Can I sleep train my newborn?
Advice from a Certified Advanced Newborn Care Specialist and Certified Sleep Consultant
It has come to my attention recently that parents of newborns are wanting to sleep train their babies.
Newborn babies are not ready to sleep train until 4-6 months of age!
I know you’re tired, parents. If you didn’t have a plan in place to sleep shape from Day 1 of life, it can be really hard to sustain the intense rhythm of newborn sleep for weeks on end. But we do not leave newborns to cry for more than a couple minutes (up to 5 mins max).
Newborns (babies up to 16 weeks old, adjusted) have different sleep patterns and developmental needs compared to older infants.
During the first few months of life, newborns have irregular sleep-wake cycles and often wake up frequently to feed. It's essential to respond to a newborn's needs for feeding, diaper changes, comfort, and attachment. Newborns are not developmentally ready for formal sleep training methods, which are typically introduced around 4 to 6 months of age.
Sleep training definitions
I understand that everyone has various definitions and the terms can be confusing.
“Sleep conditioning” or “sleep shaping” is the process of establishing healthy sleep hygiene for newborns. From day one, create healthy foundational sleep habits/ routine/ environment/ nutrition for newborn sleep, while always responding to a newborn’s physical and emotional needs.
“Sleep training” is defined as the process of teaching a baby to learn to fall asleep independently involving controlled crying, where a caregiver responds to cries at increasing time intervals to allow independent self settling.
“Responsive sleep training” refers to the process of helping a baby to learn to sleep independently with caregiver help. There are several methods in this camp and another term used to describe this approach is “gentle sleep training” or “holistic sleep methods”.
Create healthy sleep habits in a newborn
You can encourage healthy sleep habits in a newborn:
1. Establish a bedtime routine: Develop a calming routine in dim light before bedtime to signal to your baby that it's time to sleep. This might include activities such as a warm bath, gentle massage with lavender essential oil, reading a book, singing a song, saying prayers.
2. Create a sleep-friendly environment: Keep the room dark, temperature around 72 degrees, and white noise for sleep. Swaddling helps newborns feel secure and sleep better.
3. Differentiate between day and night: Help your baby understand the difference between daytime and nighttime by exposing them to natural light during the day and keeping nighttime feeds and interactions calm and quiet.
4. Be responsive to your baby's needs: Attend to your baby within a few minutes of when they cry or need attention. Newborns may need to eat every few hours, and they might be hungry, uncomfortable, or in need of comfort.
5. Encourage self-soothing: While newborns are too young for formal sleep training, you can encourage self-soothing by allowing your baby some time to settle down on their own before rushing in to comfort them. This can help them learn to self-soothe as they get older.
These are just 5 of many areas for you to implement improvements for your newborn’s sleep. Remember that every baby is different, and what works for one may not work for another. It's crucial to be responsive to your baby's individual needs. Consult with a IBCLC (lactation consultant) for feeding concerns. Nutrition is such an important component of newborn and infant sleep.
Call me, a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, if you want a personalized newborn sleep plan and consultation including room assessment to make sure the environment is set up for optimal newborn sleep.
Once your baby reaches an appropriate age, again around 4 to 6 months, you can explore more formal sleep training methods if needed. I also offer sleep packages for older infants and toddlers/ preschoolers.
Sleep well!
