There is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching a baby or child a new routine or sleep skill.
The primary focus of my work is a tightly prescribed sleep plan consisting of my trademarked, 4 Pillars of Sleep Hygiene. Sleep hygiene is the medical terminology for syncing your child’s sleep with their natural biological rhythms and integrating specific evidence-based sleep science techniques, environment, routines and conditions that help elevate and kick-start your child’s natural melatonin production, so that the brain and body WANT to do the sleeping. The only thing left to “fight sleep” after this is a child’s “will” and/or the temporary struggle of unlearning old habits and replacing them with powerful new ones.
Sleep Hygiene sets a child up for success! There are no tears involved with this wellsleep component of my sleep plans.
The 4 Pillars of Sleep Hygiene may be used alone to help “take the edge off” of your current situation. Some of my families note that it does the job entirely, without having to use a behavioral “method” at all. My co-sleeping and attachment parents love this!
However, without the 4 Pillars of Sleep Hygiene, no behavioral sleep training method will be successful. It will quickly fall apart when your child is ill, or with travel or time zone changes. That’s because sleep is more than just behavioral, it’s about the brain and hormones.
If you would like to use a behavioral sleep training “method” in conjunction with your sleep hygiene plan, you may do so, and feel confident knowing that there is far less stress and resistance with a proper sleep hygiene plan in place as your wellsleep foundation.
Sleep training/behavioral methods:
I do not subscribe to any one method. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching a baby or child a new routine or sleep skill.
Behavioral methods are safe and effective when…
- #1- properly matched to your unique child
- #2- performed correctly
- #3- performed with perfect consistency
- #4- performed by a loving and positively attached caregiver
- #5- implemented for a child who is not already overtired with elevated levels of wakefulness hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) in their system due to poor sleep hygiene.
I carefully outline your method options with realistic expectations on what you can expect in the way of tears or resistance; how long it will take to come together, and what it will take from you to perform the various forms of engagement. I do not sugar coat anything.
You will receive education on the 5 determining factors you will need to consider in order to properly match the right method to your child.
Since you know yourself and your child better than I do, YOU will choose the method that you feel is the best match for your unique child and family. I will provide you with instructions for your chosen method and coach you through the process on-demand for 5 or 7 consecutive days, while also evaluating the special daily sleep logs I have created for you.
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Jenni is always available to discuss your personal needs:
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Find out if your child is old enough, or too old, to sleep train. Read Jenni’s blog: Is my child old enough or too old to sleep train?
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Written by Jenni June Certified Child and Family Sleep Consultant, CLC and mom of 4!