What better way to mark five years of sleep teaching than to launch the official Sleep Pea site?! I’m beyond excited for this next chapter!
Sleep teaching is truly a passion of mine. I know first-hand what an incredible impact healthy sleep habits can have on young children and it gives me immense joy to help parents give their infants and toddlers the gift of sound sleep.
Cliché as it is, a well-rested child truly is a gift that keeps on giving. Increasingly, studies show that poor sleep habits have a direct impact on every aspect of a child’s well-being and functioning, including mood, attention span, ability to problem-solve and compliance with simple requests.
When we’re holding an innocent months-old infant, it’s easy to think of sleep in terms of something we, the parents, could use more of as opposed to a gift we could be giving our children at an early age.
In many cases, well-meaning parents know how important healthy sleep habits are for their child but find it difficult to cut through the clutter of endless opinions, suggestions and directions. I know. I was one of them.
I clearly remember thinking my first-born had lost the ability to sleep on his back somewhere between the hospital and our home. College all-nighters had nothing on this little guy. Speaking of, I was certain that if we ever got to college he’d still be sleeping in a vibrating bouncy chair with a pacifier and mother who had showered only a handful of times in 18 years.
By the time my son was 9 weeks old, I had purchased four books on the matter and subsequently tossed them aside when I realized my child didn’t fit into those nifty little vignettes. He was almost like George or Sarah, but not quite. How nice it would have been to call the author and just run a few questions past them.
By 9 weeks old I realized enlisting the help of a sleep trainer was our only hope. So we did. By 10 weeks old our son was sleeping from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., with 4 one-hour-long daytime naps.
The process didn’t come without its challenges, but my husband and I were elated with the results. Our child transformed from a fussy, overtired cluster-feeder into a happy, alert, well-rested baby who spent his waking hours fascinated by his surroundings.
Whether you’re expecting a baby and researching infant sleep, or at-the-end-of-your-rope exhausted and frustrated from months or years of sleepless nights, I’m confident that a well-rested child can be in your very near future.
As with most good things in life, success depends on your level of commitment. But it can be done. And when your child develops healthy sleep habits and consistently gets the rest they need, the benefits are truly rewarding!
Above all, my hope is that Sleep Pea will be a trusted source of information and guidance for you, your family and friends and that your first of many nights of uninterrupted sleep is just around the corner!
-Morgan Griffith