Ep. 8 - Newborn Sleep Myth #3: Can Sleep Training Ruin Attachment?
Surviving Tiny Humans: 10 Minute Triage for Newborns & New ParentsShow Notes
Does sleep training harm your baby’s attachment… or their brain?
If you’ve ever heard “crying raises cortisol, cortisol is the stress hormone, so sleep training is harmful” and felt completely uneasy about the idea of prioritizing sleep — this episode is for you.
In this 10-Minute Triage, Dr. Kailey Buller slows the fear down and breaks it apart with calm, evidence-based clarity. We’ll cover what secure attachment actually is (and what it isn’t), why cortisol gets misunderstood online, and what high-quality research shows about sleep training and long-term outcomes — including when there’s some crying involved.
You’ll also hear what is associated with harm (hint: chronic stress, severe sleep deprivation, and untreated parental distress matter), why short stress isn’t the same as trauma, and when sleep training might not be the right move right now.
If you’ve been stuck in the exhausted-anxious loop, afraid to make any change in case you “do damage,” consider this your permission to be precise — not dramatic.
Grab the “7 Sleep Training Lies” guide linked here: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/sleep7
Next up: Sleep training doesn’t have to mean cry-it-out — we’ll talk options and how to choose a method that fits your baby and your nervous system.
More from Surviving Tiny Humans: 10 Minute Triage for Newborns & New Parents
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