Melbourne’s Leading Baby Sleep Training
Baby Sleep Training & Consultant Melbourne
Sleep training is VERY personal and we get a lot of people who don’t agree with what we’re doing. You agree with it or you don’t and that’s ok. If you’re happy with your baby’s sleep routine and your family’s sleeping arrangements, then it’s fine.
It’s everyone’s right to believe in it or not. I just think that when your baby’s sleeping routine and habits are causing a lot of stress and sleep deprivation for both the baby and the rest of the family, something needs to be done about it. If a parent is soooo sleep deprived and he or she can’t function anymore and is seeking help, no one has the right to judge that person. He or she is trying to do the best for their family.
No one wants to harm their babies but you as a parent deserve to have some sleep too. Sleep Training saved my life. I was so tired, I couldn’t function as a normal person anymore. I thought, just because I chose to have a family, didn’t mean I had to give up my sleep and sanity. I chose to do Sleep Training with my twins and it changed our lives for the better. Our twins are the best sleepers ever (they are 3.5 years now) and we have quality time together as a family and as a couple because we’re all well-rested.
Sleep School for Babies
When people say Sleep Training, the first thing they think is “Cry it out”. Everyone knows about “Cry it out”. A lot of people think that CIO is when you put your baby in his cot, leave the room and let him cry himself to sleep without you in the room. You don’t return. But CIO simply refers to any sleep therapy approach that says it’s fine to let a baby cry for a specified, usually short, period of time before offering comfort.
There are 2 methods of Sleep Training. Both of them work if you are consistent and keep going for longer than 7 days. Did you know that most babies have a sleep regression on Night 5 on a Sleep Training Program? If you want to be successful, just keep going.
Don’t stop just because your baby woke and cried multiple times on night 5.
When you’re dealing with persistent settling and waking problems, sometimes sleep therapy is the only way to teach babies and toddlers to settle themselves to sleep, rather than you feeding, patting, or cuddling them to sleep. Unfortunately, when you’re making changes to a baby’s or toddler’s sleep routine, there is crying involved.
Babies and toddlers don’t like change, and the only way they can express to you that they are not happy and that they are frustrated because they don’t know how to fall asleep on their own is by crying. There will be more crying when it’s an older baby or toddler.
There are two methods of Sleep Training. Both work, you just need to choose the one you’re comfortable with and start.
- Controlled crying/comforting
- “Camp out”
Baby Sleep Therapy: Controlled crying:
Controlled comforting is a behavior management strategy for dealing with persistent settling and waking problems in babies & toddlers.
The idea behind controlled comforting is to help babies & toddlers learn how to settle themselves to sleep, rather than you feeding, patting, or cuddling them to sleep.
Controlled comforting involves quickly checking and reassuring your baby while he is learning to settle.
Controlled comforting takes 3-14 days to work.
1. Establish a consistent bedtime routine.
2. Have most of the bedtime routine in your baby’s room
3. After the bedtime routine, put your baby in his cot say goodnight and leave the room. Leave before your baby is asleep.
4. Stay out of the bedroom and give your baby a chance to settle by herself. Ignore grizzling.
5. If your baby starts to cry, wait for 10 mins.
6. After 10min, go back into the room, talk to your baby for one minute, and walk out. No picking up.
7. Keep an eye on her nappy. If it’s dirty, change her under low light and with minimal fuss.
8. As soon as he’s quiet (or after one minute), but before he’s asleep, leave the room again and wait for the next set time interval. You’re trying to give your baby the opportunity to learn to go to sleep by himself. He is also learning that you are not far away and do eventually return.
9. This process is continued until your baby falls asleep by herself.
10. When your baby wakes overnight, follow the same routine.
Baby Sleep Therapy: “Camp out”:
Camping out is a strategy for dealing with persistent settling and waking problems in babies and young children. It can also be helpful with older children who are having problems getting to sleep, particularly if they feel anxious or frightened.
1. Place a bed or chair next to your baby’s cot.
2. Sit next to your baby until he sleeps. You can occasionally touch your baby (no patting) or say a key phrase like “mommy is here, but you need to sleep now”
3. When your baby is asleep, you can leave the room.
4. After 3 days, move the chair to the middle of the room (away from your baby)
5. After another 3 days, move the chair to the door. (away from the baby)
6. After another 3 nights you need to leave the room. Put your baby in his cot, say goodnight, and leave the room.
7. If your baby wakes overnight, return to the chair (at the point you are up to with settling). Stay there until the baby goes back to sleep.
“Camp out” takes 3-14 days to work.
Get in touch with our Melbourne-based infant sleep school consultants to discuss baby sleep school options
For more information on baby sleep training in Melbourne and Gladstone, Queensland, please check out our Happy Sleepers program or reach out for more information. We guarantee you’ll be glad you did!
