Posted @withregram • @beyond_the_birth I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but sleep is NOT a skill. The above are all of the automatic processes that occur in our brains that control when and for how long we sleep. Let me be clear. I’m not saying environmental factors do not impact sleep and that there aren’t things we CAN control around sleep that can lead to healthier sleep hygiene. The NIH clearly states, “factors that influence your sleep-wake needs include medical conditions, medications, stress, sleep environment, and what you eat and drink”. However, notice that they don’t say, “whether you’ve learned the necessary skill of sleeping or not” as part of these factors.🤔 And that’s the point. Sleep is not a skill. It is a biological function, like breathing, outside of our conscious control. Try this experiment: go to your bed when you’re not feeling tired or drowsy and tell yourself to fall asleep. See what happens... My guess is you’re just going to enjoy some quiet time rolling back and forth in bed with your eyes closed unable to actually sleep.🤷🏽♀️ That’s because there are processes in your brain that have determined that there isn’t enough sleep pressure built up for you to need sleep right now. Babies are also born knowing how to sleep and with similar biological processes (only a bit different than older children and adults). In fact, they sleep in utero. 🤭 We don’t sleep train babies in the womb...yet. 🤦🏽♀️ So, what the heck are sleep trainers talking about? Well, they will tell you that what needs to be taught is how to fall asleep all on your own or in their words “independent sleep” which also involves “self-soothing”. They claim that this NEEDS to be taught in infancy or your child will have sleep issues for the rest of their lives....I know, very dramatic.🙄 But is there any truth to this?! 🤔 I’ll answer this Q in my next post. Stay tuned! 💛✌️#responsiveparenting #islagracesleep #sleeptrain #sleeptraining #cryitout #sleeptrainer #sleeptrainingsucks #takeanap #sleepykids #tiredparents #braindevelopment #neuroscience #neurofacts https://www.instagram.com/p/CEaonA5H9rS/?igshid=1lx78r8o6pk5b