Is Your Baby Ready for Sleep Training? These are the Signs to Look For
Sleep training can be a valuable tool in helping babies develop healthy sleep habits. But how do you know if your baby is ready for sleep training? In this blog post, I will be exploring key signs that indicate your baby may benefit from sleep training. Understanding these signs will help you make an informed decision and help your baby get the sleep they need to thrive!
Frequent Night Wakings
If your baby is consistently waking multiple times during the night and struggling to fall back asleep, it may be an indication that they will benefit from sleep training. When done effectively, sleep training helps babies learn self-soothing skills which leads to consolidated nighttime sleep.
Difficulty Falling Asleep Independently
Babies who rely on external sleep associations, such as rocking, nursing, or being held to sleep, tend to wake more frequently throughout the night and signal for help falling back to sleep between sleep cycles. Sleep training will empower your baby with the skills to fall back to sleep easily at night, leading to consolidated stretches of sleep.
Inconsistent or Irregular Sleep Patterns
If your baby's sleep patterns are highly unpredictable, with varying nighttime wakings and irregular bedtimes, sleep training may be the answer you have been looking for. Additionally, by implementing a consistent bedtime routine, it will help regulate their body's internal clock and promote consistent and restorative sleep.
Daytime Sleep Difficulties
Sleep training can also be helpful if your baby struggles with daytime naps. If they have short or inconsistent naps or refuse to nap altogether, it may indicate a need for sleep training. Teaching them to self-soothe for naps and establishing a consistent nap routine can lead to sufficient daytime sleep, which, in turn, can fosters better quality sleep at night!
I always recommend starting the sleep training process at night and the following morning begin the process of nap training.
Nap training typically takes much longer than sleep training. When I work with clients, their babies are typically sleeping through the night in under a week, whereas nap training can take up to a month. The process takes time and patience, but giving your baby the ability to nap independently during the day will ensure they can get the sleep they need to fully enjoy their wake time (and will give you a much-needed break too!).
Displaying Signs of Exhaustion
Persistent sleep difficulties that significantly impact your baby's well-being and daily functioning may be a clear sign that sleep training is necessary. If your baby consistently shows signs of overtiredness, is excessively fussy at bedtime, wakes shortly after being put down to sleep, or experiences delays in reaching important developmental milestones due to inadequate sleep, it's crucial to consider sleep training as a potential solution (babies’ brain synapses are actually formed DURING sleep!).
Age, weight, and medical advice
There are many thoughts (and VERY strong opinions) on the best age to begin sleep training. There are some who say you should never sleep train, others say start at 6 months, while still others recommend beginning as early as 8 weeks! Confusing huh?
When I was a night nanny, I would use very gradual sleep conditioning methods aimed at helping a baby slowly develop self-soothing skills. I would also work on stretching the time between nighttime feedings. By the time the contract with my families was up (typically when the baby was 12-14 weeks old), their baby would be sleeping 11-12 hours a night. And those babies did AWESOME!
Since transitioning my business solely to sleep training, I now offer both my in-home and virtual sleep training services starting at 4 months of age, given that your baby is a minimum of 12 pounds. I also always recommend my clients ask their pediatrician before dropping nighttime feedings and beginning sleep training if their baby is under 6 months of age.
All this being said, I don’t believe there is a “right time” to begin the process. It’s most important that you are ready to begin, because you will need to be committed to do it successfully!
If your baby is struggling with any of the above, it may be time to start researching sleep training methods or reach out to a professional for support. At Slumberly, we train you to use our proven method, guide you through every step of the process, and get you the results your family is looking for. By addressing sleep issues early on, you can help your baby establish healthy sleep habits and promote optimal growth and development!
References:
Gradisar, M., Jackson, K., Spurrier, N. J., Gibson, J., Whitham, J., Williams, A. S., ... & Kennaway, D. J. (2016). Behavioral interventions for infant sleep problems: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 137(6), e20151486.
Graven, S. N. & Browne, J. V. (2008). Sleep and brain development: The critical role of sleep in fetal and early neonatal brain development. Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 8(4), 173-179.
Mindell, J. A., Kuhn, B., Lewin, D. S., Meltzer, L. J., & Sadeh, A. (2006). Behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. Sleep, 29(10), 1263-1276.
Mindell, J. A., & Williamson, A. A. (2018). Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. Sleep Medicine Reviews
