5 Baby Sleep Training Methods
There are many sleep training methods that are posted online. Every baby is different and their weight is different. Some babies are big and have more meat on them and some are small. It’s different for every parent, especially if this is your first child, you have to train your child to sleep the hours that work for you. If you are a stay at home mom, then you have more flexibility. If you are a student or have a job, then you have a different type of flexibility. Regardless, all babies are going to have their cranky time and all children are going to nap at different times and sleep either all night or sleep on and off depending on their weight. Just remember, if you are a stay at home mom, never wake your child up! Your baby will wake up when he or she is hungry. If you breastfeed, your baby is more likely to wake up more often because breastmilk is very nutritious but also digests quickly. The formula is made pretty close now to breast milk and is very filling. Once babies reach the 9-pound mark, they tend to sleep through the night. This doesn’t mean all babies because you always get the colicky ones in the bunch.
75 years ago, there wasn’t this sleep training method that was published. Mothers just worked with their babies and let them cry or rocked them to sleep. Rocking is the best method by far because you bond well with your child. In addition, rocking is a great way to get your child to sleep. Swaddling your child is also very secure for your baby and helps them to sleep.
Here are the Top 5 Sleep Training Methods
Letting your baby cry to sleep is not considered the best method. It’s time to let them start to learn how to soothe themselves occasionally. This helps to teach the baby how to get enough sleep and baby also learns a little independence.
- Lay your baby down as he or she becomes sleepy and don’t come back unless you are worried about danger. This is a good technique to use when your baby feeds off your energy and cries when you are in the room. It’s very important to be in tune with your baby’s temperament. All mother’s want to be able to fix all of their child’s issues, but more often than not, they tend to annoy a newborn as they adjust to their new world.
- Check on baby and comfort, make sure you pick a time of the day that you are comfortable with. Usually, 3 minutes is enough. This allows your baby some time to soothe themselves. You can check and console them briefly for a few minutes and then quietly step away. You should repeat the process and increase the time that you check on your baby by a few minutes daily.
- Pick your child up and put them back down. You may put your baby back down to sleep when they appear to be sleepy. If the baby starts to cry, you may step back into the room and pick up your baby and rock them or pat their backs until they calm down. You may then lay your baby down while they are awake and make sure you do this so they don’t get the habit of falling asleep in your arms.
- Chair Idea means you can stay in the room with your baby until he or she falls asleep. You may also lay the baby down if they are sleepy but still awake. Choose a chair that is comfortable in your baby’s room and soothes your baby from the chair, you can talk softly or sing softly to your baby from the chair. Every couple of days, move the chair a bit closer to the door and eventually, you can move the chair out of the room.
- Quiet return means that whenever your little person leaves the room, you quietly take them back to bed. Don’t speak to your toddler unless you do so very softly. Remember don’t go into the room of your toddler if they don’t come out.
Sleep is just another behavior that your child learns and teaching your child when it’s time to sleep takes patience and some time. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Many people ask what sleep training actually is all about? This is a very simple answer, it’s a technique of helping a baby learn to sleep all through the night. Some babies learn quickly, and others have more problems and want to fight sleep. Some have trouble falling asleep if someone wakes them up.
People ask when they should start to train their babies to go to sleep. The answer is between four and six months. Around four months old, babies start to learn a normal sleep and wake cycle and slow down on some of their night feedings. This is a sign that they are ready for sleep training. Some babies this age are able to sleep for longer periods of time at night.
Every baby is different and some might not be ready for this type of training until they are older. There are some babies that sleep through the night at an early age, and others that won’t sleep through the night until they are close to a year. Ask your doctor if you are confused on whether your child is ready for sleep training.
There are ways to prepare for sleep training by using the same bedtime routine. You can choose to start your baby as young as 6 weeks if you want and don’t worry if you decide to wait until they are older. A good way to put the baby to sleep is by giving them a warm bath before their bedtime. There are many calming bathing soaps and lotions that put your baby to sleep. You certainly would love a warm bath and a massage to be able to fall asleep at night.
You don’t have to use a sleep training method at all for your baby. Most parents choose these types of methods when they are tired and frustrated and nothing else is working. If you and baby and your family are happy, then carry on and do what you do best. All families have different levels of tolerance. Some parents have patience while others are higher strung and nervous about everything. Some of your children maybe early risers and therefore, they choose to retire early. Other children may be more of a night owl and choose to fall asleep a bit later. None of us are the same and remember, all sleep patterns change when any baby or child is sick.
