Kiddipedia Sleep Support
In my experience, sleep makes or breaks the first year and beyond of your parenting journey. It is the number one question that you get asked, Martha down the street is asking you if they’re sleeping through at 6 weeks old. You are getting bombarded with unsolicited and conflicting advice from every single source in your life. Everybody looks at you when your child just won’t sleep like you’re doing something wrong.
Let me tell you right now.
You. Are. Not. Failing.
The main reason it can feel like this is because there is so much conflicting information on the internet. One person is telling you that your 4 month old should be awake for 2 hours, the next person is telling you that they should only be awake for an hour and then the next is telling you that if they don’t nap at all, it means that they’re going to have a much better night’s sleep.
You’re also being told by one source that you have to co-sleep and contact nap for every single sleep or your child won’t be attached to you and then the next person is telling you that if you don’t cry it out you’re creating bad habits and your child will always be dependant on you for sleep.
No wonder parents feel like they have no idea what to do!
Hi I’m a certified sleep consultant, a mum of 3 and I’ve been in the biz for 3 years. I’m going to tell you 5 pieces of advice that I wish I had known when I had my first baby.
Number 1:
Block out the noise. What has worked for one parent is not going to work for the next because guess what? Your child is a little individual, they are all different things that have worked for them. If having three children has taught me anything, it is that it does not matter how you parent, what you do your children are all going to be different and a lot of this comes down to their personalities. Fall in love with them for who they are and remember that you don’t need to change them.
Number 2:
Ditch doctor Google and be VERY careful about where you get your advice from. A lot of people on the internet giving info on children’s sleep are not educated enough to be making the claims that they are making. What’s more, they don’t know your child, so make sure that you are getting your info from somebody that you trust, somebody that you vibe with and somebody that can get to know your child and your situation.
Number 3:
You do not have to sleep train if you do not want to. If your child sleep is working for you, keep doing it the way you’re doing it! If you love co-sleeping, keep doing it. If you love that your child self-settles and sleeps independently, that is totally fine. Do what works for you.
Number 4:
Trust your gut. If your gut is telling you that something is wrong, listen to it. There are more causes of sleep disturbance than there ever have been in the past (think breathing issues, intolerances, gut health problems) and a lot of people are not aware of these issues. If you feel like there is something wrong, please keep looking for professionals that can help you.
Number 5:
There is no such thing as bad habits when it comes to sleep. There are only things that have worked up until now and for whatever reason, have become unsustainable. If you have found that the way that you were settling your little one to sleep is no longer working, that is not a reflection on you. You have not made mistakes, you have not set them up for failure, you have simply done what has worked up until now. And guess what? The coolest thing about infant sleep is it nothing is permanent, the good or the bad.
The best thing that you can do for yourself and your child is look at your situation and make sure that it’s working for you. Trust your gut, make sure that you’re treating your child like the person that they are and you can’t go wrong. You are not failing, you are the exact parent that your child needs. If your situation has become become unsustainable please do reach out for help to somebody that you trust and that you feel is able to help you.
Block out the noise. You know best.
