Frequently Asked Questions
-
You will get three PDF files, each covering a different topic. The Baby Sleep Basics cover everything you need to know about normal baby sleep: from the ideal sleeping environment to bedtime routines. You will learn why your baby is sleeping the way they are and what you as parent can do. The Settling Guide contains age-specific settling methods for gradually introducing your little one to more independent sleep. Whether you are rocking your baby to sleep or feeding to sleep, you will learn how to gently transition to other passive sleep methods. And the last part contains sleep schedules that will help you figure out your little one’s best nap and sleeping times.
-
In the settling guide, we address the three scenarios: feeding to sleep, rocking to sleep, and parental presence. You will find step-by-step instructions for each scenario on how to guide your baby to more independent sleep tailored to your baby’s age. None of the methods include separation or leaving your baby to cry. We believe that the combination of attachment, a healthy sleep hygiene, time, and consistency will help your little one get used to more independent sleep. The different methods will help your baby move on from strong, active sleep associations (feeding, rocking to sleep) to less strong, active sleep associations (patting, shushing) to passive sleep associations (white noise, dark room).
-
Our settling methods aim at very smooth transitions so that your baby can adjust gently to new ways of being soothed. However, sometimes babies simply don’t like it when things change, and they will express that, for example, through crying. And they are allowed to. It is up to you how you want to handle these situations. Sometimes babies stop within a few minutes. Sometimes you need to take a break. You, as their parent, will decide how to proceed because you know your baby best. You can support their emotions in your arms and help them regulate their feelings by comforting them. Crying in a caregiver's arm is not the same as CIO. Or you can simply take a step back and try again the next time. Either way, your baby will get used to new settling methods. It might simply take a little bit more time, depending on your pace.
-
Sleeping through the night is a developmental milestone. If you are looking for a quick fix to get your little one to sleep through the whole night, then this program may not be for you. The main goal of this program is to achieve step-by-step sleep improvements appropriate to your child's age which will eventually lead to uninterrupted nights. If you are starting this program with a toddler, then yes, your little one might sleep through the night very quickly afterward. If you have an infant or young baby, the main goal is to improve your baby’s sleep, so they have longer stretches of sleep during the night and settle to sleep easier. Thereby, you are paving the way for independent sleep in the future.
-
While many other sleep programs claim that 6-month old babies do not need to feed anymore at night, we don’t recommend night weaning until the age of at least 12 months. Night feedings serve not only a nutritional value but also an emotional one that young babies still need. Your baby can very well sleep for a good chunk at night and still wake up for the age-appropriate number of feeds.
-
By normalizing natural baby sleep behavior, we want to release parents from additional stress that they need to have a perfectly sleeping baby or that there is something wrong with their baby. Nighttime parenting is and will stay a part of your parenting journey for some time. But much more plays into how we can handle it besides baby sleep: stress, anxiety, unrealistic expectations, missing self-care. So we want families to take a holistic view of their overall family dynamic and situation and learn how they can improve not only their baby’s sleep but their own attitude regarding the topic of baby sleep. Instead of using separation, we focus on attachment to solve common sleep struggles. We also want to show parents how they can better cope with sleep deprivation and the hurdles that come with parenting by making adjustments to their day-to-day life.
-
Our sleep schedules serve as guides. Thereby, we focused on wake windows, naps, and bedtimes that will benefit your baby’s overall sleep. But no two babies are alike. So feel free to adjust the schedules to your baby’s and your family’s needs. Baby sleep needs differ, and sleeping times will not be exactly the same every day. If things don’t seem to work, you can use the troubleshooting section after each schedule to determine if your baby needs more or less sleep.
-
Generally, we don’t believe in fast and quick fixes. We aim at creating a sleep hygiene for years to come. Also, our approach looks at much more besides your baby’s sleeping behavior, such as daytime activities and filling your child’s emotional and sensory cup. It will differ for every family and child when the first results show. It will depend on several things, such as your baby’s age and your determination to be consistent. Cat napping might be solved within less than 2 weeks, new settling methods might work within 2-4 weeks. If you have a toddler, you might see first improvements after a few days. There is not one recipe that will work magically from one night to another, and we don’t want to guarantee unrealistic achievements. We simply want to encourage you to keep going and be patient.