“My baby wakes at 3 am—is it time to start sleep training?” If you’re asking yourself this question, the answer is likely yes. But you’re not going to start at 3 am. Here’s the thing. If your baby—and your family—is suffering from middle-of-the-night awakenings, no one is getting a healthy night of sleep. In this instance, I’d say it’s time to make changes to ensure that everyone in the family gets healthy nights of sleep. Let’s take a look
Am I ready?
You know the saying, “there’s no time like the present?” Well, there’s never an ideal time for sleep training your toddler or learning how to sleep train a baby. But there are some things to consider before you embark upon the task.
The first thing you need to do is to look at your calendar. Look for a two-week period where you or your partner—preferably both—are guaranteed to be home. You also want to space sleep training out from any type of travel. So, don’t pencil in sleep training unless you have a two-week travel buffer both before and after your goal sleep training period.
We’re living in strange times, and many families are home because of COVID-19. If you’re going to stay put for a while, it’s an ideal time to create the consistency needed for sleep training your toddler or baby. In fact, working from home creates the perfect atmosphere to create an ironclad schedule—and stick to it—for your baby to learn to sleep independently.
Is your baby ready?
If your baby is a newborn, now is not the time to sleep train. And if your infant is dealing with any medical issues, such as colic or reflux, it’s not the right time to begin. You want your baby or toddler to be healthy and thriving to have the best success in teaching them to sleep independently.
Other considerations
You want your partner to be on-board with the sleep training plan. You’ll need their support to get through the difficult times and to bolster your resolve. You also want your partner to know naptime and bedtime routines in and out so that there is consistency, no matter who puts your little one to sleep.
You also want to make sure your nursery is conducive to sleep. Again, creating a safe sleep environment, without excess light, heat, or distractions, is vital for teaching your baby that their room is a place of rest, not play.
If you’re still unsure whether now is the right time to start sleep training with your little one, give me a call. I’ve helped many Philadelphia area families get healthy sleep. I offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to see if sleep training is right for you.
