Books Vs. Consultant
You may be wondering if hiring a sleep consultant is really worth it. After all, there are countless books on the subject and books usually cost 20.00 or less.
It’s a great question to ask. It’s a very valid question to ask. That’s why I want to break down the difference between books and consultants when it comes to pediatric sleep.
How are we different? How are we the same? And ultimately, I hope to answer the question: Which one is right for your family?
1. A lot of Information in Many Different Places:
Did you know: There are 50,000 results when you type in “baby sleep” on amazon?
50,000 is a lot of options to review and potentially purchase. I don’t claim to have read every single publication on pediatric sleep. (did you see the part about how there are 50,000 of them) but I have read *a lot* of them. Along with the books you’ll see from google searches, I also received extensive training that covered everything from sleep anatomy to sleep training methods, to breastfeeding and cultural considerations for sleep.
Do these books cover those things? I’m sure they do. Are they all encompassing? Probably not. Truthfully in order to receive all the different types of information you want, you’ll most likely have to read more than just one book, whereas a sleep consultant can answer questions from all aspects of pediatric sleep.
2. Books are long and usually really scientific
If you love to read like I do, this might be enjoyable for you. Most of the time however, I find parents who are in the middle of sleepless nights aren’t super excited to sit down with a 300+ page book. It can be daunting to try to find time to read and retain all the information given in a sleep training book while you’re also working, taking care of the home, taking care of your family, AND getting up 5 times a night to attend to your baby.
A sleep consultant can condense the information and break it down in a way that isn’t so overwhelming. If you choose ongoing support, we even have the ability to give some advice in an “as needed “capacity. It’s much less overwhelming.
Sleep training books are also usually extremely scientific and specific. It makes sense, many of them are written by doctors. You’ll find all kinds of information on studies they have completed including statistics and charts. Maybe that’s your thing, but maybe it isn’t. You could easily read 75 pages of a sleep training book and look back only to realize that 60 of those pages were not actually very useful to sleep training itself.
Some parents are really interested in the inner workings of sleep training, they want to know about hormones and circadian rhythms. Many want to leave science class back in high school.
Most parents want to know about attachment and sleep training or emotional aspects, some books may not give you much on this. It could be as brief as one chapter telling you “not to worry about it,” without even knowing what “it” is that you might be worried about.
On the other hand, a Sleep Consultant has the ability to tell you exactly what you want to know when it comes to the physical and emotional questions and leave the rest behind.
I can’t speak for every sleep consultant but I can say that I have received all of my training from a Scientific Evidence Based background and is non-bias towards any one specific method.
3. Sleep Training Books are Specific and One Sided
All sleep training books are really good at tooting their own horn. Of Course, they are, who would buy a book with the tag line “Here’s how I do things, but it may not work for you!” Probably no one.
To sell books and to do it well, these writers have to make themselves the authority of sleep. They want to guarantee you results and they want you to believe their way is the right and only way of achieving your goals.
This sort of piggybacks off the two previous sections of this article. Because the writer wants to seem like the authority, they’ll back it up with a lot of research and anecdotes on WHY their method works and why you should use it. You’ll also notice a lot of talk about their personal achievements in the field to further push the narrative that they are correct.
None of these are bad things! These books got published for a reason, most likely their way of doing things do work. The downside is, maybe they won’t work for you.
Nothing is more frustrating than reading through an entire book only to walk away saying “I’d never do that.”
When you work with a sleep consultant the experience is (usually) personalized. For example: If you told me that your child seems to get more upset when you try to hold them in the middle of the night, I would never offer you a solution that includes picking your baby up. We would find another way.
These books don’t know you. They know the general population and their methods aren’t tailored to your specific needs. They want you to do what they say and there’s no negotiation.
4. Books Don’t Know Your Specific Situation
Diving in deeper from the last statement, it’s important to realize just how general these books are. They can’t possibly account for every scenario the reader may be going through.
One of the most infuriating things I read in one very well-known sleep training book (that shall remain nameless), was their constant solution of “call for help,” …..and that was it. There was no plan B in this book, just call for help. I won’t lie to you, it lit me up.
I was already training as a sleep consultant and had a good sleeper, yet I found myself staring at the book saying “what help?”
I couldn’t help but think about my own situation. I was a stay-at-home mom with a husband who worked full time and no family members within 110 miles. My friends either had their own children or worked full time. To top it all off, we were living off one income so hiring regular help wasn’t an option either. So again, I ask this book, what help?
Asking for help is a great resource and it’s true that is the best solution for a sleep deprived caregiver who needs help now, but as a sleep consultant that won’t be the *only* solution I offer you. And, if you tell me help isn’t an option regardless- I promise to never say it, because I know how upsetting it is to be told to get help when you really can’t.
5. Books don’t offer ongoing support
Once the book reaches its conclusion it’s done. You can’t ask it questions or come back to it for troubleshooting. Some books have reached such popularity that the company does offer support in forms of conferences and online classes. These resources aren’t free and sometimes the classes can once again be generic reiterations of the book you’ve already read.
The conferences have a large amount of people and it’s likely you’ll be another face in the crowd.
I’m not bashing these companies. They are doing the best they can with the massive amount of demand they have. They wrote their books with the intentions of helping parents and clearly, their methods work!
Sleep consultants are able to continue the journey with you immediately. You won’t have to wait for an online class to open up or a conference date. You won’t have to attend a retreat or beg someone to answer your question on their social media page, only for them to DM you a link to the class you don’t want to take. You’ll never be just a warm body to us, your family will stay in our hearts forever.
How are Books and Sleep Consultants Alike?
We’re alike in the way that we all are interested and invested in helping families get better sleep. Sleep consultants use the methods that were created by these amazing pediatricians who did all of this amazing research and sometimes, we have methods of our own. Again, I can’t speak for every sleep consultant or every book, but at raising successful sleepers, evidence-based research is very important and most of the sleep training books I’ve read are also that way.
Which One is Right for You?
If you:
1. Enjoy and have the time to read
2. Know the exact method that you want to use and which book provides that
3. Don’t need ongoing support and your circumstances are that of the average parent
4. You feel confident that you can read the information and implement the strategy on your own
Then it’s possible that a sleep training book is the solution for your family and I’m happy to give a recommendation.
If you:
1. Aren’t sure which method(s) would work for your family
2. Want a personalized service
3. Want responsive help from someone who knows your exact situation
4. Want someone to be with you every step of the way encouraging and supporting your family
Then working with a sleep consultant might be a better fit.
The intentions of these books and of sleep consultants are both pure and both have the same goal in mind for your family. Whichever way you decide to go, I hope you know that I support your journey and will always root for your family’s success.