New parents often expect sleepless nights when their baby arrives. But when sleepless nights last for years, it can shatter family life.
Two sleep experts, advocating diametrically opposed approaches, offer to help families who cannot get their children to sleep through the night.
Baby care consultant Alison Scott-Wright says she has helped hundreds of children sleep through the night. Her method, The Reassurance Sleep Training Technique, asks parents to take away all sleep aids, including dummies and bottles, and to implement a strict sleep routine.
Alison warns there will be some crying, but that the child will be regularly checked and reassured. She sees her approach as 'tough love' compared to psychologist Chireal Shallow, who runs a sleep clinic in London and advocates a gentle sleep system that incorporates gradual retreat.
Rather than taking them away, Chireal gives the child sleep aids to remove anxiety at bedtime before teaching parents a step-by-step approach for sleeping independently, which can take up to six weeks.
After three weeks of working with the experts both families will see what difference the expert help has made to their children's sleep patterns.
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On TV
First Shown
| Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 03 August 2010 | Channel 4 |
Last Shown
| Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 03 August 2010 | 9PM | Channel 4 |
