What is sleep training?

Did you know that babies aren’t born knowing how to fall asleep on their own? It’s true! This is a skill that they learn with practice. Some babies learn without your help, while others depend on you to put them to sleep and need some help learning how to fall asleep on their own. Sleep training is when you help your baby learn how to fall asleep on their own, without a pacifier or your help. To do this, you must put them into the crib fully awake. There are many ways to sleep train your child. Some methods are gentle, while others are direct and your baby will cry more. The gentle methods may mean less stress for you, but they take longer to work. The harsher ways are difficult to deal with at first, but they work quickly most of the time. Each family should choose a method that they feel comfortable with and are able to be consistent with.