As a parent, struggling to get your baby to sleep soundly through the night can be a frustrating experience. It can leave you and your family feeling tired, make you feel as though you’re doing something wrong, and that you’ll have to come to terms with the fact that maybe your child is just a “bad sleeper.”
The truth is, you and your child are not alone in this and there are resources out there to help like hiring a sleep consultant. If it’s your first time hiring one, you may have some mixed thoughts about it considering what you’ve heard from other parents.
Sleep consultants can be an incredibly useful resource to help you and your baby finally get the sleep that you deserve. As with anything, there are some misconceptions about hiring a sleep consultant that we’re here to debunk today.
1. It disrupts the bond between you and baby
One of the biggest misconceptions and potential fears about hiring a sleep consultant is that it can potentially disrupt the bond between you and your child.
After all, getting your baby to sleep is considered a personal experience between you and them. When it feels as though nothing you are doing is working, it can be discouraging as a parent to have to hire someone to step in and help resolve the issue at hand.
In reality, a good sleep consultant knows how important the bond between you and your child is and will do everything they can to support and strengthen that between the two of you. With sleep training, the trust between you and your baby will not be broken. In fact, when you and your baby get much more quality sleep, this can strengthen your bond as a result of being more well-rested.
2. They will use a “one rule fits all” method
Given the many methods out there, it’s common to believe that a sleep consultant will take a “one size fits all” approach, or in other words, simply use a method on your child that they’ve used many times before. This myth can cause parents to be very apprehensive to hire a sleep consultant considering all situations vary from child to child.
A good sleep trainer keeps that very fact at the forefront of all of their training. They will take each and every detail you share with them about your situation and use that to create a customized plan that truly works for your child. At the end of the day, a “one rule fits all” approach is not ideal for sleep training considering all scenarios and concerns are different. A good sleep trainer will always be willing to adjust and approach a situation based on the concerns at hand.
3. They stay overnight in your home
It’s very common to assume that when you hire a sleep consultant that they have to stay overnight in your home to successfully carry out their job. While this option does exist, know that it is not, by any means, the end all be all to success. A sleep consultant does not have to stay overnight in your home to help you and your baby get the sleep you both deserve.
Now more than ever, sleep training can be carried out between you and a consultant virtually. They can devise a personalized plan for you, guide you and help answer any questions all with the help of technology without having to step foot in your home!
But, keep in mind that this option means that honesty and transparency are key to a successful outcome. It’s important to openly communicate on both ends to ensure that your sleep consultant has what they need to help you so you can achieve the results you’ve been waiting for.
4. There is an age limit to start sleep training
All programs for sleep training differ. There is often a misconception that your baby has to be a specific age to start sleep training and that often, the older they are, the better. While it is true, that the over 5-month mark is typically a sure bet to start a sleep training program, it’s also advised you don’t wait too long because the longer habits go on, the harder they become to break.
Babies can actually start initial sleep training techniques as early as 4 months, however, it is understandable that it takes some time for a parent to identify that their child’s sleep could use a sleep consultant to improve.
There is no right or wrong time to start sleep training your child. At the end of the day, it all depends on your needs and can even depend on your lifestyle. If you’ve gotten to a point where things are becoming a lot harder to dedicate the time needed for sleep training, this is where a sleep consultant can step in and help you come up with a plan that works.
Here at WeeSleep, we actually work with school-age children up to 10 years old. Setting healthy sleep routines doesn’t just apply to newborns!
5. It’s not budget-friendly
One of the biggest myths about sleep training that can actually turn many parents away from the idea of sleep training is that it’s not considered to be easy on the wallet. It’s understandable that not every family can set aside a large sum of money for sleep training. However, it is possible to find a sleep trainer out there that is willing to work with your budget.
Again, sleep training is not “one size fits all” and there are many out there that will be able to work with you personally and financially. Luckily, there are many resources out there that a reputable sleep consultant may be able to offer you to try for yourself, should you decide to take certain measures for yourself before making the final decision to hire a sleep consultant.
With the right one, hiring a sleep consultant can truly be worth every single penny. It’s okay to take the time you need to feel completely sure that your coach is right for you. Luckily with WeeSleep, we are willing to work with you to create a custom, personalized sleep plan that fits seamlessly with your lifestyle. Book your FREE 15-minute consultation with us here, to see if we’re a good fit for you.