Are you chasing ‘sleep perfection?’
If you are a ‘Type A’ personality like myself, you probably are!
Ever heard that saying ‘babies don’t come with a manual?’
Yeah, well they really don’t, and I like my manuals. I like instruction, structure, control and … perfection.
So, you could probably imagine how my world was turned upside down when I had my first baby. There was no control.
The worst part? Those relentless 25-30 minute naps. I could have put my head through the wall. Why is it that one day baby can sleep 2hrs and other days we get 3 consistently short naps?
Well, I think we kind of forget that babies are little humans and none of us actually sleep perfectly every single day. In fact, as adults our sleep is probably very imperfect.
Even without a young person waking you up multiple times a night, prior to having kids, I don’t think anyone can say they had ‘perfect sleep’ every single night of their lives. No doubt there has been nights where you have become frustrated with yourself as it’s taken you hours to drift off to sleep. Or maybe you’ve woken in the night and struggled to fall back to sleep.
Sound familiar?
So why are we so hard on OURSELVES to get our babies sleeping perfectly?
Sleep perfection doesn’t actually exist so give yourself a break Mumma!
To be honest, we should be taking our hats off to our babies and giving them a pat on the back. Learning to sleep is a skill, just like learning to ride a bike. Learning to sleep at night is like learning to ride a bike on smooth, flat, pavement. Learning to sleep during the day is like learning to ride a bike on bumpy grass UPHILL. This is due to our bodies producing the ‘sleepy’ hormone Melatonin at night and the stress hormone, Cortisol, that keeps us awake during the day. Therefore, we rely heavily upon baby’s sleep skills for naps and just like riding a bike, it’s time and practice.
I’m not saying it’s easy to just accept you can’t have control of your baby’s sleep. Trust me, out of all people I get it. I strive for perfection, and I don’t like not knowing what the future holds.
And by future, I mean, ‘How long will it take for my baby to settle tonight? How many night wakings will we endure tonight? Arghh.. it sends shivers down my spine!
So, how did I survive?
My sleep programs are the closest thing you will get to a sleep manual.
I customise my sleep plans to suit your family needs and they always come with a ‘Plan B’ scenario just in case baby throws a 30-minute nap at you when you were expecting a 2hr one. There is ALWAYS a Plan B and a ‘if this happens, then do this’ instruction.
The best thing? I provide you support every day for the first 2 weeks as your family become accustomed to the program and baby masters their new skills.
So, let me recap.
Stop chasing SLEEP PERFECTION. This is one thing you can let go of Mumma. You have enough on your plate.
If you’re a Type B person, well you’re probably not reading this blog, let’s be honest!
However, if you’re more like me, Type A, please reach out. I’ll give you a Sleep Bible and support you on your sleep journey.
Contact our sleep consultant today to book your free introductory consultation.
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