Baby Sleep Training. All of your questions answered.

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Are you thinking of sleep training your baby?

Are you having issues with your baby not wanting to be put down?

Do you need some help and support getting your baby into a sleep schedule?

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I have had so many emails from you asking me for more articles on how I sleep trained all 5 of my children and although I have experience in doing this I felt it would be better getting some advice from a qualified pediatric sleep educator.

Shan Roth is a qualified Paediatric Sleep Expert and Founder of Jammy Time Sleep Solutions. Shan is a huge believer that moms are their child’s most important teacher.  

Shan has helped thousands of moms teach their baby to sleep through the night and take long naps during the days.

I put all your baby sleep training questions to Shan.

What is sleep training?

Sleep training is teaching your baby to tap into their innate ability to fall asleep independently.

This means a baby is able to go from wide awake to sleeping on their own without using anything external to themselves. This is achieved with the boundaries and guidelines parents set around sleep.

When to start sleep training baby? 

It is best to start naturally and gradually from birth so intensive sleep training does not have to be done down the road. 

More intense sleep training can start between 10-12 weeks. 

Related: Positive Parenting Solutions Review – Parenting Strategies for Today’s Families

What are the best sleep training baby books?

There are lots of different ones out there. Many parents tell me they are too tired to read a book and then implement the strategies.

They want someone to get rid of the fluff and tell them what to do. My Baby Sleep The Night Guide does that. 

Can you do sleep training with a baby standing in a crib?

You sure can.  You may have to physically lay baby down if they have just learned to stand.

Patting the mattress to coax baby to lay down can also work well.  Getting into a comfortable position to sleep is part of a baby’s learning during sleep training

What are your thoughts on Sleep training with a pacifier? 

In my 8 years in the sleep training business, I have yet to come across a baby that can learn to sleep well with a pacifier.

It interferes with the development of the baby’s independent skills as it is something external to themselves. 

Related: 10 TOP TIPS ON HOW TO BE A MORE PATIENT MOM.

Is there such a thing as a sleep training baby schedule? 

Yes, it does differ depending on baby’s age.

I never force a schedule from the beginning as I like to let baby’s natural sleep schedule emerge. 

Into the second week of sleeping training, baby starts to follow a schedule. 

When I try to sleep train, my baby, he just cries for hours what am I doing wrong? 

It could mean that baby got sleepy with the bedtime feed, they were drowsy going down to bed, they were overtired or just not tired enough or they had not enough or too much daytime sleep.

Or the method you are using is not right for you or your baby. There are so many reasons why there might be more crying than necessary. 

Can you not sleep train a baby? will they not naturally fall into a pattern? 

Some babies will start to sleep well without any formal sleep training. This means that parents are doing things right without even realizing it. 

If you have a baby that is not sleeping well, they typically do not just outgrow it. Parents have to step in and take action.

I have worked with so many families over the years that thought things would get better at 3 months, 6 months, even a year, but they did not until parents did some sleep training. 

Related: Best Tummy Time Activities for Newborns

Is there a No Cry sleep training method? 

Crying isn’t necessary.

It is a baby’s way of protesting the change.

I have yet to run across a baby where there has not been some crying involved. But it is usually a lot less than parents expect it is going to be. 

Where can I find help sleep training my baby 

If you want to do it right the first time with as little crying as possible, I recommend hiring a sleep consultant or following a program that they have designed. 

It is always helpful if you can get help and support from them as well as you implement your plan. 

Shan has given a special coupon code exclusive to all my lovely readers. This gives you 10% off ALL her courses, use the code bettersleep for 10% off.

What to do when a sleep-trained baby wakes at night? 

Night wakings are typically triggered by what is happening at bedtime. 

Is the baby going down 100% wide awake with the feed at the beginning of bedtime routine and with the appropriate amount of awake time is the first question I always ask.

How do I deal with sleep training my baby? Is it really that difficult? 

It is easier than most parents expect. 

The first 2 days and nights are the hardest and then everything starts to fall into place.

The average for a baby to sleep through the night is 5 nights. The comment I hear the most is “We wish we would have done this sooner.”

Related: Gassy Baby? Here Are The Ultimate Mom-Tips

My sleep trained baby is getting worse? Can sleep regression happen? 

If your baby was once going down well on their own and sleeping the night and you are seeing a regression, there can be a few reasons for this. 

Teething or sickness, a regression related to learning a new physical skill such as rolling or walking or baby’s schedule needs adjusting. 

How to approach sleep training my baby when I don’t know what I’m doing? 

It is best to get a plan from an expert that you can follow. And support along the way from the expert can help too. 

Is there any sleep training equipment you recommend? 

A crib for baby to sleep in, a sleep sack, a white noise machine and a dark room. 

I am fighting with my husband to sleep train our baby, how do I convince him this is the right thing to do? 

Have a heart to heart with Dad as to why this is so important to you.

Don’t be afraid to share your feelings about how having a baby that sleeps poorly is making you feel.

Related: 10 of the Best Baby Night Lights

As a pediatric sleep trainer what are your thoughts on cry it out?

I’m not a big fan. So many other things have to be in place in order for cry it out to actually work.

Parents have to be fully committed to the process. Most parents have a hard time being consistent and fully committed with a cry it out approach.

Can I sleep train my breastfed baby? 

You sure can. Great breastfeeding and great sleep go hand in hand. 

The better a baby sleeps, the better they feed, the better they feed, the better they sleep. 

If you are still struggling to find the help and support you need then why not have a look at jammytime.com. Shans amazing course has 100% success rate.

She can help you and your family get the sleep you need with her baby sleep course.

Shan has given a special coupon code exclusive to all my lovely readers. This gives you 10% off ALL her course, use the code bettersleep for 10% off.

I’m Shan Roth. Mom of 3 and lover of sleep. Paediatric Sleep Expert and Founder of Jammy Time Sleep Solutions. As a past teacher, I am a huge believer that moms are their child’s most important teacher.  I have worked with thousands of moms helping them teach their baby to sleep through the night and take long naps during the days. I want everyone mom to feel confident and well rested and be the best mom they can be. Motherhood is hard enough.  Why make it harder with no sleep?