03/17/2026
Levi, who is 3 years old, was in his crib at 7pm last night, fully awake. We did our usual bedtime routine, tucked him in, said goodnight and “I love you," then walked out of his room.
He’s usually asleep between 7 and 7:30pm every night and sleeps until 7 or 8am the next morning (with no naps).
Today, I checked on him at 7:30am, but he was still asleep. I left the door open so he could wake up naturally with the sunlight, allowing him to wake gradually by 8am.
That's the beauty of sleep training. For us, although we did sleep shaping for Levi's sleep in the newborn stage, he was sleeping through the night by 9 weeks old. As a result, he is sleep trained.
Sleep training teaches your child that they are safe in their sleep space and that they CAN fall asleep on their own without your presence or help.
Here's what sleep shaping (sleep trained in the end) has done for us:
🌟 He can fall asleep on his own at bedtime. No rocking, no feeding to sleep. No endless verbal reminders that he needs to get to sleep. No back and forth.
🌟 He knows he's responsible for falling asleep independently (& has the sleep skills), which relieves the pressure on me/dad since we don’t need to get him to sleep.
🌟 If he wakes during the night or early morning, he knows where he is and feels safe enough to grab his lovey and go back to sleep by himself.
🌟 Because he isn’t relying on anything to put him to sleep, his sleep cycles are connected, allowing him to transition smoothly into the next cycle.
🌟 His sleep is regulated. Sleep cycles are linked, and his body naturally expects sleep at the same time every night.
⭐️ His emotions and sleep pressure are more balanced, and he isn’t crashing during the day looking for chances to catch up on sleep. (A short car nap happens now and then if we've had a long, active day.)
🌟 His body naturally settles into a good rhythm, and he isn’t expecting food at night (since 9 weeks old). Success with potty training and staying dry at night.
I want all these great benefits for you, too. If you’re struggling with your child’s sleep, I can help. Send me a DM, and let’s chat!
