I’ve been there. You’re tired and desperate to get some sleep but the internet has what feels like over 1 million things to say about just one topic!
When it comes to sleep training you can find multiple methods out there, so let’s go over the most popular ones and break them down a bit.
Pick Up, Put Down
This method is the easiest but can require more time on your part. It’s very gentle because you’ll attend to your child the second they start crying. When they cry, you will go in and pick them up. You calm them down and then lay them down again. You will repeat this every time they cry and every time they wake up.
Timed check ins. These tend to be the most popular ones because there’s different way of going about it.
3 Minute-you lay your child down awake and every time they cry, you wait three minutes before going in. When you do go in, you offer them words, maybe some touch, but you don’t always pick them up. You do your part and then you walk out of the room. You’ll repeat this every time they cry or wake up (not hunger related), BUT only if their cry reaches what we call “level 10.” You know the cry.
Controlled Crying-on night one you wait 5 minutes before going in. The next check in will be done at 10 minutes, and the following at 15 minutes and you will stay with 15 minute check ins when they reach a level 10 cry (screaming) or when they wake (not hunger related).
On night two you will now start check ins at 10 minutes, then 15, then you stay at 20 minutes repeating what you did night one and you will also stay with this format from here on out.
Chair Method-the chair method can take up to two weeks but can be more gentle. Every three nights you will be moving a little further and further away from your child in an effort to create less dependence on you.
Nights 1-3 you are seated by their crib or bed where you can offer touch.
Nights 4-6 you move to the middle of the room
Nights 7-9 you are now inside their room but by the door
Nights 10-12 you are outside their room with the door cracked open
The tip here is to use a comfortable chair and you will stay there until they fall asleep and will resume this position when they wake.
These are the most popular sleep training methods but there’s a ton out there.
So why work with a sleep coach when the information is all online??
The truth is, all methods can be modified to fit your needs, your child’s personality, their needs, your goals. What’s online might not even fit your philosophy so we come in and find what will work!
We take their age and personality into consideration too!
The method alone won’t fix a sleeping issue. There’s schedules to think about, is it behavioral, is there an underlying health issue going on (which we won’t diagnose but will tell you to speak to your pediatrician), all these little things are a part of the big sleep puzzle.
Working one-on-one helps us tailor everything to YOUR child.
If you have a sleep concern, I encourage you to schedule a call with me using the link below.
https://ihelpmoms.com/consultants/consultant/458/jamie-ortiz
