Gentle Sleep Training for 6 Month Olds: Full Guide

 The gentlest sleep training methods for 6 month olds are the Fading Method, the Pick Up Put Down technique, the Chair Method (camping out), and the Wake and Sleep approach. These methods minimize crying while gradually teaching your baby to fall asleep independently. Most parents see meaningful progress within one to two weeks with consistent, nightly practice.

You Are Not Failing  Your Baby Just Needs a Guide

Three AM. Your 6 month old is awake for the fourth time tonight. You have fed, rocked, shushed, and bounced until your arms ache. You are exhausted in a way that reaches your bones. And somewhere underneath the exhaustion is guilt, because every time you read something about sleep training, you worry it means leaving your baby to cry alone in the dark.

It does not have to mean that.

I have spent years reviewing infant sleep research, working through peer-reviewed studies from pediatric institutions across the United States, Canada, and Austria, and consulting with certified pediatric sleep specialists. The consistent evidence is this: gentle sleep training methods that minimize or eliminate prolonged crying work for most 6 month olds, support healthy attachment, and produce better sleep for both babies and parents without causing the emotional harm that many parents fear.

Ample long-term research has studied sleep training, and there is not any evidence to show that sleep training is physically or psychologically harmful to babies. Maceoo

In its simplest form, sleep training is the process of teaching your baby to fall asleep by themselves, whether that is at the very beginning of the night when they are first put into their crib, or when they wake up in the middle of the night and need to fall back to sleep. Essentially, you are getting your baby to realize that they can put themselves to sleep or self-soothe. It is a developmental skill that all babies need to learn. Maceoo

This guide gives you the complete, evidence-based, parent-friendly roadmap to gentle sleep training for your 6 month old. Every method is drawn from verified pediatric research. Every recommendation is practical for real families. Whether you are in Chicago, Toronto, or Vienna, this is the guide that treats you and your baby with the care you both deserve.

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Is Your 6 Month Old Ready for Sleep Training

Most 6 month olds are developmentally ready to begin gentle sleep training. By this age, many babies can go longer stretches without feeding, have a more predictable circadian rhythm, and are neurologically ready to begin learning independent sleep skills. Always confirm readiness with your pediatrician, particularly if your baby has medical conditions or growth concerns.

It depends on each individual baby, however, if your infant is gaining weight and is healthy, you can begin to sleep train from 3 to 4 months of age. If in doubt, always consult with your pediatrician first. MotorcycleGear.com

By 6 months, many babies can start learning to fall asleep independently. Research shows that sleep training can improve rest for both babies and caregivers. No one-size-fits-all: the best method depends on your baby’s temperament, sleep patterns, and your family’s comfort level. Wardler

Signs Your Baby Is Ready for Gentle Sleep Training

These specific developmental indicators suggest your 6 month old is ready to begin:

• Your baby has reached the 6 month milestone and has been cleared by their pediatrician at their well child visit
• They are gaining weight appropriately and feeding well during daytime hours
• They show predictable tired cues including eye rubbing, yawning, reduced activity, or fussiness at consistent times
• They can go at least one stretch of four to five hours without a night feed (some 6 month olds may still need one to two night feeds, which is normal)
• They have no unresolved medical issues such as reflux, ear infections, or other conditions that may be disrupting sleep beyond normal developmental patterns

When to Wait Before Starting Sleep Training

Some situations call for a conversation with your pediatrician before beginning any sleep training:

• Your baby was premature and is not yet at their adjusted developmental age
• Your baby has been ill recently and is still recovering
• There has been a major household disruption such as a move, travel, or family change in the past two weeks
• Your baby has a medical condition that may require night feeding or monitoring

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Understanding Your Baby’s Sleep Science at 6 Months

A 6 month old’s sleep cycle is approximately 45 minutes long compared to an adult’s 90 minutes. They naturally surface between cycles, and if they need external help to fall asleep initially (feeding, rocking), they will call for that same help when they surface between every cycle throughout the night. Gentle sleep training teaches them to bridge these cycles independently.

It takes babies around three to six months to develop their internal body clock, or circadian rhythm. At this point, they will naturally want to sleep more at night and be awake more during the day. Maher Leathers

For their first year of life, babies need approximately nine to twelve hours of sleep a day in addition to regular naps. At 6 months, most babies need:

The key concept that makes gentle sleep training effective is the sleep association. A sleep association is whatever condition was present when your baby first fell asleep. If they fell asleep while feeding, they associate feeding with sleep onset. When they naturally surface between sleep cycles at night, they search for that same condition to fall back asleep. Gentle sleep training gradually shifts that association from an external prop (your feeding, rocking, or presence) to an internal skill (their own ability to self-settle).

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Method 1: The Fading Method for Gentle Sleep Training

The Fading Method, also called “gradual withdrawal,” is the gentlest approach to sleep training a 6 month old. It works by slowly reducing the parental sleep association over one to two weeks. Instead of removing your support overnight, you systematically decrease it in small, manageable steps that your baby can follow without becoming overwhelmed.

Gentle sleep training methods focus on gradually weaning the baby from needing help to fall asleep. These include techniques like fading and pick up put down, where you actively attempt to calm your baby down as they learn a new way of falling asleep. This approach is preferred by parents who want to try to keep tears to a minimum and do not mind the process taking longer. For example, say your baby typically falls asleep while feeding. The process begins by introducing rocking instead of feeding, then reducing movement and eventually putting your baby in the crib while awake. You would stay close by for support. Eventually, you work on removing your touch, and eventually your presence, as a sleep association. Wardler

How to Use the Fading Method Step by Step

Week 1, Days 1 to 3: Identify your baby’s current sleep association. If it is feeding to sleep, continue feeding but stop before they fully fall asleep. Transfer them drowsy but still awake. Stay next to the crib with your hand on their chest.

Week 1, Days 4 to 7: Move your hand from the chest to a lighter touch on the side. Still stay next to the crib but begin reducing physical contact.

Week 2, Days 1 to 3: Place your baby in the crib awake. Sit beside the crib with your hand available but not resting on them. Offer verbal reassurance with a calm, quiet “shh” or their name softly spoken.

Week 2, Days 4 to 7: Move your chair slightly back from the crib. Reduce verbal reassurance to occasional and quiet. Your presence alone becomes the reassurance.

Week 3: You are now at the door. Offer brief verbal reassurance from the doorway. Within a few nights for most babies, the doorway presence becomes unnecessary.

The Fading Method takes longer than more structured approaches but produces outcomes with the least crying of any sleep training method. For parents who cannot tolerate any significant crying, this is the recommended starting point.

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Method 2: Pick Up Put Down Technique Explained

The Pick Up Put Down method (PUPD) is ideal for 6 month olds because it allows parents to respond immediately to crying while still working toward independent sleep. You place your baby in the crib awake, pick them up to soothe when they cry, and put them back down once calm. You repeat this until they fall asleep in the crib.

The Pick Up Put Down method is a gentle sleep training approach that helps babies learn to fall asleep independently while still feeling comforted by their caregiver’s presence. When using this method, you place your baby in their crib while they are drowsy but awake. If they cry or become upset, you gently pick them up to soothe them. Once they are calm, you put them back down and repeat the process as needed. This technique requires patience and consistency, but it can be a good fit for parents who want to avoid extended crying while still encouraging self-soothing skills. The Pick Up Put Down method works best for babies between 4 and 8 months old, as they are developmentally able to begin learning independent sleep habits but are still responsive to parental reassurance. Maher Leathers

To do this method, you will put your baby down for bed and if they start to fuss, let it happen for a little bit. If they do not seem to be settling down, go and pick them up and soothe them, then put them down before they fall asleep in your arms. Repeat the process until they are asleep. Riderequips

What to Expect With Pick Up Put Down

• Most sessions take 30 to 90 minutes in the first few nights
• Progress is typically visible by nights four to seven as the number of pickups needed decreases
• Some babies become more stimulated by being picked up repeatedly and may do better with the Chair Method instead
• This method works most effectively when the parent’s soothing technique during the pickup is calm, consistent, and brief

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Method 3: The Chair Method (Camping Out)

The Chair Method, also called camping out or the Sleep Lady Shuffle, involves sitting in a chair next to your baby’s crib while they fall asleep, then gradually moving the chair toward the door over 10 to 14 nights. Your presence provides reassurance without physical assistance, teaching your baby to sleep while you are still in the room.

Camping out sleep training, also known as the Chair Method or Sleep Lady Shuffle, helps your baby or toddler fall asleep easily with fewer tears than the cry-it-out method. Eagle Leather

The Chair Method is another gradual approach to sleep training. You sit in a chair next to the child’s crib while they learn to fall asleep independently. The goal of this sleep training method is to stay in the room with your baby until they fall asleep, until eventually your presence is no longer necessary for them to drift off. Wardler

The Chair Method Night by Night Schedule

The Chair Method is the recommended gentle approach for babies who become extremely distressed by any degree of physical separation and for parents who have strong attachment parenting values. It is also the method recommended by Yale pediatrician Dr. Craig Canapari as the most evidence-supported option for families who want to avoid extended crying.

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Method 4: Wake and Sleep by Dr. Harvey Karp

The Wake and Sleep method, developed by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, involves gently rousing a nearly-asleep baby just enough for them to register they are in the crib, then allowing them to drift back to sleep on their own. This teaches babies that they have the ability to self-settle without fully waking them.

While there are several methods for sleep training a 6 month old, pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp encourages parents to start with a gentle sleep training approach called the Wake and Sleep method. Here, you literally wake your snoozing baby to sleep train them. While this seems completely counterintuitive, Dr. Karp assures that gently waking your 6 month old, then allowing them in their still drowsy state to fall back asleep on their own, teaches your baby that they have the power to soothe themselves and snooze through the night. Biker Universe

How to Use Wake and Sleep

Step 1: Complete your full bedtime routine including feeding, bath if applicable, and quiet wind-down.

Step 2: Turn on white noise at a consistent volume. White noise makes it as loud as a shower. When white noise is used for every nap and night sleep, your baby will start to expect it and make the connection that white noise means sleep is near. Biker Universe

Step 3: Allow your baby to fall deeply drowsy in your arms, but not fully asleep.

Step 4: Place them in the crib. Gently rouse your sleeping baby by softly tickling their neck or feet until their eyes barely open. Biker Universe

Step 5: Allow them to drift back to sleep independently in this drowsy state. The brief semi-awakening gives their brain the experience of being in the crib and falling asleep there.

Step 6: As long as your baby has a full tummy and is listening to white noise, they should close their eyes and drift back to sleep after a few seconds. If your 6 month old does not quickly doze off, turn up the white noise a little louder and jiggle the bassinet or crib for a few seconds to help sleep come. Biker Universe

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Method 5: The Bedtime Fading Schedule Approach

Bedtime Fading means temporarily moving your baby’s bedtime later, to a time when they are genuinely sleepy enough to fall asleep quickly without extended settling. Once they are falling asleep independently at the later time, you gradually shift bedtime earlier by 15 minutes every two to three nights until you reach your target bedtime.

The Fading Method is classified as a gentle sleep training method. Typical age range: often used for babies 5 to 8 months old with inconsistent sleep schedules. What families often like: works with a baby’s natural sleep cues rather than forcing an early bedtime. Common concerns: requires careful observation and patience, and results may take longer than other approaches. Riderequips

This approach is particularly useful for babies who have developed a bedtime that is too early for their natural sleep drive, leading to prolonged settling resistance every night. A baby who is put to bed at 6:30 PM but whose sleep pressure does not peak until 8:00 PM will fight sleep for 90 minutes every night. Moving bedtime temporarily to 8:00 PM, achieving fast independent sleep onset, and then gradually moving it back to 7:00 PM over one to two weeks solves the problem without any separation-based training.

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Building the Perfect Bedtime Routine for Sleep Training

A consistent 20 to 30 minute bedtime routine is the foundation that makes every gentle sleep training method more effective. Predictable sequences of calming activities signal your baby’s brain that sleep is coming, reducing cortisol and supporting melatonin rise. The same routine every night, in the same order, becomes a powerful sleep cue within one to two weeks.

A good bedtime routine transfers over into kids’ ability to self-soothe. Newborns and even toddlers have no real concept of time, so when you develop a bedtime routine, it starts to get them in the mindset of recognizing that it is time to go to sleep. Maceoo

A consistent newborn bedtime routine is one of the most important foundations of successful sleep training. Creating a bedtime routine for your little one that includes calming activities like a warm bath, gentle rocking, or a lullaby can help signal to your baby that it is time to wind down. J.D. Power

A Sample 6 Month Old Bedtime Routine

Follow this sequence every night in the same order:

• 6:30 PM: Begin wind-down. Reduce stimulation, dim room lights, turn off screens and loud sounds
• 6:35 PM: Warm bath (3 to 5 minutes). The post-bath cooling mimics the core temperature drop that initiates sleep
• 6:45 PM: Gentle lotion massage and pajamas. Use the same scent of lotion each time to build a scent-based sleep association
• 6:50 PM: Final feeding in a dim, calm room. Feed before the crib rather than in the crib to avoid feeding-to-sleep association
• 7:00 PM: One short, calm book or soft song in the same spot every night
• 7:05 PM: White noise on, sleep sack on, brief loving verbal cue (“goodnight, I love you, time to sleep”)
• 7:07 PM: Place baby in crib drowsy but awake and begin your chosen gentle method

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Safe Sleep Rules That Never Change During Sleep Training

Every gentle sleep training method must be practiced within the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidelines. These are not preferences but evidence-based rules that reduce the risk of SIDS and sleep-related infant death. Safe sleep guidelines apply regardless of which training method you choose.

Share a bedroom with parents, but not the same sleeping surface, preferably until the baby turns 1 but at least for the first six months. Room-sharing decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent. Pando Moto

Take the following actions to help reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths. Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep times, naps and at night. Use a firm, flat sleep surface. For example, a mattress in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet. Keep your baby’s sleep area in the same room where you sleep, ideally until your baby is at least 6 months old. Keep soft bedding out of your baby’s sleep area. This includes blankets, pillows, bumper pads, and soft toys. Do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. D3O

Non-negotiable safe sleep rules during sleep training:

• Always place your baby on their back to sleep, even if they can roll (place on back, allow them to roll if they choose)
• The crib must contain only the baby, a firm flat mattress, and a fitted crib sheet
• No pillows, bumper pads, loose blankets, stuffed toys, or positioners in the crib
• Use a wearable blanket or sleep sack instead of loose blankets for warmth
• Keep the sleep space in your bedroom for at least the first six months
• Room temperature should be 18°C to 20°C (65°F to 68°F). Signs of overheating include sweating or a hot chest

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How Long Does Gentle Sleep Training Take

Gentle sleep training methods take longer than structured or extinction methods. Most parents see clear improvement within five to ten nights. Full independent sleep without any settling support typically takes two to four weeks with consistent daily practice. The gentler the method, the longer the timeline, but the lower the distress for baby and parent throughout.

It may take a few days or a few weeks. How long it takes before you see improvement is largely dependent upon the chosen method and your child’s temperament. Generally, progress is seen after 3 to 4 nights when using gradual or total extinction techniques. However, gentle methods tend to take longer. When trying any sleep training technique, it is important to remember that consistency is essential. Wardler

If using a faster method, the short answer is approximately 1 to 2 weeks for nights and possibly another 1 to 2 weeks for naps and night wakings, depending on your consistency, which approach you implement, and whether your child still needs night feedings. If you decide to use a more gradual sleep training method, then it will typically take longer than this. MotorcycleGear.com

Here is a realistic timeline reference by method:

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Common Mistakes That Slow Down Gentle Sleep Training

The most common mistake in gentle sleep training is inconsistency. Responding differently on different nights, giving in to the previous sleep association after three nights of progress, or skipping the routine during weekends teaches babies that persistence produces the old response. Consistency is what makes gentle methods work, not which specific technique you choose.

Consistency is essential. Gaining the ability to drift off to sleep alone is similar to mastering any other new skill. It is normal to experience a few bumps in the road before any progress is made. If the initial attempt is not successful, do not be disheartened. Try switching to another technique or combining approaches until the right one is found. Wardler

Additional mistakes that delay progress:

• Starting sleep training during an illness, teething flare, or within two weeks of a major developmental leap
• Skipping the bedtime routine because you are too tired one evening, which resets the associative learning
• Responding to every small noise or stir rather than pausing briefly to see if the baby resettles independently
• Beginning with both nap training and nighttime training simultaneously. We typically recommend starting with bedtime only rather than tackling all sleep periods altogether. Once progress is made there, you can move on to naps and other night wakings with more success. MotorcycleGear.com
• Switching methods before giving the chosen one at least five to seven consistent nights

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How to Handle Night Wakings During Sleep Training

During gentle sleep training, treat night wakings the same way you treat bedtime. At 6 months, one to two night feeds may still be appropriate depending on your baby’s weight and feeding patterns. For wakings that are not hunger-driven, use the same gentle method you are using at bedtime consistently until your baby can resettle independently.

Night weaning is safe as long as your baby is healthy and at an appropriate weight. But if your baby needs to gain weight or has other medical conditions, you might need to continue night feeding, even during or after sleep training. Talk to your pediatrician if you have questions about whether it is time to night wean your baby. Maceoo

Signs that a night waking is likely hunger rather than habit:

• The baby feeds actively and substantially during the waking rather than comfort suckling and falling back asleep
• The waking occurs at a consistent time that falls roughly equal intervals from the last feed
• The baby was unwell or had reduced feeds during the previous day
• Your baby is on the lower percentile of the growth chart and your pediatrician has advised continued night feeding

For wakings that appear to be habit-based rather than hunger-based, a brief pause of two to three minutes before responding allows many babies the opportunity to self-resettle, which is the skill you are working to build. If the baby does not resettle, respond using your chosen gentle method.

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Sleep Training and Attachment: What Research Actually Shows

Research published in peer-reviewed pediatric journals including Pediatrics confirms that sleep training, including gentle methods, does not harm secure attachment between baby and parent. Children who were sleep trained show the same secure attachment patterns, emotional regulation skills, and cognitive development outcomes as those who were not sleep trained.

The good news is most of the common methods that have been studied have been found to have some degree of success and no method has been found to cause harm to the baby, either physically, emotionally, or mentally. Wardler

Alternatively, some believe that sleep training is harmful and produces unnecessary stress for the infant. We have no evidence infant crying in sleep training causes harm, but it is a valid philosophical concern. Riderequips

Sleep training and attachment parenting are not mutually exclusive. Gentle sleep training methods are designed to maintain secure attachment throughout the process by ensuring your baby never feels abandoned and always has access to your comfort when truly needed. The goal is not to teach your baby that you will not come. It is to teach them that they are capable of the small moments of settling that do not require you.

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Nap Training at 6 Months: How to Approach It

Start sleep training at bedtime only, not during naps. Nap biology is different from nighttime sleep: sleep pressure is lower, circadian timing is less reliable, and nap training takes significantly longer to consolidate. Once your baby is falling asleep independently at bedtime within one to two weeks, you can begin applying the same technique to naps.

We typically recommend starting with bedtime only rather than tackling all sleep periods altogether. Once progress is made there, you can move on to naps and remaining night wakings with more success. MotorcycleGear.com

At 6 months, most babies take two to three naps per day with awake windows of approximately two to two and a half hours. Watch for tired cues rather than rigidly watching the clock:

• Eye rubbing and staring blankly
• Yawning twice or more in quick succession
• Reduced activity or slowing of movements
• Fussiness or emotional sensitivity increasing
• Losing interest in toys or people they were recently engaged with

A brief 15 to 20 minute pre-nap routine (a scaled-down version of the bedtime routine) helps signal nap time consistently: diaper change, brief feed if needed, one short book or song, white noise on, sleep sack on, crib.

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Special Situations: Twins, Breastfed Babies and Working Parents

Gentle sleep training works for all family configurations with specific adaptations. Breastfed babies may need to continue one to two night feeds longer than formula-fed peers. Twins can be trained simultaneously in the same room. Working parents can maintain consistent sleep training through weekends and caregiver communication without losing progress.

Gentle Sleep Training for Breastfed 6 Month Olds

Breastfeeding and gentle sleep training are fully compatible. The adjustment for breastfed babies is to ensure the last feed of the bedtime routine ends with your baby drowsy but not fully asleep, and to do the feeding outside the crib (in a chair or glider) rather than inside it, so the crib remains associated with sleep rather than feeding.

Gentle Sleep Training for Twins

Twins can share a room during sleep training. Most twins sleep through each other’s crying faster than parents expect. Use the same method for both babies simultaneously, starting at the same bedtime. A room monitor allows you to observe both babies without entering the room unnecessarily. Many parents of twins find the Chair Method particularly useful because it allows them to be visibly reassuring to both children at once.

Sleep Training While Both Parents Work

Consistency is more important than timing. Sleep training while working full time is absolutely achievable when the bedtime routine and response method are clearly communicated to all caregivers including daycare providers and grandparents. Oftentimes, sleep training techniques overlap, and parents combine methods, which is perfectly fine. It is all about figuring out what your infant responds to and what works best for you as a parent. Maceoo

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When to Stop and Seek Professional Help

Stop sleep training and contact your pediatrician if your baby is ill, shows signs of significant distress beyond normal protest crying, has not improved after three consistent weeks of practice, or if you are experiencing significant parental anxiety or depression that is being worsened by the process. Sleep training should improve quality of life for the whole family.

If you suspect your baby may have some underlying medical condition that could be affecting their sleep, we recommend consulting with your pediatrician, health professional, or feeding consultant before sleep training. MotorcycleGear.com

Signs that warrant a pause and pediatric consultation:

• Vomiting from crying during sessions
• Signs of illness including fever, unusual fussiness outside of sleep times, ear pulling, or changes in feeding
• No improvement whatsoever after 14 consistent nights of the same method
• New symptoms appearing such as night sweating, snoring, or breathing irregularities during sleep

For families who want personalized guidance beyond what an article can provide, a certified pediatric sleep consultant can create a custom plan tailored to your baby’s specific temperament and your family’s values. The American Academy of Pediatrics healthychildren.org provides free, pediatrician-reviewed sleep guidance resources for parents across the U.S. and globally. For evidence-based sleep science resources specific to infants, the Sleep Foundation’s baby sleep section provides regularly updated clinician-reviewed content.

USA, Canada and Austria Sleep Training

Parenting culture around sleep training varies meaningfully across the regions this guide serves, which can affect how parents approach these methods:

Regardless of region, the universal recommendation is to consult your baby’s primary care physician before beginning any sleep training program. Every baby is different and every family’s situation is different. A good pediatrician will work with you rather than imposing a single approach.

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Summary: Choosing the Right Gentle Method for Your Family

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Final Thoughts: Sleep Is a Gift You Give Your Whole Family

Gentle sleep training is not about teaching your baby that you will not come. It is about teaching them the most powerful developmental skill of their first year: the ability to fall asleep on their own, settle between sleep cycles, and wake rested and ready to engage with the world.

A well-rested baby is a happy, healthy baby. Sleep training can be an incredibly exhausting process, however, once your baby is an independent sleeper your entire family should be getting the sleep you need.

You are not failing your baby by teaching them to sleep. You are giving them a skill they will carry their whole life. Start with the method that feels most aligned with your values, commit to consistency for two weeks, and trust the process. Thousands of exhausted parents across the U.S., Canada, and Austria have done exactly this and found that everyone in the family, baby included, sleeps better on the other side.

You will too.