For many of the exhausted families with whom we work, night weaning and sleep training are both high on the list of priorities. After all, constant night feeds can exhaust even the strongest parents, and a baby who can't fall asleep independently is one who will wake too early from a nap, or wake during the night due to sleep associations, and not out of true hunger. So yeah...when it comes to night weaning and sleep training, most parents would say, "Both, please!" But this raises an
infant sleep training
5 Reasons To Start Sleep Training TODAY
Let me be clear: when to sleep train is a personal choice that's heavily dependent on a lot of unique factors. There is no age when all parents "should" sleep train, and while there are sleep training windows that tend to be better for sleep training, and help the process move along smoothly, we always caution parents not to feel pressured to sleep coach during or by a certain time frame. That said - we hear almost daily from parents who are beyond exhausted, whose families are losing
15 Bedtime Story Books You Can Turn Into Sleep Training Tools
We've already said a lot (A LOT) on this site about bedtime - including when exactly bedtime should happen. We've also written a ton about bedtime routines - what bedtime routines should (and shouldn't) look like, why a bedtime routine is key to sleep coaching, and more. But here's a part of most parents' bedtime routines that goes overlooked as a sleep training tool: the bedtime storybook. Sure, most of us probably spend at least a few minutes reading to our little cherubs before tucking
Wonder Weeks Chart: How The Wonder Weeks Affect Baby and Toddler Sleep
If you're a parent, you've no doubt heard about The Wonder Weeks, written by Xaviera Plooij, Frans X. Plooij PhD, and Hetty van de Rijt PhD. The book outlines the 10 "wonder weeks" during infant development (which often cause sleep regressions), that all babies go through in the first 20 months of life. The book outlines when and why each "wonder week" happens; it also offers parents insights into how to help their babies navigate each wonder week, and turn it into a leap forward for baby. But,
Newborns Sleeping Through The Night? What About Breastfeeding?
Many parents want to know when it's safe for their newborn to begin sleeping through the night. And, if you're breastfeeding? You're probably wondering about the impact on your breastmilk supply. Some books will lead you to believe that newborns can be sleeping through the night from a very young age. In fact, some books are controversial about it such as The Newborn Sleep Book: A Simple, Proven Method For Training Your New Baby To Sleep Through The Night. The two authors allege that by
Sleep Training a Baby: 5 Methods Explained and Other Essential Tips
Sleep training a baby teaches your baby how to fall asleep on their own so they can sleep through the night or take longer naps. And, sleep training can be the source of many questions. One of the most pressing questions is 'What is the best sleep training method for my baby?' This post will cover the 5 most common baby sleep training methods and other essential tips based on my 10+ years of experience as a sleep consultant. What Is Sleep Training? Sleep training is teaching your baby to
The Best Age to Sleep Train Your Baby: Ideal Sleep Coaching Windows
When is the best age to sleep train your baby? As parents, we always want sleep training to go as well as possible, right from the start. That's why we: Tailor our sleep training methods to fit our babies' ages We carefully select methods that fit our parenting styles and our babies' temperaments We don't sleep train during big transitions (like moving) or illnesses and... We prepare for sleep coaching before we start. One of the ways to ensure that sleep coaching goes as
7 Tips For Sleep Training While Room-Sharing
We've written before about room-sharing - what it is, how it affects sleep, and why it's considered the safest sleeping arrangement for babies. Lots of us have probably shared a room with our babies at some point - during the newborn stage, maybe, when feedings were happening around the clock and we felt absolutely desperate for sleep! But while many parents choose to room-share, for one reason or another, plenty of other parents room-share out of necessity - there's simply nowhere else for
Why Super Nanny’s Method Is Wrong
Recently, I had a client tell me that another sleep consultant was leading her towards Cry It Out by telling her something like "If you are in the room, that is like holding an aspirin in front of someone with a headache." and how cruel that is. This was an interesting statement that made me pause to consider whether this other consultant was right. Let's discuss! Let's go back to you teaching your child how to ride a bike without training wheels (and why crying is sometimes part of sleep