There is so much information available from all sides of parenting regarding sleep, and secure attachment. There are thousands of dollars worth of products marketed to a tired parent to solve sleep “problems.”

Social media offers only a couple of theories regarding sleep when you’re a parent. Your options are:

You are an abusive and selfish parent if you do “cry-it-out” or even let your child whimper at all for any reason!

You’re only a good parent if you’re wearing your child, while nursing, while working, and you are the best if you got two hours of broken sleep this week.

Other Overwhelming Solutions:

Buy swaddles, blackout shades, white noise machines, breathing smart baby monitors that track your baby’s sleep, wakes and breathing, and records them all night, then invest in weighted sleep sacks, Montessori playsets, toys, books, beds, feeding systems and more to get a good nights sleep…..

Or you can buy a sleep lesson package from a big name on social media that will send you and your sister-in-law or coworker the same information with no support vs. CRY IT OUT vs. BlissFull Sleep’s services of custom-designed full support. If you feel like nothing you see on the internet really gets you or fits you, then you’re in the right place.

The truth is, it’s only a problem if you want to see an improvement from where you are in your parenting journey. There’s nothing sweeter than rocking a little one into a quiet slumber, but then are you feeling “nap-trapped” multiple times a day? Taking hours to get your tiny one settled for the night, only to be awake an hour or two later, and hard to soothe? This is common.

It’s great if this is exactly what you envisioned, and you’re happy with it. But the evidence surrounding mental wellness and the direct link to sleep are undeniable. The best version of you is what your baby deserves. Not to mention the difference in baby’s mood, your performance at work, and your relationships.

Let me just say, it’s not selfish to want sleep. It’s not heroic to spend the first years of parenting sleep-deprived and starved for some peace and predictability in your life. Furthermore, it’s a greater gift to your relationship with your baby – and the bond you’re building, to show up as the best parent you can be. Learning to sleep will do more for your bond with your little one than you ever imagined possible.

I have to ask… Is your baby excited to see you when they wake? I don’t mean do they stop crying and wait for you to rescue them from the prison of their sleep space. I mean smiling, and excited? Babies who sleep independently, and achieve age-appropriate optimal sleep, will wake up well-rested and typically smile and squeal as soon as they see Mom (or Dad or Uncle or Nana).  Most don’t even cry when they first wake! (WHAT? How? This is the best part!) They wake happy because they are rested and ready for the day… and… they know that once they wake for the day well-rested, Mom or Dad, Nana, or Auntie are excited to spend the day with them and will be the best of themselves because they slept too! They will open their eyes, and begin to babble or play before “calling Mom.”

How does that sound? I know- you made it this far, and believe that your baby is different, and it’s not their personality to do this. THE REASON IS…. Because they have not yet achieved the perfect amount of sleep for themselves yet.