{"id":15625,"date":"2016-03-01T13:38:42","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T21:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=15625"},"modified":"2016-03-01T13:38:42","modified_gmt":"2016-03-01T21:38:42","slug":"sleep-training-an-absolute-must-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=15625","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Training: An Absolute MUST For Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

Murphys, CA…I often hear from parents that they aren\u2019t \u201cinto\u201d sleep training their children.\u00a0 I am a pediatric sleep consultant and to be perfectly honest, I\u2019m not so much into sleep training either.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the sleep training that I enjoy, it\u2019s the end result which is a well-rested, happier, healthier family!\u00a0 We are a nation of chronically sleep deprived people that continue to miss our sleep cues daily.\u00a0 Our children are simply not getting the rest they need at night and it is an epidemic that needs to be seriously addressed.\u00a0 I know when I\u2019m up multiple times a night for any reason, I feel terrible the next day.\u00a0 Why is it any different for a baby or child?\u00a0 Just because they can\u2019t express themselves in the same way we can, they feel terrible!\u00a0 Exhaustion in little ones often manifests itself as hyperactivity and unfortunately, is not attributed to sleep deprivation.\u00a0 Humans are designed to get consolidated sleep at night and need it in order to feel well rested during the day.\u00a0 Fragmented sleep doesn\u2019t allow for proper brain development and has been linked to childhood obesity, hyper activity, and an increased risk for diabetes in children.<\/p>\n

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\nMost people that question what I do assume that my method of sleep training is a \u201cCry it Out Method\u201d which has gotten a lot of scrutiny due to the fact that you leave your baby unattended to cry until they go to sleep.\u00a0 My approach couldn\u2019t be more different.\u00a0 My approach is much gentler and, I believe, more effective.\u00a0 It drives me crazy when parents tell me that their baby is a terrible sleeper.\u00a0 That\u2019s because you haven\u2019t taught them to be a good sleeper!\u00a0 EVERY baby can learn to be an amazing sleeper.\u00a0 Just by making some small changes to schedule and feeding times can make a huge difference in how well a baby sleeps.<\/p>\n

For me there was absolutely no other way then to sleep train my children and here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n

I can always make it to 7pm:<\/u><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, being a parent is hard work!\u00a0 It takes mental clarity, stamina and consistency that can often make a well rested person feel tired.\u00a0 Knowing every day that my children will be in bed at 7pm, go to sleep easily and not wake until 6:30am the next morning keeps me sane.\u00a0 If my children were up late every night, woke multiple times per night and were up early every day, I simply wouldn\u2019t be as good a mother.\u00a0 And, I guarantee my children wouldn\u2019t be as happy and well adjust as they are.<\/p>\n

It saves my marriage:<\/u><\/p>\n

I adore my husband and think we have a great marriage.\u00a0 That being said, marriage is hard work and marriage combined with parenthood is extra hard work.\u00a0 Staying connected to your partner after the arrival of children can be challenging at times.\u00a0 My husband and I have gotten every night from 7pm on for the last 7 years (since we became parents) to ourselves.\u00a0 Even though we don\u2019t sit down to a candle lit dinner every night at 7pm, we know that times is just ours.\u00a0 2 hours before we go to bed that is quiet, uninterrupted and blissful.\u00a0 We can actually have an adult conversation and really listen to each other.\u00a0 I am certain my marriage survives and thrives in large part due to our young children\u2019s bedtime.<\/p>\n

My children can sleep anywhere:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

We have taken our children everywhere with us.\u00a0 We take their stuffed animals and maybe a familiar blanket and wherever we are in the world, they sleep and they sleep well.\u00a0 They can go to grandma\u2019s house and grandma knows they will sleep ALL night long.\u00a0 They know when they are tired and very rarely protest at bedtime.\u00a0 People often say to me that they don\u2019t look tired and can\u2019t believe I am putting them to bed.\u00a0 They are right, they don\u2019t look tired because they are well rested and we put them to bed before they are over tired.\u00a0 My 4 & 6 year old will ask to go to bed if they have had a particularly long day.\u00a0 My children have gone to bed when we have had a party downstairs!\u00a0 I can count on one hand the times I have let my children stay up past bedtime and I am proud of that consistency in their life.<\/p>\n

I know we will get sleep at night:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

My children go to sleep all night long and so do we.\u00a0 We have our own sacred sleep space and they have theirs.\u00a0 My children have never even asked to sleep in my bed and wouldn\u2019t want to.\u00a0 They have their own sleep sanctuary that calls to them every night and it is completely separate from mine.\u00a0 There is no musical beds or bed sharing in the middle of the night and because of this- we ALL sleep well.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe that as parents of young children we have to wear our fatigue as some sort of \u201cbadge of honor\u201d.\u00a0 Being a rested parent is an amazing gift to give your child.<\/p>\n

I thought I would do it differently:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Before our older son was born I had all of these preconceived ideas about how I would parent.\u00a0 I thought I would co-sleep and really enjoy it.\u00a0 He arrived in June of 2009, healthy and amazing!\u00a0 After 6 weeks of co-sleeping I found myself so exhausted that I wasn\u2019t enjoying being a mother very much.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t feel like I was being the best mom I could be because I was so tired.\u00a0 I am a strong, determined woman and I felt like I was failing.\u00a0 I did some research and discovered the Sleep Sense\u2122<\/em> program and it changed our lives forever.\u00a0 By 8 weeks of age he was an amazing sleeper.\u00a0 We started our younger son on the Sleep Sense\u2122<\/em> program at 10 days old.\u00a0 My children are two of the best sleepers I know.\u00a0 Just a side note\u2026..I solely breastfed both of my children.\u00a0 Neither one of them had a bottle ever in their life nor did I ever use a breast pump.\u00a0 Contrary to popular belief sleep training did not affect my milk supply at all.<\/p>\n

Figure out a way that works to get your children sleeping:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

I am certainly not here to tell you that you have to sleep train your children.\u00a0 20% of babies become good sleepers on their own.\u00a0 So, if you have one of those babies then that is great!\u00a0 For the other 80% of babies they don\u2019t \u201coutgrow\u201d being bad sleepers and statistics show that 3 years later they are often still struggling with sleep.\u00a0 I had a recent 4 year old client that had NEVER slept through the night in her entire life!\u00a0 The parents thought she would outgrow it.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t.\u00a0 I am here to tell you there is help and I don\u2019t believe it is ever too late to teach your young child to sleep well.\u00a0 I have worked with children up to 8 years old and had great success.\u00a0 Whether or not you agree with sleep training, your children should be getting adequate, consolidated sleep every night.\u00a0 How you get there is up to you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not always convenient:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be honest- always being consistent and insisting on bedtimes and naptimes every day is far from glamorous. Life can seem like \u201cGroundhog Day\u201d and the routine can be boring.\u00a0 But, when I see how happy and healthy my children are the monotony of the schedule is TOTALLY worth it!\u00a0 We have missed many Birthday parties, dinners out with friends, and other social engagements that conflicted with our children\u2019s bedtime and naptimes and I don\u2019t care.\u00a0 My children\u2019s health and well-being are more important than any social engagement.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe children have to fit into our busy schedules.\u00a0 I believe we should respect how much sleep our children need and rearrange our lives to make certain they get it.<\/p>\n

How much sleep do babies and children need every day?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n