Baby Sleep Training

Baby Sleep Training Methods and Tips

6 min readUpdated January 28, 2025

If you’re looking for ways to help your baby fall asleep independently, without rocking, cuddling or staying in the room, you may have come across the idea of sleep training. Whether bedtime has become stressful or your baby is waking frequently at night, it’s normal to wonder whether sleep training could help.

Sleep training gently supports your baby in learning how to settle themselves to sleep without needing your help. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution – some families find it works wonders, while others prefer different approaches. It’s all about finding what feels right for you and your little one. The NHS does not recommend sleep training methods that involve leaving babies to cry on their own.

Key Takeaways

  • When to start? Many UK experts suggest waiting until around 6 months old, when babies may no longer need night feeds and are better able to learn self-soothing skills. Always check with your GP for tailored advice.

  • Is it safe? Yes, sleep training is considered safe. The NHS focuses on creating consistent routines and responding to your baby’s needs, rather than promoting methods that involve letting them cry unattended.

  • How long does it take? Every baby is different. Some parents notice improvements within a few nights; for others, it might take longer depending on the method and the baby’s temperament.

  • What method works best? There’s no single ‘best’ method. Options range from gradual approaches to more structured techniques like controlled comforting. The right one is the one that fits your family’s needs.

In this guide, we’ll explore common sleep training methods, share tips for handling sleep disruptions, and help you feel more confident as you support your baby’s journey toward better sleep.

What is Sleep Training?

Sleep training is the process of helping your child develop their independent sleep skills and be able to fall asleep – and back asleep if they wake up during the night – without crying for you.

Sleep training starts with recognising your baby’s natural sleep patterns for their age and creating a calming routine around bedtime. Keep in mind that the amount of sleep your baby needs and their sleep patterns will change over time. For example, sleep training a 6-month-old baby will not be the same as sleep training a 1-year-old or 2-year-old. We describe several sleep training methods below, including what baby or toddler age each method may be most appropriate for.

Is Sleep Training Harmful?

Sleep training is not harmful, though it’s common to wonder whether sleep training could have a negative impact on your baby. You may have read mixed messages or heard concerns about certain techniques, especially those that involve letting your baby cry for periods of time.

All sleep training methods focus on creating a safe sleep environment, establishing gentle bedtime routines, and understanding that babies' sleep patterns develop at different rates. If you're unsure about how to approach your baby's sleep, speaking with your health visitor or GP can help you find an approach that feels right for your family and supports your baby’s wellbeing.

In the UK, the NHS does not formally recommend any specific sleep training method as standard practice. Some NHS trusts advise against techniques like controlled crying, particularly for younger babies, and instead encourage responsive sleep training – tuning into your baby’s cues and offering comfort when needed.

For some extra guidance on choosing the right method for your family and a personalised step-by-step plan for implementing it, take our free Better Sleep Quiz – the Smart Sleep Coach app offers everything you need to support your baby’s sleep needs as they grow.

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When to Start Sleep Training

Experts advise waiting until your baby is at least 6 months old before using sleep training methods to address specific issues like waking in the night or not being able to sleep without you, your partner, or another carer in the room. In the early weeks and months of your baby’s life, it’s important to recognise and cater to your baby’s sleep patterns and feeding needs rather than expect your baby to sleep according to your schedule.

At around 3 to 6 months old, you might notice that your little one is sleeping for longer periods and needing fewer night feeds. This is a good time to start setting the stage for eventually sleep training by introducing a bedtime routine and creating a cozy sleep environment.

Creating a bedtime routine around your baby’s sleep rhythms from an early age could mean there’s less need to use additional sleep training methods to help overcome any sleep-related difficulties later.

In Summary

You can start to establish a bedtime routine early in life but more targeted sleep training methods aren’t usually recommended until at least 6 months after your baby is born.

How Long Should Sleep Training Take?

Sleep training can take a couple of weeks or longer depending on the method you choose and how your baby responds to it – every child is different. It’s important to be consistent with the method you choose. This can help make sleep training quicker, easier, and more successful.

What are Different Sleep Training Methods?

There are many different sleep training methods – there’s no one-size-fits-all sleep training approach, but whichever you choose it’s encouraged to follow safe sleep practices, build consistent bedtime routines, and respond sensitively to your baby’s needs.

When choosing a specific sleep training method, make sure your baby is healthy and your sleep environment follows safe sleep guidance (baby sleeps on their back, in their own cot or Moses basket, in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months).

Your health visitor can offer personalised advice, but here are a few of the sleep training methods you might consider using and how to use them for your baby or toddler:

Pick-Up, Put-Down.

Comfort your baby when they cry, then lay them down once calm. Repeat as needed. Works best for babies under 6–9 months who wake often and need reassurance to fall back asleep.

Gradual Retreat (Disappearing Chair/One Step at a Time).

This method is suitable for babies over 12 months of age. Sit nearby while your baby falls asleep, gradually moving your chair further away over time until you’re out of the room. If they cry, gently reassure them without making eye contact. This method may take several weeks or months but offers comfort while helping them practice independent sleep skills.

Bedtime Fading.

Shift your baby’s bedtime slightly later each night (by about 10-15 minutes) until they naturally fall asleep more easily. Ideal if your baby resists sleep or doesn’t seem tired at bedtime. It can be used from around 6 months old and may take up to a few weeks to work.

Shower of Kisses.

After putting your child to bed, leave and return briefly for reassuring kisses. Repeat until they settle. This method promotes a calm routine and connection for toddlers and older children. Keep in mind that when you first try this, it could take hundreds of kisses and several hours before your little one drops off to sleep!

Straight Back to Bed.

This technique is for toddlers or children who leave their beds frequently. It involves calmly returning them to bed when they get up without interaction. Be consistent and calm to help reinforce boundaries.

Controlled Self-Soothing (Controlled Crying).

This method involves leaving your baby to cry for increasing periods before offering brief comfort. While some studies suggest it is not harmful long-term, the NHS advises against using this method, particularly for younger babies, and instead recommends responsive care. It’s also recommended to limit intervals to a maximum wait of 7 to 8 minutes. Always speak to your health visitor before considering this approach.

The Importance of a Calming Baby Bedtime Routine

As we mentioned earlier, all sleep training begins with establishing a calming bedtime routine. Here are some calming bedtime routine tips to use for both babies and toddlers:

  • Decide upon a bedtime and give yourself an hour before it for your child’s ‘winding-down’ routine

  • You could incorporate a relaxing bath time for your child

  • Change them into a fresh nappy and pyjamas

  • Dim the lights in their room and put them to bed

  • Keep the atmosphere calm and soothing

  • You may wish to read them a bedtime story or sing a soothing lullaby

  • Avoid too much noise, excitement or stimulation before bedtime.

In Summary

Many parents find that gentle, responsive techniques, like gradual retreat or bedtime fading, fit best with NHS advice and feel right for their family – the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers includes all of these methods. However, whichever method you choose, stay consistent, and don't hesitate to reach out to your health visitor or GP for personalised guidance.

How to Prepare for Sleep Training Your Baby

Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for sleep training or simply create a better sleep environment for your baby:

  • Ensure sleep safety. Sleep training starts with following the safe sleep guidelines to help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Safe sleep includes always laying your baby on their back to sleep and keeping the cot free of toys, pillows, duvets, cords and anything else that could pose a suffocation or strangling hazard.

  • Establish a calming bedtime routine. When your baby is around 3 or 4 months old, or as early as the 4th trimester, start laying the foundations of a bedtime routine that instils healthy sleep habits early on. This little ritual can be calming for your baby and help prevent sleep problems further down the road. Try to begin your routine at the same time every day. It could include giving your infant a bath, perhaps followed by a soothing baby massage, soft singing, reading a story or just a cuddle. Start doing these things each night before your baby is overly tired.

  • Help your baby understand the difference between night and day. During the day, keep the curtains open, get lots of natural daylight and be active between naps. There’s also no need to shush everyone while your baby’s having a daytime snooze – a little background noise is fine. At night, keep the lights dim, speak softly, avoid playing with your baby and try keeping nocturnal nappy changes calm and quiet. Extra-absorbent nappies, like Pampers Baby Dry, are great for keeping tiny bottoms dry the whole night through.

  • Share a room for the first six months. Experts advise sleeping in the same room as your baby at least for the first six months. In the first few weeks your baby may only fall asleep in your arms (or those of your partner) or while you’re close by or standing next to the cot. Sleeping in the same room as you (in a separate cot or Moses basket) may also lower the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). If your baby sleeps while being held, make sure you stay awake too.

  • Put your baby to bed while sleepy but still awake. To help your baby get used to falling asleep without too much extra comforting, try putting your infant into the cot before they fall asleep. This may work better after 3 months or so, when your baby is starting to spend more time awake and alert.

  • Practice patience. Effective sleep training involves patience, understanding, and consistency. Improving sleep won't happen overnight, but you'll get there. Keep in mind that your baby's sleep needs change as they grow, and you may revisit sleep training several times after regressions, travel or nap transitions.

  • Download the Smart Sleep Coach app. This baby sleep coaching appsimplifies the entire sleep training process by creating a personalised schedule, monitoring your baby's sleep patterns, providing real-time feedback, and offering step-by-step guidance on implementing your chosen sleep training method. With the Smart Sleep Coach, you can confidently foster a nurturing sleep environment that encourages your baby's development, ultimately leading to a well-rested household. Try our free sleep assessment to support you through sleep training.

In Summary

Prepare your baby for sleep training and encourage healthy sleeping habits by establishing a familiar bedtime routine, helping your baby understand the difference between night and day and putting your infant into bed when they are still awake but feeling sleepy.

Sleep Training Setbacks

Here are some common situations that can make it more difficult for your baby to fall asleep independently, alongside what current UK guidance suggests addressing them.

Addressing Challenging Sleep Habits

  • Sleeping in your arms or being rocked to sleep. Letting your newborn sleep in your arms is normal and recommended, but once your baby is older than 3-months-old they may start to rely on being held to fall asleep. This isn’t a problem unless your baby is becoming too heavy to rock, the rocking takes a long time or simply isn’t working anymore. Instead, try putting them down when they’re sleepy but still awake, and support them with patting and shushing so they start to get comfortable with settling in their own sleep space.

  • Falling asleep in an adult bed. For the first six months, the safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own cot or moses basket in the same room as you – not in an adult bed or sofa. Sharing a bed with your baby not only isn’t safe – it can make independent settling more difficult.

  • Feeding right through until sleep. If your baby regularly drifts off during a feed and into sleep without being moved to their own cot, they might associate feeding and sleep and struggle later to settle without it. If your baby is feeding to sleep and it isn’t a problem for you, then there is no need to change anything. However, if it is becoming challenging, moving their feeding to before your bedtime routine puts a natural separation between feeding and sleep, helping to break the sleep association.

  • Inconsistent bedtime routine or environment. A calming, predictable bedtime routine signals to your baby that it’s time for sleep. Too much stimulation, inconsistent timings, or an irregular environment (lighting, noise, room temperature) can disrupt how easily your baby settles.

By being mindful of these habits, and following a personalised sleep schedule, you can help support your little one’s independent sleep skills and maintain the progress you’ve made with sleep training.

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Developmental Changes or Discomfort

No matter how well your sleep training is going, developmental milestones can temporarily affect your progress. Also, your baby may have a harder time falling or staying asleep if it’s time for a nappy change, they’re hungry, too hot or cold or in any way uncomfortable.

Here are some other things to keep in mind that might cause temporary sleep training setbacks:

  • Illness. A cough, cold or other common illness might make it difficult for your little one to sleep and cause waking in the night. A fever could also disrupt your child’s sleep patterns.

  • Teething. If you notice signs of teething in your baby or toddler, brace yourself for some restless nights.

  • Growth spurts. Sometimes, especially during the first 4 months or so, your baby may have growth spurts accompanied by periods of cluster feeding (when your baby feeds for longer or more frequently than usual). These extra feeds might interrupt your baby’s sleep or change the pattern of sleeping and feeding.

  • Separation anxiety. Any time between the ages of 6 months and 3 years old, your baby’s nighttime sleep might be affected by separation anxiety, a normal phase in your child’s emotional development. This is when your child becomes clingy and cries if you leave the room, which might make sleep training more challenging. Learn more about separation anxiety and strategies for coping with it.

  • Sleep regression. Common, temporary bouts of sleep disruption often occur as a result of different developmental milestones. These sleep regressions happen around 4-, 8-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months of age and can last anywhere from 2-6 weeks. Staying consistent with your sleep training method is the best way to navigate regressions swiftly.

In Summary

Sleep training doesn’t always go smoothly. Added to this, sleep regressions, an unexpected illness, the appearance of a new tooth, a growth spurt or separation anxiety may affect your sleep training approach or progress temporarily.

FAQs at a Glance

You can start sleep training your baby around 6-months-old. However, you can start to establish proper sleep fundamentals, such as a bedtime routine, from newborn.

The Bottom Line

Your baby will function best, with quality sleep at night. Keep in mind that for the first few months, your infant is unlikely to have a regular sleeping schedule but by the time they are halfway to their first birthday, you can support their sleep with sleep training.

Don’t be hard on yourself – it takes time and effort for many babies to get used to falling asleep and staying asleep without parental support.

Some methods may not work for your little one (or for you), but there are plenty of others to try, and with a little patience and consistency – and tender loving care – you’ll get there in the end.

If you’re unsure where to begin or feel stuck along the way, your baby’s GP or health visitor can help guide you through your options with care and insight.

And for extra support, the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers app can help you choose a sleep training method that’s best for your family and walk you step-by-step through how to implement it. Additionally, the Pampers Club app is here to make your journey a little easier. It offers points on every Pampers purchase and exclusive savings towards your next pack, because even small wins can make a big difference.

The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the National Health Service (NHS). You can find a full list of sources used for this article below.<br> The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.

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