Most Popular Sleep Training Methods
When chatting with potential clients, many ask “What is your method and belief in sleep training”? To be completely honest, this is a loaded question. We promote approaches that allow parents to respond, connect, and help the child regulate. We believe in finding way to help a child calm down which can be accomplished in a variety of way. At Sleep Baby, we believe there are 3 parts to having a successful sleep training experience. Every family is unique and there a lot of great ways to teach a baby to sleep.
The build Blocks of Sleep
The Building Blocks of Sleep are 6 things that we believe affect a baby’s body and a baby’s ability to be able to sleep. These include things like wake windows, setting a circadian rhythm, eat/play/sleep, full feedings and more! We believe that every family must work on these while also working on independent sleep. These items will make or break your baby’s ability to fall into good sleep patterns. We also encourage parents to use these items a mental checklist to ensure their child’s needs are met.
Family preference & CIRCUMSTANCES
We start with getting to know the family, their sleep journey, and their background on sleep. We talk with the parents and educate on why a baby cies, how to hear different types of cries, and their comfort level with crying. We learn about each baby’s temperament and the parents parenting style. Each family comes to use with a different background. Things that may affect a family’s circumstance can be childcare, lifestyle, room sharing, carpool, etc. After all of this, we are able to choose a method that we believe best fits the family’s goals.
Sleep Training Method
There are many ways to get a baby to learn independent sleep. Some families want a fast approach and some want a slower more gradual approach. Some families have experimented with different approaches or come to us wanting to use a specific approach.
Whether you work with Sleep Baby, another consultant, follow an online program, read a book, or do your own DIY approach, we want you to have an understanding of the different types of sleep training. We notice a lot of different terms are used incorrectly and we want to set the record straight.
Ways to Sleep Train
Cry It Out (CIO): This method involves putting the baby to bed and allowing them to cry until they fall asleep, without going in to comfort them. The idea is that the baby learns to self-soothe and sleep independently.
Ferber Method: Parents let the baby cry for gradually increasing periods before comforting them briefly, helping the baby learn to self-soothe while still receiving some comfort.
Controlled Crying: This method involves letting the baby cry for set periods before comforting them. The intervals between checks can vary based on the baby’s response and parent preference.
Shh-Pat Method: Parents stay in the room and use gentle “shh” sounds and rhythmic pats on the baby’s back to calm them while they fall asleep, without picking them up.
Chair Method: Parents sit in a chair next to the baby's crib and gradually move the chair farther away over several nights until the baby can fall asleep independently.
The Sleep Baby Way
The Sleep Baby way is unique because it looks completely different for every family. There are many things that help the consultant create a plan that works best for your family. Regardless of the method of sleep training, we make sure The Building Blocks are in the place and that the parents feel confident and comfortable with the plan that has been laid out for them. Our consultants support the parents for a minimum of 2 weeks. We also pride ourselves on pivoting throughout the 2 weeks. Where we start is not where we end. As we get to know your baby’s temperament and sleep needs, we modify and adjust your plan.
If you are interested in booking a free discovery call with our consultant, please sign up for a discovery call here.