Forcing babies to sleep

We live in a world where we try our best to control everything that goes on around us. Schedules, deadlines, and performance drive so much of our western society.

Being very type A myself, I totally get the comfort in the predictability of a controlled environment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But if there is anything that parenthood has taught me, it’s that no matter how much time you spend planning and hypothesizing, children will march to the beat of their own drum.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When it comes to sleep, this is even more true. Sleep is a biological need that can’t be controlled or forced. Much like going to the bathroom, you can’t schedule this need. And just as you can’t force it in your own body, you certainly can’t force it in someone else’s.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Our job as parents it to set the conditions that will be conducive for sleep for our children – reading their cues and knowing their temperament and needs will help dictate whether you have a baby who can sleep in a variety or settings, or who needs very precise circumstances under which they feel comfortable going to sleep. That is the piece that is within our control. What happens next – whether they sleep for an hour, 30 minutes, or not at all, is up to our children.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Sleep should be pleasant and enjoyable; it should not feel stressful for us or our babies and the most important thing to remember is this – ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨.