Reclaiming your sanity...the 80/20 rule

Sleep training for sure requires some serious effort (and persistence… and patience…)

 I have never had a client say it’s not worth it; regardless it’s a lot of work and requires a great deal of discipline. But once parents get their baby on a predictable nap schedule and sleeping through the night, they find themselves facing a new issue: they are terrified to deviate at all from that routine.

 I completely get it.   Typically they have gone from likely a horrible situation where no one was getting any sleep to a house full of well rested and happy individuals.  Life is hectic and it’s nearly impossible to “do it all” but it is possible to keep everyone well rested and have an active lifestyle.

 I really like the 80/20 rule.  If you’re consistent 80% of the time you can live your life the other 20%. This remaining 20% allows you to be flexible while still respecting the boundaries of healthy sleep for your child.  This means that you can have a late night or a nap on the go here and there; but anytime they have to miss sleep (a nap), I highly recommend an earlier bedtime. An earlier bedtime will allow you to enjoy an activity during the day while keeping your kids well rested. 

 If you do need to skip a nap or need one to take place in the car or the stroller, I always suggest to prioritize the first nap of the day at home as that’s usually the one where baby will get the most deep sleep—so save that car nap for later in the day if possible!

The 80/20 rule allows you to schedule some fun without all hell breaking loose so go forth and enjoy a day on the go.  You deserve it 

 If you want more information or have questions, please reach out!