SLEEP TRAINING METHODS
Sleep training does not have to mean
“Cry It Out”
One of the most common questions we receive at MyBaby Sleepology is “Do I have to use the 'Cry It Out' method when sleep training my baby?” While the method of Extinction / Cry It Out can be super effective, there are other methods to consider when choosing a method to sleep train your baby. As a matter of fact, we have worked with thousands of families and only about 15% choose the Extinction method!
Ultimately, the two most important components to sleep training are timing and consistency:
Timing: If you are missing their optimal sleep window even if by 15-20 min, cortisol will kick in, which is a stress hormone and stimulant and it can cause it to be tough for a baby to fall asleep, trigger night wakings, and/or early rising. Timing will likely change on a daily basis when you first begin!
Consistency: When choosing a sleep training method, you will want to pick one you can be consistent with. Choose one you feel comfortable with and that is aligned with your child's temperament so that you can send consistent messages to your little one so they can learn the fastest!
Let’s dig in to the different sleep methods:
Cry It Out / Extinction (high cry tolerance): You would go through their bedtime routine, place your baby down in their crib awake, say goodnight, and leave the room. Once you place him down at bedtime, you will not go back to his room until morning, barring safety instincts or a poopy diaper/diaper leak. This method gives him the opportunity to fall asleep completely on his own, without assistance or interference. Allowing him the freedom to self-soothe in the safety of his designated sleep space will teach him how to return to sleep on his own.
Ferber (medium cry tolerance): You would go through their bedtime routine, place your baby down in their crib awake, say goodnight, and leave the room. You would start a timer from the point of an escalated cry for a designated interval. Once you have reached the time limit, you would go in and console your baby for 1-2 minutes without physically lifting them from the crib. They may calm down and fall asleep after you have left. If not, you would restart the timer for your next designated interval and continue going in and checking on your baby for 1-2 minutes until they fall asleep. *Chart located below*
Pick Up Put Down (low cry tolerance): You would go through their bedtime routine, place your baby down in their crib awake, say goodnight, and leave the room. Once they begin crying you would go back in to console. Try doing as much consoling from their crib as possible. If they cannot be consoled from their crib, you would pick them up until they calm down or for 3-4 minutes maximum. Place them back down and continue this cycle until they are able to fall asleep.
With any method you choose, you want to prepare for those first few nights being the toughest. Sleep training as a whole is a 3-4 week process, but as you hold steady to your plan and focus on that optimal timing it will all come together.
If you need help choosing a method (methods can be modified!) and nailing timing to ensure you are setting your baby up for success, reach out!
