Shifting Priorities: Why Sleep Isn’t the Most Important Thing for Your Child
"What is most important for your child's development?" If you answered sleep, I think we need to talk.
Helping Baby Sleep: Does Extinction Sleep Training Improve Baby’s Sleep?
Many people report trying extinction methods of sleep training to "help" their baby sleep better, but what does research tell us in terms of the efficacy of these methods for baby's sleep? Does the reasoning hold up?
Guest Post: Finding What Works for Sleep
"He would wake after two hours of being in the crib, though he had been sleeping longer stretches while in our bed. I attributed it to him realizing it was a different sleeping environment. Once he would cry, I would put him back in our bed for the rest of the night. I tried it again the next night and the same thing happened. So, we gave up the crib for a while."
Understanding the Important Relationship Between Sleep and Feeding Method
Two new pieces of research highlight the intricate relationship between feeding method and sleep in infants, notably how parents perceive their child's sleep. Importantly, there are implications for the idea of building "bad habits" and sleep training.
Toddler “Sleep Problems”: Should We Be Worried?
Recent research suggests that "sleep problems" at 18 months carry a higher risk for later emotional and behavioural problems. What can we take from this research? Is it valid? Does it support things like extinction sleep training?
Does Bedsharing Cause “Sleep Problems”?
A study in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics has made rounds recently with a bold claim that bedsharing actually harms infant sleep at 18 months by doubling the risk of “sleep problems”.
Infant Night Waking as Evolutionary Manipulation?
Dr. Haig suggests infant night waking is an evolutionary trick for babies to increase mom's postpartum amenorrhea and suggests sleep training is therefore okay. But is this the whole story?
Myths and Facts About Night Wakings
Ever hear that your child should be sleeping through by 3 months of age? Or that night waking is a sign of something wrong? Here are some of the myths about night wakings and the actual facts associated with them.
Understanding and Helping Toddler Sleep (Part I)
Every parent has despaired of their toddler's night waking, no matter where the toddler sleeps and no matter the circumstances surrounding the desperation. Although there is great disagreement regarding whether infants should be able to sleep through the night, the expectation that toddlers Can and Should sleep through the night without wakings parents is generally well accepted.
What is Normal Infant Sleep? (Part I)
Simply being made aware of normal sleep patterns can help alleviate the stress and anxiety parents feel, leading to happier times for the entire family. So what is normal?