It's common knowledge that teaching your little one to sleep independently is often considered the "holy grail" of motherhood goals. When researching infant sleep with my firstborn, a quick google search instantly resulted in an overwhelming amount of information - with dozens of sleep training "tips & tricks," methodologies, gimmicky quick fixes, links to social media "specialists",  and a dizzying amount of sleep-focused websites. Everywhere you look and everyone you ask has an opinion on child "sleep"... WHY?  Because having a child who "sleeps" has become an unspoken measurement of "success" in motherhood, because sleep is essential for growth and development and because frankly, waking up 183497839247 times a night just plain SUCKS. 

Which leads me to introduce today's studio guest- Brittni Cepeda, certified holistic sleep specialist and Owner & Founder of Resting in Motherhood. Brittni's approach to infant/child sleep goes against the grain of "common" sleep training programs and focuses instead on promoting infant-parent attachment, sleep science, and helping "support" little ones to sleep. Brittni is passionate about educating families on biologically normal infant sleep strategies that respect their little one,  while also helping parents make changes to the things that aren’t working during bedtime. Her biggest role is “mama” to a 3.5 year old spirited and extremely fun daughter, who has been her driving force and inspiration for her business and sleep program.

Brittni walks us through a few holistic sleep strategies, sheds light on common misconceptions and misinformation surrounding child sleep, answers questions regarding bed-sharing safety, and discusses realistic sleep goals for little ones.  Her program offers a child-led approach to sleep support and strives to provide attachment-focused strategies throughout the process.  Even if you're happy with the current sleep situation in your home, I encourage you to tune in, because if you're like me you'll learn a thing or two (or three or four) from this informative discussion. 

But listen yall, keep in mind this discussion is simply meant to INFORM you not CONDEMN you for your decisions as a mother- so whether you're team cry-it-out, team pick up/put down, team sleep support, team bed sharing... DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY without comparison, regret, or judgement. Regardless of the method used- the goal is SAFE SLEEP for you and your little one!

Rooting for you always, mama-

Linds


*If you want to get connected with Brittni to learn more about her Holistic Sleep Support Program, be sure to follow her @resting_in_motherhood


** If you're interested in learning more about recommended bedsharing guidelines see the link below.  Please us the topics discussed on today's podcast as a catalyst for YOUR OWN RESEARCH regarding child sleep and always keep in mind it is YOUR responsibility to choose/implement a safe sleep situation that works for YOUR family!

https://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/