Becoming a parent often means sacrificing your sleep— especially in the early months. If your baby just won’t sleep through the night, know that you’re not alone.
The good news? There are many sleep training methods that can help your baby (and you!) get more restful nights. In order to aid you through this process, we have curated a baby schedule by age guide for you to explore.
Let’s explore some of the most popular sleep training methods and how they work in real life.
Sleep training simply means helping your baby learn how to fall asleep on their own— and settle back to sleep when they wake up during the night.
Despite what some may think, it doesn’t always involve letting your baby cry it out (although it’s one method). In fact, there also exist many gentle and gradual methods to choose from.
Most experts agree that around six months is a good time to start sleep training.
Though you can start as early as four months or wait until your baby is nine months old. It all depends on when you and your baby are ready for sleep training.
It’s not always easy to tell when your baby is ready. Every baby is different, but a good sign is if they’re starting to fall asleep on their own at bedtime (even if they still wake up during the night). This could mean they’re ready to start sleep training.
Here are some most commonly used sleep training techniques along with their pros and cons.
The Ferber method (also known as controlled crying, “graduated extinction” or check and console method) was developed by Dr Richard Ferber, and is one of the most well-known sleep training strategies.
It involves putting your baby to bed drowsy but awake, then letting them cry for set intervals of time before briefly checking in (eg. every 5, 10, 15 minutes) — gradually increasing the interval each night. This allows your baby to self-soothe. You can also pat or talk to your baby to soothe them, but it’s not recommended that you pick them up.
It’s effective for many families in a few nights and teaches your baby to self-soothe.
But it can be emotionally difficult for parents as some babies can cry more in the beginning.
The chair method—also known as the sit back method or “camping out”— is a gentle technique that allows you to stay close while your baby learns to fall asleep on their own. It involves gradually distancing yourself from your baby’s crib every few nights while offering comfort without picking them up.
Sit in a chair next to your baby’s crib and stay in the room until your baby falls asleep. If they wake up again, go back to the chair and sit with them until they settle. Each night move the chair farther away, and then you leave the room completely.
The good thing? It’s a gentle and gradual method that involves less crying than extinction-based methods.
However, it takes patience— often a couple of weeks— and you’ll need to be consistent.
It is also considered a gentle sleep training method. This approach involves picking your baby up to soothe them when they cry, then placing them back in the crib when they’re drowsy (before sleeping).
Place your baby in the crib at bedtime. If they begin to fuss, give them a moment to settle on their own. If they continue to cry, gently pick them up until calm, then put them back again before they fall asleep in your arms. Repeat this as needed.
It’s a more responsive and nurturing method which encourages connection and trust. However, it may take longer for results and can be physically exhausting
If you’re someone who can’t stand their baby crying (you’re not alone), this method might be the right fit. It allows you to actively help your baby move towards sleep independence, without long periods of crying.
Instead of relying on a single technique, this method combines many gentle strategies like building consistent bedtime routines, creating a calm sleeping environment, slowly reducing sleep associations over time like feeding or rocking to sleep.
In this method, parents are encouraged to respond to their baby’s cries and provide comfort as needed while gradually helping them to become more independent at bedtime.
It’s a very gentle approach and ideal for parents who find it difficult to ignore their baby’s cries. It also helps your baby feel more safe and close to you.
That said, it usually takes more time to see the changes and some babies may start depending too much on their parents’ help to fall asleep.
This is probably one of the most controversial methods for sleep training.
After the usual nighttime routine— making sure they’re fed, dry, safe, and comfortable— the baby is put to bed awake and then the parent leaves the room. They don’t return until a set time or until morning.
It might work quickly but involves more crying and is not suitable for every baby. It can also be emotionally tough for parents to hear their baby cry and not respond. So it’s definitely not for everyone, and that’s okay.
No matter what method you choose, here are some tips to make the process smoother:
There’s no one “right” way to sleep train your baby. Every baby is different— what works for one family might not work for another— and that’s completely okay.
The best method for you is the one that feels right to you, suits your baby’s personality, and fits your parenting style.
Some babies respond quickly while others may need a little more time. You just have to be patient and see what works best for you and your baby.
