What is Baby Self-Soothing and why is it Important - Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Potty Training Coach

WHAT IS BABY SELF-SOOTHING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The term self-soothing gets a really bad rep but it’s really not that serious. In this blog, and in the video linked below, I talk about what self-soothing is, why it’s important, and some tips on how you can teach your child this skill. So I want to jump right in and define the actual term self-soothing.

Self-Soothing: Basically all this means is that your child can stop crying without being comforted by a parent or a caregiver.

WHAT IS BABY SELF-SOOTHING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

If your child does not have this self-soothing skill, then you, as the parent or caregiver, are going to be responsible for helping your child calm down every single time. This may look like getting your baby back to sleep or you may have a clingy baby all day long who doesn’t know how to entertain themselves or can’t play independently. A lot of times when parents come to me and their child doesn’t have the self-soothing skills, the parents are exhausted and frustrated a lot of times the parents are butting heads with each other because maybe one parent believes that they need to do their baby and then the other parent thinks that the baby needs to gain some independence and do it on their own and they can’t reach a middle ground, that’s where I come in with my one on one consultation, if you’re interested, click the link down below and set up a free call and we can get to know each other!

Free Intro Call for 1:1 Consultation: https://www.slumberandbloom.com/free-evaluation

So as the definition says, your baby will be able to calm themselves down without needing help and that is so important both during the day and at night.

Why self-soothing is so important:

If your baby can self-soothe, then they are able to put themselves to sleep at bedtime and through the middle of the night when your baby is transitioning through their sleep cycles. They’re going to be able to have more consolidated sleep because they can soothe themselves back to sleep when they’re aroused a bit, and when they are transitioning to the next sleep cycle.
They can play more independently, they’re practicing their milestones, and all the things that you want your baby to do really rely on having that skill of putting themselves to sleep and being able to self-soothe.

Here are some tips that I have for you as the parent or caregiver:

To pause, let your child breathe, and let your child figure things out on their own. It doesn’t mean that you need to let your child cry it out. You just need to pause. You don’t have to run to your child every single second that they’re upset.
Have a plan, and that’s where I come in! Let’s set up a consultation. I will make your customized sleep plan and help your baby learn to self-soothe at that time in the middle of the night and take solid naps.
Be consistent with your plan. If you change your plan every other day, you’re going to be frustrated because you’re going to think nothing’s working.
Inspect ups and downs. Teaching any skill ever is not going to be a linear process. There’s definitely a balance between listening to your child and what they need and following a plan and being consistent.

But above all, just know that there is a light at the end of this tunnel, your child is going to learn this skill, and it is something important that you need to prioritize.

If you’re interested in my free baby sleep guide then click the link, it will be delivered straight to your inbox and you can download it TODAY!