Herbie Murray
Sleep training is a highly divisive topic in the parenting world. It is a relatively new concept, with the first literature on the topic emerging in Germany between the 1830s and 1890s. Sleep training gained popularity as a result of cultural shifts during the Industrial Revolution, which led to changes in family dynamics and work patterns. The practice involves encouraging babies to adapt to the family's sleep schedule and is often associated with the idea of letting babies cry it out. While some parents find sleep training beneficial for establishing sustainable sleep habits, others choose to let their babies fall asleep naturally, co-sleep, or bed share. The decision to sleep train is deeply personal and depends on the individual needs of the baby and the parenting style.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of acquisition | September 2014 |
| Acquirer | Mattress Firm |
| Acquired for | $425 million |
| Number of stores added | 310 |
| States where stores were added | California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Hawaii |
| Other brands included in the deal | Sleep Country USA, Mattress Discounters, and Got Sleep? |
| Subsequent rebranding | Sleep Country USA stores were rebranded under the Sleep Train name in July 2015 |
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What You'll Learn
- Sleep Train was acquired by Mattress Firm in 2014
- Mattress Firm rebranded Sleep Country USA stores under the Sleep Train name
- Sleep training is a parenting technique to get babies on sleep schedules
- Sleep training is controversial due to the crying involved
- Sleep training was popularised by Dr. Luther Emmett Holt in the 1890s
Sleep Train was acquired by Mattress Firm in 2014
Mattress Firm, founded in 1986 by Steve Fendrich, Harry Roberts, and Paul Stork, had been steadily expanding its business over the years. By 1999, it boasted more than 250 stores and $300 million in annual sales. However, it was in 2014 that Mattress Firm made a series of strategic acquisitions to solidify its position in the mattress retail market.
In May 2014, Mattress Firm acquired Mattress King and BedMart, adding 75 stores across Colorado and Arizona. This was followed by an even more significant acquisition in September of the same year when Mattress Firm purchased Sleep Train for $425 million. Sleep Train's 310 stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Hawaii, bolstered Mattress Firm's presence in the Western United States. The deal also included the Sleep Country USA, Mattress Discounters, and Got Sleep? brands.
The acquisition of Sleep Train was a pivotal moment in Mattress Firm's growth strategy, enabling it to establish a strong foothold in key Western states. Following this acquisition, Mattress Firm continued its expansion with the purchase of Bedding Experts, further solidifying its position in the highly competitive mattress retail industry.
In the subsequent years, Mattress Firm continued to integrate and rebrand its acquisitions. In July 2015, Sleep Country USA stores began rebranding under the Sleep Train name. This unified brand strategy helped streamline Mattress Firm's portfolio and strengthened its position as a leading mattress retailer.
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Mattress Firm rebranded Sleep Country USA stores under the Sleep Train name
Mattress Firm, an American mattress store chain, acquired Sleep Train in 2014 for $425 million. This acquisition added 310 stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Hawaii to Mattress Firm's portfolio. Sleep Train was founded by entrepreneur Dale Carlsen in 1985.
In July 2015, Sleep Country USA, a Kent-based company with over 70 locations in Washington and Oregon, began rebranding all of its stores under the Sleep Train name. Sleep Country USA and Sleep Train had been operating separately under the same business and philanthropic platforms for nearly a decade before the rebranding. The rebranding united Sleep Train's award-winning Foster Kids program with the Mattress Firm Foster Kids program, benefiting foster children nationwide.
The rebranding also offered consumers a simplified shopping experience, Comfort by Color, which categorizes mattresses into three color-coded comfort levels: soft, medium, and firm. Additionally, the retail stores offered a larger value zone with more affordable options. Ken Murphy, president, and CEO of Mattress Firm, assured customers that they would continue to experience the same great service and selection under the new name.
In 2017, Steinhoff consolidated its mattress stores under one name, converting its Sleep Train and Sleepy's locations to the Mattress Firm name. This move was part of an effort to provide better selection and pricing by buying in larger quantities under the Mattress Firm brand.
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Sleep training is a parenting technique to get babies on sleep schedules
Sleep training is a parenting technique that aims to get babies on sleep schedules. It has become a common practice in Western countries, with many parents turning to sleep training at some point during their child's early years. While it is a divisive and controversial topic, it is also a popular and ingrained part of parenting in these societies. The decision to sleep train is a personal one and depends on the individual needs of the baby and the parenting style of the caregiver.
The history of sleep training dates back to the 1800s during the Industrial Revolution. This period marked a cultural shift in the way doctors and parents perceived infant sleep and feeding patterns. The medicalization of motherhood and parenthood took off, with mothers seeking advice from "experts", typically doctors or self-proclaimed parenting experts. This shift towards medicalized childbirth also led to more separation-based practices between mother and baby. Some of the first literature on sleep training emerged in Germany between the 1830s and the 1890s, focusing on establishing sleep schedules for babies and encouraging parents to let their infants try to resettle on their own.
In 1894, Dr. Luther Emmett Holt published "The Care and Feeding of Children," which popularized non-responsive sleep training. Holt advised parents to follow a strict feeding frequency schedule, claiming that babies 5 to 12 months old did not require any night nursing between 10 pm and 6 am. He also recommended that crying it out for up to 3 hours could be effective in sleep training. John Watson, an academic, further developed these ideas, emphasizing the importance of routines and regulation from day one.
Today, the two most well-known sleep training methods are extinction (cry-it-out) and the Ferber Method (controlled crying). The former, popularized by Marc Weissbluth, involves putting the baby in their crib and closing the door until morning. The latter, developed by Dr. Richard Ferber, suggests letting a child cry for increasing increments while intermittently checking on them. It is important to note that sleep training is not the only option for parents. Many cultures practice bed-sharing and allow their children to fall asleep naturally. Additionally, sleep training is not essential for babies to learn to sleep independently.
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Sleep training is controversial due to the crying involved
Sleep training is a common practice that involves encouraging babies to fall asleep without their parents' help. This often includes limiting or changing how a parent responds to their baby's cries, such as by leaving the baby alone for set intervals or taking a “cold turkey” approach and leaving the room. While some parents find sleep training effective, it is also controversial due to concerns about the potential negative impacts of letting babies "cry it out."
The controversy surrounding sleep training stems from the belief that leaving a baby to cry is cruel, unnatural, and harmful. Critics argue that it can cause long-term stress and psychological damage by flooding the baby's brain with cortisol. However, research backed by organizations like the AAP, the National Institute of Health, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that crying during sleep training does not have any adverse effects on infants. These studies indicate that sleep training can lead to reduced bedtime resistance, fewer night wakings, and improved maternal mental health without causing trauma or long-term damage to the baby.
One study by the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health assessed 178 infants from birth to 18 months, with some left to "cry it out" and others not. The results showed a decrease in infant crying and fussiness by 18 months for babies who underwent sleep training, while those who were not left to cry exhibited increased crying. Additionally, an Australian study found that sleep training improved maternal mental health, contradicting claims that it negatively impacts mothers.
Despite the research supporting sleep training, it is important to recognize that it may not work for every baby. Some babies may be too young or experiencing separation anxiety or underlying medical issues that make sleep training ineffective. Furthermore, many trials have high drop-out rates, and most studies rely on "parent report" data, which can be influenced by confirmation bias and the expectation that sleep training will improve their child's sleep. As such, it is essential for parents to make informed decisions about sleep training, considering their baby's individual needs and their own parenting style.
In conclusion, while sleep training can be a divisive topic, the available research suggests that crying during the process does not cause harm or trauma to infants. However, parents should carefully consider their unique circumstances and seek education about baby sleep to determine the best approach for their family.
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Sleep training was popularised by Dr. Luther Emmett Holt in the 1890s
Sleep training is a relatively new concept that is mostly practised in Western countries. It is a widely accepted part of mainstream parenting today, with many parents in Western countries practising some form of sleep training. The idea of sleep training was first popularised in the 1890s by Dr. Luther Emmett Holt, a prominent physician and medical expert, who is often regarded as the ""father of pediatrics".
During the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution brought about a significant cultural shift in the way doctors and parents viewed infant sleep and feeding patterns. This period also marked the beginning of the medicalization of motherhood and parenthood, with mothers increasingly seeking advice from doctors and other self-proclaimed parenting experts. The medicalization of birth also led to more separation-based practices between mothers and newborns.
In 1894, Dr. Luther Emmett Holt published "The Care and Feeding of Children", which is considered one of the first pieces of literature to popularise non-responsive sleep training. In his book, Holt advised that newborns should only be fed four or five times a day during the first two days of life, as there is "very little milk secreted at this time". He also recommended a strict feeding schedule for the first year, suggesting that babies between 5 and 12 months old do not require any night nursing between 10 pm and 6 am. Additionally, he advocated for weaning from breastfeeding by the time the child turns one, stating that the dangers of weaning are less than those of continuing to nurse after milk quality decreases.
Holt's work specifically blamed night waking on feeding habits, restricted nursing timings and amounts, and promoted the use of formula to increase a mother's sleep. He suggested that babies should sleep away from their parents and have regular sleep times. Notably, he introduced the concept of ""cry it out", advising parents to let their infants "cry it out" instead of immediately responding to their cries. This approach, according to Holt, would prevent babies from developing the habit of crying insistently to gain their mother's attention.
Holt's ideas on sleep training were further amplified and distributed through the Children's Bureau's Infant Care Pamphlet, published in 1914 and 1929, which drew from his work. This pamphlet was widely circulated through government agencies, reaching millions of parents and solidifying the practice of sleep training in mainstream parenting culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Sleep training is a parenting technique designed to mould infants' sleep patterns to be more convenient for adults.
Yes, sleep training is a relatively new concept. The first literature on sleep training was published in Germany between the 1830s and 1890s.
The two most common sleep training methods are "extinction" or "cry-it-out", and the "Ferber Method" or "controlled crying".
Sleep training is a personal choice and depends on the sleep situation of the parent and baby. Sleep training can occur naturally as a child matures.
Sleep Train was acquired by Mattress Firm in 2014 for $425 million. In 2017, Mattress Firm converted Sleep Train and Sleepy's locations to the Mattress Firm name.
