Sleep Training and Sleep Conditioning
Sleep is something we all need, and lack of sleep is often one of the biggest fears new parents have before the arrival of their new baby. Luckily, many tools can maximize sleep for everyone in the home. We hope you enjoy this week’s blog, sleep training, and sleep conditioning.
What is sleep training?
Sleep training is a method that teaches your baby to fall asleep on their own and self-soothe both at the beginning of the night and throughout the night. Sleep training is typically done at the four-month mark when your baby’s natural sleep cycles have started to regulate. Additionally, many babies cannot night wean until the four-month mark. It is essential to consult your provider before sleep training to ensure that your little one is ready for this step.
Sleep training techniques
There are many different sleep training techniques, and here are three of the most popular ones used today.
- The cry-it-out method – This method is typically the most difficult for parents but is also thought to be the fastest sleep training method. When practicing CIO or crying it out, the idea is that you prepare your little ones for bedtime ( change them, feed them, and practice any nighttime routine) and then place them in their crib or bassinet sleepy. The goal is to not pick them up until the morning or their next scheduled feeding and to let them self-soothe. Consistency is essential for this method to work. For more information on the cry-it-out method click here.
- The Ferber method- The Ferber method is similar to the cry-it-out method but includes check-ins while your baby is settling. The gist of this method is after you finish your bedtime routine, you place your baby in their crib while drowsy. If your baby begins to cry, you continue to go in after a specific time and try to soothe them without picking them up. Parents repeat this process until their baby is asleep. For more information on the Ferber method, click here.
- .Pick up and put down- The pick up and put down method may be the most popular sleep training method and the easiest for parents. Like the two methods listed above, the first step of this sleep training style is to practice their bedtime routine and place them in their crib or bassinet when they are drowsy. You then leave the room; if they begin to cry, you re-enter their room and then pick them up ad hold them until soothed. This process is then repeated until they fall asleep. For more information on this method, click here.
What is sleep conditioning?
Sleep conditioning is a method that can be practiced from day one after your baby is home. When you bring your tiny one home, they are quite literally learning everything; this includes sleep. Sleep conditioning teaches your newborn where, when, and how they sleep. Many different newborn sleep courses go over this topic and help create successful sleep patterns early on. Here are two popular sleep conditioning sleep courses.
- Taking Cara Babies – These courses can be an excellent resource for new parents to help understand infant sleep schedules. What we love about the Taking Cara Babies sleep courses is their simplicity. The newborn sleep course will teach you helpful tips for the infant months. To learn more about this course, click here.
- The Happy Sleeper 0-4 month class- Another popular sleep conditioning course is the happy sleeper course. Just like taking care of babies, this course and simple and effective in explaining newborn sleep and sleep patterns. To learn more, click here.
Sleep training v.s. sleep conditioning
As explained above, sleep training is typically done no younger than four months old, and sleep conditioning can start from the first day you bring your little one home! There are many different options for new parents, and figuring out a suitable method or approach to newborn sleep can feel overwhelming. We hope that this blog gave you insight into the different options available so that you can explore what will work best for you!
We hope you enjoyed this week’s blog, ” Sleep training and sleep conditioning.” For more tips and tricks on all things parenthood, pregnancy, and newborn, click here.
