It’s the 3am Wake-up Call no One Signs up for
Essentially, a pediatric sleep consultant acts as a translator. Your baby can’t tell you why he is having a tantrum at 2:00 AM. And a toddler can’t tell you why the nightly bedtime process has morphed into a hostage negotiation. This is where this professional comes in—interpreting the tiny dictator’s schedule and turning a complete and utter mess into something that resembles a normal routine. To learn more about pediatric sleep support and resources, visit https://www.littleslumberco.com/.
Parents are seldom calling the consultants on good days. Inevitably, they wait six weeks into sleepless nights, only when the morning cup of coffee no longer has the intended effect and patience has run as dry as the Sahara Desert. And it is alright.
When sleep deprivation hits us all in full force, we can all seem like lunatics.
That’s not a character flaw. Biology.
What Will Happen When You Have a Session
The most common type of meeting includes questions-tons and tons of questions. “At what time does the baby nap?,” “How many times a day do they nap?,” “Do you have blackout curtains or does light pour into the baby’s room like a giant floodlight at 5:00 AM?” Every tiny detail counts. Six inches between the baby’s crib and a vent could be all it takes to derail a carefully mapped out plan.
Next, a customized plan will be created for your baby based on his age, personality, and the practical realities of your life-not some mythical or text book family. Your real life with all of its various components (your full-time job, or other children who may need an extra juice box in the evening).
Parents Get This Wrong Time After Time
It seems backwards, but an overtired child does not sleep better, they sleep worse. That overtired nervous system will produce high levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline-and they aren’t conducive to good sleep. A consultant monitors the “wake windows,” or periods in between sleeping, like a hawk watches prey. Fifteen minutes in between could mean the difference between a peaceful lullaby or a tantrum that literally rattles the walls of your home.
The key word here is consistency, not perfection. One or two tough nights will not throw everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve completely off-course. Unfortunately, far too many parents panic after a rough day and toss the whole plan. That’s akin to abandoning a fitness routine after your arms feel sore after just the first gym visit.
The Emotional Element Is Omitted Way Too Frequently
“Training” your baby for sleep not only involves logistically planning your evening, but it also carries a lot of guilt. There’s the guilt you feel by letting the baby cry for even a moment, and then there’s the additional guilt about the fact that you feel the need for outside assistance in the first place. The thought process can be, “Do I have what it takes to do this?
Am I somehow a failure because I am struggling?”
A good consultant can help with the emotional part of it all, in addition to the written down schedule.
Whether you have need for one single consultation, or a few weeks of continued check-ins and adjustments, it’s fine. There is no award for having the world’s best sleeper; the goal is for your family to be rested enough that no one is running on fumes.