Is your otherwise healthy baby keeping you up all night? If so, you\u2019re exhausted and so are they. If your baby is over 4 to 6 months, it may be time to consider sleep training the baby \u2013 so everyone can get some rest!<\/p>\n
Sleep training won\u2019t hurt your baby physically or emotionally. Most parents who sleep train their children are glad they did! The additional sleep they get helps them be the best possible parents for their family.<\/p>\n
Consider this \u2013 sleep deprivation hurts your ability to be a great parent. Why? When we\u2019re tired we aren\u2019t as patient or in tune with our children\u2019s needs. We certainly aren\u2019t as much fun. Ongoing lack of sleep also puts parents at risk for depression and affects their driving skills.<\/p>\n
Given this, sleep training isn\u2019t a selfish move \u2013 it\u2019s one that parents make with their child\u2019s best interests at heart. But the decision to sleep train is one only you and your partner can make. If it doesn\u2019t feel right for you \u2013 and you know your baby best \u2013 trust your instincts.<\/p>\n
There are several methods to help babies over 4 to 6 months learn to fall asleep on their own. All are safe when done correctly and consistently. There\u2019s no one method that will work for all babies.<\/p>\n
No soothing from parent; your baby self-soothes.<\/p>\n
When done consistently, this method can help your baby learn to fall asleep alone within a few days. Resisting the impulse to go comfort your baby can be very difficult, and \u201cgiving in\u201d reinforces the association you\u2019re trying to break.<\/p>\n
The first 2 nights tend to be the hardest. Crying can last anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes the first night. Over the next several nights, crying decreases (30 minutes on average by the 2nd night; 10 to 15 by the 3rd night) and protests are less intense. In general, the older the baby is, the longer they cry.<\/p>\n
Many parents find this technique too upsetting.<\/p>\n
Limited soothing from parents; lengthening the time between checking on your baby.<\/p>\n
Follow your usual pre-sleep routine. Put your baby in the crib while still awake, but drowsy. Then:<\/p>\n
What to think about:
\nThis method is effective when done consistently. It\u2019s a good fit for parents who are okay with some crying, but don\u2019t want their baby to cry alone for too long.<\/p>\n
Limit soothing; gradually decrease your presence.<\/p>\n
What to think about:
\nThis method takes patience and consistency. It can take babies from a few days to a few weeks to fall asleep without you in the room.<\/p>\n
Some parents find it very difficult not to interact \u2013 they worry that they\u2019re \u201cignoring\u201d the baby.<\/span><\/p>\n This is usually considered a \u201cno cry\u201d or \u201cless crying\u201d technique.<\/p>\n Usual soothing; gradually shorten routine.<\/p>\n Stick to your usual pre-sleep routine (see below). If you usually rock, nurse, or sing your baby to sleep, do that. Note how long it takes them to fall asleep. Place your baby in the crib.<\/p>\n What to think about: Parents who don\u2019t want their baby to cry alone at all may find this method is a good fit for them.<\/p>\n This method is less effective in helping your baby manage middle of the night awakenings.<\/p>\n Push bedtime back to later.<\/p>\n How it\u2019s done: This method is effective when done consistently. It can be combined with other techniques above. Some children can get over-stimulated and be more difficult to settle.<\/p>\n Whichever method you try, all sleep training should begin with a bedtime routine you consistently follow every night. Start at the same time with soothing activities to calm your child \u2013 bath, books, quiet songs, cuddles. It should be a short process \u2013 about 30 to 45 minutes.<\/p>\n During this time, gradually dim the lights and make your movements slower and your voice calmer. Don\u2019t play with your baby in any way that might stimulate them.<\/p>\n Avoid nursing or feeding your baby as the last thing you do before putting them down \u2013 you want to lay them down drowsy but awake, and give them a chance to figure out how to soothe themselves to sleep.<\/p>\n Understanding these options will help you find a way to help you and your baby get more rest. Sleep well!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is your otherwise healthy baby keeping you up all night? If so, you\u2019re exhausted and so are they. If your baby is over 4 to 6 months, it may be time to consider sleep training the baby \u2013 so everyone can get some rest!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[667],"tags":[348,365,347,350,352,349],"class_list":["post-2078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newborn-care","tag-baby-sleep","tag-cry-it-out","tag-infant-sleep","tag-safe-infant-sleep","tag-sleep-regression","tag-sleep-training","ages-baby"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1742235761:6"],"_edit_last":["6"],"_thumbnail_id":["2082"],"slide_template":[""],"video_format_choose":["youtube"],"_custom_body_class":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["90"],"qode_animate-page-title":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-text":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-image":["no"],"qode_show-sidebar":["default"],"qode_hide-featured-image":["no"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_ages":[""],"wpfp_favorites":["7"],"_yoast_indexnow_last_ping":["1742233902"],"ase_chapter_enable_timeline":["off"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["false"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["sleep training"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Is your otherwise healthy baby keeping you up all night? It may be time to consider sleep training the baby \u2013 so everyone can get some rest!"],"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":["72"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["6"],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"],"_cmplz_scanned_post":["1"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2078"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4946,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2078\/revisions\/4946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Method 4: \u201cFading\u201d (\u201cNo Cry\u201d)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How it\u2019s done:<\/h4>\n
\n
\nThis method is effective when done consistently. It can take a long time to set up.<\/p>\nMethod 5: \u201cBedtime fading\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nThis method temporarily shifts usual bedtime to later. Your child is more tired, and falls asleep more easily.<\/p>\n\n
What to think about:<\/strong><\/h4>\n