Baby Sleep Training: Top 10 FAQs As Answered by a Sleep Coach

Your little one is here and you’re over the moon! A few weeks after your baby’s arrival, however, enduring prolonged sleep deprivation from having a newborn has taken its toll on you. And you may be just an inch away from losing your mind! Does this sound familiar to you? If so, don’t worry, baby sleep training is your answer. While it’s completely normal, keeping up with your baby’s sleeping schedules can be debilitating. Thanks to the half amount of night’s sleep compared to the amount you used to enjoy pre-baby, you are now extremely groggy, fatigued, super irritable with fuzzy eyesight and a constant throbbing headache. The good news is, every cloud has a silver lining: As your baby gets older and with a proper sleep hygiene, a good night’s sleep is in the cards for both you and your baby!

Baby Sleep Training with Sleep Coach Ho Wing Yan

If you are contemplating the idea of sleep training your baby but are either unsure if you should, or how to do it, we are here to help! Let’s hear from Ho Wing Yan, a certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the Founder of Precious Sleep, who provides personalised coaching and comprehensive support for parents who seek to solve their baby’s sleep issues.

Baby Sleep Training Guide: Frequently Asked Questions by Parents

Q1: What is sleep training?

Sleep training means teaching your child to fall asleep without the help of any external sleep props such as carrying, rocking, a pacifier or feeding to sleep, etc. It aims to give your child the chance to pick up self-soothing skills, allowing them to put themselves to sleep independently and avoid waking up midway through the night.

Q2: What is the right age to begin sleep training a baby?

It is recommended to wait until the baby is at least 3.5 months before attempting any sleep training. The best time would be between 5 – 8 months. Newborns are too young to be trained as they are not physically and developmentally ready for it yet.

Q3: What are the common sleep training methods for babies?

The most common baby sleep training method would be the Ferber method whereby parents are encouraged to check-in at intervals. Another one is Pick Up Put Down method, which usually works well for younger babies. However, this method may drag your baby’s dozing off process as the cycle can be repeated and may cause more stimulation to your little one. The third and most preferred method is the Chair method. Here, parents are allowed to be by their baby’s side to soothe and calm him until he falls asleep in the cot. And after a few days, they will slowly progress by moving further away. Cry-It-Out method is the least favoured as it could mean leaving your baby to cry alone in the room until they fall asleep eventually on his own. This method is more suitable for older kids.

Q4: How do I help my baby develop good sleeping habits?

A baby with good sleeping habits typically feels confident, secured and falls asleep independently without any external props. The foundation to all these anchors upon your baby’s ability to self-soothe from an awake to asleep state. This is a skill which requires time and practice to learn. In addition, parents should practice other sleep hygiene like finding your baby’s optimum sleep-wake windows and making sure your baby is full enough before being put to sleep. Besides that, they could try establishing a regular bedtime or nap routine, giving your baby enough stimulation during his awake time, setting up a great sleeping environment (i.e. quiet, cool and dark) and ensuring there’s no devices or blue light exposure before bedtime.

Q5: How long does sleep training take?

Most babies will show signs of improvement within a week of sleep training. However, it usually takes 2-4 weeks before everything sets in. It is important that you are consistent in practicing your chosen sleep training method and constantly observing your baby’s sleep hygiene factors for your child to learn quicker.

Q6: What are the common challenges of sleep training a baby?

Being inconsistent – Caving in halfway could cause confusion to your baby hence prolonging the whole sleep training process.
Unrealistic goals – Setting fair and realistic goals that is suitable for your baby’s age is important. For example, we shouldn’t expect a baby to sleep through the night without feed for a baby younger than 6 months. Parents need to understand that every baby has his own pace of learning.
Parents are not mentally ready – Sleep training can be tiring and emotionally draining for parents, especially without any encouragement and support from their spouse or household.

Q7: Can I sleep train a fully breastfed baby?

Yes, you can! Mothers should look at breastfeeding as a form of ‘food’ for your baby, and not for ‘sleep’.

Q8: Any tips for new parents embarking on their sleep training journey?

Your baby has to be at the right age and parents have to be mentally and emotionally ready for sleep training. Know that this is what you want for your child and for yourself before starting. Other prerequisites would include setting up a good sleeping environment for your child, getting a baby monitor so that you do not need to rush in immediately when your baby cries and no travelling, late nights or full day events with your baby during the sleep training period.

Q9: What do I do if my baby is not sleeping well?

Take a step back and determine the possible cause of your baby not sleeping well:

Is he under/overtired before being put down to sleep?
Is he full enough before going to sleep?
Is he sleeping in a conducive environment?
Does he have a sleep prop (i.e. rocking, carrying, feeding to sleep etc.) and can’t sleep without it?
Is he sick?

Parents should seek help if any of the above are impacting the quality of their baby’s sleep.

Q10: How do I ensure my baby sleeps throughout the night?

Put your baby down before he is fully asleep so that he is conscious of his sleep environment before falling asleep to encourage self-soothing skills before falling asleep.
Pause and wait for 5-10 mins before responding to night wakings, so that you allow your baby to practice self-soothing and put himself back to sleep without any immediate intervention from parents.
Introduce a lovey, blankie or plush soother such as Fisher-Price® Soothe N Snuggle Otter, Calming Clouds Soother and Baby Bear & Firefly Soother to older babies as this eases the process of falling asleep.

Introducing Fisher-Price® Mummy’s Sleep Essentials!

Looking for baby sleep essentials that help soothe your baby to sleep longer and better at night? Fisher-Price®’s Mummy’s Sleep Essentials are definitely your go-to slumber essentials that will help turn your baby into a sleep superstar so that mums can gain their precious restful sleep back! Fisher-Price® products are powered by PlayLab – an on-site R&D lab – that are dedicated to designing and creating the best and most practical solutions to meet the growing up needs of babies of all stages.

Fisher-Price® Soothe N Snuggle Otter

The Fisher-Price® Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter is a unique plush soother that helps comfort your baby just like you do. Its soft belly moves up and down in a rhythmic motion that mimics breathing to help soothe your baby naturally, along with up to 30 minutes of calming music, sound effects and soft lights.

Sweet face, super snuggly fabrics and satiny tail, the Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter is a perfect cuddle friend for your baby!

Present your baby with this otter-ly cuddly pal to soothe and comfort your baby at home or wherever you go. Not to mention, the Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter is easily customisable, so you can find the comforting combination that works best for your baby. Choose music or soothing sounds (including white noise, womb, snoring or heartbeat sounds), adjust the volume and turn on or off the soft light and breathing motion!

Fisher-Price® Calming Clouds™ Mobile & Soother

The sleep expert-approved Fisher-Price® Calming Clouds™ Mobile & Soother boasts a sleek design with soft fluffy clouds and colorful “raindrops” that spin around overhead as gentle music and sounds play. It helps your baby settle down for sleep with overhead motion and calming music, sounds and lights.

Featuring Ready, Settle, Sleep™ playlist of music and sounds plus gentle lights, Calming Clouds™ Mobile & Soother helps baby fall and stay asleep. Moreover, it is equipped with a convenient sound sensor which automatically restarts the calming action (without disturbing the little one!) and activates as your baby stirs in the night, helping to soothe them back to sleep. This stylish crib mobile also converts to a tabletop sound machine with nightlight as your baby grows to help keep their bedtime routine consistent.

Fisher-Price® Soothe & Glow Seahorse

Speaking of self-soothing, we thought the Fisher-Price® Soothe & Glow Seahorse cleverly encompasses everything a baby needs to get transported to sweet dreamland! It is designed to be cuddly, it plays soft lullabies and oceans sounds, it has a gentle, soothing glow to keep your precious one feeling safe, and it can be wherever your baby is – making him feel right at home, no matter where you travel to! Now if there is one functional toy you must get for your child, this is it! You may get your hands on this super cute seahorse right here!

Fisher-Price® Baby Bear & Firefly Soother

The Fisher-Price® Baby Bear & Firefly Soother starts as a tabletop sound machine for your baby’s nursery with a customisable sleep expert-approved Ready, Settle, Sleep™ playlist of music, sounds, twinkling lights or overhead light projection to help settle your baby to sleep. As your baby grows, the lantern’s twinkling lights and light projection options becomes a comforting nightlight for toddlers. Don’t worry, Baby Bear, the fireflies will light the way!

Suitable for use from newborn and beyond, this snuggly plush bear toy detaches from lantern for take-along cuddles!

Can hardly wait to put your baby to sleep so you can get your uninterrupted shut-eye, too? Learn more about Fisher-Price®Mummy’s Sleep Essentials product range at Fisher-Price® Official Brand Page on Motherhood.com.my now! Join Fisher-Price® today on Motherhood Story as we journey with you through the “Best 100 Days of Your Life”.