In Home Baby Sleep Training in Southern Maine | Sunny Side Postpartum Care
What does in-home baby sleep training involve? When should you start sleep training your baby? How does Sunny Side Postpartum Care's in-home sleep coaching helps families in Southern Maine and the NH Seacoast sleep again?
Let's get you sleeping again (and I'll be right there with you)
You've bounced. You've rocked. You've shushed until you were lightheaded. You've done the slow loop around the block with the radio on low, praying they'd stay asleep when transferred them to their crib (They didn't.)
Bedtime takes an hour, and the baby still wakes up every two hours. You've read two books, listened to three podcasts, and saved about a hundred Instagram posts, and they all say something different.
If you're still pregnant and reading ahead, save this one. Future you will thank you. If you're in it right now, pour yourself a coffee and keep going.
So what is sleep training, really?
It's teaching your baby how to fall asleep on their own and link their sleep cycles together overnight. That's it. There are lots of gentle, structured ways to do it, and leaving your baby alone to cry for hours isn't one of them. The right plan fits your baby's personality and what you're comfortable with.
A good sleep plan has a few moving parts. Awake times that fit your baby's age. A steady rhythm to the day. A bedtime routine your baby can count on. A sleep space that's safe, dark, and calm. And everyone in the house handling bedtime and night wakings the same way.
At Sunny Side, we have a whole variety of methods in our toolbox, and there's no one size fits all. The right method depends on your baby, your family, and what you're comfortable with. Together, we'll come up with a plan that fits.
And let's clear something up, because I hear this worry all the time. Sleep training doesn't mean giving up breastfeeding or the closeness you love. If you're nursing, we'll keep the feeds your baby still needs and build the plan around them. If your family cosleeps (hi, mine did too) we'll respect that and talk through what your ideal overnight sleep looks like, so the plan fits the way you actually live. Babies aren't robots. (Although it would be pretty cool if they could send us a little data report on what they're actually crying about at 2 AM.) Connection is part of the foundation we're building together.
When should you start sleep training?
Most families start sometime after 4 months, once the doomed sleep regression strikes. Every baby's different, so check with your pediatrician first. However, we won’t formally sleep train your baby until they are over 12-weeks and 12-pounds.
In the newborn weeks, we can focus on laying the groundwork: wake windows, gentle routines, and learning your baby's sleepy cues. Getting that stuff in place early makes sleep training so much easier down the road.
You've been tired for months, but it feels like years. Let's fix that.
Months of broken sleep wear you down. Little things feel huge. You snap at your partner over the dishwasher. You lose your patience with your older kid. You walk into rooms at work and forget why.
And then there's the guilt. Guilt for wanting sleep. Guilt over any tears. Worry that you're going to mess it up. Add in the internet yelling a hundred different opinions at you, and no wonder so many families keep putting it off.
Here's a way to think about it that helped a lot of the families I've worked with. Sleep is often the very first boundary you set with your baby. And boundaries are hard, especially with someone this small and this loved. But sleep is essential to everyone's wellness, and learning to sleep well is a life skill. It's one you'll never regret teaching your baby.
Wanting your family to sleep is a good thing. You're a better version of yourself when you're rested, and you deserve to feel like you again.
Why having a sleep training coach makes such a difference
A written plan is great. But the hard moments don't happen at 2 in the afternoon when you're reading it. They happen at bedtime and at 1 AM, when you're exhausted and second guessing everything.
That's why my favorite way to work with families is our hybrid sleep training. We do three bedtimes together, in your home.
Most often, night one looks like this: I send you out to dinner. Seriously. Go sit down somewhere, eat a meal while it's hot, and actually finish a conversation. I'll handle bedtime and get things started. Then on nights two and three, we work together. I'm right there with you, walking you through the plan as it's happening, helping you figure out what your baby's telling you, and adjusting on the spot. After those three nights, you've got two weeks of text support with me, so you're never left wondering if you're doing it right.
Yes, I'm here to help your baby sleep. But my real job is coaching you, so you know everything I know. By the time I step back, you'll understand why the plan works, what to do when things get wobbly, and how to handle it all with confidence. Sleep training works when you stay consistent, and it's a whole lot easier to stay consistent when you trust yourself.
We're in this together. Your baby is our baby. I mean, not really, but you know what I mean.
Sunny Side Postpartum Care helps your whole family sleep
We're a small team, so you won't be passed around. The person who helps build your plan is someone who actually knows your family, your baby, and your routines.
I've been caring for babies for about twenty years, and I'm trained as an infant sleep coach and Certified Lactation Counselor. Every family gets their own Sunny Side Sleep Plan, written for their baby, their home, and their routine.
Our hybrid sleep training (three bedtimes together, plus two weeks of text support) is where most families start, and it's the one I recommend most. If you'd like more hands on time, our full in home package is there for you. Some families on the full package even book a hotel for night one while I take the first night. (Hello, impromptu staycation!) If you want to run the show yourself, you can grab just the sleep plan. And if you've only got a question or two, we do shorter calls, too.
Safe sleep comes first the whole way through, and the plan always fits what feels right for your family.
How do I hire a baby sleep training coach?
Whether you're planning ahead or you're ready to start tonight, I'd love to hear from you. If you live in Southern Maine or the New Hampshire Seacoast, reach out and tell me about your baby and your nights. We'll find the approach that fits your family. Not in my neck of the woods? You can learn about our virtual services too. Serving tired parents everywhere :)
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