Sleep training approaches sleep from the perspective of the child’s behavior and attempts to “fix” it. The holistic approach to sleep science, on the other hand, examines behavior to find the root causes and resolve them.

By approaching the family as a team, as a system whose members influence each other, we can improve their overall well-being. A child’s sleep challenges are family challenges and require a comprehensive assessment and support, which sleep training methods are not designed to support.

Sleep training methods often overlook the whole picture, including the pregnancy experience, the birth experience, the postpartum experience, work-life management, relationships and connections, child development, child psychology, support, and the physical/mental health of everyone in the family.

Additionally, research shows that sleep training methods that suggest letting your baby cry it out to sleep increase stress levels in the body and affect how the brain responds to stress, violate the baby’s biological need for co-regulation (heart rate, temperature, etc.), and jeopardize the formation of a secure attachment bond with their caregiver. Additionally, parents are forced to go against their instincts to comfort their little one. Such a method can in some cases even be traumatic for the baby and/or the parent.

Choose a team approach that addresses and supports the needs of everyone in the entire family dynamic, looking at the overall context of sleep – physical, emotional, social, developmental, and environmental factors – to address and manage your family’s sleep needs.