Dana Obleman: Hi, I’m Dana, welcome. This week, I have more of a statement than a question. Audrey writes in, “How can I start to sleep train when I’m just so tired?”

I actually had to smile a little bit Audrey when I read that because I hear that often. I get it, I really do. If you’ve been running on two hours of sleep with five or six wake ups a night, I know that you’re tired, I do, I get it.

Here’s the thing to think about. I always say to my clients, “Listen, I know you’re tired, but the tunnel that you are currently in has no light at the end of it.” It’s endless. I don’t know when it would end.

Studies say that babies who are having sleep challenges continue to do so for three to five years. You are in a really long tunnel here, there’s no light in sight. Making some steps, taking the plunge, and making a commitment to getting your daughter sleeping better, that tunnel has light at the end of it.

I find that a lot of people feel like, “I could really dig a little bit deeper than I need to, when I know that there’s an end.” If you know you’re going to be sleeping well in relatively short amount of time, then it gives you the motivation to dig a little deeper and find the energy.

Another thing to try is getting help. Enlist your partner, call your mum, get a friend over, find somebody who can be your support system through this. If your partner is willing and able to help, then have he or she do every other night so that at least you can get a little bit of sleep on the night that is not your turn.

I’ve said to clients, “Listen, on your night you go to the basement bedroom, you clock the door, and you put in earplugs, and you get a full night sleep knowing that your partner is handling it.”

That really frees up a lot of mums because up until now chances are you’ve been 99.9 percent responsible for night time wake ups because often the issue or the prop is nursing. By alleviating some of that pressure and getting your partner involved to help out with this, if it’s age appropriate, can give you a break so that you can catch up on some of your sleep debt.

Also, throughout the day, if you have any kind of help that can jump on board and let you have a little bit of a cat nap in the afternoon or whatever you need to do to make it through this. What you really need to keep in mind is that there is an end to this.

That, within a few nights you’re going to see dramatic improvement. By the end of the week, you might have even had a successful all the way through the night. Hang in there, dig deep, find the motivation to do this knowing that there’s light at the end of this tunnel.

Thanks so much, sleep well.
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Transcription by CastingWords