Most asked questions
DO YOUR METHODS INCLUDE CRYING?
This is a top question I receive about sleep training. No one enjoys listening to their baby cry, and I can’t guarantee that tears won’t happen. My goal is for babies to learn to sleep through the night, but shed the least amount of tears in the process—in fact, the Wink-a-Sleep method is designed to minimize overall crying! Babies thrive on routine--change is not something they like-- and they will often vocalize their opinion with the only thing they know...crying!
I will give you a specific plan based on your situation on how to respond I don’t believe it “cry-it-out”, and I want babies to feel emotionally supported throughout the process. Remember I have been in your shoes, and would never recommend anything that I wouldn’t do with my own children. In short, the first few nights can be the toughest, but within a week (if not sooner!), families will begin to see the light! If your baby is still experiencing major upset—you may be missing a crucial piece to your sleep plan, and I’m here to help; just reach out!
WHAT RESULTS CAN I EXPECT?
The Baby Sleep Academy course is designed to help your baby sleep independently, so you can leave the room, and have baby fall asleep within 15 minutes to sleep through the night! With the popular Wink-a-Sleep program within the course, we work backwards to nights to naps, focusing on one major area at a time, so that baby doesn’t become overtired in the process. (Overtired babies = unhappy babies!) In the course you will also be guided on how to do the perfect putdown, create a bedtime routine without tears, and work towards a 1 or 2 nap schedule depending on your baby’s age. Once completed, you can expect your baby to sleep 11-12 hours, on the nightly, without pacifiers, rocking, or having to nurse to sleep.
WHAT IS SLEEP SHAPING?
MY BABY NURSES TO SLEEP. CAN YOU HELP?
I LOVE CO-SLEEPING WITH MY BABY. CAN WE SHARE A ROOM WHILE DOING THIS COURSE?
YES! If you’re a bed-sharing family, Lauren will walk you through how to share a room AND help your child get 11-12 hours of sleep at night. If you’re living in a one-bedroom space, we would recommend temporarily moving to the living room (campout style!) so your baby can have a space of their own to learn their new sleep habits that we will be introducing. Don’t worry—we will walk you through the entire process!
WHAT ABOUT NIGHT FEEDINGS?
We recommend FIRST checking with your doctor to see how long he/she believes your baby can go at night without a feed, so you feel confident when you begin. Lauren also specializes in pediatric nutrition, and will give you options within the course to keep 1-2 feeds at night if you wish, while sleep shaping at the same time (yep—it can be done!)
DOES THIS COURSE COVER NAPS TOO?
WHAT RESULTS SHOULD I EXPECT TO SEE AFTER STARTING?
Full-term healthy babies are capable of sleeping 11+ hours by 5 months....but some need help to get there. In short, the first three nights after making any changes will usually result in some protest from your baby. Lauren will show you exactly how to respond to any tears experienced in the program so that baby feels supported, loved, and acknowledged. Within 5-7 days, you should begin to see some results, with most parents reporting that they were able to put down baby awake in the crib at naps and bedtime without tears within 21 days.
WILL THIS WORK FOR WORKING MOMS WITH BABIES IN DAYCARE?
Luckily for us, the brain treats daytime sleep and nighttime sleep differently (see why the science behind the sleep is so important to understand? Lauren will walk you through that too!). This programs works very well for children in daycare, which results in 11-12 hours straight at night. Daycare teachers can continue to assist baby to help them fall asleep, or encourage them to fall asleep drowsy but awake.
MY BABY WAS BORN EARLIER THAN 40 WEEKS. CAN I STILL START THIS COURSE?
We recommend waiting until baby is at least 5 months old (adjusted) to begin.
WILL THIS COURSE WORK FOR TWINS AND/OR MULTIPLES?
The Wink-a-Sleep method is extremely successful for multiples! While going through the course, we will treat them as individual children, keeping them in the same room, but on a similar schedule. In situations where you’re only needing assistance with one of the multiples, we recommend temporarily moving the “better sleeper” out of the room for 7-14 nights while the other(s) work on sleep shaping.
DOES SLEEP TRAINING DAMAGE THE BOND WITH MY BABY?
Research actually proves that any crying with reassurance from a parent or caretaker while sleep training does not have any negative effects on your baby. With our course, Lauren actually encourages that you keep your bond with baby strong by moving quickly through the plan, making changes every 3 days as necessary. By moving through the program at this rate, your bond will stay healthy and trust will remain, as you have the option to never even leave baby alone while learning the new sleep habits.
