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

2. Pick-up/put-down method

The pick-up، put-down method of sleep training is a no-cry sleep training method. Simply pick up your baby whenever they cry، soothe them briefly، then put them back down، drowsy but awake. Repeat these steps until the little one falls asleep. The key is to gradually teach your child that you are close and they are safe، so they can fall asleep on their own.

3. Chair method

To start this sleep training method، the parent or caregiver sits on a chair near the crib until the baby falls asleep. They don't use soothing techniques to calm crying or fussiness. Each night، they move the chair further away from the crib. For instance، on nights one to three، you might have your chair right next to the crib، holding your baby's hand or patting their back.

Then، on night four، you might scoot your chair a little bit away and stop the hand-holding. You may even need to do a few nights at the baby's doorway or sitting in the hall، but eventually، by the end of the training، your baby should be able to fall asleep without you in the room at all.

"After running through our evening routine—playtime، supper، bath، toothbrushing، book، prayers—I put my child down for bed and sat beside him، not touching or talking to him. Then، over the next couple of weeks، I moved my chair progressively further from the crib until I was finally sitting outside a closed door." —Ledlow

4. Cry it out method

After completing the bedtime routine، parents leave the nursery. They don't respond to the baby's cries throughout the night، letting them fall asleep without any assistance. There are different levels of the cry-it-out method، from only letting your baby cry for a short duration of time، to more extreme levels that involve not coming back in until morning، so you can customize this method to what is best for you.