My Philosophy….or two
When it comes to sleep training and healthy sleep I believe in two main schools of thought, mainstreamed or attachment style, with the large spectrum connecting those two approaches In deciding which choice is better suited for your baby and family we need to look at your goals realistically and be very practical about your family’s dynamic, lifestyle and expectations
For both the overall goal and core foundations to build healthy sleeping habits are very similar but the way we accomplish differs considerably between the two
Two main components of dealing with sleep issues are:
Going to sleep - the ability to self-settle or soothe to sleep
Staying asleep - the ability to go back to sleep independently between sleeping cycles and/or night wakings
Mainstream Style
The typical mainstream approach I find puts significant emphasis on a more direct , synchronised and very consistent way in which we arrange daytime guidelines with foods, play and sleep and response and dealings with night time wakings. It allows us to put an organized plan in place to help babies learn independent sleep and giving them comfort of their own space. Very practical and easier to come to terms with while understanding the guidelines, this approach can be easy to understand and predictable making the whole process easier to accept and follow for those of us who have never dealt with baby sleeping issues
(Katie, i really do not want to sound like i'm patronizing parents here for not knowing so Please can you use your judgment and creativity here and help me shape this last underlined paragraf to where it sounds more informative rather then judgy)
This approach definitely falls into the sleep training culture which has risen significantly in recent decades, as our lives became more hectic , challenging and busy. Where we have compromised our own sleep in order to juggle our work and home lifestyles. But I also find it often comforting where the level of detail allows me to better explain and forward the message to parents I'm working with, for whom this truly can be an exhausting and challenging time.
Attachment Style
Or as I like to refer to it, one step at a time.
This approach often refers to a more natural, holistic and balanced way in which we recognize the sleep need, security and balanced life for our children. Most often referred to as Baby Led sleeping, it teaches us to recognize the importance of dealing with emotions (including anger and frustration) constructively. Allowing the baby to self-regulate behavior such as eating and sleeping ,at the same time, learning closely of our baby’s cues and needs and giving them ample amount of time to adjust to independent comfort of sleeping during the day or night time. Predominant entity here is patience and understanding that changes can come gradually and with a range of emotions. Proximity to caregiver, coping, attachment through senses, temperament, patterns through rhythm are just few of the significant emphasis here that can make this approach different. Less direct and more instinctive, this idea here is built to parent with less pressure and without the constraints of time. Finding sleep solutions with respect to nurtures and attachment system with support of the natural progression of development.
It's important to remember that either approach to sleep coaching can fall into a big spectrum of perspective, depending on our background, knowledge, emotional and mental capacity.
In both systems I put importance on understanding realistic age appropriate expectations, sleep safety and emotional work required to support sleep.
Both styles are supported by research and need to be welcome with open mindedness and understanding that every baby is Unique in their own way and sometimes it takes time to fully understand and achieve our goals
Parenting is hard but I believe it also comes with choices and options and I'm here to support, educate and lend a helping hand with whichever way any parents chooses to go. Lets not defy our parenting skills by our baby”s ability to sleep.