Can I Sleep Train a Newborn?

Can you sleep train a newborn? Should you sleep train a newborn? How do you sleep train a newborn? Wait, what even is sleep training? Let’s start with that.

“Sleep training is the process of training young children to fall asleep on their own, typically by means of techniques in which the child is left to cry without being comforted, either for gradually increasing periods of time or until they fall asleep.”

Oxford Dictionary

That’s interesting. So the Oxford Dictionary definition of training to fall asleep independently, and can utilize harsh cry-it-out methods.

Sleep training is teaching your baby to fall asleep without help from you. That means baby is put down for bed drowsy but awake, and she drifts off without being rocked, swayed, cuddled, nursed or shushed.

Sleep training also teaches baby how to fall back to sleep when she inevitably does wake up overnight

Whattoexpect.com

So again, focusing on sleeping independently, but this version doesn’t sound as scary.

What is Baby Care Classes’ Definition of Sleep Training?

While we agree that sleep training=teaching independent sleep, we also feel like it has a bad reputation. Officially, when we talk about sleep training we are usually referring to older babies [5 months plus] that have developed “bad” habits over time and need to break those down and create new healthy habits in order to have healthy sleep.

For this reason our official stance is that we do not sleep train newborns. But wait, we do teach newborns to sleep independently! We just call it something different. Teaching newborns to sleep is about never putting bad habits into place in the first place. We call this sleep shaping, sleep learning or sleep conditioning. For the purpose of this blog, let’s be really confusing and stick with using the term sleep training!

Can you sleep train a newborn?

I guess it depends on your definition! Can you teach a newborn to fall asleep independently and sleep well, even through the night? Yes.

Can you leave your baby to cry for extended periods of time or attempt to train them to sleep using checks or other similar methods? No. Their brain is not developed enough for this form of training to be effective. Newborns need to have their needs met, and efficiently. Newborn cries should be responded to and never ignored for long periods of time.

Should you sleep train a newborn?

I think it depends on the definition again. You should never shut the door and leave a newborn to cry it out as it could be potentially dangerous. If a newborn is crying for an extended period it’s because they need something- a diaper change, food, comfort…they need YOU! If a caregiver is too burnt out to care for a newborn overnight then they should reach out to support.

If by sleep training you mean setting up your baby with excellent sleep habits from day one, then absolutely sleep train that newborn! Newborns can be taught to sleep in a way that is safe and effective but also has loads of long term benefits.

How do you sleep train a newborn?

Not by letting them cry it out.

We utilize a method that we call our Sleep Steps.

With our sleep steps we start at the top and work our way down, utilizing the least intervention possible to teach your baby to sleep independently.

Sleep training a newborn also means helping them get onto a schedule, and pay attention to their appropriate awake times.

How long can I let my newborn cry? [Pause]

That is an extremely personal answer. For some it may be only seconds, for others they may feel comfortable letting their baby cry while they take a much needed shower, and for still others it may be necessary for the baby to cry while the parent or caregiver tends to other children.

It also depends on if your baby is being attended to. If you are holding your baby or in the room with your baby and they are crying, then they may still cry for many hours. Colic is defined as crying that lasts over three hours a day. Cries happen! If you are with them then you are not letting them “cry it out”.

If your baby isn’t being attended to, then you need to take into consideration how often this baby is left to cry. Babies need their needs met *most* of the time. So a baby that is fed regularly, warm, and comfortable, that is usually only left to cry for moments or minutes, has a different brain chemistry than a baby that is malnourished and ——– idk

I can tell you that my mother was a foster parent for exclusively newborns. She only took in fresh babies from the hospital. She taught me at a young age that eight minutes is her magic number. She told me that any baby that cries longer than 8 minutes needs you for something [a diaper change, a cuddle, a feeding].

Want to learn more?

Our videos go over step-by-step, week-by-week how to gently teach your baby to sleep through the night!