Sleep training is the process of teaching your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep independently, incorporating a solid sleep schedule that includes naps and a consistent bedtime routine.
Sleep is crucial not only for your baby’s development but also for your well-being as a parent. Sleep training can be an effective tool to address a variety of sleep-related issues that many first-time moms face.
1. Difficulty falling asleep independently
Many babies rely on being rocked, nursed, or held until they fall asleep. While this may seem harmless in the early months, it can lead to difficulties later when your baby expects the same routine every time they wake during the night.
How sleep training helps:
- Self-soothing: Sleep training teaches your baby to fall asleep on their own without relying on external help. Methods like the Ferber method, the chair method, or the cry it out method gradually encourage babies to soothe themselves to sleep.
- Consistent bedtime routine: Establishing a consistent bedtime routine through sleep training helps your baby recognize when it’s time to sleep, making it easier for them to fall asleep independently.
- Recommended method: The Ferber method is highly effective here.
2. Frequent night wakings
Waking up multiple times during the night is common in infants, but when it happens frequently beyond the newborn stage, it can disrupt both the baby’s and parents’ sleep.
How sleep training helps:
- Reduced dependency: By teaching your baby to self-soothe, they are less likely to wake up frequently looking for comfort, such as feeding or rocking.
- Extended sleep periods: Sleep training encourages longer stretches of uninterrupted sleep, which is beneficial for the baby’s development and the parents’ rest.
- Recommended method: The cry it out method works well for reducing night wakings
3. Short naps or nap resistance
Some babies struggle with taking consistent naps, resulting in short, fragmented sleep during the day. This can lead to an overtired baby who has difficulty settling down for nighttime sleep.
How sleep training helps:
- Scheduled naps: Sleep training can help establish a regular nap schedule, ensuring your baby gets the rest they need during the day.
- Improved nap quality: By learning to self-soothe, babies are more likely to take longer, more restorative naps, which contributes to better nighttime sleep.
- Recommended method: The chair method is gentle and effective for encouraging longer naps
4. Early morning wake-ups
Waking up too early, such as before 6 a.m., can be challenging for both babies and parents. This often happens when a baby hasn’t gotten enough sleep during the night or is waking out of habit.
How sleep training helps:
- Adjusting sleep schedules: Sleep training can help adjust your baby’s sleep schedule, encouraging them to sleep later in the morning.
- Establishing sleep cues: Using tools like blackout curtains, white noise machines, and a consistent wake-up time can reinforce the idea that it’s not yet time to wake up.
- Recommended method: The wake-to-sleep method (gently rousing the baby slightly before their habitual wake time) can help reset their internal clock and encourage them to sleep longer.
5. Sleep regressions
Sleep regressions, which often occur around developmental milestones, can lead to temporary disruptions in your baby’s sleep routine. These regressions can be frustrating as they can undo progress made in sleep training.
How sleep training helps:
- Consistency through change: Sleep training provides a consistent approach to managing sleep regressions, helping your baby return to a healthy sleep routine more quickly.
- Reinforcing sleep habits: During a sleep regression, continuing with sleep training can reinforce the habits that were established before the regression, minimizing its impact.
- Recommended method: The Ferber method or chair method can be effective during sleep regressions. I used both, Ferber at 6 months and the Chair at 21 months when my daughter was going through a sleep regression.
6. Bedtime resistance
Some babies and toddlers resist going to bed, leading to bedtime battles that can be stressful for the whole family.
How sleep training helps:
- Establishing boundaries: Sleep training helps set clear expectations around bedtime, making it easier for your baby to understand that it’s time to sleep.
- Calming bedtime routine: Incorporating a consistent, calming routine before bed, such as a bath, reading a book, and dimming the lights, can signal to your baby that bedtime is approaching, reducing resistance.
- Recommended method: The bedtime fading method (gradually delaying bedtime to match the baby’s natural sleepiness) can help reduce resistance and make bedtime smoother.
7. Dependence on sleep associations
Sleep associations, such as needing to be rocked, fed, or have a pacifier to fall asleep, can become problematic when your baby wakes up and cannot go back to sleep without that association.
How sleep training helps:
- Breaking associations: Sleep training helps break the dependence on sleep associations by teaching your baby to fall asleep on their own, without needing external help.
- Creating new associations: You can create new, healthier sleep associations, such as using a white noise machine or a comfort object that doesn’t require your constant presence.
- Recommended method: The Ferber method is highly effective here.
8. Transitioning to a crib or bed
Transitioning from a bassinet to a crib, or from a crib to a toddler bed, can be challenging for some babies, leading to disrupted sleep and resistance to the new sleeping arrangement.
How sleep training helps:
- Gradual transition: Sleep training can make the transition smoother by gradually introducing your baby to the new sleep environment and reinforcing it with consistent sleep practices.
- Comfort in a new space: Sleep training techniques can help your baby feel secure in their new sleep space, reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality.
- Recommended method: The chair method is gentle and effective
Conclusion
Sleep training can be a powerful tool in addressing a variety of common sleep problems that many first-time moms face. By teaching your baby to self-soothe, establishing consistent sleep routines, and breaking negative sleep associations, sleep training can lead to longer, more restful sleep for both your baby and your family. See also what products you need to encourage safe and deep sleep.