5 Positive Parent Outcomes from Sleep Training

To sleep train or not to sleep train - that’s the question!

When it comes to the benefits of sleep training our children, there are many, including healthy independent sleep habits, a well-rested mind and body for cognitive development, the ability to self-soothe, and overall happiness. But what about the impacts on parents? Below you’ll find my favorite positive outcomes from sleep training:

1) Let’s state the obvious here: MORE SLEEP! More sleep for baby, more sleep for parents, and maybe even more sleep for baby’s brothers and/or sisteres.

2) A more predictable schedule - My biggest piece of advice when it comes to sleep training is to be consistent. Babies and children thrive on routine and tend to respond well to a specific bedtime and short series of activities that set the stage for sleep. With some exceptions, your family will begin to make plans around sleep times because you’ll start rely on that window of time for your children to be snoozin’! Daytime activities may only occur before 12pm or after 3pm, and dinner may need to wrap up by 6pm so you can make it home by 7pm bedtime - but you’ll be assured that your child will be awake and typically happy during those outings. And the good news? Sleep trained children often do just fine when their schedule is broken from time to time with little difficulty re-adjusting. So with a sleep trained baby or child, you can make plans knowing what your family’s day to day schedule will likely look like.

3) Travel, babysitters, date night! - I remember the first time after sleep training that my husband and I put on nice clothes to head out for dinner and a cocktail while my mom watched the monitor for a couple of hours. My husband popped out to try a local brewery and Italian restaurant we’d been eyeing. We rolled down the windows, turned up the music, and remembered what it was like to be just the two of us doing some of our favorite things together. Oh, and we spent the entire time talking about our kid, too! We went on to schedule regular date nights, hiring our go-to babysitter, and even taking mini vacations. Having a sleep trained child gives us the ability to break away and re-energize doing the things we love, while knowing our children are safely snoozing at home.

4) Time for mom/dad or parent/parent. - This

5) The ability to be a better parents