During the early days and weeks of having a newborn, it can be very difficult to adjust to the new life now that you have a baby. Babies tend to cry when they need something, and it can throw off your sleeping schedule.
It is a small sacrifice to wake up every few hours just to tend to your child's needs, but there are certain things that you can do to prevent this. You can get enough rest by providing gentle sleep training for infants.
If you want to learn more about what gentle sleep training for infants is all about, check out the complete guide below.
What is Sleep Training for Infants?
Sleep training is when you're teaching your baby to fall asleep without any help from you.
This means that you can put the baby down for bed still awake and with just a little sway or cuddle from you, the baby can immediately rest and sleep.
Sleep training also helps your baby fall back to sleep after he has been awake from tending to his needs.
Take note that sleep training does not involve night weaning, where you slowly cut down on feeding your baby during nighttime.
Is It Safe for Babies?
Sleep training is safe for your baby, especially for their development. Research has shown that it does not increase the risk of behavioral or emotional problems.
It is healthy for your baby's development, as he gets more sleep, which is critical for a developing child.
You also get to have more high-quality sleep when you're able to sleep-train your baby.
A Guide for Gentle Sleep Training for Infants
Sleep training can be done as early as when your child reaches the age of 4 to 6 months.
This is also the time when babies are more likely to express their needs through crying.
At this age range, babies are also able to go up to six to eight hours without needing to eat.
This means when you can successfully sleep train your child, you both can have better sleep quality.
Let It All Out
The first sleep training technique you can incorporate is allowing your child to let it all out. This method revolves around putting your baby to bed and letting them cry it all out without any comfort from you.
This can seem very harsh for you as a parent, but note that it does not harm the baby. Before you use this method, you will need to make sure that the baby's needs, such as food and a safe sleep environment, are met.
It might take a while as well to get the proper results but your baby should begin to fall asleep on his own within a few nights.
Ferber Method
If it truly breaks your heart to see your child cry without giving them any attention and love to console them, you can always try the Ferber method.
The Ferber method is exactly like the previous method but in a gradual manner. You allow your baby to cry for a certain amount of time before you pick them up to console them.
The waiting time gradually gets longer by a few minutes until the baby falls asleep on its own. Depending on how you want your child to settle down, you can extend the waiting time every few nights.
Chair Method
The chair method may be done for older babies who can recognize you as their source of comfort.
Many babies are comforted by your presence within the room hence they stop crying and fall asleep. They then start crying again if they lose sight of you.
With the chair method, you need to have a chair near your baby as you feed and put them to sleep. You then slowly move the chair away every few nights until you are away and out of the room.
Pick Up and Put Down
This gentle sleep training method revolves around picking up your child if they cry, consoling them, and putting them down again.
It is one of the most common routines most parents want to have when they want to sleep-train their infant. However, it can be time-consuming, as there will always be instances when your baby starts crying once you put them down.
Repeat the process until your baby learns to sleep independently. It takes a lot of time, but the payoff is very satisfying.
Gentle Sleep Training Tips
Whether you're incorporating the Chair method or the Ferber method to help your child sleep on their own, there are certain things that you still need to follow.
This ensures the transition is smooth and does not affect your sleep quality.
Have a Routine
Establish a bedtime routine for you and your child, and always expect to follow the routine until your baby fully transitions to sleeping on their own.
Try to start it as early in the evening as possible so you have more time to work with them if it takes them a while to learn.
Having a routine helps you build a schedule around putting your child to bed while also letting you live your own life.
Learn How to Identify if the Baby is Tired
You can familiarize yourself with many cues to determine whether the baby is actually tired or just wants to be held.
These cues can include rubbing their eyes, crankiness, or crying. This usually happens in the early evening at around the same time, hence the bedtime routine.
You must put your baby to sleep while they are still awake as opposed to when they are already asleep.
Keep Your Nighttime Interactions Short
As a parent, you will always be tempted to check on your baby now and then just to see if they are okay.
You may even want to check their diapers to change them or see if they need feeding at night.
If you have already established a nighttime routine with sleep training, try to keep your nighttime interactions as short as possible. This prevents overstimulating your baby, which can throw your sleep training off.
Know When to Call the Doctor
If you have difficulties achieving the goals of gentle sleep training, it is always safe to talk to your doctor.
It may be a health concern as a parent to see your baby spit or throw up once in a while, especially when they are crying, but you still need to be cautious.
If this has been happening more than once in an instance, it is time to call the doctor.
Conclusion
Gentle sleep training requires a lot of patience, self-control, and determination as a parent. It can be very difficult to watch your baby cry out loud, and your instincts to pick them up and comfort them might be strong, but it should outweigh the payoff. Sleep training will help solve a lot of issues in the future, both for your child and you as a parent.
