A sleep log can significantly reduce the amount of crying during sleep training
For most of us, data is very important and in many ways, it helps manage our lives better. I would say this definitely applies to sleep training. If you’re able to record the information in relation to your baby’s sleep and use the data to interpret what went good/bad from the previous days, you’ll be able to minimize the amount of crying during sleep training.
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In his book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, 5th Edition: A New Step-by-Step Guide for a Good Night’s Sleep, Dr Marc Weissbluth advises that you should “watch your child, not the clock”, but also emphasizes the benefits of a sleep log. Yes, it’s important to see when the baby is drowsy, so he/she’ll be ready to sleep, but can we read the sleep signs all of the time?
If you’re a first time parent, it’s even more difficult to read the signs. This is one of the most compelling reason why you should keep a 2 weeks’ time sleep log when sleep training your baby.
What the sleep log will tell you
1. When your baby is more likely to be ready for day naps;
2. When the optimal time is for the night sleep;
3. How many times have they woken up during the night.
What is considered to be normal:
1. Follow a sleep schedule and a consistent bedtime;
2. The Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, 4th Edition: A Step-by-Step Program for a Good Night’s Sleep book recommends 6-7 pm as bedtime (you can get there slowly).
3. Sleep consultants consider that a healthy baby can be night weaned at 8 months of age. I stopped breastfeeding Bianca during the night at 10 months of age and she slept through the night, for 12 hours.
Grab your free Sleep Log and let me know how it helped you:
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