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“With all of the information that’s readily available online, in those many baby books that are probably gathering dust and the resources you have at your disposal in the form of friends and family who have managed to get their kids to sleep, why would you want to invite a stranger into your life to get your child sleeping through the night?”
I don’t often get asked that question worded in that exact way but I know for certain it is a thought that has crossed your mind and at one time, it did mine too. However, I now know that when you are thinking about getting some professional help with their little ones’ sleep habits, you need to really see the benefit before deciding to take that plunge…
And it’s for a valid reason! After all, your mother managed to get you to sleep at some point, didn’t she? Oh, and you have a best friend that has four kids who are all amazing sleepers, so she should have some answers for you, right?
Well, yes! At least they might. But then again, they might not.
And let me be the first to say, if you’ve got someone who can help you in this situation, I’m not the least bit offended if you want to ask them for help instead of calling a sleep coach. After all, we’re all trying to save our money where we can, so if you can remedy the problem without paying for it, I’m all for that option. You could treat yourself to that weekend away instead and celebrate your success.
Most of the time though, my clients are parents who have already tried that route and found it wasn’t successful, and there are multiple reasons why that might happen.
The biggest reason why the solutions that work for one parent don’t work for another is simple. They’re not dealing with the same baby.
Some babies are heavily reliant on sleep props. Others can’t sleep in a room that’s too warm. Some may not be getting enough daytime sleep, and others might be overtired. This baby might have developed an association between feeding and falling asleep, whereas that one might be ready to drop their second daytime nap.
And, of course, it could be any combination of all of the above, or the many other sleep challenges that babies might experience. Trust me, there are oh so many!
Adding to the challenge is the fact that most solutions don’t work overnight, so parents might try a solution that could potentially help baby start sleeping through the night, but abandon it before it takes effect due to some heavy protesting on baby’s part.
In short, sleep is a complicated issue and there’s very rarely one single thing that can remedy the situation overnight.
A professional sleep coach has the experience and training to recognise which problems result in specific symptoms, and can work with you to develop a tailor made plan for your child that addresses those individual issues. They can also provide some much-needed support when things don’t seem to be working, and give you the encouragement you need to follow through on that plan until it starts to work.
Consider the example of a personal trainer. You could just get some dumbbells and watch some YouTube videos in order to get in shape, so why pay someone to guide you along?
Well, because they’re able to give you solid advice based on education and experience, they can help to keep you motivated, and they know how to respond to the problems that might arise when it comes to your specific situation. They also know how to get you back on track when things go wrong and are there to stop you giving up after you order that well deserved takeaway but then immediately feel guilty for it.
So, when it comes to baby’s sleep, I hope for everyone to find success on their own, and with as few problems as possible. But if that doesn’t happen for you, a professional coach has the answers and support you need.
If you are thinking of hiring a sleep coach and are still unsure, reach out and we can talk it through.
I offer a free 15-minute sleep evaluation call where we can discuss what is going on for you and baby as well as explaining what working with me would look like.
I am here to help, if you need it.
Gemma