Cara Dumaplin's daughter woke every hour at eight months. Sleep training isn't selfish, she argues, because sleep matters for brain development: studies show it improves memory, learning, language, attention, and emotional regulation in infants.
Sleep training isn't selfish. My daughter Ella was not a good sleeper. By the time she was eight months old, we were literally awake in the night every hour, all night long. I was exhausted. I remember thinking, I can't do this anymore. But when I considered sleep training, I felt guilty, like, why can't I handle this? What is wrong with me? So I dove into the research. Sleep isn't just important, it's vital for brain development. Study after study showed better memory, learning, language, attention, and even emotional regulation. For babies who get restful sleep when the entire family is sleeping, the emotional connection is even stronger. Desiring sleep is not selfish.
