Sleep training can be a controversial term and it means different things to different families. One thing is not debatable – good sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Poor sleep can contribute to all kinds of problems, including obesity, a lack of concentration and productivity, serious health problems (including stroke and heart disease!), depression, a weak immune system, and negative emotions. When it comes to children, good sleep is also linked to healthy development.

In other words, good sleep is one of the most important parts of our lives and it’s not something to be taken lightly. This is the basis of my philosophy and the backbone of everything I believe about sleep.

Questions about crying

The most important thing when teaching independent sleep skills is to look at the whole picture and to be 100% consistent.

No matter how you approach changing a baby’s sleep, protesting by way of crying is usually a part of the journey. When beginning to teach a baby independent sleep skills, they are sometimes confused by the changes and to voice that confusion and subsequent frustration they protest via crying. Baby is allowed to have these feelings but is completely capable of working through the emotions and calming themselves to go to sleep. A big part of this process and journey is respect for those emotions and offering reassurance to them to know they are not alone and that they are ok.

If you’d like to learn more about my sleep philosophy, get in touch today!

ABZ Sleep Consulting services families from Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Worldwide!