Every child (and every adult) has sleep dependencies, the things they rely on to fall asleep and stay asleep. Some are perfectly fine to keep, while others, like needing a parent in the room all night, can make it hard for a child to fall back asleep on their own when they wake overnight. In this course, you’ll learn how to tell the difference, and how to gently shift your child toward sleeping more independently using proven, step-by-step methods.
What you’ll learn:
- How to identify your child’s current sleep dependencies using your sleep journal, and which ones are helpful versus which ones may be holding your child back
- The difference between positive sleep dependencies (like a nightlight or sound machine) and ones that can become challenging (like needing a parent present to fall asleep)
- How to use item replacement to pair a new, more independent sleep dependency (like a special blanket) with an existing one
- How to use proximity fading to gradually move yourself out of your child’s room over several nights
- How to use time based visits as an alternative approach, with a full example schedule you can adapt for your child
- How to decide which method, item replacement, proximity fading, or time based visits, fits your child best
- How these same strategies apply to reducing co-sleeping, when and if that’s a goal for your family
- How to use reinforcement to support your child through the fading process
This course builds on the nighttime routine foundation from course two, and is most effective once that routine is firmly established.
