Sleep Training Lessons from Training AI Models

Introduction:

Alright, parents, let's talk sleep training. It's a journey, a wild, chaotic, sleep-deprived journey. I swear, trying to get our little one to sleep on their own feels like trying to train an AI. You know, the ones that are super smart but still spew out some pretty bizarre stuff sometimes? That's our toddler right now.

The Data Set:

Just like AI needs data to learn, our toddler needs a routine, a clear pattern of "it's nighttime, time to sleep." This is where the "training" comes in.

The Reward System:

AI models learn best with reinforcement. You know, "good job, you did it!" So I try my best to be positive and consistent. But honestly, when I'm on hour three of the "I need X" situation, my patience is pretty thin.

Overfitting: 

AI can overfit to data, getting stuck on one specific pattern. That's our toddler, too. If the routine is off by even a minute, it's a full-blown meltdown. "You didn't read the same book TWICE?!"

The Big Question:

The ultimate goal for both AI and my toddler is to be able to operate independently. I want our child to learn to soothe themselves, to fall asleep without my presence. But just like with AI, it's a constant process of refining, adjusting and learning.

The Payoff:

It's not easy, but those few moments of peace, the quiet night, it's worth it. And just like when an AI model finally learns, it's a moment of pure joy. It's like a tiny human version of "I can do this!" So, fellow parents, we're in this together. Maybe we can't control the unicorn requests, but we can learn, adapt, and maybe, just maybe, we'll all get some sleep in the process.

Advisor’s Take:

First let me say how excited I am to collaborate with a very special guest expert this month on a series about the intersection between technology, work and home. At the conclusion of this series I’ll mash these audio tracks up into a subscriber-only audio interview built with Gemini 1.5.

I’ve written about training in an earlier newsletter. What occurred to me about the sleep training comparison above is AI sometimes produces "hallucinations." Nonsensical outputs. Our bedtime routine is no different. The toothpaste flavor that doesn’t exist. A specific toy that’s been lost for several weeks. Unlike with AI more data doesn’t fix the hallucination. Sometimes you have to find a horse and make it a unicorn.