Sleep Training as a Single Parent
Where I live in Northern Alberta, shift work is very common. My own husband works a 6/6 shift…meaning he does 3 days, 3 nights, 6 off. It rarely feels like 6 off though because he’s asked to do overtime, or he’s scheduled for shutdown/start-up. Lots of my local clients are the same - their partner works shift and they find themselves single parenting a lot of the time. I have also had a handful of clients who really are solo - day in and day out. I’m not sure how single parents do it…really. I am in awe of you.
There are many things in parenting that are easier with help; sleep training being one of them. However, it can be done!
Here are a few things to ensure you are successful while sleep training as a single parent:
Have a Plan.
One of the worst things parents can do when trying something completely new is to just ‘wing it.’ This is a recipe for failure. You’ll want to have a plan to get your child to sleep through the night before starting. Whether you get a plan through a sleep course, from a sleep coach, or even from reading a baby sleep book, you need to know what you’re doing before you start. Write down your plan and stick to it. Remember, always start ‘new stuff’ with your child’s sleep at bedtime.Accountability Partner or Sleep Coach.
Having an accountability partner or a sleep coach can be SO helpful. Someone who’s checking in on you to see how things are going and to see if you are making progress. Being accountable to someone can help keep you on track even when things feel hard. As a sleep coach, that’s my job! My current 1-on-1 packages include night 1 text-support from 6-10pm because I know how hard it is to stay on track when things feel hard.Surround Yourself With Support.
This is crucial. Surround yourself with people who support your decision to sleep train your child. This doesn’t mean that you physically have to be around people every night, but this means that it’s ideal if the close, important people in your life understand why you’re sleep training your child. You can explain the long-term benefits, you can tell them about safe sleep practices, and you can tell them that as a single parent, you need a break from parenting. Making sure that your environment is supportive is key.Set Goals Where You Can See Them.
With each of my sleep coaching clients I help them set goals. One of our goals is always to have the child sleeping through the night (with 0-1 night feedings), and then generally the second goal is to have the child take great naps. These goals can look different for each family though. I recommend taking a couple of minutes to write down your sleep goals for your child and then put them up somewhere that you can see. Tape the paper to your fridge, take a picture of it on your phone, or just do something with them to help you remember why you’re sleep training. What benefits come from a child that sleeps all night long? How will this impact you? How will a full night’s sleep impact your child?
Whether you are a single parent because your partner works away, or you are a single parent for other reasons, you can still be SO successful with teaching your child to sleep through the night.
