I want to tell you about my journey with sleep training. My entire life, more than anything else in this world, I wanted to be a mom. That’s what I wanted. My heart’s desire was to be a mom. And then, I had Ella.
Here I am, a baby nurse; her dad is a pediatrician. Wouldn’t you assume we’d be incredible? We thought “How hard can it be? We’re good at taking care of babies!”
As a doctor and nurse, we knew the importance of baby sleep. We know how vital sleep is for a baby’s development.
Let me share with you some of the benefits of sleep for babies and toddlers:
1. Sleep helps our babies’ brains mature(1) and lays the foundation for consolidating memories.
2. Research(2) proves that babies who have more consolidated nighttime sleep actually have higher cognitive scores.
3. Babies who sleep at night have been found to have an “easier” temperament, being more approachable, less distractible, and more adaptable.(3)
4. Good sleep is an important part of children’s mental and physical health.(8, 9, 10, 11)
These are just a few of the reasons. Sleep is just so important for all of us and impacts every aspect of our development, mood, and life in general.
I knew sleep was important, but let me tell you my story and show you my heart:
Let me recap what I discovered: We got Ella sleeping and it was LIFE-CHANGING! Sleep was the answer for Ella; she was a happy, bonded baby. Sleep was the answer for me; I was able to be the mom Ella needed. Sleep was the answer for my relationship. We were on the same page again. Let me show you what research shows about sleep training:
Research shows that sleep training works.
In fact, this research(4) reviews 52 treatment studies. These studies show that sleep training “produces reliable and durable changes in bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. An overwhelming majority of children respond favorably to these behavioral techniques, resulting in not only better sleep, but also improvements in child and family well-being.”
Let me break it down a little more. That review of the research tells us that sleep training works. It tells us that it helps babies sleep better, that they do well with sleep training, and that all of this improves the well-being of the entire family.(12, 13)
Now, maybe you are like me and you are reading this and thinking “Sure, Cara. This sounds great on paper, but my heart is still unsure.” I felt the same way.
I need you to hear this:
Research shows that sleep training doesn’t harm babies. It actually helps babies.
There is no evidence that crying with reassurance has negative short-term or long-term effects on a baby.
It’s true! In studies, infant stress, measured by salivary cortisol levels, was slightly lower in the infants who were sleep trained vs those who were not.(5) The AAP also found that “Sleep training “provides significant sleep benefits, yet has no adverse stress responses or long-term effects on child emotions and behavior.”(14)
We do know that lack of sleep is stressful on our bodies, and cortisol is higher when we aren’t sleeping. After sleep training, a baby's cortisol levels are actually lower because sleep deprivation and interrupted sleep are stressful on our bodies, our brains, and our emotions.
Outside of stress, we know that sleep training also improves baby sleep which results in only positive outcomes. Babies who sleep better have an easier temperament: they’re more approachable, more able to focus, and more adaptable.(3,14) They have better physical and mental health.(8,9,10,11) They also have higher cognitive scores.(2)
Research shows that sleep training does not negatively impact parent-child attachment.
I know this is a concern for many parents. They fear that sleep training will harm the bond they have with their baby. Let me reassure you that the research shows just the opposite.
The AAP found that sleep training has “no long-term effects on parent-child attachment or child emotions and behavior.”(14) Another study, conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians concluded that “The security of child-parent attachment was not different among the sleep training or non-sleep training groups” (5) Don’t miss that: these studies (and many others) saw over and over again that there’s no difference in parent-child attachment between babies who are sleep trained and those who are not.
And guess what?! Some parents actually report an increase in bonding because they feel more well-rested.
Research shows that sleep training improves maternal stress levels.
Maternal stress moderately decreased over the first month of sleep training. Infant stress, measured by salivary cortisol levels, was slightly lower in the infants in the sleep training groups. The security of child-parent attachment was not different among the sleep training or non-sleep training groups.(5)
Moms who had babies who were sleeping well were experiencing less stress and anxiety, babies who were sleeping well experienced less stress, and families who used sleep training didn’t show any difference in their security and attachment. When babies sleep well, it benefits the entire family.(12,13)
I want you to know that everything I do and everything that I teach is based on evidence-based practices.
For my family and for so many families that I’ve worked with, sleep training is life-changing. That is why I created The 5–24 Month Collection. It includes the ABCs of Sleep, Conquering Naps, and Bumps Along the Way. Will you see what these parents have to say?
Now, I want to acknowledge that sleep training isn’t for every family. That’s ok if it’s not for your family. Please know my Newborn Class and Navigating Months 3 & 4 do not include any sleep training and can still be a great fit for you if your baby is under 5 months.
If you need help, I’m here. I would love to help you through my classes. If you’ve taken a class, please know that my team is happy to help through our phone consults. You don’t have to do this alone.
