So here’s the truth.
I sleep trained my son out of pure desperation.
Not because I believed in sleep training. Not because it felt right. Not because healthy sleep is important. But rather, because I was so exhausted I could barely think and was drowning in undiagnosed postpartum anxiety.
Two months after my son was born, I found myself asking the question all parents fear:
“Is this parenthood?”
It had taken 5 years of infertility treatments, and I finally had the baby of my dreams, but parenthood was tougher than I could’ve ever imagined. The postpartum anxiety. The long, painful nursing sessions. Rocking and bouncing my baby for hours, just for him to sleep for 30 minutes. Feeling lost, tired, and resentful. All blanketed in a layer of guilt that I had somehow failed my son.
So there I was, desperately Googling ‘sleep training’ at 3am. To say I was skeptical would be an understatement. Even after my doctor fervently encouraged me to sleep train, I kept pushing it aside. I was hoping we would just get past this “phase", but it never happened.
The day came where the frustration and exhaustion had me at wit’s end.
I gathered everything I had researched about sleep training and put it into action. It took four days before my son was taking long naps and sleeping through the night with one feed and no crying.
FOUR. FREAKIN’. DAYS.
In the days and weeks that followed, I began to feel like myself again. My brain was less foggy. I could stick with a daily routine. My son’s crying during the day didn’t trigger me like it had. I was a better mother and wife. I had time to myself to think and shower and eat. My husband and I could watch TV after bedtime again! Most importantly, my son was happier. I finally felt truly connected to my baby and our new life as a family of three.
THIS is parenthood.
Shocked at how quickly sleep training transformed our lives, I began sharing with other parents how to #calmyourtits and finally get some good sleep. It’s not for everyone, but if you feel the way I did— desperate, exhausted, frustrated— just know it doesn’t have to be that way. Sleep training with Little Lion is healthy, doctor-approved, and will help you regain control over your life.
Not sure if it’s for you?
Don’t worry; I have a hard and fast rule to never convince someone to sleep train. A quick, 15-minute chat will help you decide if it’s the right path for your family. Click below to get started.