Let’s face it, the baby and toddler days are exhausting.
And odds are, there’s going to come a day when you frantically Google, “How in the WORLD do I get my baby to sleep??”
Unfortunately, the odds are also pretty high that your research will give you answers like this:
"Always put your baby down drowsy but awake so your baby doesn't get used to cuddling to sleep." 🤦 "Don't let your baby fall asleep while nursing or your baby will always need to breastfeed to fall back asleep." 🤦 "You need to stop holding your baby so much or he's going to get spoiled." 🤦 "The only way to get more sleep is to sleep train. It will suck for a few days and then it will be better." 🤦
Between your research and conversations with family and friends, you’ve probably heard even worse. And I’m so sorry about that.
You know sleep training doesn’t feel good to you.
Maybe you’ve given it a try. You’ve been so tired and so desperate for sleep, you wondered if everyone else was right and you just needed to toughen up and let your baby cry it out.
And maybe your attempt to sleep train looked something like this:
You put your baby in the bed, stepped out of the room, and then cried on the other side of the doorway just as hard as your baby inside. You had to put on noise cancelling headphones because you couldn't bare to hear your baby crying inside. Listening to your baby cry it out was so painful, you had to ask your partner take over while you went for a walk or a car ride.
As a parent, you should never have to feel this way.
And I’ll never recommend something that goes completely against your instincts, fills you with anxiety, and makes you feel horrible just thinking about it.
That’s literally the opposite of how I want the baby and toddler days to look for you.
The good news is that you can get more sleep without sleep training.
That’s right.
You don’t need to sleep train. And you also don’t need to wait several years to start sleeping better.
You can respect your baby’s biological needs, consider their unique personality and temperament, and support them as you shift patterns and find sleep solutions that work for your whole family.
Keep reading to learn more about sleep tips for your baby and toddler.
