How Can We Make r/sleeptrain A Better Sub for Sleepy Parents?

[atompson]

@shiftybroccoli Thank you for your work on this.

I think a really important point to put...somewhere is when to seek professional help for PPA/PPD and a list of resources. Baby sleep is a huge trigger for my PPA and I have heard/read similar stories from IRL friends and internet strangers.

I'm not sure exactly when that is, btw, it's different for everyone. But maybe a sticky about obsessive thoughts or feeling desperate and some quick suggestions on how to handle in the moment (usually CBT techniques help me the most) followed by a list of places to find help.

Also, not sure how to phrase this, but can we try not to assume that everyone reading is a she/her Wife with a him/his Husband? There are many different parenting situations, the non-gestational carrier can get PPD/PPA too, etc. Using inclusive language in any evergreen content will hopefully encourage everyone to feel welcome and get some damn sleep

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@atompson Thank you for this feedback! We need mental health resources posted on this page for sure!

And yeah, fuck those heteronormative standards!

 

[hereiam2]

@shiftybroccoli What do you mean by duplicate posts? I have taken great comfort in reading other parents’ stories and experiences even though they get a bit repetitive. I think it can be nice to talk about things we are going through, even if it’s not groundbreaking.

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@hereiam2 Often times, people will post something that has LITERALLY been posted in the last hour. “I’m starting tonight, wish me luck” and “how do I night wean” are asked all the time and clog the feed.

 

[bip]

@shiftybroccoli What about a daily thread to support people who are actually undertaking sleep training that night .... to avoid all the “wish me luck” posts, and also where people can post in real time looking for support

 

[cjmyers]

@bip I just circled back to this post to say the same thing.

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@bip That’s a fantastic idea! I’m loving all the energy in this thread!

 

[deedae]

@shiftybroccoli Honestly I don’t mind about duplicate posts... when we arrive here as a newbie it’s great to have a lot of information and “renforcement” information on the basics. It helps also to understand the acronyms and specific vocabulary. Especially for the ppl all around the world with English as Second Language.
Anyway, I really like this community so thank you for creating this Sub!

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@deedae Aww thanks! I appreciate it. I would love to have an acronyms section of our wiki!

 

[damseremie]

@shiftybroccoli I would also vote for an acronym wiki! I had so much trouble reading posts when I first started!

 

[brianx]

@shiftybroccoli Big fan of the themed threads idea- particularly would like a success sunday with success stories because these gave me so much hope! Also I understand it is a judgement free zone but I think a linky in the wiki to the safe sleeping Guidelines would be beneficial/responsible. I also think a rule about titles where you mention the age of your baby (if relevant) would help!

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@brianx Success Sunday’s HAVE to happen now!

 

[brianx]

@shiftybroccoli In the same vein you could limit requests for resources to a single day/thread to avoid duplicate posts. I disagree that that should be banned though, as I think the best thing about reddit and this subreddit is it’s in itself a free, accessible platform and available to all and this particularly subreddit is where people come when they need help! There’s no obligation to share PDFs etc if you’d rather not but people should be allowed to ask!

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@brianx That sounds like a nice compromise! Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[bknight006]

@shiftybroccoli I love this sub!

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@bknight006 Happy we could be of service!

 

[nievellecruz]

@shiftybroccoli Maybe having some kind of a template that we can share to write up how to ask questions. A lot of posts are ..”I’m having trouble with this and the. There’s the obligatory what’s the nap times awake tome look like are you or aren’t you feeding at night etc. just having some guidance on putting those important pieces in a post may help get people traction or more immediate responses to their questions

 

[damseremie]

@nievellecruz A template would be great! I also get a lot of questions for my show, where people don't mention a lot of basic info, so I end up guessing. It is much more difficult to address their problems this way!

 

[shiftybroccoli]

@nievellecruz Oh absolutely! That’s a fantastic idea!

 

[annetteaa]

@shiftybroccoli Oh, can I add to this?! Age!!! Please, let us know how old baby is. Each month makes such a huge difference. Also with the success posts. We need to know. That should be one of the first pieces of info shared.