5 baby sleep training methods you could try
An essential guide for new parents!
We’re exploring five of the most popular sleep methods parents can try with their baby. One thing new parenthood is sure to change is your understanding of ‘lack of sleep’. Getting shut-eye should be easy, right?
If you thought losing a couple of hours of sleep due to a late dinner was exhausting, wait until your baby arrives. You’ll face their round-the-clock needs and upside-down sleep schedules.
While this sleep disturbance may seem daunting, the post-baby surge of oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone that helps you bond with your baby, will carry you through. And if you accept your sleeping habits won’t be the same for some time, you will find it easier to deal with the disruption.
Baby’s circadian rhythms and sleep training
It might also help to lower your expectations of bub’s sleeping habits. It takes a couple of months for a baby’s circadian rhythms, which help regulate sleep, to kick in. Until then, it’s impossible for your baby to tell the difference between night and day, so sleep routines based on times of day are unrealistic.
However, babies respond to structure and predictability, and implementing a feed, play, sleep cycle from early on can help. From three months of age, your little one starts to become more alert. If you haven’t already, now is the time to introduce sleep associations – such as bath, perhaps a baby massage, book and bed – to set them on the right path.
It’s also important to have a good quality nappy that will keep your baby dry and comfortable. Try Huggies Newborn Nappies, which have a zinc-enriched enriched layer, and 12-hour leakage protection.
Babies need to learn how to sleep
Remember, sleep is actually a skill that needs to be learned. If you do the hard yards early on, you will reap the rewards into toddlerhood and beyond.
Check that Baby’s sleep space is as cosy as it can be – include a room thermometer, blackout curtains and night light, for example. Opt for a cosy sleep suit like ergoPouch 1.0 TOG Long Sleeve Layer that can be worn under sleeping bags for a comfortable and safe sleep.
For your own peace of mind, consider a room monitor or a wearable sleep monitor such as Owlet Smart Sock Baby Monitor that fits on your baby’s foot and can be worn from newborn to 18 months old. The Owlet connects to an app on your phone and will alert you if your little one’s heart rate and oxygen levels change.
If your baby is unsettled after feeding, and this is perhaps interrupting their sleep, you could try a product like Infants’ Friend Oral Liquid. This natural product combines chamomile, dill seed oil and lemon balm to soothe symptoms of wind, indigestion, and restless sleep. It can be used from newborn, too.
So now, to those all importnat sleep methods… do you pat your baby, walk away or follow a strict routine?
Scroll down to learn about five sleeping techniques that might work for you and your baby…
1. ‘No crying’ sleep method
Key principles: Babies shouldn’t be left to cry for more than a few minutes because crying creates a negative sleep association, which may be detrimental.
How to do it: Use whatever method works best for them, whether it’s nursing, rocking, responding to crying or altering feeding and sleeping schedules to improve sleep patterns.
Benefits of no crying method: This baby-centric approach minimises upset to parents, baby and family.
Pitfalls: Having to respond to your baby the second they cry can become exhausting.
2. Gradual retreat sleep training
Key principles: Works on the basis that you can gradually distance yourself and still let your bub learn to fall asleep on their own. The aim is to have a baby who’s happy being alone at bedtime and so is happy when they wakes alone at night and can then self-settle.
How to do it: Make sure your baby is awake when you put them in the cot, but maintain contact, such as a hand on their chest, until they fall asleep. Over time, you sit further away from the cot until they nod off when you’re outside the room.
Benefits of gradual retreat method: This isn’t a quick fix, but your baby will learn that their cot is a safe place to be.
Pitfalls: Parents often get stuck and never make it out of the room!
3. Gina Ford sleep training
Key principles: By creating routines that match a baby’s natural sleep and feeding needs, Gina Ford, author of The New Contented Little Baby Book, claims to prevent the hunger and overtiredness that can upset young babies. Setting up good feeding and sleeping patterns will enable you to meet your baby’s needs, and parenthood will be satisfying for all.
How to do it: Follow the 10 different routines, as outlined in the book, from birth to 12 months. The routines include hour-by-hour and week-by-week guidance on sleep times, feeds and bedtime rituals.
Benefits of Gina Ford method: According to Ford, you should have a baby who sleeps through the night by eight to 12 weeks. Your baby will be happy, feed regularly and well and be less likely to suffer colic. You’ll be a calm and contented parent, too. For many modern mums who like routine and organisation, this method can work a treat.
Pitfalls: Ford runs a tight ship – every hour of the day is accounted for, down to when you eat, drink and visit friends! The routines are strict and your ability to leave the house limited at first. Do you fancy letting Bub fall asleep on your chest and simply marvelling at their breathing for the next two hours? Not on Ford’s time, you won’t.
4. EASY sleep method
Key principles: Devised by Tracy Hogg, maternity nurse and author of Secrets of The Baby Whisperer, EASY is an acronym for Eat, Activity, Sleep, You. As in, eat food, have some activity, get sleep and have time for you.
How to do it: It’s a recurring routine (the duration of which changes as your baby grows) that involves food, play, then a nap. While they sleep, you rest or get jobs done. You don’t focus on the clock, you focus on your baby, and by learning their body language and cues for hunger, tiredness and interaction, you know what they need.
Just as important, you also know what they need (for example, you don’t feed them when all they really want is a sleep). Hogg helps you identify what your unique baby wants and what might work for them.
Benefits of E.A.S.Y method: This technique emphasises the importance of a routine to create a safe and structured environment for your bub, which is something nearly every sleep expert swears by. But this is not a strict, time-based schedule, and it is flexible and easy to implement. Following this routine will give you confidence to understand your baby, resulting in a good eater, an independent player and a sound sleeper. Amen!
Pitfalls: If your baby refuses to sleep when you want them to and won’t naturally fall into a routine, this technique can be tricky to follow.
5. Controlled crying sleep training (six months plus)
Key principles: We’ve included this method so you have it up your sleeve for when your bubs is a little older, as it’s not recommended babies under six months of age. Dr Richard Ferber proposed ‘controlled crying’ in 1985 to teach a baby to fall asleep on their own. His book Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems was revised in 2006.
How to do it: Put your baby in their cot awake and leave the room. Return after a few minutes to comfort them with words or touch, without looking at them or picking them up. Leave the room and wait increasingly longer times between visits to comfort baby.
Benefits of controlled crying method: It can be effective and you can see improvements within less than a week.
Pitfalls: Some research suggests crying for long periods causes emotional distress; other studies have disproved this. It can be hard for you and, of course, can’t be done with newborns.
RELATED ARTICLES:
8 heaters to help winter-proof your baby’s nursery
