We know you may have some questions about sleep training. Here are some Baby and Toddler Sleep FAQs that may help:
When can I begin sleep training my baby?
We do not work on sleep training with babies under 4 months of age based on the estimated due date (EDD). That doesn’t mean you have to wait until they are four months to establish good sleep habits. Before this, we recommend sleep-shaping through a newborn call or visit. Parents who take the time to inform themselves about what to expect and work to establish good sleep habits from the beginning may find they have to do little to no sleep training at all.
Why should I hire a sleep consultant? Shouldn’t I just read the books for myself? Why should I hire you and not one of the other sleep consultants out there?
Good question! It’s great if you have time to read all of the sleep books as we have. But, when you are experiencing sleep deprivation or if you feel you are at your wits’ end, reading books and trying to figure out what plan to put in place can take a lot of time and just add to that exhaustion. We are certified as infant and child sleep consultants so you can feel assured that we can help you fix your specific sleep problems and also lead you in the right direction if you need more information.
The number one thing we hear from parents is, “I just want a plan that will work for my family and help me be confident.” We will provide that plan for your family!
We have been helping families sleep better since 2012, keep up-to-date on continuing education and the latest sleep research. Lori and Sara are in communication a lot and you will essentially have two sets of eyes on your case if things get tricky. Lori has also been teaching other sleep consultants for the past 2.5 years through The Family Sleep Institute (and has instructed some in the Austin area!). If you’re unsure if we are a good fit, we encourage you to set up a brief get-acquainted call.
If we don’t think it’s a good fit or the right time for you, we will be honest and let you know. It’s important that you feel comfortable and ready to commit when you work with us!
What can I expect from working with you?
If you have looked at our services page and know which consultation fits your needs, you can purchase that package. We will send you an intake form to complete before we begin our consultation. The intake form will ask you some basic questions about your family situation and your children, and then it will go into more detailed questions about the problems your child is having and what your goals are for your child’s sleep. We will schedule a time for our consultation. You will receive a written plan (phone and in-home visits only) and we will set a time for you to begin implementing your plan. Over the next two weeks, we will check in with you and give you further support as lined out in your package description. Hopefully we will have everyone sleeping better in no time!
Which package is right for me?
Our phone consultations are very popular and are generally more available. Home visits provide a little more time for your consultation in the comfort of your own home (available in Austin or Nashville areas only). If you want to get answers ASAP, our online baby sleep course can be downloaded and begun immediately after purchase.
If you are not sure which package would be best for your family, please contact us and we can set up a complimentary get acquainted call.
Do you have business hours? Can’t you just come spend the night at my house?
We do our best to answer requests for service if they are received by 4pm CST M-F.
Our consults are scheduled during the day M-F. We are unable to provide evening consults. When supporting families, we do provide some weekend support as outlined in our contracts.
While coming to your house and implementing your sleep plan may seem like an easy fix, it isn’t going to give you a long term solution. We want you to feel successful in helping to teach your child to sleep better. For this reason, we do not offer overnight implementation. We will be available to cheer you on and answer all of your questions during the day, though!
Do you use just one method of sleep training? Will my child have to cry it out?
Sleep training is about so much more than just which method we use. We work with families to improve all elements of sleep. We do not write cookie-cutter plans and we do not force families to work with one particular method. Once we talk with you, we can guide you to pick the method that may be a good fit for your child. Keep in mind, babies and toddlers may respond differently than predicted and adjustments may need to be made. This is kind of like writing a birth plan. You can get everything in writing and then things get adjusted for a variety of reasons. Part of our job is to guide you if changes need to be made so we can keep things consistent for the sake of your kiddo.
As for crying, we wish we could banish the term “cry it out”. Unfortunately our society coins phrases out of convenience, but they are not always accurate. We cannot guarantee that there will not be any crying. A child may cry when you pull their hand away from a hot stove or pot, but that doesn’t mean you would let them touch it because they were crying. You do it to keep them safe. When a child realizes this, they stop crying. The same can be said for your child’s sleep. When you make changes, your child is not going to give you a high-five and tell you he wished you made these changes sooner. Your child will protest because he’s uncertain about the change, and it’s natural for him to express that. Protesting doesn’t stop because the child gives up and loses hope. Once your child has learned to fall asleep in a new way and is well-rested, there will be much less protesting near sleep times.
I have heard that allowing children to cry causes brain damage and attachment issues. Is this true?
If you go on the internet and read enough, you are bound to find information to back up any claim. It is important that you recognize the sources of your information and the conditions of the studies that were conducted. Most of the studies done on children where this claim is made were conducted on children living in Eastern European orphanages and had been severely neglected.
Your child has been growing up in a loving home and you are concerned about her sleep habits. In fact, improving sleep habits in your child has been proven to have benefits not only for the child, but for the parents as well! The effects of sleep deprivation can be much more detrimental to a parent and child.
To speak more to attachment, we have never worked with a family who chose to sleep train because it was convenient and they wanted to be neglectful parents. They love and want the best for their children. They see their children struggling and want to help them. Sometimes a parent is afraid to get behind the wheel of a car and drive for longer than 5 minutes for fear of falling asleep. A mom may be on the brink of or is suffering from post-partum anxiety or depression and has been told by a medical profession that it is imperative to their own health that they get more sleep. Their bodies hurt and they see it in their child too- the bags under their eyes, the crankiness in their demeanor.
We often say, “If it’s not a problem, then it’s not a problem.” Not everyone needs or wants to sleep train their child, and that’s okay! That doesn’t mean that trying to improve your family’s sleep is wrong. Some may tell you it’s wrong or harmful to your baby. That is judgmental and, frankly, scientifically incorrect. There is plenty of judgment being thrown around on the internet and judgment is the last thing you will get when you work with us. Anyone who tells you to “just enjoy this time because it’s a phase of life” isn’t in your shoes.
Do you feed, clothe, hug, kiss, play with, and love your child? They have a positive attachment and that will not change with sleep training. Can an attached child sleep all night and still feel loved and know they are loved in the morning? Absolutely! Many parents express to us how they can’t believe that their happiest babies are even happier once their sleep is improved.
I am breastfeeding. Can I still sleep train my baby?
Some families want to keep one or two feedings per night. Some are ready for no more night feedings at all. We can help you determine what’s most appropriate for your baby, and will never pressure you to drop feedings that your child biologically needs. There is a point, however, when middle-of-the-night feedings may actually cause your baby to be sleep deprived, and we can help you identify and determine what to do about this.
How quickly should I expect to see results?
This depends on the age of your child and the issues they are having. If your child is young (under a year old) and you are consistent about the changes that need to be made, you may see results in as early as a few days to a week. If your child is much older and you have been having sleep issues for quite some time, it may take up to two to three weeks or more to see consistent changes. Consistency is very important when implementing your sleep plan. That is why we will follow up with you and help guide you so that we can see positive results as quickly as possible.
How much sleep does my child need? Is it possible that he just isn’t a good sleeper?
A child’s sleep needs vary with age. Please download our free child sleep expectations by age resource for more information. We often meet people who tell me, “My child is just a bad sleeper” but I have yet to find that to be true once we begin working together.
Do you offer a guarantee?
There are no guarantees as we are not implementing your plan for you- you have to be the one to actually carry out the changes as we coach and educate you along the way. Every child is different and adapts to the changes you are making at their own pace. If you are consistent in following your sleep plan as outlined, you should see improvements. If you are not seeing results, it’s possible (but rare) this may indicate a larger sleep issue that may require some medical attention.
We do not offer refunds for unused support time or after a sleep consultation has taken place.
Have other baby or toddler sleep questions? Here are some child sleep resources, our child sleep blog and our child sleep services.