Parents face challenges as they care for their babies. It's common for parents to wake up in the middle of the night to the cries of an infant, leaving them too exhausted from sleep deprivation in the morning. Some moms and dads, however, claim that it's possible to train babies to sleep, but how so?
Infant Sleep Consultants, which is based in the United Kingdom, is dedicated to training babies to sleep. The group offers a variety of packages such as telephone and online support, overnight stays and home visits.
Katie Palmer, who co-runs Infant Sleep Consultants with Annie Simpson and Helen Broadhead, said that it's natural for people to wake multiple times at night. Babies, on the other hand, have shorter sleep cycles that make them wake more than 10 times a night. Parents should therefore learn how to make their child "knit these sleep cycles together," BBC reported.
One of Infant Sleep Consultants' programs is the "gradual retreat." In this scenario, a parent can put the baby down in his/her crib and sit next to the infant, patting or stroking the baby until he/she falls asleep. When the baby gets used to that, the parent should just sit next to the infant and not pat him. Then the parent moves further and further away from the baby until he/she is out of the room.
Palmer isn't a fan of the other technique called the "cry it out," which is characterized by allowing the baby to cry in his/her crib without the parent consoling the infant. Palmer believes that "any kind of crying is stressful" and increases cortisol levels or the stress hormone. The latter destroys healthy muscle and bone and slows down healing and normal cell regeneration, according to Women to Women.
The "cry it out" technique can also have a negative effect on a baby's emotional development. Palmer said that it's better for parents to practice the "controlled crying" technique, where the parent leaves the baby's room but comes back at small intervals to console the infant.
Palmer, however, acknowledged that sleep training won't please all parents. Added Palmer, sleep training isn't applicable to babies younger than six months old or if the infant has a health problem such as colic or reflux. To succeed, parents' minds should also be in a good place and they shouldn't feel pressured by other people.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith, author of "The Gentle Sleep Book," said babies shouldn't be blamed alone for their disturbed sleeping patterns. Parents should also consider other factors such as the environment or the food that the baby is consuming during the day. Regardless, rocking and feeding are still the most effective ways to put babies to sleep.
