Parenthood comes with many challenges. One of the harder ones is trying to get your six month old to sleep through the night. Parenting experts and pediatricians may recommend sleep training, which is an umbrella term for different methods that parents employ to get their child to fall and stay asleep on their own. Sleep training has developed a bit of a negative connotation with one method becoming synonymous with the practice at large known as “cry it out.” Parents who decide to employ this method, don’t get up to soothe their child if they wake up in the middle of night, letting the child eventually fall back asleep. But for some, this method seems too harsh. So, what is the best way to sleep train? Is there one? And how can parents cope with the emotional stress of sleep training while their sleep deprived themselves?

 

Today on AirTalk, we talk about the methods and misconceptions around sleep training children with Melisa Moore, licensed psychologist and board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine. We'll also discuss how parents can cope with stress and their own tiredness while sleep training with Paige Bellenbaum, licensed clinical social worker and founding director and chief external relations officer for The Motherhood Center of New York. We also want to hear from you! What sleep training techniques worked best for you and your child? What struggles did you face while trying to sleep train your kid? Give us a call at 866-893-5722. Or email us at [email protected].