What is Sleep and Why Do We Need It?
While it may seem obvious to each of us why we need sleep (because, in many ways…it is!), sleep is a complex process that science is only just beginning to understand, and still holds many mysteries.
At its base, sleep is divided into two types: no rapid eye movement (non-REM or NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
For adults, sleep always begins with NREM sleep, the period in which our bodies transition into low frequency brain waves and deep sleep, which causes drops in temperature and blood pressure, slower heart rate and breathing, and the release of hormones that trigger growth and tissue repair. NREM is followed by REM sleep, a phase that shows high brain activity (sometimes more active than we are awake!), with faster breathing, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and dreaming. It is thought that this phase triggers the brain to integrate and process new information.
Our sleep continuously cycles between NREM and REM, but the amount of time needed in each phase and the total amount of sleep needed.
Babies and Sleep
Babies are rapidly developing, need more sleep than we do (and even more than teenagers do). But the amount of sleep and the way they sleep differs from adults and is changing rapidly as they develop.
While babies sleep longer than we do, they cycle between NREM and REM sleep much faster. Interestingly, unlike adults, babies begin their sleep cycle with REM sleep (instead of NREM), and spend about half their sleep time in the REM state. This strongly suggests their developing brains are processing and integrating huge amounts of new information, as they take in a whole new world, each day.
Not only do babies have sleep cycles that differ from our own, but they also have wake windows. Wake windows are the amount of time between waking up after sleep and needing to sleep again. As adults, our wake windows are a full day (with a nap if we’re lucky). But babies wake windows are much shorter and change rapidly as they grow, with significant shifts occurring every few months with developmental milestones.
The Importance of Sleep Training
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, we as individuals, and our infants and little ones, often do not intuitively know when we are reaching the end of a wake window, and it is time to sleep. Especially in our modern, fast paced age of artificial lighting, technology, and stimulation, even as adults we often push past our natural wake windows resulting in overtiredness, harder time falling asleep, and poorer quality sleep.
For these reasons, understanding developmentally appropriate sleep habits and wake windows is essential for getting our babies (and ourselves) the proper amount of good sleep. Furthermore, understanding these developmental milestones is essential in interpreting what your baby is communicating with you, and what they might be ready for. For example, learning when your baby is ready to drop nightly feedings, transition to independent sleeping, add or drop a nap, and more.
When to Start Sleep Training
While it is absolutely possible to lay healthy foundations for sleep before this age, it is typically recommended to start sleep training between 4-6 months of age, as this is the age when babies begin to develop regular sleep habits and are capable of learning self-soothing and independent sleep behavior. The first year of life in general is an excellent time to start sleep training, with the earlier you start (at that 4 month mark) typically leading to smoother and faster results. However, sleep training can be effective well into toddler years and even into adulthood, with significant shifts in methods and approach for different stages.
I specialize in working with families in early infancy (0-3 months) to establish healthy routines and prepare for sleep training and the baby phase (4 months - 2 years). Although I will work with older children of clients with baby’s needing sleep training to bring the whole family onto the sleep train!
My Approach
The Steps of Sleep Training
Once we have both decided to work together to create a sleep training plan for you and your family the process, a few key steps will always follow.
First, I will do a full assessment of your baby and family situation. Sometimes the word ‘assessment’ can feel intimidating for people. Don’t worry! I work from a place of complete non-judgement. It’s important to remember that if your baby is struggling with sleep, it does not reflect on you as a parent. The reality is even with all our modern understanding of sleep science, sleep just isn’t the same for everyone. Throughout the assessment process I will be checking to make sure any ideas I may have are aligned with your values, comfort and parenting approach.
Next, I will curate a customized sleep plan designed for your baby and your unique situation. This will be an in depth, step by step plan that clearly outlines the steps of your sleep training as well as any necessary steps prior to and after the plan is implemented. It will also include variety of educational resources for you, including your baby’s developmental stages, what to expect as your baby grows, and how to continuously adapt your unique plan as your baby moves through different milestones.
Together, we will go over in depth your customized sleep plan, and I will make sure you and any other primary caregivers for your baby fully understand not only the steps but also the reasoning behind the plan, as I find true understanding allows for easier implementation.
Next, its go time! Either you move forward with the sleep plan I designed, with my email and text support as questions come up. Or I help you implement the plan for the first few nights, and then pass it on to you. Sleep training requires dedication and patience, and regardless of the approach you choose, I will be there to support you for the first two weeks after you’ve started your plan, as well as provide sleep logs to help you track and understand you and your baby’s progress.
And finally, sleep.
Contact Me
To learn more or get the process started please fill out the form below. Including some information about yourself, your baby and your situation is encouraged so we can start to see if sleep consulting is the right step for you.