Myths #5 And 6 About Sleep Training – Debunked
This is the 3rd of 4 blog posts where we’re looking at 8 common myths about sleep training. If you missed the first two posts, you can read them here and here.
There’s a lot of misinformation and judgment about sleep training. To me, sleep training means teaching a child independent, age-appropriate sleep habits. My goal and priority is to always support a family in a way that feels right for them. This means without judgment and always with kindness and understanding. I hope we can start to move the conversation about sleep training to be about each family doing what’s right for them even if it’s different than what you would choose.
One of the most common questions and concerns I hear is about whether you can sleep train a breastfed baby. The easy answer is, yes, 100% you can. I support a lot of families who still breastfeed, and they are just as successful as any other family who bottle feeds. Take a look below for more thoughts about sleep training while breastfeeding. Another really common question I get is about sleep regressions. Fear not, sleep regressions mark big developmental leaps and can be managed quickly with good sleep habits.
Myth #5 I cannot sleep train my baby if I breastfeed
The truth is, you can sleep train an infant and still breastfeed successfully. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You can do both. Infants digest breast milk faster and more completely compared to formula. This means that your breastfed little one will still need feeds overnight longer than a baby who takes formula. Many moms also worry about how sleep training will affect their supply. After the first 6-12 weeks, breastmilk is produced based on supply and demand. If you “tank up” your baby during the day, meaning you maximize feedings, you can still keep your supply up. However, I always recommend we work together with a lactation consultant if you have one.
Whether sleep training a little one who breastfeeds or takes bottles overnight, tuning into your baby and what his cries mean is key. Is his middle of the night wake up truly because he’s hungry or is it because he desires your attention/cuddles? Sleep training can be used to help you differentiate hunger vs the need to develop independent sleep habits. For example, if your 6 month old wakes up at 1am crying and it’s been 7 hours since their last feed, they are likely hungry and you should feed them. If your baby wakes up crying 2 hours after their last feed, they likely haven’t learned to connect sleep cycles and may be asking for your help to return to sleep.
Myth #6 Sleep regressions are a bad thing
A sleep regression is the phenomenon in which parents observe a sudden change in how well a little one sleeps. Sleep regressions mark normal developmental changes in infants and toddlers. You may often first notice this around 4 months of age, but a sleep regression can occur between 12-20 weeks. Your baby who previously slept really well will suddenly struggle. For example, around the 4 month mark, infant sleep cycles look more similar to an adults where we cycle in and out of light and deep sleep. Between cycles, infants are likely to wake briefly and need help getting back to sleep. This is where sleep training comes in and helps very tired parents. Sleep training and developing independent sleep skills help little ones connect sleep cycles thereby reducing the number of times your little one wakes up and needs help falling asleep again.
Stay tuned in 2 weeks for the next and final post in this series addressing the next two sleep training myths: myth #7 I’m a bad mom/dad for choosing to sleep train and myth #8 there’s a right way to sleep train.
