Many parents are apprehensive about the idea of letting their child “Cry It Out” from bedtime until morning, and rightly so—it doesn’t feel good to hear your child cry and do nothing. When implementing sleep training, the only method that involves “Cry It Out” is the Extinction method. Unless a family indicates that they are interested in this method, we will rarely suggest it as an option for nighttime sleep training. Instead, we will use methods that align to your values and parenting style, allowing you to be as hands on or as hands off as you want to be. 

That said, any time we make changes to a child’s typical routine or way of doing things, it is completely reasonable to expect that they might be upset at the start. Children are creatures of habit and love predictability, so implementing a new way of handling sleep can cause them to protest the changes. This is normal! Anytime we or our children learn a new skill, there will likely be some temporary discomfort, but the gift of independent sleep is lifelong and worth the effort. 

Not at all! Night weaning, or not feeding at night, is not synonymous with falling asleep or going back to sleep independently. If your baby still needs to eat overnight per your pediatrician’s instructions or other reasons, you can still have an independent sleeper, and we will work together to promote this skill. Many babies will drop night feedings on their own once they have the skill of independent sleep. 

Great question! If what you’ve been doing is no longer working for your family, but you have no idea where to start to make changes, working with a sleep consultant is a great answer. Most parents don’t have the time to scour the internet (which is full of conflicting info anyway), read the books, research the methods, take the courses, or collect enough data personalized enough for their own child and family. Amber will not only do ALL of that for you, but she will also walk with you every step of the way, coaching you with expert advice, genuine encouragement, and faithful accountability. At the end of our time together, you will feel empowered and confident to make the right choices for your child.

Any method we use to promote independent sleep is called a “sleep training” method, and these methods range from hands-on and gradual to hands-off and accelerated. We do not promote one method over the other, but instead let our clients choose what feels right for their family. We will present all age-appropriate, evidence-based methods in our sleep plans, and you can choose the route you would like to go, even if it combines multiple methods (which often happens!). We want you to feel 100% confident and comfortable with your choices.

The short answer is... whenever you’re ready! We can begin creating healthy sleep habits and establishing flexible routines in the newborn stage (called "sleep shaping").

We don't apply formal sleep training methods or strategies until at least 3 months of age (12 weeks). We recommend considering your baby’s growth first and foremost. Is baby healthy, gaining weight, and growing well according to their pediatrician? If so, you can work toward independent sleep. Our experience has shown us that 12-16 weeks of age tends to be a sweet spot for sleep training, if baby is healthy.

Some other factors to consider are work and family dynamics. If baby will be starting daycare once parents return to work, having an independent sleeper can help that transition. If you have other children at home and can’t spend extended periods of time trying to get baby to sleep, that’s another great reason to work on independent sleep. If you are planning to travel soon, it would be best to wait until you return so that you can offer your baby consistency during training. All these things can contribute to choosing a time to begin.

It’s NEVER too late to work on sleep. The right time is whenever you're ready, and we'll be here to help!