Holistic Baby Sleep: Nurturing Your Little One’s Well-being
I’m Kaili Ets, and I’m here to empower and enlighten you on your journey to motherhood. Are you exhausted from traditional sleep training methods that don’t work for you? It’s time to chat about the truth about baby sleep and why a holistic approach might be just what you need.
Unveiling the Truths About Baby Sleep
Let’s unravel why there may be better approaches than traditional sleep training and why a holistic view is much more beneficial.
Truth #1: Babies Wake for Natural Reasons
Waking up at night is entirely normal for babies. They wake up due to hunger, thirst, or the need for comfort. Did you know that no one sleeps ‘through the whole night’ without waking up? Not you, or even me, a sleep consultant!!! All humans have something called ‘partial arousal’ at night after every sleep cycle. For us adults, those sleep cycles are 90-120 minutes; for our babies, they are closer to 45-60 minutes. While we can turn over, push the covers off, pull the covers back on, reach over and grab a sip of water, get out of bed to pee, or roll over and snuggle with our partner, our babies cannot do that. They need your help, and therefore, they stir (and cry) to get your attention. It’s not bad, but rather completely normal!
Truth #2: Sleep Training Doesn’t Teach Better Sleep Skills
Contrary to popular belief, traditional sleep training doesn’t necessarily teach your baby to sleep more soundly. It might seem practical, but often, it neglects the baby’s underlying needs, leading to stress. Sleep training often teaches your baby not to cry or call out for help anymore, which is kind of sad. Something you don’t hear about is that sleep training often needs to be re-done at every giant developmental leap – hello, separation anxiety stages!
Truth #3: Trust Your Mama Instincts
Your instincts as a mom are powerful. Traditional sleep training methods often suggest letting babies cry it out or using behavioural and separation-based approaches to force our babies to make changes (rather than putting the onus of change on us, adults), can contradict these instincts. Remember, responding to your baby’s needs is not just natural; it’s crucial. We build a secure attachment day and night, not just when convenient.
How I Help: Embrace Your Role as a “Sleep Detective”
Forget about traditional sleep training. Instead, become a “sleep detective.” Trust your instincts, observe your baby’s sleep patterns, and approach their sleep with curiosity rather than as a problem to be fixed. You want to rule out any more ‘medical’ or health problems first – feeding difficulties, reflux, body tightness, airway issues (i.e., mouth breathing is a red flag!), food allergies/intolerances leading to tummy discomfort or eczema that often itches more at night. Even developmental progressions, temperament, and sensory processing differences should be ruled out. Once you rule those out, plenty of ways to optimise sleep without sleep training techniques exist.
Trust Your Instincts for a Beautiful Journey
In conclusion, there might be better solutions than traditional sleep training. Trust your maternal instincts, become a sleep detective, and follow what feels suitable for you and your baby. Every child is unique, and by listening to your own wisdom, you’ll navigate this beautiful journey in harmony.
Empowering Moms Through Clarity and Confidence
I’m Kaili Ets, passionate about guiding you through baby sleep, development, reflux, and more. My goal is to empower you with confidence and clarity, eliminating stress and overwhelm from your motherhood journey.
Grab my FREE Sleepy-Time Success Checklist to help you optimize your day, so that you can optimize your baby’s sleep at night! It’s a great way to get started in improving your baby’s sleep in a nurturing and understanding way.
And don’t forget to join us inside the Sleep Deprived Mamas community over on Facebook.
