New Year’s Resolution for 2016: Self Care
Here is your chance for a clean slate to kick off the New Year. Make it a priority to take care of YOURSELF! That’s right, I said it…YOU! If you are not happy and balanced, then you are not your best self for your family. So make time for activities that you enjoy, time to actually eat that meal you cooked, and get the amount of sleep you need.
Mommy guilt around sleep can be FIERCE and trust me I KNOW! Comments like this, “You should enjoy nursing all night long someday you will miss it” or my favorite was “He will grow out of it, usually around a year they start sleeping better” Really?! If I had known then what I know now, I would have never waited as long as I did.
If you are EXHAUSTED and your baby is EXHAUSTED and comments, like the ones above have held you back from sleep training, I am determined to change your frame of mind around this.
Let’s go over the top three MYTHS when you teach your baby to sleep well.
Myth #1: Your baby will not love you in the morning.
Do you really believe that after just one night of changing your baby’s sleep habits he or she will not love you anymore? Would all the cuddles you’ve given, food you’ve provided, all the play times and bath times, the kisses and laughter be for nothing because of a few nights of protest?
The truth is that making changes to anyone’s sleep habits will always be met with some resistance but it is absolutely short term. You are a loving and attentive parent, and the love WILL endure. It is amazing the AHA moment you reach when your baby starts sleeping through the night and you find them MUCH happier and healthier.
Myth #2: Sleep training means leaving your baby to cry it out.
It is really important that I make very clear that the program I work through with my clients is NOT a cry-it-out program. In fact, you can stay in your child’s room with them the whole time if that makes you feel more comfortable.
The bottom line is that the crying is NOT what gets a baby to sleep well. Crying is simply your baby’s reaction to the change in his or her sleep habits, nothing more. The great news is this is short term, children adapt so quickly to change and consistency. Your child will soon figure out how to calmly get from awake to asleep and then everyone will be happier (insert Self-Care).
Myth #3: Sleep training is too stressful for babies
First and foremost, there is no evidence that sleep training has any short or long term psychological effects on children. Please cross that off of your list of things to worry about.
I always ask my clients who are nervous about this myth the following question. What is the alternative here? Do nothing? In this scenario, the parent continues to rock/nurse/bounce their child to sleep every night. The child wakes up 1 to 10 times per night needing that same bouncing/nursing/rocking back to sleep every single time which many times can take hours! Both parent and child are subjected to months, many times years of systemic sleep deprivation where neither ever gets enough consolidated sleep to wake up and feel rested or refreshed. Remember… SELF CARE COUNTS here too!
I really hope I have been able to change your mind about taking the simple steps needed to create long term, positive change for YOU and your’s child’s sleep as you head into 2016. Still unsure? Let’s set up a free consultation call and talk it out. Schedule a time that works for you here.
Please feel free to head to my website DAmico Dream Consulting for more about me and my services.
About Tara D'Amico
After 10 months of sleep challenges with my son, I truly understand what it feels like to be sleep deprived. After implementing the Sleep Sense Program, healthy sleep habits became a passion to me because of the difference it made for my family. I was selected by Dana Obleman to undergo a comprehensive training and mentoring program, welcoming the opportunity to become a Certified Sleep Sense Consultant. I have helped numerous parent's through this program, supporting them every step of the way. I would love the opportunity to do the same for you!
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