Bedtime routines can include bathing, songs, books, or turning on the night-light. Simple nap routines can consist of singing quiet songs or reading books. Use a consistent routine to signify that the time for sleep has come.That means keeping the space dark at night (blackout curtains for the win!), leaving pillows/blankets/stuffed animals/crib bumpers out of the crib to avoid suffocation or risks for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and creating a good sleeping temperature through the use of sleep sacks, fans, heaters, etc. Ensure that the environment your little one is sleeping in is safe, comfortable, and conducive for slumber.If you’re looking for longer stretches of content sleep from your baby, it’s important that your little one take in plenty of calories during their waking hours. Make sure that your child is getting sufficient food during the day.If you’re looking to get your child on a sleep schedule using controlled crying or want to incorporate controlled crying as part of your sleep training plan, there are a few things that can make the process easier. Thus, controlled crying (or another sleep training method) may not be appropriate if a child is seeking extra reassurance or cuddles in these cases. Similarly, it’s important for parents to be extra responsive if their child is ill, teething, or reaching a new milestone. Because of the complex feeding and developmental/neurological changes that occur in the first half of the first year of life, it’s important that parents be extremely attentive to their infant during this time. There is research that babies under 6 months of age (and their parents) won’t benefit from sleep training. There are however limits to when controlled crying (and sleep training in general) are appropriate.

The study likewise indicated that there were no adverse stress responses or long-term attachment issues. This review found parent moods also significantly increased and no adverse effects were reported within 5 years.Ī small 2016 study involving 43 infants found benefits to controlled crying, including a decrease in the amount of time it takes small children to fall asleep and how frequently they wake during the night. Although it might not happen immediately, after several minutes of shedding tears your baby may feel ready to sleep.Īccording to a 2018 review of studies, as many as 1 in 4 young children benefited from controlled crying compared those without sleep training. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps your body rest and digest. If you decide to try controlled crying, you can implement it for naps, bedtime, and middle of the night wakings.īelieve it or not, crying can actually help with self-soothing. Your child should learn self-soothing skills and begin to fall asleep on their own more and more quickly as time goes on.Ĭontrolled crying can be used after your baby is at least 6 months old or with older babies or toddlers. Continue to use the controlled crying process consistently.Continue to briefly soothe your child and then leave the area for a set period of time until your little one is fast asleep.Once your child has calmed, or after 2 to 3 minutes, leave the area and allow your child to try to fall asleep on their own again.When you return to your little one, comfort/shush/pat your baby for a minute or so to calm them, but try to refrain from taking them out of the crib unless absolutely necessary.

This could look like returning after 3 minutes, then waiting 5 minutes, then waiting 7 minutes, etc. Typically this starts at 2 to 3 minutes, increasing by 2 to 3 minutes each time you return.

If your little one cries after you leave the area, return to your baby only at scheduled intervals.

(Make sure to check above and beside the crib in addition to inside the crib for any hazards like mobiles or art that they could pull down.) Before leaving your child alone, the area should be checked to ensure that it is safe.

Your baby should be put in their crib, on their back, while they’re still awake, but drowsy.

Ensure that your baby has all their needs met (fed, changed, warm enough) and is comfortable.

Get your little one ready for bed using a sleep routine like taking a bath, reading a book, or having some cuddles while singing a lullaby.

Now that you know what controlled crying is, the next question is how do you actually do it?

Shush pat method