Sleep training babies seems like something that may be difficult to do, but it really isn’t. It is more of a matter of planning ahead and sticking to a routine than anything else. Babies naturally start to sleep more after the first few months of their lives, and you can encourage them to sleep on a schedule that you can get used to.
For instance, starting at 2 months, you can develop a routine that your baby will be able to recognize. This will reinforce when they should be going to sleep and waking up. This routine should involve getting up at the same time each day, going to bed at the same time, and consistent nap times. This way the child’s body will get used to doing these things at these times. These routines can go a long way into getting your baby to sleep through the night nearly every night.
Of course this isn’t always foolproof. Sometimes your child won’t want to go to sleep at a certain time, even when they are used to it. When this happens, it is up to you to decide if you want to comfort the baby each time or if you want them to cry for a bit until they become sleepy and fall asleep on their own. You can also choose to do a little of both. These are the training methods recommended by experts, although they don’t lean towards any of these options. However, it is important for the parents to give cues to their offspring on how these situations will be handled. If a baby is crying each night just to get some attention, it may have nothing to do with not being able to sleep at night.
Parents that have been through the process recommend seeing how your child responds to different things. Some babies need to be comforted each time they cry and they will be able to sleep soundly afterwards. Others will not be able to be comforted when they are too tired and just have to tire themselves out. Unfortunately, there is no way to know which babies will behave a certain way, so it is a bit of trial and error to see what works in your household. The whole process may cause you to lose a bit of sleep, but once you figure out a solution, your baby should be able to sleep through the night, even when bedtime starts off a bit rocky.