Does Sleep training mean ‘cry it out’?

For some, the term “sleep training” evokes something quite negative, the image of babies left alone with no comfort, to cry until they no longer call out for support. This is the approach traditionally labelled as the “Cry it Out” method. This approach offers zero structure and support and is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of the approach that I take.

My approach as an infant sleep consultant is gentle and supportive: the ‘Comforting Through Change’ ™ method. I choose to empower parents to help them understand sleep cues and wake windows, practices that are firmly rooted in the science of sleep and the evidence base required for healthy infant development. By helping to teach babies and toddlers how to self soothe, with guidance from their parents, my infant sleep support is an evidence-based roadmap that the whole family can journey through together.

We, as parents learn to change and adapt to ensure that we fully nurture our little ones through necessary change, resulting in fundamental benefits for the whole family. I hope that this image of a family all nurturing one another and providing comfort and support as we change and grow, is one that demonstrates the positivity embedded within modern infant sleep support.