Understanding the Role of Sleep Props in Sleep Training
Sleep training is a common practice for toddlers, aimed to help them adopt good sleep routines and cultivate healthy sleep habits. For toddlers, implementing these sleep practices can be difficult, especially when they are used to being rocked, fed, and comforted to fall asleep. This is where sleep props come in; to aid in sleep training and serve as a transitional tool until the toddler is able to sleep without assistance.
Sleep props are objects and props that bring a sense of comfort and security when incorporated into a sleep routine. These can be anything from a soft blanket or toy, to more specific tools like sound machines and weighted blankets. Sleep props are designed to provide a sense of safety and security in the absence of parental presence. Utilizing sleep props can provide immense comfort to toddlers during the separation anxiety that comes with sleep training.
When seeking to implement a successful sleep training routine, it is important to understand the vital role sleep props can play. Through the use of sleep props, anxious feelings that are common with the process of sleep training can be alleviated and the toddler may be able to better handle the separation and new, independent sleeping pattern.
Types of Sleep Props
When seeking to aid your toddler in sleep training, it is vital for parents to determine the right sleep props for their child. The type of sleep props that are used will depend on the child, as certain sleep props may have more of a calming and comforting effect on one child than another. That being said, some of the more common sleep props are:
-Security blankets or transitional objects
-Weighted blankets
-White noise machines
-Cozy sleep sacks or swaddles
-Soft toys or dolls
-Essential oils in a diffuser
Utilizing Sleep Props Appropriately
When utilizing sleep props, it is important to remember that these are not intended as a replacement for parental presence. It is important to ensure that sleep props are not used to rock the child to sleep- as this defeats the purpose of sleep training. If the toddler is accustomed to being comforted to sleep with physical touch, a pacifier or other parents can provide a form of comfort. This can also serve as a transitional tool during the process of sleep training.
Another important point to note when using sleep props is to ensure that the settings or environment remain consistent. It is important that the sleep props remain in the same positions each night. Doing so will help form a sense of consistent routine for the toddler and lessen any anxiety associated with the sleep training process.
It is important to allow the child to handle the sleep props. Letting the toddler touch and interact with their sleep props allows them to gain a sense of familiarity and comfortability with the item thus leading to less anxiety when placed down for a nap or bedtime.
Benefits of Sleep Props
- Provide comfort and security during parenting absences
- Provide child with sense of familiarity and security
- Lessen the anxiety associated with sleep training
- Provide a transitional tool until the toddler can sleep without assistance
Conclusion
Sleep props can provide immense comfort to toddlers during the separation anxiety that comes with sleep training. It is important to understand the vital role sleep props can play in aiding sleep training, and therefore selecting appropriate sleep props for your child is vital. Establishing a consistent environment with familiar sleep props can help provide a sense of security making the process of sleep training easier for both parent and child.