6 Most Common Questions about Gentle Sleep Coaching - Plus a few bonus Pro Tips!
I wanted to give a little space to talk about our not-so-talked-about, yet loved-by-many service that we offer: Sleep Coaching! I think because we use a Gentle method, a lot of parents worry that it won’t be as impactful or have the “staying power” that other methods use that involve allowing your baby to cry-it-out (CIO).
When I was a young mom (whew, that aged me a lil’ bit!), I did not know that sleep training could be done gently! And as an aspiring “peaceful parent”, the thought of purposefully leaving my baby to cry while I stood outside the door listening to him and waiting for him to self-soothe, sounded like literal hell. So since we couldn’t sleep train gently, we did no sleep training. Which meant a lot of trying to figure out how to parent and human during the day on very little sleep.
Now, here I am, 10 years later and I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some amazing professionals who make sleep training look like a dream! Where the heck were they 10 years ago??!
Anyways, I wanted to not get into the nitty-gritty of how we do things here, but rather, cover a few Q & As that are most often asked when I talk to parents during their initial phone call. Plus, at the end, I include some Bonus Pro Tips that make the whole experience go much smoother & get you your money’s worth!
To read about the the services themselves & see if they might be a good fit for you & your family visit this link!
Q: Is it really possible to sleep train without crying?
A: Yes! Sleep training is mostly about establishing consistent routines and habits. While any sleep training method may involve *some* crying, the method we use does not involve leaving your baby to cry alone.
Q: Does gentle sleep training take longer than using other Cry-It-Out methods?
A: It depends. Every family is different and some families find it easier to adjust to the new schedule and recommendations than others. But as you may know, gentle parenting in all areas are just as effective as mainstream methods. How long it takes depends on how consistent you as the parent can commit to being!
Q: Does the sleep coach come to my home and train my baby for me?
A: If you would like someone to come to your home, then we are game! If you would prefer to have someone give you virtual support and create a customized plan for you, we do that too. But sleep coaching is a team effort! And here’s a little insider secret, it’s the parents that are being trained on how to get their baby to sleep, since you are the key-holder to the routine and flow of your home.
Q: How long does it usually take to sleep train a baby?
A: Every family is different and it all depends on how consistent you are with the recommendations. I know, that’s not a clear answer, but this is the case no matter who you hire or what method you use. However, we have seen great success with babies and toddlers within the same week of putting our sleep coaching methods into practice. The key is to follow the recommendations and routine as closely as possible!
Q: How old does a baby have to be to start sleep coaching?
A: Sleep coaching can begin around 4 months old or when your baby is 12 lbs. However, if you would like coaching on sleep shaping sooner, our sleep consultants are able to help you establish healthy routines and habits once your baby is up to birth weight. Sleep shaping does not mean that your baby will start sleeping through the night, but it will help you set good routines (we call this “sleep hygiene”) that will lead to longer stretches of sleep sooner.
Q: How old is too old to sleep coach?
A: No baby or toddler is too old to learn new things (learning new skills is kinda their jam)! But the older your baby/child is, the more hands-on you will need to be in order to establish good habits. Our sleep coaches work with babies and children up to 6 years old.
A Few Bonus Pro Tips:
To ensure that you get the absolute best outcomes from this service please follow these tips:
Follow the schedule and list of advice to the letter. If it doesn’t work right away, give it time.
If something is not working for you or you feel uncomfortable with a recommendation, communicate with your coach! They want you to have success and if a step is difficult, they will work in a middle step to make the transition easier for you.
Be consistent.
Know that babies do not fight sleep. They have difficulty sleeping. It’s a skill that they are learning. If you can make that paradigm shift, it’ll make this journey easier for both of you.
Be flexible and open to learning new things! You will be learning along with your baby and the sooner you grasp new concepts, the easier it’ll be to help your baby learn too.