Sleep training involves parents trying to teach their baby to settle themselves at night. An example of this is known as “controlled crying”. “Controlled crying” involves leaving your baby in their bed for increasing periods of time until they stop crying and fall asleep.
Should I sleep train my baby?
Some parents say sleep training has helped them and their baby both sleep better during the night. However the long-term effects of sleep training are not well researched. Some experts do have concerns about it and do not recommend doing it, particularly for babies under 12 months.
The main worries about sleep training are that:
- Being left alone to cry could be bad for your baby and needing you to settle them is a normal part of their development.
- Having less contact with your baby in the night will give you less chance to feed them, and may affect your milk supply if you are breastfeeding.
- Leaving babies alone to sleep puts them more at risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). For more information on safe sleep see our page on safe sleeping tips.
- Sleep training is not a solution for babies waking and crying at night
Tips for getting your baby to sleep
There are things you can do to help you both sleep better at night. Babies love routine, so try and be as consistent as you can at bedtime. This means your bedtime pattern should be the same every night and your wee one goes to sleep at the same time.
Ready Steady Baby has lots more information on helping your baby sleep and how to get into a routine. If you think your baby’s not settling at night because of a health issue, contact your GP or health visitor for help