The goal of sleep training is to help your baby develop their independent sleep skills. The first steps of sleep training are to get sleeps timed correctly, set up the right sleep environment, and ensure all your baby’s needs are met. After you respond to all your baby’s needs, then you start encouraging them to fall asleep on their own.
There are, however, different levels of responsive sleep training. The more responsive sleep training methods have a higher level of parental involvement, which is when you continue responding to your baby’s wants for comfort as they fall asleep and then gradually wean your baby off that support. More responsive sleep training often helps reduce the amount of crying, with some responsive sleep training methods claiming to be completely ‘no cry’ sleep training approaches.
Read on for more about responsive sleep training, how the responsive settling method works, and tips for responsive settling your baby.
{{table_of_contents}}
What is Responsive Sleep Training?
Responsive sleep training works by slowly weaning your baby off the support they need to fall asleep so they can grasp the skill of falling asleep independently – and falling back asleep when they wake between sleep cycles. Many parents choose a responsive sleep training method because it can get babies used to falling asleep on their own with little or no crying.
During responsive sleep training, you start by continuing to respond to your baby’s wants and needs throughout the night, whether it be by feeding them, changing a dirty diaper, comforting them by holding or rocking, or responsive settling. Responsive settling uses physical touch or verbal reassurance to settle your baby enough so they can fall asleep.
Gradually, parents and caregivers reduce the amount of support provided to promote your baby’s natural ability to fall asleep on their own – while still ensuring their needs are met. Over time your baby should gradually get used to falling asleep independently and won’t need (or want) as much comforting.
Because more responsive sleep training requires higher levels of parental involvement, responsive sleep training may take longer to start to see results. However, with consistency, many babies successfully start falling asleep at bedtime, and falling back asleep when they wake between sleep cycles, without you needing to comfort them.
Like all sleep training methods, responsive sleep training includes putting your baby to sleep at the right time, which is proven to make falling asleep easier and faster. Responsive sleep training is also most successful when your baby’s room is set to the right temperature and pitch dark.
Are any forms of sleep training non-responsive?
Non-responsive sleep training isn’t a method of sleep training. Regardless of which method you choose, all forms of sleep training begin with making sure you respond to your baby’s needs. This includes ensuring your baby is fed, clean, and comfortable before you put them in their crib for sleep.
When your baby is used to being cuddled or rocked to sleep, they often will cry out in protest because they want to be put to sleep in the way they’re used to – not because they necessarily need anything. With responsive sleep training at a higher parental involvement, you will continue to respond to your baby’s wants to be held or rocked, but slowly wean away that support over weeks or months.
If you choose a responsive sleep training approach that requires less parental involvement once your baby’s needs are met, if they continue to protest sleep, you might sit in a chair until they fall asleep or check on them after a certain amount of time at increasing intervals. For the cry-it-out method, once your baby’s needs are met you give them space to fall asleep without going in to comfort them. Often with these methods of sleep training that require less parental involvement, your baby will start to fall asleep quicker with less crying after a few nights.
Sleep training methods that require less parental involvement are not for everyone and there are many other sleep training methods that are more responsive and involve less crying. The Smart Sleep Coach by PampersTM app is well-versed in many methods of responsive sleep training that limit crying. Responsive sleep training with Smart Sleep Coach often works well for babies between 4-months-old and 12-months-old, even beyond.
Benefits of Responsive Sleep Training
The benefits of a more responsive settling method are that parents have a more hands-on approach to supporting their baby as they get comfortable with falling asleep independently. This often can make more responsive sleep training less stressful for both babies and parents.
Other benefits of responsive sleep training your baby include:
- Ensures your baby gets the quality sleep they need to grow and develop
- Helps you get more sleep – since your baby can fall asleep without your support
- Improved learning and emotional balance, according to research
- More independence and coping skills – key life skills
Tips for Responsive Settling When Sleep Training
Responsive sleep training is often a great fit for many babies and parents – gradually helping you and your baby take steps towards more independent sleep. The responsive sleep training method may help some parents be more consistent with their approach. Like with all sleep training methods, consistency is key.
Tips for implementing responsive sleep training:
- Time Their Sleep: Make sure you follow your baby’s circadian rhythm when putting them to sleep to give them the best chance of falling asleep without protest. (The Smart Sleep Coach’s smart sleep schedule can help you with that!) This baby sleep science is proven to help your baby fall asleep.
- Dim the Lights: A pitch-dark room helps induce the onset of melatonin, making it easier to fall asleep – and stay asleep for longer stretches. If you feed your baby in the middle of the night, keep the lights low (or off, if you can) when you go in. If you must use a night light, a red hue is best.
- Create a Bedtime Routine: Establishing a regular bedtime routine helps signal to your baby that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep.
- Remain Consistent: Consistency is key when responsive sleep training your baby. For example, if you choose responsive sleep training, keep with the plan and don’t revert to old sleep habits. The Smart Sleep Coach app can walk you step-by-step through whatever sleep training plan you choose, making it easy to stick with it.
- Keep Your Baby Calm but Awake: Resist the urge to let your baby fall asleep in your arms and encourage them to instead fall asleep in their crib. Remember, patience and perseverance are essential as your baby adjusts to falling asleep in their crib.
- Feed Before Bedtime Routine: Part of responsive sleep training and building healthy sleep habits in your baby is separating feeding and sleep. Feeding your baby before beginning their bedtime routine helps your baby stop relying on feeding to fall back asleep if they wake during the night. Even your baby feeds during the night when responsive sleep training, which is common in infants, your baby should not rely on feeding to fall back asleep.
{{drop-night-feed-blog-widget-no-image}}
Responsive Sleep Training by Age – When to Start
There are different approaches to responsive sleep training and the goal for each is have your baby fall asleep in their crib or sleep space with less and less support from you. When to start responsive sleep training depends on your baby’s age and weight – and your readiness. You can always speak to your pediatrician about whether sleep training is right for you.
Remember, responsive sleep training does not mean dropping night feedings. It means you are helping your baby become comfortable with falling asleep independently in their crib without your support when they don’t need a feeding – a natural ability we’re all born with!
Responsive settling for newborns
At the beginning of a baby’s life, they biologically rely on you for many things, including to fall asleep. Therefore, responsive settling your newborn by responding to their needs such as hunger, sleepiness, or temperature, is essential. Your newborn baby is too young to fall asleep without any kind of support.
For example, being held helps regulate a newborn’s body temperature. Also, their immature circadian rhythm prevents them from being able to fall asleep independently – totally normal, until they reach around three-months-old or four-months-old. That’s why many sleep consultants and pediatricians recommend contact naps as part of their nap schedule during those first weeks and months!
Responsive sleep training for babies over 4-months old
As your baby starts to develop the ability to fall asleep independently, which happens around 4 months of age, you can consider trying a form of responsive sleep training.
Often you can implement a responsive sleep training approach when your baby reaches 4-months-old and is over 12 pounds. At this age, your baby’s circadian rhythm is mature enough to start sleeping longer stretches at night, and they begin to recognize patterns – a great age to start responsive sleep training. Speak to your pediatrician before starting a responsive sleep training method.
Keep in mind responsive sleep training is not right for everyone, and some babies don’t need to be sleep trained to fall asleep independently. Oftentimes a creating a sleep schedule that aligns with your baby’s circadian rhythm, optimizing your baby’s sleep environment, and implementing a consistent routine is all they need to master their independent sleep skills and fall asleep without your support.
How to Do Responsive Sleep Training
There are different approaches to responsive sleep training, such as bedtime routine fading, Gentle method, the Pick Up, Put Down method, or the Chair method. All methods start with completing your baby’s bedtime routine, making sure all their needs are met, and soothing them until they are calm and sleepy but still awake. Then, you place them in your crib.
If your baby starts to protest or cry, you can offer verbal or physical reassurance to calm them, depending on what approach you choose and what works for you, to calm them and before placing them in the crib again. If they cry again, you can repeat this process, each time working to help them fall asleep. Over time, you gradually reduce the amount of support they need to fall asleep on their own.
If you want step-by-step guidance for responsive sleep training, the Smart Sleep Coach by PampersTM app was built by pediatricians and sleep consultants to help choose a responsive sleep training method that’s best for you and your baby and guide you through each step. The app is well-versed in many responsive sleep training methods and can help you select the one that fits your family and parenting style.
Final Thoughts
One of a parent’s biggest concerns when it comes to sleep training is leaving your baby to cry when they need something. The truth with responsive sleep training is you can still respond to your baby’s needs while also helping them become comfortable with falling asleep on their own.
Responsive sleep training is an effective way to support your baby in their journey to independent sleep. The benefits of responsive sleep training are proven, and once your baby is ready, a responsive sleep training method is worth considering so you and your baby get the restorative sleep you all need to thrive.
