Will Sleep Training Fail If You’re Not ALL IN?
May 30, 2024
My short answer here is NO – sleep training will not fail if you decide you don’t want to do it all. You can still sleep train (or with my approach sleep coach) and make progress without tackling all parts of sleep.
Here’s how I see it:
Sleep coaching is about helping the child learn new skills. These skills may or may not result in a child sleeping through the night. What’s important here is that progress is made.
I have worked with enough families to see a wide range of scenarios. Some families need sleep support but may not have the ability to make big changes all at once. Other families may think their pain points are easy to fix, when it could take weeks of commitment and consistency to make significant progress.
IDEA:
The goal of sleep coaching is not to help a child sleep through the night. The goal is to help the child learn new skills to improve sleep.
As a Gentle Sleep Coach, my role is to guide the family to have realistic goals and attainable outcomes. As a sleep consultant, it’s easy to get caught up in an ultimate outcome that fits the picture of a perfect sleeper. And I often need to check myself and ask if that’s what the family wants and if it’s what the family can manage.
RESOURCE:
The best way to figure out if you can benefit from sleep coaching is to book a FREE Discovery Call.
Areas to consider:
- Bedtime routine
- Bedtime coaching
- Naps
- Sleep crutches
- Night feedings
- Daily framework and schedule
TIP:
Sleep Coaching is a learning opportunity for the whole family. Parents learn how their behaviors influence their child and children learn new skills with the support from their parents. It is about the life-long learning that happens, not about reaching an ultimate goal. When you approach sleep training with this mindset, it feels more attainable and less stressful!