Is Sleep Training Necessary? Here are 5 Sleep Consultants Who Do Not Teach the “Cry It Out” Method:
The most difficult part of becoming a new parent for me? I really struggled with the lack of sleep. My daughter was up every hour, sometimes every 45 minutes and the sleep deprivation effected me physically and mentally. It was so hard to get through and I felt like I would try anything. I bought boatloads of sleep training courses, hoping to find the miracle cure for her sleep and in the end, realised they just didn’t suit me and I didn’t feel right about much of what they preached.
I felt much more comfortable with the attachment parenting style and realised that asking for help and taking small naps throughout the day while someone watched her was much more beneficial and I did not feel like I was damaging my daughter by letting her cry it out.
What sleep training doesn’t take into account is that waking is biologically necessary and normal, in fact it prevents a newborn from SIDs. Waking in cycles helps prevent a baby from SIDs, isn’t that amazing? The truth of the matter is that even as adults we all wake during the night and sometimes it is because we are too hot, we need a drink or we don’t feel well. This is only natural and the reason a baby will call out at night. As married adults, we love sleeping in the same bed as our partner and so why should a tiny baby want to sleep alone? All newborns and babies want is comfort, the same way that we as adults do.
While many sleep training courses teach cry it out or methods that try to get your baby used to being alone for longer periods of time, or that “sleep crutches” are bad, there are sleep consultants that are helpful and promote soothing your baby in the night by any means necessary.
1.) Isla Grace Sleep
Isla Grace Sleep focuses on attachment-based sleep support in a holistic way that focuses on following your instincts as a parent with secure attachment. She has a variety of courses that focus on various ages and also provides one to one support.
2.) Care It Out
Kerry Secker focuses on an instinctual approach that focuses on attachment, love and responsiveness. Her program emphasises that there is no withholding feeds at night, no leaving baby crying and no time limit on responding to your baby when they need it. She offers a variety of online courses and one to one support.
3.) Heartfelt Slumber
Jenn’s courses focus on sleep in the first year and also when you have to head back to work. She provides a holistic approach that focuses on getting your baby better sleep and not sleep training. She also has many helpful blog posts on her site that provide helpful sleep tips! Her instagram is also filled with lots of great videos and tips to help guide you through the process.
5.) Resting in Motherhood
I love following Brittni’s instagram as she has so many helpful tips and tricks to offer. She has helpful workshops on night weaning, independent naps, newborn sleep 101 and wake windows. She has so many options to choose from for struggling new parents!
There are so many alternatives to the “Cry It Out” Method and sleep training and I love that there are individuals out there that are normalising what normal baby sleep is. For so long we have been taught to not respond to our babies cues at night and these women teach that it is okay to respond to our baby!
Looking for more local businesses to help you? Here is my list of Southampton Antenatal Services that will help you!