The Sleep Steps: Teach your newborn to sleep 101

The Sleep Steps are a way to teach your newborn [typically 0-16 weeks old] how to fall asleep independently, and fall BACK to sleep independently. It’s a tried and true system that helps parents feel confident in their ability to give their newborns the gift of quality sleep.

What ARE The Sleep Steps?

We find it easiest to think of the Sleep Steps as a pyramid. You start at the top, with the least amount of intervention to your baby. Then you work your way down to more and more support until you find the sweet spot! If you’re wanting more details on the sleep steps and multiple examples on how to implement them- we recommend our Sleep Basics mini-series.

Why Do The Sleep Steps Work?

Magic. Kidding! The Sleep Steps take effort and consistency. We have parents constantly reach out that they tried to put their baby to sleep”drowsy but awake” and it didn’t work for them. Or they tried following a Three Hour Schedule and it didn’t work for them.

Our Sleep Steps work because you are putting them down with the level of independence that works for THEM, and then slowly building on their skills. Not every baby can be put down awake and fall asleep without support. It’s a skill that is taught and learned. We meet babies where they are.

Basically you lie your baby down awake… and then start at step one.

Step one: Pause

Pause means exactly what it says! This is a common theme in many sleep training/coaching philosophies. You may have heard of “Le Pause” if you’ve read “Bringing up Bébé“. Often, if you give your baby a moment to fuss, yawn stretch, or just be quietly awake…they will fall back to sleep on their own! If we run in and “rescue” them they will learn to ask for immediate support. Babies are NOT manipulative, but they do learn habits very early on.

Step two: Sound

Newborns are soothed by white noise. We recommend always having white noise on when your baby is sleeping. If your baby begins to fuss, you can introduce a shusher or raise the volume of the sound machine temporarily.

Step three: Pacifier

This step is optional depending on your thoughts on pacifiers. We are pro pacis because they are so effective, are a SIDS reducer, and no they don’t damage the breastfeeding relationship.

Offering your baby a pacifier is a hands-off way to help your baby self settle.

Step Four: Closing Eyes

This is exactly what it sounds like! You slowly close your baby’s eyes. Either by running your finger down the bridge of their nose or gently helping them shut their eyelids. We have an amazing video of a newborn falling asleep at this step in our mini series!

Step Five: Gentle Hands On Reassurance

This step means gentle touching and soothing your baby. Maybe a hand on their head or their belly. Just some physical support without movement.

Step Six: Firmer Hands on Reassurance

This step includes movement. If you’ve ever seen or used the SNOO…basically you are a human SNOO! You can wiggle the crib mattress, or you can put both hands on your baby and give them a rock side to side. You’re offering comfort and movement, without picking them up.

Step Seven: Holding

Ideally we don’t get to this step. Most babies prefer to be held to sleep, so for independent sleep to be effective…babies need to learn to fall asleep IN their sleep space.

But if your baby is not responding to steps 1-7, or if your baby is used to being fed to sleep…then just holding might be a huge improvement!

Step Eight: Feeding

Feeding to sleep is the hardest sleep association to break. If your baby is being fed to sleep, no not expect to get up to step 5 or 3 right away. It will take time!

Sometimes if your baby is overtired you’re going to need to throw in the towel and feed your baby to sleep. Follow your baby’s wake-windows. An overtired baby is not worth it!

Step Eight: Figure Out What is Wrong

We included this step because sometimes we have parents that no matter what they do they cannot get their baby to sleep! Always consider if your baby is sick, uncomfortable, overtired or if something else is going on. Utilize the 5 s’s to soothe, an if your baby is crying for hours, contact a medical provider just to be on the safe side.

We know this is a LOT of information, but we have so much more for you at BabyCareClasses.com! We find it’s easier to explain this process to parents using graphics along with real-life hands-on examples.