Since the launch of SleepHero a few weeks ago there’s been some encouraging coverage in various publications including The Guardian, Daily Mail, GoodToKnow, Wired and Springwise.
It’s been great to attract some media attention and raise the awareness of SleepHero for tired parents across the land. Online articles usually have comment sections and it was no surprise that a bit of a debate came up, in particular on the Guardian website. Some commenters jumped to the conclusion that the app leads to lazy or ‘accidental’ parenting whereby children get used to white noise/singing so get dependent and and expect it every night. I’d like to set the record straight by saying that I designed and built SleepHero so that it should only be used when parents really need it, not all the time.
I’d always recommend that parents should teach their children to get to sleep on their own with as little soothing as possible. However, parenthood can be exhausting and sometimes a child may need extra soothing to get them off to sleep. This may be if the child is teething, ill or possibly going through an anxiety phase (as has been the case with us). Mums and Dads need their sleep too otherwise the atmosphere in the house can become terrible. This is where SleepHero fills the gap.
This was summed up really nicely by a commenter called Janiss on the Guardian article who said:
“Nobody said you have to use this app every single night. It can be used occasionally, when the parent particularly needs sleep. That way dependency is avoided, and the parent is refreshed enough to be able to function.”
Thank you Janiss, whoever you are!
If I could offer some general advice I’d say that if you child is happy and healthy (most of the time) then you’re doing pretty well. The best way to do things is whatever works for your child. Parents need sleep just as much as children. Read the books, blogs and listen to the “experts”. Consider their views, consult with friends and family then do whatever you’re most comfortable with.
You can see our press coverage on the Press page.
