Who has filled out a baby registry lately? Did you feel completely overwhelmed?! There are SO many products on the market geared for parents and their little bundles. Many of these products promise parents the gift of sleep!
When you’re chronically sleep deprived, you feel desperate and vulnerable. I know, I was there once. So when you hear about a new baby gizmo that PROMISES sleep, you’re ears perk and you get a tingle of excitement. Could it be true?!
The problem is, most of these products don’t solve the problem.
Maybe it’s a self-rocking crib? The vibrating mattress pad? The weighted blanket? The motion detecting auto-shusher? The hypnotizing bedtime book? (All of those are actual products available for purchase, and that’s not even close to a complete list). Now, I’m not saying that none of these products will help your baby fall asleep. In fact, I would suggest the opposite. I think many of them actually do exactly what they say, and therein lies the problem. The product does the work. The product inhibits your baby from learning the skill of falling asleep on their own.
Sleep is a skill that needs to be learned. It’s no different than learning to get dressed, feed yourself, use the toilet, swim, ride a bike etc. We may be born with the ability to fall asleep, sure, but it still takes some practice to refine that skill, and when you lull your little one to sleep with motion, shushing, vibration, or feeding, you’re doing all of the practice for them. You’re constantly holding the seat of their bike while they’re trying to learn to ride it. That’s what sets a sleep consultant apart from all of these gizmos. Together, we teach your child to master those sleeping skills. We take them, step by step, from beginner to expert, until you’re the proud and happy parent of the Michael Jordan of sleep. That means that no matter where they’re sleeping, no matter who’s watching them, and regardless if the motor dies on their self-rocking crib, they’ll have no problem getting themselves off to sleep, and staying asleep, straight through the night.
So not only is your child getting the consolidate sleep that they need, you are too! And it that isn’t motivation enough, when a child learns the skill for themselves, it’s no longer frustrating for them, which means bedtime and naps become EASY. There are no more bedtime battles, no tears, just a happy winding-down and some quality time with their parents to look forward to before they get into bed and do what they’re good at.
Now don’t get me wrong, some sleep related products are awesome.
A baby wrap or carrier so your newborn can be close to you and catch a snooze while you make dinner – buy two! A sleep sac that helps your baby transition out of a swaddle – Totally worth a try! A clock that helps your preschooler know when they can get out of bed – Can work wonders! But don’t get drawn in by the promise of sleep from any product. At the end of the day a baby who gets 12hours of sleep at night, is a baby who has independent sleep skills. Period.
If you’re ready for more sleep and need help getting there, book a free call with me and we can talk about how to get your baby sleeping all night!
Megan Reeve
ABZ Sleep Consulting
Pediatric sleep consultant
