HealthEssentials: A pediatrician offers sleep training advice for exhausted new parents.
Dr. Noah Schwartz recommends beginning sleeping training when your baby is about four months old. At this age, babies are typically old enough to learn to self soothe, and may no longer require night feedings.
Additionally, at around four months, your baby’s sleep cycles begin to mature and their circadian rhythm (the hormonal cycle which regulates our sleep-wake cycles) starts to take effect.
Some babies can start sleep training earlier and some do better a little later, around the six month mark. If you’re unsure if your baby is old enough or ready, check with your pediatrician to get the green light first.
There has been ample long-term research studying sleep training, and there is no evidence that sleep training is physically or psychologically damaging to babies and children. In fact, it’s been known to improve parental mood, improves an infant’s sleep quality and increases the secure attachment between babies and their caregivers. As long as your baby is old enough and is in a safe environment, sleep training (no matter which method you choose) is perfectly safe and healthy.
