About Infant Sleep Training

A 'full' night's sleep for an infant is between five and six hours.

Many infants need help both falling sleep and sleeping through the night. Sleep training is a way for parents to teach their babies when it's time to go to sleep, as well as how to fall asleep independently.

Types

Infant sleep training is split into two distinct methods. The goal of the various "cry-it-out" methods is to get infants to self-soothe, rather than rely on rocking, cuddling or nursing to fall asleep. Babies are put in bed while not fully asleep, so crying for a short period of time is a natural result of the method. "No-cry" methods advocate teaching healthy sleep patterns through predictable bedtime routines, rather than self-soothing. These methods recommend responding to infants' cries and soothing them back to sleep.

Misconceptions

Newborn babies cannot be sleep trained, as they need to be fed every few hours, which is what their waking and sleeping pattern is based upon. Parents should promptly attend to their crying baby in the first three months of life, when crying is purely a function of communicating a need.

Expert Insight

The article, "Baby Sleep Training: No Tears Method," on the the BabyCenter website states that a combination of sleep training methods typically works better for infants than only applying a single method: "You'll have to get to know your child, be flexible and figure out what works for you."

References

• BabyCenter: Baby Sleep Training-No Tears Methods
• BabyCenter: Baby Sleep Training-Cry It Out Methods
• AskDrSears.com: Eight Infant Sleep Facts Every Parent Should Know
• BabyCenter: Baby Sleep Training-The Basics