Absolutely not!
Are you a failure if your child is sick and you take them to a doctor?
Of course not!
Are you failure if your car is not running and you take it to a mechanic? No!
It is wise to find a professional to help you with an area you need help with. It does not make you a failure. In life, and as a parent, we are not experts in every area. We need to seek out a person who has studied and trained to give us guidance and help in many areas, including sleep.
As a parent, it may be the first or possibly second child you are helping to learn the skill of sleep. Most parents are trying to do the best job they can. For some children the process goes very smoothly, but for other children it is challenging.
Parents might search online for advice or read books on how to get your child to sleep. Some of that advice can be helpful but it becomes overwhelming when one article contradicts the next article. The parent is left trying to figure out the best method for their particular child.
Many times parents resort to trial and error. Parents might find a way to help their child sleep when the baby is a newborn. The problem is that as the child gets older the same method does not work or can become very difficult to maintain. I worked with one mother who started holding her baby and placing a hand on the baby’s face. It worked every time to get her baby to sleep. Mom was thrilled. The problem came when the baby grew and became too heavy for the mother to continue to hold with one hand while keeping the other hand on the baby’s face.
A sleep consultant is a person who has studied extensively about sleep. In my case, I have studied child development, including the biological and sleep changes in children as they grow. I have also studied the various approaches to improve sleep, including the difficulties and advantages of the different methods. As a sleep consultant I assess the amount and quality of your child’s sleep.
I look at the development stage and the temperament of your child. I also look at your parenting style.
There are four foundational areas basic to healthy and restorative sleep:
1) The sleep environment should be conducive to sleep.
2) It is important to time the sleep according to the child’s body clock.
3) Watch for sleepy signs in the child.
4) A bedtime routine sends a message to the body to anticipate and be ready for sleep.
Contact me to find a way to teach your child to sleep that will work for you. I coach parents to reach the sleep success their family is hoping for.
The rewards of a baby or toddler that sleeps well are many. Everyone feels better and functions better. Restful sleep is beneficial for the health of the entire family.
Helping Babies Sleep
Infant Tummy Massage to Relieve Gas
To see the complete massage instructional video:
