How to Start Sleep Training | Infant Sleep Tips for Beginners
Sleep training is an important part of parenting and can be a daunting task for new parents. It can be difficult to know where to start and how to go about it. This article will provide some tips and advice on how to start sleep training your infant and provide some helpful tips for beginners.
Understand Your Baby’s Sleep Needs
The first step in sleep training is to understand your baby’s sleep needs. Babies need different amounts of sleep depending on their age and development. Newborns typically need 16-18 hours of sleep per day, while older babies may need 12-14 hours. It is important to understand your baby’s individual sleep needs and create a sleep schedule that works for them.
Create a Sleep Schedule
Once you understand your baby’s sleep needs, it is important to create a sleep schedule that works for them. This should include a consistent bedtime and wake time, as well as naps throughout the day. It is important to stick to the schedule as much as possible, as this will help your baby learn when it is time to sleep and when it is time to be awake.
Establish a Bedtime Routine
Establishing a bedtime routine is an important part of sleep training. This should include activities such as a bath, reading a book, or singing a lullaby. This will help your baby to relax and prepare for sleep. It is important to keep the routine consistent and to do it in the same order each night.
Set Limits and Boundaries
It is important to set limits and boundaries when it comes to sleep training. This means that you should not allow your baby to stay up too late or to sleep in too late. It is also important to not allow your baby to become overtired, as this can make it more difficult for them to fall asleep.
Be Patient and Consistent
Sleep training can be a difficult process and it is important to be patient and consistent. It may take some time for your baby to adjust to the new sleep schedule, but it is important to stick with it. It is also important to be consistent with the bedtime routine and to not give in to your baby’s demands.
FAQs
How long does it take to sleep train a baby?
It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to sleep train a baby. It is important to be patient and consistent during this process.
What is the best age to start sleep training?
It is recommended to start sleep training when your baby is at least 4 months old. This is when they are developmentally ready to start learning how to sleep through the night.
What should I do if my baby is not sleeping through the night?
If your baby is not sleeping through the night, it is important to look at their sleep schedule and bedtime routine. Make sure that they are getting enough sleep and that the routine is consistent. If this does not help, it may be necessary to consult a sleep specialist.
I want the science behind that says that letting cry your 4 month baby for an hour is not hurting them. As a neurodevelopmental senior scientist that is just not ok. And there’s evidence behind that.
Is it possible to sleep train with a pacifier or do you need to wean them off the paci
My baby started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks and slept grate until she turned 7 months old. Then she started waking up once but stays awake for an hour on longer so here I am
I have a 2 month old baby doesn’t like to sleep by himself
Does this work for preemie's? 🥺 my baby is gonna turn 4 months old but his corrected gestational age is 3wks right now.
My baby is 2 months old. He wakes up 5/6 times before he goes actually to sleep at night.
Also i end up putting him in my bed cause I am tired .
At 2 months he doesnt sleep at all in the day,hes awake from 8 to 1 am
Is a hell.
Question,for white noise I heard it’s not very recommend to have it on all night but that it has to be no louder than 50 decibels if it’s 7 feet away from crb but what if it’s next to the crib how loud does it have to be and do you recommend leaving it while baby sleeps every time or just all night?
Hey dads also*
As a mom of 3 I approve this message. Sleep training is necessary for your sanity. Without fail moms I know who do not sleep train cannot get their child to sleep easily later on in life. It’s something we are responsible for teaching them. This is exactly how I did it. Consistency is key!
Can you speak on the Montessori method of sleep training😊
Saving this video. My little will be 4 months in about 2 weeks and I’m definitely ready to teach her how to independently sleep. I’m very encouraged to know though that cuddling for a nap or 2 won’t derail the process. My babe is way too snuggly 😂
How do you feel about pacifiers?
What about the night feedings ? Don’t breastfeeded babies need to wake up every 3 hours for the feed? And if not does mother need to pump the milk during the night to support lactation ?
I was just starting to put my 2 month old down for naps during the day and then naturally he got his first ever cold. So we’re back to the start lol
I don’t do any sleep training and the thought of leaving my child alone crying is just horrible. 😢
can I apply this method while co-sleeping?
Letting a 4 month old baby cry for an hour?!
Also I’m so upset at all the “don’t do this” or “you have to do this” and sleep training is a huge debate. I’m so happy she isn’t like This. It was so relieving to here her say “if you want your baby to sleep on you, don’t hold back” because so many articles say to not do that. But like I love when my baby sleeps on me. It’s so heart warming and I only have it once with her. I don’t want to feel guilty when she does or when she sleeps in someone elses arms.
I need help! My baby used to sleep so good in her bassinet. But now she HATES IT. I tried everything!! She is only 6 weeks and only wants to sleep on me. I tried putting her Drowsy but she just wakes back up. I tried putting her in there fully alseep. Wakes back up. I tried doing a bedtime routine. I tried the heating pad trick. I’m lossing my mind. I don’t know how many times I wake up with her on my chest because that’s the only way I get sleep and I get really scard doing that. Please help. She breast feeds for comfort a lot of the time and I’m trying to wing her off of it. Expecly falling asleep on the breast. But I don’t know how to do that well either
I wish so badly that your product recommendations were more easily accessible in Canada!!! I love your videos so much but like 70% of the products you recommend on your channel aren’t available in Canada 🙁
I would NEVER leave my baby alone in the room and let her cry. It is so unnatural as we are mammals.
It's easy to get them to sleep on their own before 4 months. The earlier the better
Blah Blah and Blah.. Fishing for actual points and I couldn't
6:43 minute mark, "Most pediatricians agree that letting your baby cry for 30 minutes or even an hour is not going to hurt them." It's really irrelevant what pediatricians assume on this matter of crying it out. Medical doctors, including pediatricians, have little training in the area of emotional development and proper parent-child attachment. If parents want to let their babies cry alone for 30 to 60 minutes, that's on them, but let's not pretend that because a pediatrician says it's okay, that they actually know what they are talking about.
Hi, if I don't nurse my baby during night should I empty my breasts or I could sleep during night without pumping, my breasts feel heavy when I don't nurse during night?
Crying releases stress hormones of cortisol and is not good for developing babies. Ending night nursing removes the baby-spacing benefits of breastfeeding for most women. One way to get more sleep is to safely co-sleep. (Research James McKenna for more information.) Both mom and baby sleep well, baby nurses at will so grows properly, and usually helps keep mom from getting pregnant again too soon. Pacifiers can cause feeding issues for some breastfeeding babies and can decrease mom's supply, can contribute to ear infections, and mouth malformations. Evolutionarily speaking, a baby sleeping separate from the mother is at risk of demise as no four month old is able to run and hide from predators. The real problem is our parenting practices are at odds with eons of human development. Your method is one of cry-it-out coupled with goods (sound machines, breast pumps, nutritional supplements, classes) from which you benefit monetarily.
Im shocked at your endorsement of sleep training as it goes against the biological norm. Normally I love all your videos but I cannot support this one.
I love your work Bridget! Big fan as a fellow parenting specialist too. But this video can be harmful as parents can be tempted to let their babies cry, which is harmful and can cause neurological damage and so much more. Baby is made to wake up at night, I highly recommend cosleeping instead to get your sleep needed 🤍
Thanks for your video and tips. I have a question should you still go every 5/10/15 minutes if the baby is not crying a lot? I feel that every time I go in she cries more afterwards.
In my country if you do the sleep training, you are the worst mother ever. There is this myth that it changes baby's brain in a negative way and it floods it with cortisol.
Just some constructive criticism. Us fathers take care of our kids too. It's not only mommas that parent
thanks for this! I am 2 weeks pp and nights are brutal. Also, where did you get your sweater?
How many months should they be before sleep training? Should they be out of the newborn stage?
This the Ferber method
Hi! What age do you recommend this? Trying to get my 3 week old to get back to sleep after night feedings! He stays up for about an hour after feeding at 3 am
What am I to do w
A month old baby????
Hi Bridget. My baby is 2months old and has difficulty in passing a gas. She’s always grunting, pushing and squeezing her tummy, for like 6weeks now. It started when she was 3weeks old. She doesn’t get any sound sleep especially at night. What makes her sleep well and longed is when she’s sleeping on her tummy. Just wanna ask if it’s okay that we let her sleep on her tummy for like 3-4hours? But of course, supervised or with her the whole time. Thank you.
My daughter is 3 weeks and everytime I put her in the bassinet she kicks her legs and twisting around
Thanks
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1XJxWzNqeZw
My baby is 9 months and I need to do something! He expects me to rock him or wear his to sleep every time he sleeps. He’s still getting up every two hours at night I am exhausted idk what to do
This comment section is lit 🔥
I want to discuss sleep and general “transitioning” for my second baby coming in the fall.
With my 1st, I coslept and breastfed for 2 years. I liked having her near me because I wanted to encourage that instinct and bonding especially after she was literally part of my body for 9 months… However, I struggled with knowing when to “transition” to the next phase and I found each transition was SO agonizing for all of us.
Examples:
> when to transition from being with mom (co-sleeping or bassinet for example), to say a CRIB + if baby is right next to mom in whatever capacity and they dry or wake are you grab right away or put arm on them right away doesn’t this make them dependent on you for that instant response (not saying it’s bad) just posing question of – does it make that later transition of them self soothing etc more difficult when you suddenly aren’t responding and what does this all look like. I mean at 3am I wasn’t into letting my 1st scream and scream when she woke so that my hard working husband would then also wake up.
> when and HOW to cut off night BREASTMILK so that it’s easier and HOW/ what to do to get them to sleep and no longer be dependent on those night feedings? I felt like there was yelling and arguing because my 1st was a toddler when I finally took the milk away at night(2yrs). I couldn’t handle not getting any sleep after 2 years of giving my first my all. 🥹
Things I have been told so far:
> I have learned/heard that not letting a baby fall asleep ON you if you’re breastfeeding so they don’t associate “I only sleep if I am on mommy” is a good place to start
> putting them in a crib when they are tired but not yet asleep so they “fall” asleep in their physical space (crib)
> that using crib for naps right away when they are a newborn will more easily develop the habit as opposed to car sleeping more than a crib or a side sleeper more than a crib..
> keeping a lot of noise so they can sleep deep in noise as opposed to being a 👻 when they are asleep. My first is such a light sleeper and we never made a peep!
Sorry this is long winded. I don’t even know what my exact questions are. I just need a better flow and plan to be confident in this second time around that May have worked for several others. So please help! I am more open minded than I used to be! Any little nuance you can share I’d love to hear!!
Love your content all the time but can’t agree with this to leave my baby to cry and check stop watch for 5,10,15mins and do my own work… that’s impossible…
Help!! My 5 month old wakes every 30min to an hour ALL night! I’m trying Ferber but my baby usually falls back asleep on his own after less than 5min of crying each time, but how do I get him to stop waking up every 30min. I only go in twice to feed him and the rest of the night I let him self sooth but it’s still constant wakings! What do I do?!
Under 4 months I tried to let my baby sleep independently, but close to me. I had a bassinet bumper I didn't want to use in the bassinet (my MIL gave it to us and she's from a different era), so I set it up on the sofa so he had a dedicated sleep space. I was there to reach over to rub his belly and comfort him and respond to him during naps, and then at night we did something similar, but with the bassinet next to the bed. At about 5 months he started getting onto a more predictable sleep schedule, so we started a sort of "lite" version of sleep training during naps and got him used to falling asleep on his own while it wasn't completely dark and we were very responsive at first. Over time we slowly worked on reducing our response time and over time he just started falling asleep independently. A HUGE part of making the transition to sleeping independently was having a predicable night routine. We just moved him into his own room at 7 months and as long as we get him to sleep before he's over-tired, he'll roll over and fall asleep before we have a chance to even walk out the door. So, not that I'm an expert, but I would highly recommend doing it a little at a time instead of all at once. It took 3 nights to successfully sleep train him at night once we were ready to officially start. And he gets LOTS of snuggles, so he actually looks forward to being put down and rest.
My baby is almost 12m and nurses to sleep it’s a nightmare 😭😭 i don’t know what to do