Five Benefits Of Sleep Training
In a previous post I talked about the technical side of sleep training and explained what it is. Today I am going to give you the upsides of sleep training and why you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. While there is an endless list of benefits that come with sleep training your baby, I will give you five that will have a huge, if not the biggest impact on your life, as they did mine, and so many others that I have had the pleasure of working with.
Let’s get into it!
1. Better sleep for you and your little one
We all know that a rested baby is a happy one, in turn a happy mom and a happy household. The number one benefit I would say is this one. Better sleep for everyone is where it all starts. It’s the ripple effect that produces well-rested parents and babies and optimizes yours and your little ones' days. It’s the reason why you can wake up in the morning with a smile on your face, and the ability to get out of bed with a clear mind- not a foggy one. The reason why you are better able to care for your baby and the rest of your family. Better sleep for everyone is a cure-all of sorts and foundation for all of the other benefits to manifest.
2. More time for yourself
This one may seem like the cliche and the obvious one at first but it often gets so overlooked! We get lost in the shuffle with our responsibilities and bogged down by the constant urgencies that life presents with caring for children that we forget about ourselves. Making time for yourself and putting yourself first won’t just happen on its own unless you take an active measure to tell yourself that if your tank is empty, you will not be able to give back the way you want to. That’s where sleep training comes in-it gives you that much needed time that you probably didn’t have beforehand. And once you get a taste of what that looks like in your daily routine you will wonder why it didn’t come sooner.
3. More time for your spouse and other kids or family members.
In addition to making time for yourself you will have the ability to make time for your spouse and other family members. Having the freedom to carve out time for family is crucial because it will give you the ability and much needed balance that may have been missing beforehand if you were previously tied up with a tired baby and a fragmented schedule. It may seem impossible to spend time with your spouse especially when time itself seems so limited and on top of that you are utterly exhausted. This is where the benefit comes in, you get to do all of that, but just like making time for yourself, you also need to actively make time for loved ones.
4. Enjoying this time with your baby
You will probably enjoy this time a whole lot more with your baby if you are both getting adequate sleep. Enjoying time with your baby is probably something that you think is a given because it’s natural and that’s what you’re supposed to do and that’s what you were told is going to happen. But I often bump into moms who are trying to enjoy their time with their babies and just can’t seem to because of the enormous lack of sleep, time and personal space that they so desperately crave and need. The routine that sleep training provides, along with all of that solid sleep will in turn, naturally create time where you can enjoy a quiet moment…or two…to yourself, get out with a friend, recuperate, do what you need to do and then be able to enjoy your time with your baby when you have rested and refueled.
5. Structure and predictability
Last but definitely not least, sleep training provides structure and predictability to your day that you may not have had before. This may not sound like a big deal…yet…but with structure and predictability, you can plan your days with ease by knowing when your baby naps, eats and sleeps. Not only is it helpful for being able to plan accordingly, but with a routine in place you will be more efficient at meeting your baby’s needs. Knowing what time it is and what’s happening next means there will be a lot less guesswork on your end and a lot less fatigue and fussiness from your baby.
Babies thrive on structure. They are creatures of habit, just like us! Providing them with a routine also brings about a sense of security where they aren’t left guessing or unsure of what’s happening next. This sense of security makes for a more well-adjusted and all around calmer baby. This structure will in turn, bring you back full circle with the benefits of sleep training by getting more restorative sleep and having more quality time for yourself, for your baby and the rest of your family.