We are excited to have a sleep expert shed some light on sleep with our WiFi Baby followers. Sabrina Stempel, a Certified Maternity and Child Sleep Consultant, and founder/CEO of Baby Sleep Train wants to dispel some myths that you may have heard about your child’s sleep and sleep training. Let’s face it, there is nothing a family needs more than good sleep and when it is lacking you are apt to try anything and everything. As with most things in parenting, one size does not fit all. You may have to dig deep but it is important to find out what will work best for your family in getting the best quality shut eye.
5 Myths Your Friends Have Told You
- Sleep Training is bad because it means letting your child “Cry it Out”.
False! “Cry it Out” or Extinction is a common sleep method but, there are many others to chose from which involve minimal to no crying. Most sleep methods can be customized to reduce the water-works as well.
Did you know that sometimes sleep training only involves environmental and/or nutritional changes? That means no “method” is needed at all!
- Sleep training is selfish! Children don’t need it. It’s all for the parents’ benefit.
False! When a child finally sleeps well, it is a relief to the parents AND the child because…
- Finally that child doesn’t have to cry or wait for someone to come help him.
- Children’s overall health improves with better sleep.
- Children’s emotional wellbeing improves when the parents are finally calm and rested.
- It’s too late to sleep train your child.
False! It’s never too late! Sleep training is more challenging as a child gets older, but it is ALWAYS possible with patience and consistency.
WiFi Baby App Screenshot: “I’m in training…sleep training that is.”
- Once your child is sleep-trained she will be a perfect sleeper for life.
False! Your child will be sleeping great but there will be bumps in the road. Teething, illness and vacations are just a few examples of obstacles that will throw your child’s sleep off schedule. Sleep also gets interrupted when your child is on the verge of a new motor skill, a new sibling is born, or she is simply getting older. Moms like to call it the “__ Month Sleep Regression”. As children grow and change, so do their sleep needs. If your child seems to be having a “regression”, it’s time to re-evaluate her schedule.
- Later bedtime will prevent early mornings.
False! Unfortunately the opposite is true. The later a child is put to sleep, the earlier he will wake up. An early, consistent bedtime will lead to a healthy wake-up time in the morning.
Our WiFi Baby app can help you monitor baby’s sleep habits. You can even record so you know what’s happening at night.
We want to thank Sabrina for offering insight into one of the toughest but most important aspects of parenting. WiFi Baby has been a helpful tool in many homes for sleep monitoring and training. The clear night vision and sound monitoring enables parents to know when baby finally goes down and if there are interruptions. WiFi Baby also gives parents the ability to record so you can be aware if there are certain waking patterns happening while you are asleep. For more information on how WiFi Baby can help your family get more sleep, visit us at WiFi Baby.
For more insights on sleep and to connect with Sabrina, find her at:
Website – www.babysleeptrain.com
FaceBook – Baby Sleep Train – Chicago Sleep Center
Instagram @babysleeptrain
Sabrina Stempel, Certified Maternity and Child Sleep Consultant is the Founder and CEO of Baby Sleep Train™, a professional infant and child sleep consulting company based in the Chicago area. She has a B.A. from Charter Oak State College in her home state of Connecticut, and received her certification as a Sleep Consultant from the International Maternity Institute. She is also the Midwest Regional Director of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants (APSC) and a partner of the Chicago Sleep Center in Skokie, Illinois. For more information on her services, please visit Baby Sleep Train.
Click here for additional sleep resources. These books helped our family establish good sleep habits and fun routines, especially for the early months.
The No Cry Sleep Solution, Gentle Ways to Help your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
*Photos and screenshots used with the permission of WiFi Baby customers.
Click for more info on WiFi Baby