Daytime Sleep Training: Is It Possible?

Sleep training is the process of teaching your baby to fall asleep by themselves. It is recommended that sleep training begins when babies are between 4 and 6 months old, as this is when they are old enough to learn to self-soothe and may no longer require night feedings. Sleep training is not synonymous with the cry-it-out method, and there are a variety of gentler approaches that can be just as effective. While sleep training can be emotionally challenging for parents, there is no evidence that it is harmful to babies.

When to start sleep training

Sleep training is the process of teaching your baby to fall asleep by themselves. It is important to wait until your baby is old enough to begin sleep training, as attempting it too early can be ineffective and frustrating for both parent and child.

Babies are typically ready to begin sleep training at around 4-6 months old. By this age, babies are usually old enough to learn to self-soothe, and they may no longer require night feedings. It is also around this time that a baby's sleep cycles begin to mature, and their circadian rhythm starts to take effect.

If your baby is falling asleep on their own at night, even if they wake up throughout, they are most likely ready for sleep training.

There is no "perfect" age for sleep training. Babies can be developmentally ready as early as 5 months old, and sleep training can be appropriate up until the age of 5. The best age for sleep training is whenever you decide it is right for your family.

No, sleep training a newborn (0-4 months old) is not developmentally appropriate. However, you can still work towards great sleep during these months without formal sleep training.

Yes, you can sleep train a toddler. Sleep training a toddler differs from sleep training a baby because toddlers have more independence and a better understanding that they have a choice. This presents unique challenges, as they can choose to sleep or not to sleep.

Yes, there are several reasons why you might want to delay sleep training:

• Your baby is younger than 5 months old.
• Your baby is sick or has an underlying health condition.
• Your baby is about to cut a tooth.
• You are planning to travel within the next month.
• You are going to have visitors stay with you.
• You are expecting a big transition, such as adding a sibling or moving house.
• You are not feeling ready to start sleep training.

If you are unsure, it is always best to check with your baby's pediatrician first.

Cry it out method

The Cry-It-Out (CIO) method is one of the most well-known sleep training techniques. It involves putting your baby to bed when they are tired but still awake, and leaving the room until the morning or their next scheduled night feed. This method teaches babies the skill of putting themselves to sleep and can be difficult for parents to carry out. However, it often works the quickest.

Prepare your baby for sleep

Before putting your baby to bed, ensure they have eaten, have a clean diaper, and that their crib is safe.

Say goodnight

Kiss and hug your baby and end the bedtime routine. Try to avoid picking them up if they start to fuss.

Leave the room

Your baby will likely protest and cry after you leave the room. Remember that they are crying because they want you to respond to their wants, but you have already met their needs. Only respond to needs, not wants.

Let your baby cry

For the CIO method to work, consistency is critical. Do not enter the room once you have put your baby down. Let your baby cry until they fall asleep, which they inevitably will. Some babies may protest for 25 minutes, while others may take an hour or longer.

Be consistent and patient

By being consistent and patient, you give the CIO method the best chance of success. Remember that your baby will inevitably take time to master the skill of falling asleep independently.

When to use the CIO method

Pediatricians recommend that you do not start sleep training, including the CIO method, until your baby has reached at least 12 weeks of age and weighs 12 pounds. Babies are most ready for sleep training from 16 weeks of age.

Benefits of the CIO method

The CIO method teaches babies the important skill of self-soothing, which will help them fall asleep independently. It also gives parents more sleep, improves infants' sleep quality, and increases secure attachment between babies and caregivers.

Ferber method

The Ferber method, also known as "graduated extinction", is a sleep-training strategy developed by Dr. Richard Ferber, a pediatrician and director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital Boston. It is a popular technique that teaches babies to fall asleep independently.

The Ferber method is a modified version of the "cry-it-out" method, which involves leaving a child to cry until they fall asleep. In contrast, the Ferber method allows parents to provide periodic reassurances to their crying child. This method is designed to eliminate a child's association between sleep onset and their caregiver's actions or presence.

Here's how it works:

After a set bedtime routine, place your drowsy infant in their crib while they're still awake and then leave the room. If they cry, wait for a short period of time (Ferber suggests three minutes on the first night) before returning to the room to briefly comfort them. Comforting can involve patting the baby or speaking in a soothing voice, but it should not involve picking them up, feeding them, or turning on the light. This reassurance should last only a minute or two.

Leave the room again and gradually increase the time before returning—Ferber suggests five minutes for the second interval. If necessary, come back in and briefly comfort them again, and then leave while they're still awake. Continue this process, extending the wait time to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and so on, until they fall asleep without you being in the room. If your child wakes up in the middle of the night, repeat this process to help them go back to sleep.

On the second day, allow your baby to cry for gradually increasing intervals, starting with five minutes, then 10 minutes, and so on. On the third day, begin with 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, and so forth. The idea is that after a few days of slowly increasing the waiting time, most babies will learn to fall asleep on their own, knowing that their parent is not going to pick them up when they cry.

The key to success with the Ferber method is consistency. All caregivers must be on the same page, and any lapse in consistency may reinforce the child's dependence on the caregiver's presence for sleep. It's important to note that this method may be challenging for parents, as it can be difficult to hear their baby cry.

The Ferber method is generally recommended for children between 4 to 6 months old, as this is when infants are biologically capable of sleeping through the night. However, some babies may still need help from caregivers to fall back to sleep, as their circadian rhythm is not fully formed until around 6 months of age.

Research has shown that the Ferber method yields positive sleep outcomes for healthy, typically developing children. It increases their willingness to go to bed and decreases the number of times they wake up at night. Additionally, there is no evidence of long-term negative effects on children's mental health or their relationships with their caregivers.

Chair method

The chair method is a gentle sleep training technique that involves putting your child down, sitting in a chair close to the crib, comforting your baby if necessary, and then gradually moving the chair toward the door each night until you're finally out of the room. This method is ideal for children who are calmed by parental presence during sleep training and for parents who want to be quite hands-on throughout the training process.

Night 1:

• Place a chair about 1 foot from your baby's crib.
• Perform your baby's bedtime routine (feed your baby before you begin the bedtime routine).
• Put your baby on their back in bed when they're calm and sleepy but still awake. Avoid cradling, rocking, or feeding them to sleep, as you want your baby to know where they are falling asleep so they don't wake up confused and cry for you.
• Say "Good night!" and leave the room.
• If your baby cries, return to the room, sit in the chair, and offer soft, calm verbal reassurances until your baby calms.
• When your baby settles and falls asleep, leave the room.
• If your baby cries out again, return to the chair.

Night 2:

For your second night, move your chair back another foot and repeat the process as you did on night 1: leave the room and re-enter only if your baby cries out.

Night 3 and beyond:

On night 3, move your chair another foot further away. Then, on subsequent nights, continue moving the chair further away by a foot or so each night—until your chair is in the hallway and your baby is falling asleep independently.

It's important to note that the chair method is a gradual process that requires time, consistency, and patience. It may take a couple of weeks to see results, and there may be some crying involved. However, this method can be a more comforting option for both parents and babies compared to other sleep training techniques.

Bedtime fading method

The bedtime fading method is a "no-cry" technique for aligning your child's internal clock with your desired bedtime. It is a gentle approach that can be used on toddlers, older children, and children with developmental disorders.

• Estimate your child's sleep needs and set a realistic goal for their bedtime and morning wake-up time. Consider their age, daily activities, and individual differences in sleep needs.
• Address factors that might interfere with your child's ability to become drowsy at the desired bedtime. This could include late afternoon naps, caffeine consumption, or exposure to bright light in the evening.
• Figure out when your child typically falls asleep each night and set a new bedtime that is 15 to 30 minutes later.
• Engage your child in calm, pre-sleep activities to keep them awake until the newly appointed bedtime. This helps them associate bedtime with an easy transition to sleep.
• Observe how your child responds to the new bedtime. If they fall asleep within 15 minutes, stick to this new schedule for another night. If they take longer, adjust by making the bedtime even later (by 15 to 30 minutes) the next night.
• Once your child has successfully fallen asleep within 15 minutes for two consecutive nights, introduce a slightly earlier bedtime.
• Throughout this process, expose your child to crucial circadian cues by awakening them at the same time each morning, even if it means they won't get enough sleep for the day. This helps reset their circadian rhythms and shift their internal clock to an earlier schedule.
• Continue with bedtime fading, making adjustments as needed, until you reach your goal bedtime. This process may take a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the desired adjustment.

The bedtime fading method is different from other sleep training techniques like "cry-it-out" or the Ferber Method. It focuses on addressing the physiological causes of bedtime resistance and teaching children how to fall asleep promptly without tears or protest. It is designed to change the brain's internal clock and give children the biological tools they need for a peaceful bedtime routine.

Frequently asked questions