike, the routine around sleep should be as black and white. This helps children to feel secure and confident. They know what is going to happen and what is expected of them. Creating new habits around bedtime can be an adjustment. If a parent changes the habits from one night to the next, a child never knows where the boundary is. Consistency provides that boundary to help children learn.
The decision to sleep train is a personal decision about what’s best for you and your family. Once you know if sleep training is a fit, it’s much easier to be consistent. If you are considering sleep training and want to learn more about Sleep Wise, please reach out.