What is “Gentle Sleep Training”?
There’s a trend that says there’s a more gentle way to get your baby to sleep through the night. It’s called “gentle sleep training,” but what it means is that your baby will learn to sleep well without any crying, or feeling frustrated, or without any discomfort.
I won’t lie, that sounds pretty amazing.
Unfortunately, that’s not how change actually works. Not for adults, and definitely not for babies.
“No-cry sleep training.” This sounds great, but only in theory. Crying is how babies communicate, they can tell us, “I don’t like this,” even when it’s exactly what they need. No-cry methods don’t work either, it will take months to show any significant results, or involve so much parent intervention that the baby never learns to sleep independently.
“Connection-based sleep coaching.” Another phrase that suggests that if you're truly connected to your child, they won’t cry. This idea shames parents who choose structured methods. Giving your child independence is the opposite of love. Absolutely not. Yes, you can be loving, connected, and committed to your child while still making sleep a priority.
“Biologically normal infant sleep.” This one's rooted in truth—yes, babies can wake often at night. But that doesn’t mean they have to. The suggestion that waking five times a night at 12 months is “normal” isn’t just misleading, it keeps exhausted families stuck and exhausted. Yes, it's biologically possible—but so is learning to sleep 11–12 hours at night, independently.
What is true: sleep is a skill. And like any skill, it has to be learned.
That learning process? It involves some discomfort. Some protest. Some “I don’t like this!” moments. And yes, some crying.
But here’s the difference: when you work with me, that protest happens in a safe, structured, and supported environment. I am very happy and open to adapt my methods to help you feel more comfortable and confident with every step of our sleep plan.
Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t to avoid every cry or struggle. It’s a good thing to make your child to hard things that are good for them. Sleep is a basic human need. The goal is to raise a confident sleeper—and a confident parent.