I’m guessing that if you’re reading this post, you want to sleep through the night almost as much as your little one does. Sleep training can be intimidating, but once you learn about different methods and figure out what works for your family, it can change everything. This guide breaks down some of the most popular infant sleep training methods by age to help you make sense of them—and hopefully reclaim some rest in the process.
What is sleep training? The basics explained
Sleep training means teaching your baby how to fall asleep on their own and stay asleep throughout the night. It’s about creating consistent bedtime routines and fostering healthy sleep habits. Getting started can feel overwhelming, but remember that the key is sticking with it and selecting an approach that matches both your parenting style and your child's temperament.
When should I start? Finding the right timing
Each baby is unique, but many are developmentally ready for sleep training between four and six months old. At this point they begin sleeping for longer stretches at night naturally; before then, infants need those middle-of-the-night feedings and may not physiologically be able to snooze straight through just yet. As always, talk to your pediatrician about when they think would be best given your specific child’s growth.
Gentle Methods for Infant Sleep Training
For a lot of families, gentle sleep training techniques are top choice – these involve minimal crying with less separation and often take more time and patience than other routes. The chair method is one example of a gentle method that might work well for babies around six to nine months old: With this approach, a parent sits in a chair next to their baby’s crib (or bassinet) until they fall asleep and then slowly moves the chair farther away from them over several nights.
The Ferber Method: Gradual retreat
The Ferber method is perhaps one of the most well-known baby sleep training techniques out there. Designed for infants six months and older, it involves putting your child to bed when they’re awake, leaving the room and letting them fuss (cry) for a short predetermined amount of time before returning to briefly reassure them – without picking them up – at progressively increasing intervals. The idea behind this popular method is teaching babies how to self-soothe or comfort themselves back to sleep without needing mom or dad's help.
How to Use the Chart:
Start at Bedtime: Put your baby in their crib when they are awake. Say goodnight and leave the room.
First Interval: If your baby starts crying, wait for the duration listed under "1st Interval" for that night before going back into the room to comfort them. Keep the visit short and soothing, but do not pick them up. Leave as soon as they are calm but before they fall asleep.
Second and Subsequent Intervals: If crying continues, wait for the duration listed under "2nd Interval" and "3rd Interval" respectively before returning to briefly comfort your baby. If crying still continues after the third check, follow the time listed under "Subsequent Intervals" for any additional checks.
Progression Through the Nights: As the nights progress, increase the intervals between your checks as shown in the chart. This gradual increase helps your baby learn to self-soothe more effectively.
Tips for Success:
Consistency is Key: Follow the chart consistently to help your baby learn what is expected.
Adjust as Needed: If you find the intervals too challenging for your baby or if they seem overly distressed, you can adjust the times slightly. Every baby is different, and some may need more gradual increases in the intervals.
Comforting Techniques: When you do go in to comfort your baby, keep the lights dim and your voice soft. The goal is to reassure them that you are there, but also to reinforce that it’s time to sleep.
This chart provides a framework, but remember, the Ferber Method, like any sleep training method, might need to be tailored to fit your baby's and your family's needs. Always consider your child's health and emotional well-being when deciding on a sleep training approach.
Sleep training younger babies
If you want to get a head start, there are methods for sleep training four- and five-month-olds too! Many of these involve establishing a solid bedtime routine and using gentle patting or shushing to soothe the baby into slumber. At this age, it’s more about building good sleep habits than expecting them to snooze through an entire night right away.
Getting over the half-year hump: 6 - 9 months and sleep training
Around six months old, your baby will go through some significant developmental changes that can affect their sleep patterns. During this time period, check-and-console approaches can work well: Simply put, you go in and check on your little one within specific intervals whenever they cry during the night (or naptime), providing verbal reassurance along with a gentle pat – but not picking them up – if needed. This helps reinforce nighttime as being meant primarily for sleeping.
Dealing with setbacks: Regressions & illnesses
Sleep training is not always a smooth journey. Sleep regression usually occurs at 4 months, around 8 months and also at 18 months, which can disrupt a routine that has already been established. It might be necessary to pause sleep training during these times and provide comfort more than usual. Illness too interferes with sleep, so it is important to give comfort as well as postpone any training until the baby gets better.
Sleep Training Methods for Older Infants
For older infants between eight to twelve month old you may want to think about using more structured methods. That could involve things such as setting strict wake up times and sleep times or being consistent with nap schedules every day throughout their toddlerhood years into preschool age (2-5). Additionally bedtime stories for toddlers might be helpful along with making sure they have a comfortable environment conducive for sleeping.
Consistency Is Key To Success
Consistency remains paramount if your aim is successful sleep training for babies but this should not deter one from trying different methods because even though each child may need something unique what matters most are good habits of rest that benefit everybody in the family know matter whether it’s through gentle steps during infancy or stricter ones when they grow older. The foundation of good sleep habits that benefit the entire family is laid down by understanding these basics hence whether a more structured method would work best for them or not at least having some knowledge about what constitutes effective training on this matter can help parents achieve better nights filled with peaceful slumber among their children.
Whether you decide on using gentle techniques for newborns or employing something more rigid as they grow knowing how to go about sleep training will create healthy foundations of restfulness which shall serve everyone within your household plus remember all kids differ thus what might work out perfectly well with an individual child could fail completely when applied on another so remain open minded stay calm patient eventually those blissful nights spent without waking up frequently shall become part of your life.
For full access to an entire resource library of sleep training methods, check out our monthly membership (and get some hand holding from certified sleep consultants while you're going through the process to ensure success!)