5 Common Sleep Training Methods for Babies (Plus Essential Tips!)

Exhausted from trying to make your baby sleep through the night?

Try sleep training them. It can be difficult at first and confusing which sleep training methods to follow so below is a list of the common ones that worked for a lot of parents all around the world.

Read the basics of each sleep training method, how to implement it plus essential tips.

Then try one method consistently and see how it works for your baby.

5 Common Sleep Training Methods for Babies

Cry It Out (CIO) or Extinction Method

This is one controversial baby sleep training method that not a lot of modern parents who practice “attachment-parenting styles” will go for.

With the CIO or Extinction method, parents are supposed to leave their children alone in the room, to settle themselves to sleep.

It involves going through the bedtime routine, ensuring that your baby goes to bed with a full tummy, clean diapers, and a comfy sleeping environment, saying the usual sleep phrases to signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep, then walking out.

It’s hard to implement this if you have an attachment parenting style as, as our first instinct is to immediately check and console our babies.

Not with the CIO method.

You can either wait for an hour or two wake-ups and see if your baby needs a diaper change or another feeding.

That or wait until the next morning to see your baby.

With consistency and scheduling regular night-time feeds, sleep experts say that babies should be able to fall asleep on their own within 3 or 4 nights.

Tips on How To Do CIO or Extinction Method Successfully

It’s important to try this for at least a week, consistently, before throwing in the towel.

Remember to always make sure that your baby had a full feeding, has clean diapers and has a comfy sleeping environment (dark room, cool temperature, white noise, etc.) before putting them to bed.

It’s a must-have to install a baby camera, to check if your baby is starting to show some unusual reaction to being left alone. Eg. vomiting, banging their head on the crib, etc.

If you find waiting for one hour or 2 wake-ups is too long to check up on your baby, try 20 or 30 minutes. But be quick, don’t linger, and leave.

Note that this method isn’t for preemies or babies younger than 5 months.

Stay tough and tell yourself, you’re doing this for the long-term benefit of the whole family. So everyone can have a longer, better sleep in the future.

If you can’t stand your baby’s crying, use headphones if you have to, to reduce the urge to go inside your baby’s room.

Ferber Method

Also called the check and console, graduated extinction, progressive waiting, or the interval method, the Ferber method is similar to the CIO or Extinction but with timed check-ins that increase incrementally.

So for eg. instead of waiting an hour or 2 wake-ups from your baby before checking on them, you wait for only 3 mins.

Then you go in and quickly assure and soothe your baby, before leaving again.

Then if they’re still crying, you check in again after 5 minutes.

Then after 10 minutes and so on.

Tips on How To Do the Ferber Method Successfully

Like the CIO method, remember to make sure that your baby had a full feed, clean diapers, a snug, dark sleeping environment, etc. before leaving them in their room.

Check the clock and be accurate with your time-ins.

Take note to not prolong any interaction during check-ins. Some sleeping experts would say not to touch or carry your baby, as that might just aggravate the situation. But if you really can’t help it, just some short, loving words, a shush with a rub or a pat will do.

Stay consistent with bedtime routines and dream feedings.

Give your baby a pacifier before doing this method. So they’ll know what to do with it when you hand it to them to soothe themselves.

It’s recommended to do this for babies 5 months and up.

Chair Method

This method might seem less harsh as you won’t be leaving your baby on their own but it’s still hard to implement.

The Chair method requires you to do all the bedtime routines, put your baby to sleep, say good night, and such.

But instead of leaving the room, you get a chair, put it next to your baby’s crib, then wait for them to fall asleep.

Try not to make eye contact or talk to your baby. Or even close your eyes to signal to your little one that it’s time to sleep.

If they start fussing, offer a short verbal comfort or a rub or pat, but make the interactions quick. And don’t carry them.

When your baby falls asleep, you can then leave the room.

But go back in again to sit down on the chair every time they wake up.

Then after 3 nights, move the chair farther from the crib.

Move it again after a few nights, until you’re out of the room.

Tips on How To Do the Ferber Method Successfully

Sleep experts also say to gradually decrease the shushing and comfort and to only console your baby from your chair.

Unlike Ferber or the CIO method, the Chair method might require 2 weeks of training, for it to work.

Not all babies will respond well to this sleep training method. It might make them more upset, especially if they’re not developmentally ready.

You need to be more patient than usual, and to stay consistent on the techniques of this method for it to work.

Make sure to have your baby prepped for this method – have a full feeding, clean diapers, a dark room, white noise, etc.

Pick Up, Put down and Shush-Pat

This is a much gentler method than the CIO, Ferber, or even the Chair Method, as it will require you to touch and/or hold your baby to soothe them to sleep.

The idea essentially of the “pick up, put down and shush pat” method is to comfort your baby every time they start fussing.

You wait for a few minutes though before picking them up. Once your baby has calmed down, put them back in their crib while making shushing noises and patting their backs to sleep.

You can also leave your hand on their tummy and tell them in a soft, reassuring tone that you’ll always be there for them.

Keep doing these steps until your baby is fussing less.

Leave once your baby has fallen asleep.

Check up on them again if they start crying.

Tips on How To Do the Ferber Method Successfully

This method is best for younger babies, not more than 7 months old. It might not work on an older baby as your presence might make them more upset.

Put your baby down drowsy but awake. So they’ll learn how to fall asleep on their own.

Always have a baby monitor at hand so you can check if your baby just needs some time to settle down.

Don’t rush to pick up your baby every time they make a noise. Babies are noisy sleepers so just check first and see if they can self-soothe or can go back to sleep on their own.

Fading Sleep Method

This is another gentler form of sleep training method, which can be tricky to implement.

This entails using whatever way is helping your baby fall asleep, such as rocking or nursing them.

Then do that less and less as time goes by until you completely stop then you don’t need to do it anymore!

If your baby wakes up and starts crying, wait for a few minutes then pick them up and soothe them again.

But remember to lessen the amount of time every time you rock or nurse them.

This technique can minimize crying but it can be tricky for parents as there’s no telling when your baby will be ready to altogether drop the rocking and nursing and other soothing methods.

Tips on How To Do the Fading Method Successfully

A lot of patience and learning how to manage your expectations is the key to implementing this method.

Depending on your baby and your consistency, it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months for this to work.

This is best for babies not older than 7 months old.

Do shifting schedules with your spouse, as it can be tiring to rock and feed your baby all night on your own.

Remember to put your bed drowsy but awake.

FAQ on Baby Sleep Training Methods

At what age should I start sleep training my baby?

Doctors and baby sleep experts recommend beginning sleep training when your baby is between 4 to 5 months old.

Most babies at that age may no longer need night feedings and are old enough to learn how to self-soothe.

What is the most effective sleep training method?

The most effective sleep training method is subjective and will depend on a lot of factors – your baby’s age, development and temperament, patience, determination, consistency, and support system.

Some parents have implemented the CIO and Ferber with success, while others prefer the gentler ways of sleep training, such as the Fading or Shush-Pat Method.

Takeaway on Sleep Training Methods

A lot of parents who have successfully sleep-trained their littles recommend reading “Precious Little Sleep” or “Moms on Call” for doing any kind of sleep training.

But remember if things are getting rough – your baby is having a hard time. They are not giving you a hard time.

That mentality can make a difference in having a less stressful way of sleep training your little one.