While no parent is ok with a crying baby, for sleep training many don a stronger heart. If you are, however, convinced that you want to sleep train without any tears, then you should consider the No Cry sleep training method, also known as the No Tears sleep training method.
Some consider bedtime as a good opportunity to connect with their baby, providing calm and consistent bedtime routines and responding to comfort. These no-cry sleep training methods help parents have a calm and responsive bedtime routine. While gentle methods can take a couple of months to work, eventually the baby starts to sleep on its own with minimal tears along the way. According to research studies, sleeping without crying or anguish helps babies sleep better and also helps them to self-soothe back to sleep when they wake up.
In This Article
- What is the No Cry(No Tears) Method of Sleep Training?
- List of Different Tears Free Sleep Training Methods
- How Does No Crying Sleep Training Method Work?
- Advantages of No Cry Sleep Training Method
- Disadvantages of No Cry Sleep Training Method
- Top 5 Tips For Introducing No Cry Sleep Training Method to Your Baby
- FAQ’s
What is the No Cry(No Tears) Method of Sleep Training?
Essentially, no-cry sleep training methods ensure that babies go to sleep with as minimum fuss and fight as possible. They are slow and gradual methods that take very long and can be exhausting for the parents. But they help avoid any negative sleep associations.
Many parents feel that bedtime is one of the best times to bond with the baby and crying or fussing may come in the way of that. In these methods, parents always respond to the baby’s need for comfort – be it nursing or rocking.
List of Different Tears Free Sleep Training Methods
Some of the popular no-cry sleep training methods are the gentle ones explained below.
1. The Pick-Up-Put-Down Method
In this method, the parent responds to the baby each time they need comfort. You will pick your baby up and comfort them when they cry, and then put them back down once they calm down. You repeat this process until your baby falls asleep. Every time your baby wakes up, you repeat the process. Eventually when the baby is trained, they start to sleep uninterrupted, confident that its parent is close by.
[Read : Pick Up, Put Down Method of Sleep Training Your Baby]
2. The Chair Method
In the chair method of sleep training, a parent is expected to do exactly that – sit in a chair near the baby’s crib. You put them down in the crib drowsy after rocking them. The baby learns to sleep on their own with the parent sitting right next to them providing them with comfort and presence. Gradually after every three to four days, you move your chair slightly away from the crib, while staying in sight of the baby. You do this until the chair is out of the room but still in the baby’s sight. Eventually, your baby starts to sleep without you. This method can take up to three weeks to work.
3. The Bedtime-Fading Method
In bedtime-fading method of sleep training, you’re with your baby throughout, but you begin to move your baby’s bedtime a bit later than usual. The goal is to help babies get tired and sleepy enough to fall asleep soon after being placed to sleep. In this, you need to log your baby’s sleep patterns, cues, and bedtime for a few days or weeks. Based on some analysis you find the optimal bedtime for the baby. Through a series of moving the bedtime forth and then back, the baby begins to sleep at your ideal time and also on its own.
4. The Co-Sleeping Method
In co-sleeping method, your baby sleeps with you in your bed and you can soothe it back to sleep more easily. Often babies who sleep with their parents don’t wake up a lot. Their uninterrupted sleep helps you move away for a while before coming to bed.
How Does No Crying Sleep Training Method Work?
For a sleep training method to work, parents should stay consistent and prep before starting the training. You should keep a log of your baby’s sleep patterns to understand and plan better. Sometimes you may need to tweak or remove a late or long nap pattern to help your baby get tired by the ideal bedtime. These preparations help make sleep training easier for both you and the baby.
No crying method works because they help a parent spend more time with the baby, giving the baby the security of having a responsive parent at bedtime. It does take a couple of months for this method to work so parents have to be extremely patient.
Advantages of No Cry Sleep Training Method
Here are some of the advantages of no cry method of sleep training.
- This method is a gentle one and does not include any anguish.
- For some parents, it is important to have positive bedtime associations. This method helps achieve that.
- This method allows parents to strengthen their bond with the baby.
- It has been seen that gentle methods work better for babies who need more help in sleeping.
Disadvantages of No Cry Sleep Training Method
There are some disadvantages to this sleep training method too.
- This method takes a very long time to work, testing parents’ patience.
- Since it’s a change in the routine, the baby may become clingier.
- In these methods, a parent is advised to respond to the baby as and when the baby requires, making it tiring for the parents.
Top 5 Tips For Introducing No Cry Sleep Training Method to Your Baby
Are you planning to introduce the no cry training method to help your baby fall into a sleep routine? Here are the best tips for you.
1. Learn About Your Baby’s Cues and Changing Needs
Keeping a log of your baby’s cues will help you understand its sleep pattern better. This could help settle the baby better. With every few weeks, a baby’s sleep patterns and requirements also keep changing. You will need to understand your baby’s cues, and changes in the pattern to gently train it to sleep at a desired time after every phase.
2. Pick the Right Bedtime
You should pick a time when your baby starts showing sleep cues. An overtired baby might take even longer to go to sleep than a baby who is not tired. You may need to either cut out your baby’s late afternoon nap or shorten it to ensure that the baby is tired by the ideal bedtime.
3. Change the Routine Slowly
If you are moving your baby’s routine to bring it more in line with your ideal routine, then you should start making the changes slowly. For instance, don’t move a bedtime from 9 pm to 7 pm suddenly, but move it 15 minutes earlier every night and then gradually move it more.
4. Maintain Consistency
Following the same routine daily helps the baby associate it with bedtime. Regulating naptime as well will bring the baby into a habit of sleeping at a certain time.
5. Create the Right Environment
Depending upon your baby’s preferences, create an environment that would be conducive for sleep. Removing distractions and ensuring that a baby’s room is dark can help the baby go to sleep more easily. Toddlers at times prefer some light and the door not entirely shut to feel safe and more in control.
No cry or no tears sleep training methods are gentle on babies. While gentle methods take longer, they do work and are easier and fuss-free. Babies do not develop an aversion to sleep training or sleep time. This is why these methods are a favorite for a lot of parents.
[Read : Safe Sleep Environment For Babies]
FAQ’s
1. Does No Cry Sleep Training Method Work For Babies?
Yes, it is said that gentle sleep training methods do eventually work, but they can take a long time. Some of the methods can take between two weeks to three months. You need to stay consistent with all steps through the entire duration of the training for the methods to work.
2. At What Age Can We Begin No Cry Method of Sleep Training For Babies?
You can begin the no cry sleep training method around 6 months of age or when the baby can start sleeping through the night without the need to nurse for hunger.
