Which method of sleep training should I use?

Which method of sleep training should I use?

Gary Feldman (Medical Director, Stramski Disorders Center, Miller Children's Hospital ) gives expert video advice on: Which method of sleep training should I use? and more...

The method of sleep training that you choose on a child depends on what you feel the parents can successfully implement. I don't believe in prescribing a particular training method without getting the understanding consent of the parents, because ultimately they're the ones that are going to execute the sleep training program. If you can't get them on your side or you can't get their cooperation, you're failing before you start. So, in interviewing the parents and in preparation for the behavior modification, part of the process is to see what their parenting style is. If you're talking about a two-parent family, it's very common for parents to have different parenting styles. Some parents are more tolerant of leaving their child alone and letting him or her cry. Some just can't cope with that. So it's very important for families, once they agree that something absolutely has to be done, that they just can't live like this and absolutely have to fix their child's sleeping patterns, the next step is to look at their parenting styles, look at how they function together, and to customize an approach that you know that they can execute.