The 5 Best Sleep Training Methods (Plus Tips From Parents)

Want your baby to sleep through the night? Learn about five popular sleep training methods، along with helpful advice from real-life parents.

Early parenthood comes with a wide range of emotions، from feeling your heart explode with love to feeling downright exhausted from sleep deprivation and around-the-clock newborn care. The good news is، while sleepless nights can be a challenge for any parent، most babies are capable of sleeping through the night by 6 months of age.

For babies who no longer need to eat overnight or have other special considerations، sleep training can be key to helping your baby learn how to sleep all night. Falling asleep independently (and staying asleep) is a skill that has to be learned، and there are many different sleep training methods aimed at helping babies master that skill.

The key is finding a sleep training method that works for your family and practicing it consistently. Keep reading to learn about five different ways to sleep train، with tips from other parents who've been through it.

5 Popular Sleep Training Methods

The best sleep training method for your family will depend on personal preference and your baby's temperament، so it may help to research the different options and talk to a health care provider before settling on the one that you feel is best for your family.

To help you narrow it down، here are five of the most popular sleep training methods.

1. Fading method

With the fading sleep training method، parents rely on soothing techniques to help their baby fall asleep independently، "fading" out reliance on you to fall asleep.

Some of the behaviors you may "fade" over time include feeding، rocking، or snuggling your baby to sleep. Over a period of time، you slowly "fade out" of whatever aspect of the nighttime routine that relies on you and gradually extend the independent time your baby spends falling asleep without you. Fading is considered a gentle sleep training method.