Extinction Or Cry It Out
The idea behind extinction is that you want to extinguish the behaviour by not responding to it. As with the check-and-console method, go through your bedtime routine, put them in their crib awake, say good night and walk out. This is certainly the most controversial sleep-training method, and even experts disagree on what you should do nextit all depends on what stage your baby is at developmentally, as well as what works for the parents.
McGinn, for example, suggests leaving your baby until the morning, unless youve predetermined that they still need a feed in the night. That first night can be rough, says McGinn. They could be up every hour crying.
Mitelman, on the other hand, recommends that parents wait for at least one or two wake-ups before going back into the room. Then, if the baby wakes up after midnight, she believes its OK to go back in, comfort your baby for a few minutes and then leave again. She also supports scheduling in regular night-time feeds if your baby still needs them.
Sleep Training: How To Start The Moment You Bring Baby Home
Sleep training a newborn is all about establishing a good routine and developing the sleep habits that will become an important part of their lives. Its about teaching them how the world works when we sleep, when we eat and when we play in order to be a functional human being. Sleep training a child is a long process, and the earlier they can learn, the easier it will be in the long run. By following a strict routine with a newborn, you may even be able to avoid sleep training in the future.
The goal of this sleep training guide is to:
- Help your newborn baby identify the difference between day time and night time.
- Establish a daily routine that focuses on healthy sleep habits.
- Lay the foundation for stricter sleep training at a later age.
- Help you predict what your baby needs and recognize the reason they are crying.
The reason why sleep training a newborn is so essential is because sleep at this age is instinctual and not something they have learned to fight . This promotes a much more positive experience for both parent and baby. Remaining positive throughout the sleep training process is important to successful sleep training as the child gets older.
Here is a guide to sleep training a newborn , which includes routines to follow during the day, at nap time, bedtime and in the middle of the night.
Day : You Sleep Soundly Too
Give yourself a big pat on the back. Not only have you regained your sleep, but you’ve given your baby an important gift: Good sleep habits are as critical as good hygiene to a child’s well-being. Of course, there will be setbacks, such as an illness, a new sibling, or an unfamiliar hotel room. “Even children who are good sleepers will have problems now and then,” says Dr. Givan. But fall back on our foolproof plan whenever the need arises. Your child will respond with even less difficulty the second time around because they already know the drill.
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Which Sleep Training Methods Are Best
There are a number of different sleep training methods. When youâre deciding which method to choose, consider how old your child is and what youâd like to achieve.
For example, some sleep training techniques work best for a child who wakes in the night and canât get back to sleep, while others could help a baby or toddler get used to falling asleep without a parent in the room.
The sleep training routines below usually take a couple of weeks or longer to work. Itâs important to apply them consistently.
Your health visitor can offer personalised advice, but here are a few of the sleep training methods you might consider using:
Whats The Right Age For Sleep Training
Most sleep coaches say the ideal time to start sleep training is based on your babys development, but is usually somewhere between four and six months, when your baby hasnt had much time to get used to nursing or rocking to sleep. At this stage, most babies are also developmentally ready to learn the skill of falling asleep on their own, explains Jennifer Garden, an occupational therapist who runs Sleepdreams in Vancouver. Around four months of age, some babies go through a sleep regression because their sleep cycles change and there are longer periods of lighter sleep per cycle. Its a great time to work on independent sleep skills, says McGinn. Other babies slumber derails around this time because they are working on new skills, like moving around and rolling. Some parents choose to wait until things settle down before embarking on a sleep-training method, but you dont have to, says McGinn.
If your baby is older than six months, dont worry, McGinn says: Its never too late to develop good sleep habits. Dickinson says he finds nine months to be a bit of a sweet spot for parents in terms of getting babies to sleep through the night. They are at a good age for understanding routines and dont need to eat during the night, he explains.
Recommended Reading: How Big Are Newborn Diapers
A Note About Sids: Safe Sleep Is Critically Important
No one likes to talk about sudden infant death syndrome it is a terrifying topic. SIDS is defined as the sudden death of an infant, which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation. These deaths occur in the first year of life, with the highest risk occurring between 2 and 6 months of age. Fortunately, these deaths are becoming less common, thanks in large part to the early 90s Back to Sleep campaign, which urged parents to place infants to sleep on their backs. Suffocation is also a major risk for infants if they do not sleep in a safe sleeping environment.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended the following practices, which have been demonstrated to make sleep safer for babies:
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Put your child to sleep on her back only .
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Use a firm mattress with no loose pillows, blankets, stuffed animals or any other soft materials that can cause suffocation. This includes crib bumpers and sleep positioners.
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Avoid tobacco smoke, alcohol or drug exposure during pregnancy and in infancy.
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Encourage use of a pacifier through at least 6 months of age by offering it at bedtime and nap time.
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Obtain all regular childhood immunizations.
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Avoid overheating. Your child needs only one more layer than you are wearing.
Consider The Camping Out Method
Camping out involves gradually withdrawing your presence from your childs room over the course of a week or two. This method is a good fit for parents who are not comfortable with prolonged crying, although it is important to recognize that, for some children, there is no such thing as a no-cry solution. The downside is that camping out takes longer than C.I.O.
Lets say you rock your child to sleep every night. A camping out protocol might look like this:
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Days 13: Instead of rocking, you stand by his crib and rub his back.
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Days 46: You sit by your childs bedside but do not touch him.
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Days 7-9: You move your chair to midway between your childs bedside and the door.
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Days 1012: You sit in your chair by the door to the room.
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Days 1315: You sit outside the door but where your child can still see you.
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Days 1618: You sit out of sight but provide verbal reassurance, either by sitting outside the room or via a two-way monitor.
During this process, its O.K. to talk to your baby and reassure him that hes alright, that you love him and that its time to go to sleep. If it seems to be working, you can move more quickly through the steps.
Also Check: How Often Do Newborns Need A Bath
When To Call The Doctor
Never hesitate to check in with your babys doctor if you want guidance on when and how to begin sleep training. If you follow a sleep training method consistently and its still not working after two weeks, you may want to call your doctor for tips and advice.
And while its not usually a health concern if baby spits up or throws up once or twice while crying it out, it can be upsetting and jarring for everyone involved. Plus, if it happens more than once, it could be a sign that baby is sick or that this isn’t the right approach for your family. Talk to your pediatrician to see what’s going on.
Sleep training often involves tears for both you and your baby at first. But with time, consistency and a bit of luck, youll soon be sleeping peacefully, and your little one will have learned the valuable life skill of how to fall and stay asleep all on her own.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
- What to Expect the First Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff.
- Elizabeth Murray, D.O., F.A.A.P., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
How Long Does Sleep Training Take
After three to four nights of methods like Ferber or cry it out, many babies are sleep trained .
Other training methods in particular bedtime fading, the chair method and pick up, put down will likely take longer, and some methods wont work at all for some babies.
Be consistent with the sleep training method youve chosen for two full weeks to give it a chance to work.
Read Also: How Much Oz Should A Newborn Drink
Once Down For The Night Do Not Wake Baby Up To Eat
Newborns need to eat on a regular schedule, but because you have been pumping them full of food during the day, you can worry a little bit less about how much they are eating at night. They WILL wake up when they are hungry but it should be longer than 2 hour intervals. The older and bigger they get, the longer they will be able to go without a midnight snack.
Use a baby monitor to listen for when baby wakes up, and try to get to them as soon as possible. Try not to let baby cry for too long, as this will stimulate them more than necessary. Newborns will normally only wake up to feed so there is no point in letting them cry it out.
How Do You Get Your Baby To Go To Sleep And Sleep Through The Night
He may accomplish that milestone on his own, soon. Or he may need a little help from you to learn how to put himself to sleep, not just at bedtime but throughout the night. All humans have sleep cycles that take us into slightly wakened states during the night, and we all need to learn the skill of falling back into a deep sleep.
You’ll be interested to know that most babies around the world either do not fall asleep without being held, or do not sleep all night long in their own crib. It simply isn’t a “normal” thing for babies to do, biologically speaking. But all babies can learn to sleep alone, if you’re up for teaching.
The key to supporting your baby to learn to fall asleep on her own is to remember that all humans wake slightly many times during the night, as they transition during sleep cycles. So the key is for the baby to learn to fall back asleep when they wake, without your help.
Happily, that can be done without traumatizing your child. Do you need to sleep-train? No. You can teach babies to fall asleep without the sleep associations of rocking or sucking, and without leaving them to cry. This is not an overnight process — it can take months — but it does work. And once they know how to fall asleep by themselves , they are more likely to be able to put themselves back to sleep when they wake slightly at night, rather than calling for your help.
Also Check: How To Help Stuffy Nose In Newborn
How To Sleep Train With Parent Led Sleep Training
The basics of parent-led sleep training are:
- Wake your baby to eat every 3 hours during the day.
- Dont let them sleep through a feeding.
- Dont nurse your baby to sleep, except at the bedtime feeding.
- Teach baby how to self-soothe.
- Dont rush in to get them at the first peep they make during a nap. See if they can get themselves to sleep.
These are principles, not militant rules. There are obviously a lot of situations where you need to make a judgement call based on your observations of baby.
Several years ago, I wrote a short & sweet ebook guide about the way we got all 4 of our kids to sleep through the night at a really young age. It includes tons of info about helping baby get on a feeding/ sleeping schedule as a newborn. Plus it has lots of sleep-related tips. Thousands of parents have read it and raved about it you can check it out here!
Happy parenting!!
The Check And Console Method
A variation of the Ferber method, the Check and Console method encourages parents to check on their baby and console them before they even start to cry.
For example, on the first few nights, parents may leave the room and enter a minute or two later to tell them they love them or to give them a soft pat. Parents keep leaving the room and checking back in, gradually increasing the intervals to about 15 minutes, until they fall asleep.
This method can take longer up to a week and requires more involvement from the parents. Be attentive to how your baby responds with the Check and Console method. Checking in may excite them and make them more upset when you leave, in which case another method may be a better option.
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Sleep Troubles Watch Out For Signs Of Sleep Apnea
Around 2 to 3 percent of children suffer from sleep apnea infants can be affected too. Apnea means cessation of breathing, so a child who has sleep apnea can experience episodes in which they stop breathing for a few seconds during sleep. Read this guide to know more about sleep apnea in children.
Sleep apnea is a medical condition. If you notice your baby displaying any symptoms of sleep apnea, consult your doctor immediately. Sleep is essential to the growth and development of babies and older children, so anything that can disrupt your childs sleep, especially a medical condition, should be taken seriously.