Sleep Training Myths vs Truths 

TRUTH: It’s true that “cry-it-out” is one of the methods that can be used in baby sleep training. However, it’s not the only one, and definitely not my go-to sleep training method. Unless that’s the method that parents prefer, I will always recommend other effective yet gentler training methods.

TRUTH: Each baby in different development stages has unique feeding needs. Therefore, any safe and effective sleep training approach should consider those needs. Only nutritional experts can give an exact answer as to when a baby should be weaned off of night feedings. A sleep consultant, on the other hand, will help the baby develop good sleeping habits so that, when the baby is ready, they can decide on their own whether or not night feeding is still necessary.

TRUTH: Babies’ sleep patterns are very different from those of adults, especially at the newborn stage. They spend more time in active sleeping stages, and have more sleep cycles than adults. Therefore, it’s common to see babies waking up in the middle of the night, sometimes fussing or crying even though they are still sleeping. Sleep training helps babies learn how to sleep independently and have smooth transitions between sleep cycles. They will still have wakings, but through sleep training, they learn how to put themselves back to sleep independently.

TRUTH: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), it’s not recommended for parents to share a bed with their babies for safety reasons. However, I understand that some families have different backgrounds, habits, and cultural beliefs regarding bed-sharing with their baby. Sleep training can still be done if parents prefer to continue sharing a bed with their baby, though it may take longer than if the baby is in their own crib. Ideally, parents who do want to continue bed-sharing while sleep training would set aside a separate sleeping space in the bed for the baby.

TRUTH: Sleep training will not make your baby feel that they are losing you as their safe base. Every time parents respond to their baby’s crying, the secure attachment between baby and parent is further developed. This attachment is built over time and will not likely be interrupted as sleep training is only a short-term process. There are also many different sleep training methods that allow parents to pick the level of responsiveness that they are comfortable with so that the baby’s needs are still being responded to, but in a more purposeful and organized way. On the contrary, poorly rested children without sleep training tend to be more cranky, hence putting more stress on parents. Over time, this stress can lead to less responsiveness from parents when the child is crying due to other needs, harming the parent-child attachment.