Going from the cozy warm arms of Mom or Dad to a crib is a big change for your infant, but it’s one they quickly adapt to if done properly.

Mari tip:  I recommend buying a baby monitor with video capability. They can help eliminate the stress a parent/caretaker can feel during this process.  Also, there will be times when your baby is in distress, say for instance: they need to be burped; they’re caught between the railings of the crib; they need a diaper change; or if young enough they’ve prematurely rolled over and are unable to position back, a video monitor can help you to determine the difference between a distress and a protest cry.

I will always suggest to go with your gut too, if you feel your infant is crying a little too hard, it is ok to go into the room pick him up to comfort him, as long as you place him back in the crib to fall asleep on his own.

1.  Establish a regular bedtime routine. The goal is to establish a consistent and predictable routine to allow your child to fall into a calm state while regarding sleep time positively.  It can include any/all of the following: a bottle,  a warm bath, massage, reading books, singing a couple soft songs. Swaddle, kisses and loves, and put him down in his crib. Be sure to begin and end the process at the same time every night.

2.  Your child will most likely begin crying sometime between placing them in the crib and while you’re leaving their bedroom.  This is to be expected!  Give him about 5 minutes then go into his room. Do not make eye contact but touch his belly or stroke his head and say, “Mommy is still here, it’s night night time and time to sleep”, then quietly walk out of her room.  If he begins to protest again, wait another 5 minutes then repeat the above steps.  You want to allow your infant 5 minutes of crying time the first couple of days, then slowly begin to increase the time frame by 5 minutes.  For example:

• Day 1:  After routine and child is down, he begins to protest.  Wait 5 minutes, enter room and reassure your child then quietly leave; he soon begins to cry again, wait 5 minutes and repeat process; the first few days of sleep training are the most difficult, you will find yourself going into the room 4-6 times until your infant is asleep.
• Day 2-3:  Repeat same steps as Day 1.  At this time you might find yourself going in less or more, depending on how fast your child responds to their new routine.
• Day 4:  Repeat the same steps, but now allow for 10 minutes of protest before entering your child’s room.  At this time you might find your child is protesting more and even louder than before.  This is normal, it is called an extinction burst, which basically means that it gets worse before it gets better, and is also a good sign that your technique is working!
• Day 5:  Repeat same steps as Day 4, wait 15 minutes before entering room.
• Day 6:  Repeat same steps,  but now allow for 20 minutes of protest.
• Day 7:  Your child should be going down easier now on their own, if not continue the process of Day 6 for a couple more days.

In my experience it can take anywhere from 3-7 days before a child is fully sleep trained.   It just depends on how easily your child adapts to a new behavior.

Your child will experience changes in their sleep habits throughout their cognitive development, so allow for age appropriate changes and updates to your routine.  Always remember that consistency is key, and there will be a time when it sounds and feels so awful that you just can’t stand it, but remain confident in yourself and your child and you both will find success.  Sleep training is as much of an important tool for parents as it is for the infant; it fosters independence in your child and instills confidence in parenting.