7 Questions About Sleep Training That You Should Ask Your Pediatrician
byOlivia Youngs
Sleep training is no easy feat. It is difficult for many parents to even decide to sleep train in the first place, regardless of which method they go with. Sometimes, gaining a third opinion from someone who has truly seen it all can bring clarity and confidence to parents questioning their decision. Knowing what questions about sleep training you should ask your pediatrician can be tricky though. They're not sleep experts, per se, but they've undoubtedly seen and studied enough in their practice — and perhaps their real life as well — to know a thing or two about getting children to sleep well.
Of course, the role of a pediatrician isn't to tell you how to raise your child, so don't take their advice as set-in-stone rules you have to follow. Simply take it as an objective third party offering their seasoned advice.
More often than not, parents are exhausted and want to help their babies (and themselves) sleep better at night. The trick is determining the best methods and learning when and how to apply them. Talking with a pediatrician may help de-bunk common sleep training myths (like believing that "cry it out" equates to letting your child scream themselves to sleep) and can bring some much needed clarity — and hopefully some extra Zs — to your family's sleep.