Sleep training is one of the first important steps a parent faces. After weeks of sleepless nights, you may be ready to try anything. There are many different methods for teaching your baby to sleep through the night. The cry-it-out method is one of the most popular ways to teach a baby to sleep, but many parents wonder if this will harm their baby.
Sleep Training
Sleep training is the process of teaching a baby how to get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night. While some babies develop a regular routine easily, others have trouble learning this process and need help. There are many sleep training methods to help your baby get to sleep, from the cry-it-out method to the no-tears method. What works for one family may not work for another.
Age
You should not impose a sleep training method on a newborn. Infants need to feed every few hours, so it is normal for them to sleep for short periods. Six weeks is usually an appropriate time to begin reinforcing your baby's biological clock, including establishing a regular bedtime routine. Many experts recommend not sleep training before six months, but others say any time between three and six months is fine. Parents have to make their own judgment call and decide if they think their baby is ready.
Cry-It-Out Method (CIO)
The CIO method was developed by Richard Ferber, director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital Boston. Dr. Ferber believes that babies need to learn to soothe themselves in order to fall asleep and stay asleep during the night. This method teaches your baby to soothe himself, but involves leaving him to cry alone for prescribed periods of time.
Pros and Cons
The CIO method teaches your baby to go back to sleep by herself when she awakens during her natural sleep cycle. This method is generally quick, as the baby learns to soothe himself back to sleep after just a few nights. It is also less exhausting on the parents. However, this method is not for the faint-hearted. Listening to your baby cry, for any amount of time, may be difficult. According to Dr. Sears, parents risk becoming "desensitized" to their baby's needs, as well as risk losing her trust. Health problems such as an upset stomach, earache or sore throat are often overlooked during this method.
Considerations
Some babies are naturally good sleepers who easily learn to fall asleep and stay asleep. Other babies are fussy and wakeful and may need more structure or nurturing to guide them into sleep. Every baby is different and using common sense is really the best method. You should develop your own method that works for you and your baby. Setting a good bedtime routine will help signal your baby that it is time to "unwind" and go to sleep. Keep an open mind and feel free to try a different method if one particular method isn't working for you.
