This picture really says it all. New mothers each year are suffering through terrible sleep deprivation. The exhaustion that sets in for most new moms is literally unbearable. Making you feel sick, irritable, unable to get up and do daily duties or even energized enough to simply shower and get dressed. Unfortunately, this exhaustion doesn’t just go away. It requires you to create good sleep habits for your baby so you can once again get the sleep you need and deserve.
They say that new mothers are losing around 350 hours of sleep during their baby’s first year. Can you even fathom that? 350 hours!! That almost seems impossible, but I am here to tell you it’s true. CP24 had a news clip this morning with Toronto Family Doulas which you can view here. During the interview they speak about this extreme sleep deprivation and offer a few pointers for new moms. This clip caught my attention because it emphasizes how there is help for everyone who wants helps with sleep training or any other pregnancy, pre or post-natal issues that arise. There is support and most importantly support that fits your needs and wants.
I have worked with numerous families in helping them sleep train/coach their little ones to sleep independently and through the night. Just like they mention in the clip it can be done, but a plan of action must take place. SO many times sleep deprived moms are begging me for a simple sleep secret. I truly wish there was one simple sleep secret I could give you to help your baby sleep. If there were I would share it with you all. The cold hard facts are there is no such thing as a quick, simple, fix. Sleep training takes consistency, commitment and 100% follow through. With these 3 things you will have success with ANY SLEEP PLAN YOU CHOOSE! It isn’t the plan or method you pick that really matters. Rather it’s your consistency, commitment and 100% follow through that will be the key factor in getting your baby to sleep all night.
For some parents it’s the ‘fear of tears’ that makes sleep training their baby feel way too daunting to even consider (Read the article I wrote for Pink and Blue Magazine to learn more about this). For others it’s the difficulty in sticking to a schedule. For some it’s because they would rather sleep with their baby and be present for each and every waking that occurs or to nurse them back to sleep. For these reasons and others, parents and babies around the globe are suffering from sleep deprivation.
I had a client this past summer that was completely fed up with the multiple night wakings and as time went on these wakings became more frequent and lasted longer each time her baby woke. Before long she found she and her baby were up and awake most the night. For good health and development this sort of routine is detrimental to you, your baby and any other family members. This mother decided she would give sleep training a try – even though she was deadly afraid of letting her baby cry or fuss for any length of time. To make a long story short she attempted the sleep training program, but had a very hard time with the 3 most important things: CONSISTENCY, COMMITMENT and 100% FOLLOW THROUGH. Due to this, she did not successfully teach her baby to sleep independently. BUT…the GOOD NEWS is she gave it some time, realized she couldn’t live her life in the current state and they gave it another try, but this time they followed the program to a tee! AND…this is what she has to say:
“I wanted to let you know that finally at 9months old we decided to sleep train her! Lol my husband was so fed up and I was sleeping on an air mattress in her room. We started at 6 minutes. We went in four times the first night. One time the second night and since then she has been sleeping between 11-12hrs a night! I am so thrilled with the results! I was crying a lot but so thankful I made it through.
Thanks so much for the information!
It does work, and is so worth it!”
Misha
It’s emails like these why I love what I do! Helping others one-on-one to get over their exhaustion and put an end to their sleep deprivation makes me HAPPY! Well-rested parents are happy parents and well-rested babies are happy babies!!
If you are losing sleep each night and are stuck in some bad sleep habits, please don’t hesitate to reach out and start sleeping today! Subscribe to my site for new articles and parent tips!