Is sleep training necessary?

Question

Hi mamas! LO will be 10 months old this Saturday. Our pediatrician said we need to sleep train our baby because we still rock her to sleep at night-apparently this is a bad thing because “she’ll never learn to sleep without us, rocking will turn into laying in the crib with her, which will turn into bed sharing, and then she’ll still be sleeping with us when she is 10 years old” (direct quote from her). My problem with this is that sure, we rock her to sleep at night (because it is easy and i enjoy snuggling her), but after that she usually sleeps through the night-meaning that when she wakes up during the night she rolls over and puts herself back to sleep just fine all by herself. Maybe 1-2 times a week she’ll still wake up once for a middle of the night feed, but even then she eats then goes right back to sleep. So i don’t really see the problem since she clearly can go to sleep on her own and doesn’t need us to rock her back to sleep every time she wakes up (like the pediatrician said she would just because that is how we put her down), but my husband really wants to sleep train now because the pediatrician said it was necessary. The pediatrician also said that at this age she shouldn’t be needing any feeds during the night. Guess my question is, should we think about sleep training her? Other mamas of 10 month olds, do your little ones still wake to eat at night? We are first time parents so we don’t really know what is normal or not. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance! Pic of my cutie in her Christmas outfit so we don’t get lost ❤️

Answer

Absolutely disgusting that a medical professional is pushing their own personal opinion on you... No, sleep training is not necessary and even if you did bedshare that would be your business.
Personally I bedshare with my kids, I have never once sleep trained, cio, restricted night time nursing or anything like that. My oldest will be 4 in March and he just started putting himself to sleep in his own bed. No fighting, no crying, only love and comfort. I always gave him the option of his own bed and he's now decided he's ready for it.
Adults wake up thirsty in the middle of the night, I don't see why babies should be any different. I have always kept a waterbottle in bed with me, the only difference is I know how to help myself. Babies needs don't just turn off when the sun set. And their emotional needs are just as important as their physical ones

Answer

Family drs and paediatricians are not experts in sleep. You need to do what’s best for you and your family and what your comfortable with. No it’s not required. Babies and toddlers and even preschoolers wake during the night and have problems falling asleep alone.

Answer

If you feel really conflicted get another medical opinion I told my pediatrician I bed shared my 9 month old some times didn’t bat an eye and I usually rock my baby to sleep at night and again no concern. I think you need to do what feels right for you and your baby. You baby wakes and moves at night and doesn’t need you to go back to deep sleep. I personally think that is amazing and what a great sucure attachment you have. I do have a associate in early childhood doesn’t mean I know everything but ￼￼from what you said your doing great momma!

Answer

If it isn't broke, don't fix it! Honestly if she's putting herself back to sleep and she's only waking to eat a couple times a week I think that's great. You could always get another opinion of course. My baby is 10 months, has to be fed or rocked to sleep and has to sleep with me and also wakes 3 times a night to eat so y'all are doing MUCH better than us lol

Answer

I’m a FTM and I have discovered there is no normal when it comes to babies. I cuddle and rock my bubba to sleep before night time because that’s what I like to do. He has slept through the night since 4 months old. He self settles himself during the night and his day naps. I find he wakes up in the night during growth spurts and leaps so I will give him a bottle because during a growth spurt he is obviously more hungry and needs something. Sometimes he goes back to sleep straight away, sometimes he thinks it’s play time 🙄 
I say do what works best for your family.

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I’m relieved to read this. Exact same thing over here. I rock and hum baby to sleep and she self soothes throughout the night, we are weaning her bottles because we are tired and she doesn’t need them. I’ve decided there is too much pressure on parents regarding sleep. We have to do what’s right for baby and Us! I think your doing great and if you and baby are happy keep on keepin on

Answer

My pediatrician said the same thing and we did some sleep training and we all sleep so much better now. LO sleeps better, less irritable during the day, takes consistent naps with no fuss. It was really hard at first but paid off and didn’t take long for him to get used to it. In the end though do what is best for your family!

Answer

I shared the bed with my 3 year old daughter off and on since birth up until she literally refused to sleep in my bed. Just happened one day out of the blue, no sleep training needed.
My son used to be rocked to sleep every night until one day he just didn’t want to be held. Two days of him crying for 15 minutes to sleep and now he sleeps through the night and puts himself to sleep. (He did get a baby Einstein fish tank thing for Christmas that also helps).
My point is, do what is best for you and your family. Try sleep training and she might take to it, if not, continue with the rocking of you all enjoy it. She’s only little once.

Answer

So, we got a very similar response from our Dr. But our LO was having a hard time going down and was waking up multiple times at night. It was going so well until teething and a bad sleep regression.
We're back at square one with the sleep training and she still wakes up once a night for a full bottle (which we were also told to wean her off because it's not necessary). 
If my LO slept through the night using the same techniques you do, I wouldn't bat an eye. Especially if she's self soothing through the night anyways. 
So all I can say is, do what you feel is right. There is literally no wrong way to parent if your kid is getting what's best for them.

Answer

I personally think it’s healthy for babies to be trained to sleep. It’s important to self soothe and I’ve noticed with my children... they slept much better (as did my husband and I) once they were in their own room/crib. If they wake at night... they’ll fall back asleep on their own without us having to go into their room. My soon-to-be 12 month old will go sleep at 7pm. Sometimes she’ll sit in her crib making noises and play till she finally knocks out. My soon-to-be 5 year old and 3 year old were the same way. I also enjoy very much my husband and I’s alone time in our bedroom. No reason our kids should be sleeping in there with us.

Is sleep training necessary?

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