I have put off doing a post on Sleep Training in part because I think it is a sensitive and personal topic, but I saw a thread on PATH recently about sleep training / “crying it out” and it inspired me to post about the book and method I used to help Cameron become an excellent sleeper.
Before I had Cameron, a friend of mine used a the methods in the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child to train her son to be an great sleeper. He went down easily at bed time, slept through the night by 9 months, and two lengthy (1 hour + naps) every day. Her success inspired me to use the same book with Cameron. And while the sleep training was not easy, I would certainly say it was successful – and worth the effort. Cameron also goes down easily at night, sleeps through from about 6pm to 7am, and takes two naps in the day (although I think we might be transitioning to one soon).
Here’s a few things I learned from Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child:
1)When children are over tired it is harder for them to sleep. Have you ever forced yourself to stay up to study for a test, or because you were driving somewhere, only to find that when you finally allowed yourself to try and sleep, you couldn’t? The same thing happens to babies.
2)Babies need to learn to sooth themselves to sleep on their own. This is a skill that will help them be good sleepers through their lives.
3)Letting your baby “cry it out” does not make you a bad parent. If your child wanted to ride their bike without a helmet, eat ice cream all day, and stick their fingers in the electrical socket, you wouldn’t let them. And if they cried about it, you still wouldn’t let them. Helping your child learn to fall asleep on their own and develop healthy sleep habits is good for them, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it.
4)Your baby will exhibit signs of being tired. Signs include: Decreased activity, slower motions, being less vocal, appearing disinterested in the surroundings, eyes become less focused, yawning, and eye rubbing. Watch your baby for these signs and help them sleep when they exhibit them.
5)Develop a soothing routine before naps and bed time, and be consistent with it. This helps your baby know that it’s time to relax. I don’t use the same routine for naps as I do with bed time, but I do use the same routine for every nap, every day, and for every bed time.
Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child
The book is separated into two major sections. The first 200 or so pages are mainly focused on Sleep Theory. While they are insightful, when I talk to moms about the book I recommend they skip ahead to the second major section which is divided into chapters by age group and focuses on the specific sleep challenges that you and your baby will be facing at that specific time.
Finally, I wanted to end by emphasizing that this book is not all about letting your baby “cry it out.” It’s about healthy sleep, and how to achieve it. Crying it out is one method that you may or may not have to use to get there. Even if you don’t feel comfortable with having your baby cry it out, I think reading this book will give you some useful tips, and help your family get more sleep. Good Luck!!!
Check out the other post I did on the Books I Found Most Helpful
