Resources and tips on sleep training / sleep routines

[charcb]

Hi all! Any good tips on sleep training / sleep routines? Or resources I can access and use for research to get baby to sleep through the night when it's possible? He's currently 2 months old so May not be possible for a while but want to be ready when it is!

Try Sarah Ockwell-Smith who explains when it is developmentally normal for kids to sleep through. It is reassuring in that she shows you cant really train a child to sleep through before they are ready, and will save you a lot of time and energy!

There is so much information out there - you really have to read around a bit and find the approach that works for you. Depending on what you can tolerate in terms of distress from your baby will affect what methods you can try.

My own experience / view is that sleep is largely developmental. You can’t make a child sleep through the night who isn’t developmentally ready to do so. But you can instil good routines and habits which put them in the best possible position to sleep well when they are ready.

I couldn’t personally tolerate leaving my baby to cry even for a couple of minutes, so I’ve followed Lucy Wolfe. She has a book called ‘The Baby Sleep Solution’ which sets out her method, which basically involves nailing the daytime routine and then staying with your baby and soothing them to sleep in their cot. Although she doesn’t recommend sleep training before 6 months, her book has good advice on what to do before 6 months to help your baby develop good sleep habits.

It depends what style you want to do really… I loosely did the Gina Ford routines with mine from the beginning and they slept through from 10-12 weeks so there was no need to do any sleep training. It was fantastic for us but the routines are strict so it’s not for everyone. I have friends who’ve done Controlled Crying/Ferber once baby is over 6 months which isn’t nice in the moment but does tend to get quick results.

Durham university have been researching baby sleep for over 2 years. This is their website to explain their findings to parents

www.basisonline.org.uk/about-us/

We follow little ones since about 4 months (which I believe is basically Gina Ford) and it works for making sleep at nap and bedtimes pretty easy. We sleep trained using pick up put down just before 6 months with very minimal upset, but in all honesty I mostly hold to sleep/drowsy for speedy sleep and it makes no difference to the night waking, they sleep longer when they’re developmentally ready as long as you’re allowing them appropriate nap/bedtimes.

Thanks all! I'm not very sure with style would suit us but will research the methods you're mentioning!

@Sleepless2022 what is sleep/drowsy for speedy sleep and pick up / put down?