First-time mother Natali heard about sleep training for babies, but was hoping her baby would learn to “sleep without breastfeeding” on his own. After 10 months, she knew it was not worth the wait. So, she signed up for sleep training her baby and discovered that her child could sleep 11 to 12 hours independently after just five minutes.

It has been nine months since mom Dalia began enjoying time for herself. Before hiring a child sleep consultant, she struggled with a baby that nursed on-demand and slepts only on her chest. Her only regret is not starting sooner!

Mothers who hire sleep consultants are intelligent caregivers who have done extensive research both online and following the advice of other mothers. But what works for some moms and babies will not automatically work for everyone. The most important question to ask is: What does your child and your family need to get good sleep?

Moreover, when is a reasonable time to start sleep training? At 5 ½ months, you can train your baby to sleep on his or her own. If you think it is too late to sleep train your child, it is not. As a sleep coach, I have helped families with infants, toddlers and preschoolers up to 5 years old.

But what is the best sleep-training plan for your child? In the U.S., there is all kinds of advice on sleep for babies. Before I became a sleep coach, I relied on my family for advice as well as friends who became moms before me.

I was told it was normal for a baby to wake up multiple times at night to feed. But it’s not just that—my arms and back would ache from carrying my baby. And no, not even a single magic touch would be enough to make him go back to sleep. He needed me to fall asleep once and every time.

I lost sleep all the time I was without Laila Tov, which in Hebrew means “good night.” After rewarding results with my first two children on Laila Tov, I decided to undergo training and certification. After becoming a certified sleep-training coach in the Laila Tov method, I decided to bring the method from Israel to the U.S. to share it with mothers, parents, and all caregivers here.

So how did the Laila Tov sleep method help me and many mothers to train their baby to sleep through the night? Here is how it works:

Always respond to baby’s cry: This philosophy is what attracted me to the Laila Tov sleep method in the first place. It takes away the guilty feeling that comes with letting the baby cry it out. So the child is never left to cry it out during the training process. The baby’s needs are efficiently addressed.

Prioritize the needs of the family: This is the only sleep-training method I found that considers the needs of the primary caregivers. How often do you want to feed your baby? What kind of sleep schedule do you want to set as your goal?

Lower dependence on external factors: We gradually eliminate the things that are holding the child back from getting adequate sleep. Falling asleep on chest, rocking, pacifiers, the constant need to feel your hand on their back—these are just some things that are holding back your baby from falling asleep independently.

Two months training and support: The Laila Tov sleep-training process is not a magic sleep solution for babies. It does not happen overnight and the results are not short-lived. What you can expect is expert guidance in two months. You get the support you need—be it via phone call, email or Skype. This is what will cause the process became a routine.

Hiring a certified sleep-training consultant for children is a blessing for mothers, parents and primary caregivers. While before you could only rely on the advice of others without knowing if it would work for your child, now you can have the support you need through a sleep-training method that prioritizes the child as well as the family.

Regina is a certified Laila Tov sleep consultant and can be reached at [email protected]. Webstie: www.lailatovbaby.com.