Many young parents, suffering from sleep deprivation hire a baby sleep consultant. Is this a new trend or a really clever idea to get more sleep yourself? Let’s ask some questions at first.

How old is the baby?

For the first three months your baby is in the stage I like to call „the 4th trimester”. Although babies appear to be seemingly ready, in reality, they have arrived earlier than they should have and are not entirely adapted yet. Outside environment is much different than your cozy womb. There are some stimulants you should provide to make this transition more comfortable for the baby, and that would help them sleep better. But you need to be patient. I’ve written about it in my How to teach a baby to fall asleep alone guide - you can find useful tips there to apply yourself, without someone’s help.

Have you tried sleep training?

If your baby is older than four months, you can try sleep training. I highly recommend Hold With Love method of mine, which happens to be one of the gentlest ever. But whatever method you choose - let’s focus on those without CIO - you’re going to work together with your baby. Sleep training is a new level of bonding - there is this magical sparkle of trust, that makes it work. I think it is great if you can do it - just the family, without even the most excellent baby sleep consultant.

Are there any medical issues?

If you’ve tried sleep training and failed, there are few possibilities. One you need to rule out are medical issues. There are specific causes for the baby sleeping problem: reflux, enlarged tonsils, or attention disorders and many many more. If you have any suspicion - consult your doctor right away. It is not a job for a baby sleep consultant but a pediatrician.

If you’ve tried sleep training yourself, and are sure there are no side issues to worry about, you may consider hiring a baby sleep consultant. Remember to be careful about who you hire since there is no validated educational system yet. You could start with friend’s recommendations - that’s always a good idea!

Susan Urban