With so much development going on in the early years of your child’s life, getting a good amount of sleep is important. In the first year of your baby’s life alone, they need 9 to 12 hours of sleep a day, in addition to their daytime naps.
However, getting the right amount of sleep can be difficult when your little one seems to be interested in everything but sleeping. This is especially true during growth spurts or leaps, where their development can affect their schedules.
What is Sleep Training For?
Enter: Sleep training. Sleep training is meant to get your little one used to going to sleep on their own, and in case they wake up, they’ll eventually learn to soothe themselves enough to go back to sleep. Currently, there are several sleep training methods that both sleep experts and pediatricians recommend.
Sleep training methods aim to get babies to sleep 9 to 12 hours a night, which means they’ll ultimately feel better during the day, and the entire family’s quality-of-life will improve. After all, a well-rested baby means they aren’t cranky, and when they aren’t cranky, mama and papa are happy!
When is the best time to start Sleep Training?
The best time to begin sleep training is at 4 to 6 months of age, when they have already developed their circadian rhythm, or their internal body clock. By this age, they’re able to pick up certain skills, like falling asleep without having mama or papa rocking them.
One way to tell your baby is ready for sleep training is when they’re able to fall asleep on their own at night. This is despite them waking up throughout the night.
Top Sleep Training Gear
Make your sleep training journey a lot easier for you and your baby by having the right gear support you. Here are some tried and tested sleep gear that mamas swear by:
Halo Sleepsack Wearable Blanket – Experts recommend using a wearable blanket to maintain a healthy sleeping environment for your baby throughout the night. Using a wearable blanket in place of a regular blanket assures your baby is comfortable without the risk of the blanket covering their face.
Timeflys Marathon Baby Video Monitor – The Marathon Baby Video Monitor allows you to communicate with your baby from a different room. You can talk to your baby through the monitor, or play music lullabies to comfort them even when you’re not in the same room. It also allows you to have a look at your baby at any time during the day.
Cuddlebug Madison 3-in-1 Convertible Crib – You can’t sleep train your baby without a trusty crib, and mamas swear by the Cuddlebug Madison 3-in-1 Convertible Crib. It’s an affordable yet completely functional crib that grows with your little one until they’re older.
Philips Avent Ultra Air Premium Pacifier (2-Pack) – Some babies like having a pacifier to soothe themselves. The Avent Ulrta Air Premium Pacifier is a great choice, as it is orthodontic, BPA-free, and designed with extra-large air holes to let your baby’s skin breathe.
Four Top Sleep Training Methods Used Worldwide
The “No Tears” Method
The “No Tears” method is the most gentle sleep training method, as it focuses on allowing your baby to learn how to sleep independently without crying. The technique will only work with a consistent bedtime routine, consisting of the same set of activities, in the same order, at the same time. Your little one will eventually recognize that these activities are a transition from day to night, and ultimately, bedtime.
The Fading Method
The fading method occurs when parents stay inside the room with their baby until they fall asleep. After taking your little one through their bedtime routine, they are put in bed when they start to begin feeling drowsy. Then, parents will stand or sit near them, and gradually move further away until their baby falls asleep.
Whenever your child starts to cry, parents could soothe them with their voice, and provide reassurance that they are not alone. They will know that you are there, but will not carry them from the crib. It will take time for your baby to get used to this particular method, but it has been proven to significantly improve infant sleep within a couple of months.
The “Cry It Out” Method
The “Cry It Out” method is true to its name – parents leave the room after going through a bedtime routine, and don’t return until morning even if the baby begins to cry. The bedtime routine often consists of ways that make the baby feel loved, like a good cuddle, a breastfeeding session, and/or a kiss goodnight. If they begin to cry, parents are expected to let them self-soothe back to sleep when they tire themselves out.
This is the most notorious sleep training method, because many feel uncomfortable letting their child cry it out. Reasons they feel uncomfortable include thinking their baby will end up traumatized, stressed, or feeling unloved.
Despite this, parents who have opted for the “Cry It Out” method insist that it works, and that it only took a couple of days until their baby was effectively sleep trained.
The Ferber Method
The Ferber method is a gradual version of “Cry It Out.” Parents take their little one through their usual bedtime routine, which includes cuddling them and kissing them goodnight. Then, they leave the room. If the baby cries, they go back and pat them to sleep before leaving the room again.
As days go by, parents will gradually lengthen the amount of time they allow their babies to cry before entering the room. Eventually, it’ll reach a point where the baby will self-soothe and fall back asleep alone.
Do I have to Sleep Train?
Pediatricians and sleep experts swear by the benefits that sleep training has on both parents and children, and assure that there are no negative long-term effects on the child. However, some parents can’t deal with having their little ones cry it out at night, and that’s perfectly fine. You don’t have to sleep train your baby. While it may mean a lot more sleepless nights for mama and papa, rest assured knowing that your baby will eventually learn to sleep on their own.
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