Sleep Training Guide

After discussing in the last post about sleep regression, let’s find the solution to the problem. Here is a concise sleep training guide but it can be tailored as per the needs of the baby and the family and so every family might have a different sleep schedule.

It is important to understand that babies sleep in short cycles of between forty-five and sixty minutes (depending on their age). At the end of this sleep cycle one of two things happens: they either immediately start a new cycle, or they wake if something alerts them (that something could be hunger, thirst, pain, fear, discomfort, a need for human contact, or a wet diaper).

If something is wrong, physiologically or psychologically, they need their parent’s help to start a new cycle. The babies who ‘sleep through’ are either naturally calm and connecting sleep cycles because nothing is wrong, or they have been trained to not communicate their problems to their parents through some form of mainstream (cry-based) sleep training.” -The Gentle Sleep Book.

It is recommended starting sleep training when your baby is between 4 and 6 months old. By about 4 months, babies have typically started to develop a regular sleep-wake cycle and dropped most of their night feedings. These are signs they may be ready to start sleep training.

However, from as early as 2 weeks one can introduce a light bedtime routine with a new born. A bath before turning the lights down around 7-8pm and dressing the baby for sleeping helps associating bath time with being put down for the long sleep session.

The bedtime needs to be consistent and positive which means simply making sure to do roughly the same thing every night so they create strong and consistent sleep associations with going to bed at this time.

• Location- Whenever possible, when your baby naps during the day, let them do so in their bed space/cribs or wherever baby is going to be sleeping at night. It will help baby to associate their bed with sleep and give them a better idea of what they’re supposed to do when you put them there at night!
• Routine is everything. Babies thrive on routine, so it’s never too early to start one at bedtime. A line-up as simple as feed, change, snuggle, story/music can be sufficient for your little one.Set the mood. Make sure you’re giving your baby all the tools for a good night’s sleep. Consider the temperature, the dim lights, silence. You need to find what works best for your baby and stick to it.
• Night feeds - Nursing moms should try to avoid having nursing be the final activity prior to sleep onset. Ideally, the other parent should put the child to bed. When you feed your little one at night, make sure they know that’s all that is happening! No playing, no extra cuddling up, no talking or singing to the baby.

For toddlers, bedtime should include enjoyable, positive activities like stories and songs, with the last part occurring where the child sleeps.

Bedtime should be short and sweet (<45 minutes). Meaning that you go to the bathroom, then the bedroom, then lights out. Keep things simple and moving. Don’t move your child towards bed, then away, then towards it again.If your child has an aversion to being in their bedroom, it’s important to spend some pleasant, fun time playing there during the day to emphasize that it is a positive place.

Most experts simplify sleep training in these two approaches:

• The “cry it out” approach: The behavioural term for ignoring an undesirable behaviour. Obviously most parents don’t love the term. So every time you check on your awake baby, the interaction should be very brief and without physical contact.
• “Camping out” is another evidence based gentle sleep training method consisting of gradually withdrawing your presence from your child’s room at sleep time. It may result in less crying and be a better fit for some families, but takes longer than “cry it out.
• Even after sleep training, children will wake up multiple times each Night, and may roll over, move briefly, or make vocalizations. The key is that after sleep training, they will be able to put themselves back to sleep after these short awakenings.