Sleep Schedules
There has been very little innovation in the world of sleep training in past years, both in terms of the methodology and the tools that support parents in implementation. Batelle is one of the first companies to take a modern approach to this problem, incorporating the best we could find in sleep training, parenting, child development, and technology. However, this complexity does make it more difficult to explain exactly what Batelle actually is.
The Batelle Method is a combination of the best we could find and build in early childhood development, technology, learning processes / behavioral change, and sleep coaching designed for children 0-6 years old. It is not just a methodology that focuses on building a connection between parent and their little ones (and therefore starts from a different base than cry-it-out or Ferber does). It is not just a program that is hyper-personalized to your child and their existing sleep associations. It is not just an educational course that adapts to your needs. It’s not just an App that grows with you and your baby’s sleep needs. It is not just access to a variety of sleep experts and 24/7 coaching at your fingertips. It’s a sum of these things.
Batelle is a category-defining product in a lot of ways, which means there is no simple analog. Think about Airbnb trying to describe themselves to their first users “It’s like an Airbnb, but also different because you stay in someone’s house, and sometimes the hosts stay with you, sometimes not…”. It is initially a tough sell because it doesn’t fit within our existing mental models. It’s new, it’s different.
The easiest way to describe our Sleep School program is to give an analogy of each component; methodology, technology & process.
Over the years, the body of knowledge across a range of fields has grown and evolved. We have taken the most up-to-date and best information we can to create a method that can be adapted to meet the needs of every child, given their developmental age and sleep habits (for example number of wake-ups, typical bedtime routine, whether you are co-sleeping, if you are bottle or breastfeeding). There are a lot of elements that overlap with the principles of certain approaches, including conscious parenting, attachment parenting, and even Montessori. However, we are not wedded to one philosophy, but rather rooted in what works, and what has the highest success rate.
Probably the best descriptor we have is that Batelle’s Method is rooted in early childhood development principles. But even that does not adequately capture all of the nuances. Below is a list of other descriptions that could be used to describe the method, but as you will see in the commentary, none are entirely fit-for-purpose.
Technology can be used to make our lives easier in so many ways. And yet pediatric sleep training has hardly been disrupted at all, still very much stuck in the technological past. Either sleep training happens in-person (a sleep consultant comes to your house), you use Zoom, WhatsApp, or email for some once-off advice or just a PDF download / online course that has no personalization beyond the age of the child.
This lack of personalization is a real barrier to success, or at least success at scale. A sleep consultant coming to your house is hyper-personalized, as they have all the knowledge they need in their brains. However, that ability to personalize and adapt to your child’s changing needs leaves when they do. 1-1 calls or emails are also useful, but given how limited they are due to capacity constraints, parents are left trying to figure a lot of things out themselves, often in the middle of the night when they can’t expect a reply until the next morning (as opposed to 24-hour support). Lastly, the downloadable PDFs / online personalized programs, are useful in that they are comprehensive. But they leave parents trying to figure out which pieces apply to them and how to adapt the process to their specific child with their specific needs. Parents are not sleep experts after all.
Batelle has approached this problem as a tech company, rather than as a solo sleep consultant/influencer. Not only have we been rigorously focused on building up the best data and creating a true sleep solution (ie. regardless of circumstances/sleep issues/sleep regressions, or other considerations – we are able to help), but we have also built the infrastructure that enables best-in-class personalization and customer experience.
The first way we have leveraged tech is that each family gets their own, personalized App that tailors the experience to them and their child. The App tracks families’ progress, keeps them connected with the Batelle team of sleep experts, and adapts their journey as they progress.
Each family has a library of content, that includes everything they need to know about their child’s sleep and how to improve it. Depending on their learning style families can watch videos, listen to audio, or look at written content. This content is personalized to age, needs, sleep challenges, parental preferences, home environment, and a multitude of other variables. This takes the guesswork out for families, as they are able to know exactly what to do, given their circumstances.
The App is also where families communicate with the team. We have a global team of sleep experts who are one message away with our 24-hour support. This means that when parents have questions at 3 am, they have someone there not only to answer them, but to support the parent, readjust goals if needs be, and ensure that things are on track.
In line with the gold standard of pediatric care, we have built our chat function that enables all caregivers (including a nanny or grandparent) to see the same information and conversation. What this means in practice is that multiple caregivers can take part in the process, and all learn how to be aligned when it comes to their child’s sleep. Parents can then go on a date night with the peace of mind that other caregivers will be able to put their child to sleep as easily as they do.
Lastly, we have a built-in community in the App, whereby families are also able to join daily group calls. These calls are topic-specific and support families by facilitating discussions, answering questions, and providing a community in what is often a very difficult and isolating part of parenting.
The Batelle program and the sleep training method we use are not simply one thing. It’s an evolving process that continues to look for better ways of helping families to combat sleep deprivation. We use the latest research on early childhood development to inform our process, coupled with the best technology to ensure that the journey is as seamless and enriching as possible.
