For parents with small children, COVID-19 has caused the days to really blend together. Even though families might have a lot on their plates right now, sleep training your child during the COVID-19 pandemic is worth considering. According to experts, even babies as young as 4 months old can benefit from some kind of sleep training and sleep training can help parents as well.
One reason why it might be a good idea to sleep train your baby during the pandemic is that most people have a lot more free time than they would otherwise. People are not going out to eat, they are not going to parties, and they are not attending as many important activities. Sleep training works best when you have a solid block of uninterrupted time and the pandemic has given us a lot of uninterrupted time.
Here at Petite Dreamers, we utilize what is called the Sleep Sense method. This method is built around 3 key parts: Educating about why sleep training is important for growing minds, creating a step-by-step plan, and establishing expectations about how the training should proceed. The best part about the Sleep Sense program is that it is highly individualized and can be tailored for specific parents and children.
While the prospect of sleep training your child during a pandemic might seem initially like a daunting task, it is beneficial. Children who do not get enough regular sleep and who do not develop a healthy sleep schedule fall behind in several metrics later in life, such as academic and social achievement. Taking the glut of free-time during the pandemic to perform sleep training is a good course of action.
Petite Dreamers offers sleep training modules for children from newborn to toddler age. We offer three main training packages: One for newborn to 12 weeks old, another for children 13 weeks to 24 months old, and a third for children over 2 years old. We also offer custom-tailored courses for parents of twins and multiple children. The Sleep Sense method is highly individualized and focused on being modeled to different parenting styles, so you can work and be comfortable with the plan you are making for your child.
Right now is the perfect time to engage in sleep training with your infant or child. The global pandemic has given families a lot of free time to sleep train their children. These kinds of sleep training programs rely on a strict schedule, so having a lot of free time is the perfect opportunity to section off scheduling blocks for sleep training. This lengthened time block will help your child internalize the training so they can develop a healthy sleep schedule for an infant or toddler.
So even though the idea of sleep training your child seems like a lot of work, it is worth it in the end. Parents need their children to have a consistent and regular sleep schedule so they can develop properly and have a healthy life. Besides, trying to manage the daily life of a pandemic can be extraordinarily difficult if your child does not have a consistent sleep schedule. For example, parents who are currently working from home need to be able to focus on work and it can be hard to do that when you have a crying 1-year-old in your arms who just won’t go to sleep.
According to Lauren Wolf, a Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant with Lolo Lullaby, “If parents aren’t getting a solid night’s sleep, how are they supposed to navigate the day? The pandemic is such a day-by-day thing right now, and managing your kids—whether it’s Zoom school or making their meals—is a lot. Trying to do everything without sleeping through the night is a recipe for disaster.”
The length of sleep training can differ from just a few days to months. No matter how long it takes for you, you should not get discouraged. It may be stressful now but it will be worth it in the long run. Taking advantage of the free time in the pandemic is a great way to get your child on a consistent sleep schedule so you can manage better.