Nothing feels as good as a good night’s rest…
If you’re a new parent, you’re probably having to get used to functioning on much less sleep than you had before your baby arrived. That could be due to the excitement and joy of becoming a parent – but also because your child hasn’t yet learned to sleep through the night. If they wake up crying, you can guarantee that you’ll soon be awake, too.
Many of the Bob Cats are parents, and in this blog we’ll share our top tips on sleep training – the process that could make all the difference in your family’s lives, and on how much coffee you need to drink each morning.
Introducing sleep training
Sleep training involves encouraging your baby to self-soothe, and this will help them fall asleep – on their own. Without training, many babies will wake frequently during the night, either because they want to feed, or they need reassurance from Mom or Dad.
Successful sleep training can lead to better rest for everyone, but it’s not always an easy experience. As a parent, your instinct is to comfort your baby when he or she cries, and it can be very difficult to resist this completely natural urge.
While not everyone agrees that sleep training is the right thing to do, most parents find that a few difficult nights are a price worth paying for better sleep for everyone. Here are some of the most popular methods of sleep training, plus the items you’ll need from Bob Shop to be successful.
Are you sitting comfortably?
One of the most popular sleep training methods involves placing a chair by your baby’s crib or cot. This is for you to sit in while your baby falls asleep. Once they do, you can leave the room, returning to the chair if your baby wakes up. Each night, you can move your chair further away, until your baby can self-soothe and sleep without you being there.
Image courtesy of Pixabay. Published on: May 16th, 2015 Source: Pexel.com
Fade to sleep
You probably already have a technique you swear by to get your child to sleep. The fading method involves gradually reducing the amount of time you spend on each of these methods. If your baby is still too young for sleep training, now is the time to start thinking what might work best for you.
Traditional babywearing requires nothing more than a fabric baby carrier, and is a great way to bond more with your baby. If you’re musical, you can sing to your baby, or use a Bluetooth speaker to play them soothing music.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
If you’re concerned about traumatising your baby (or yourself) through the process, you might want to try the so-called respectful method. It’s a more flexible approach, and involves reading the signals your child is giving you and responding to those.
Of course, for this approach to work, it’s important to ensure that your baby is comfortable at night, and that means creating a restful and relaxing environment in their sleeping space. On Bob Shop, you’ll find the bedding, night lights and age-appropriate baby toys you need to help your baby feel comfortable and reassured, and ready to embark on a sleep training journey with you.
