Tried And True Infant Sleep Training Tips

You probably clicked on this blog post because you’re desperate for infant sleep training tips. I know I was. I was sleep deprived and ready to implement a set plan to get my baby to sleep on her own. She would scream and cry nonstop unless I was physically holding her.

I felt like I was the only mom that couldn’t set their baby down for naps or for the night. And the moms who shared sleep training tips made it seem so easy. So why was it that I couldn’t do it?

It was a combination of two things. For one, I had already created a bad habit for myself by being complacent and accepting the fact that I was never going to get time alone during her naps nor at night during bedtime. The second reason is because I felt like it was too late for me to be sleep training my 14 month old baby.

How long does sleep training a baby actually take?

The amount of time it takes to sleep train a baby depends on the method used but can generally take about 3 to 4 nights. Dr. Schwartz says most of it comes down to parents having a plan and being consistent with their sleep training method.

Why It’s Not Too Late

Listen. It’s never too late to sleep train your baby. My husband and I don’t always share the same views on things. And it didn’t help that he felt bad when she would scream and cry while I was trying to set her down for naps and at bedtime.

But I had to get out of this hole I was digging myself in. You can too. The later you push it, the later you’re going to get the time that you need to be your own person. And after just a week of sleep training my impossible baby, I felt like a brand new person.

I was able to clean the house, actually get some sleep, work on my website, plan and create new content uninterrupted, and just sit there without little baby hands tugging on me every 2 seconds.

The Best Tips To Sleep Training Your Impossible Baby

In this blog post, I’ll go over everything I did to sleep train my colicky and impossible baby. And I encourage you to do the same so you can feel like yourself again and get back to implementing self-care in your daily routine.

1. Have a plan for sleep training and stick to it

My baby at the time had 3 lovies (two bunnies and a sloth) that she always had by her during sleep times. I would bring it close to her and ask her if she was ready for night-night to signal that it was nice to sleep.

I created my master plan on a Friday and prepared her for the plan over the weekend to start implementing it the following Monday.

Every time I’d ask her, “are you ready for night-night”, she would walk over to me with one of her stuffed animals or drag her baby blanket, hinting to me that she was ready to sleep. Then, I’d bring her into the room, place her in her pack-n-play, put on the white noise machine, kiss her on the head telling her, “mama is going to come and get you after you go night-night. I love you”, and slowly walk away and shut the door behind me.

Your baby is no doubt going to cry. However, it’s important not to go into the room again when your baby cries. Instead, if your baby continues to cry, go in the room when they take a break from crying. This way, they aren’t connecting them crying to with you coming in to get them.

I checked up on my baby every 10 to 20 minutes (if she continued to cry off and on), but would only go in during the times she wasn’t crying. I let her know that mommy was here and will play with her when night-night time was over.

2. Don’t look back

Your baby is going to cry a decent amount the first few days or even a week. But once you put your master plan into action, you cannot look back. This is especially true during those first few weeks of setting a new sleep training routine for your baby.

Hopefully it won’t take weeks but it will take some time getting used to. But as long as you are being very consistent with your sleep training plan, you will be successful!

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3. Pick a room

I used our bedroom as her nap time room and set up a pack-n-play next to my bed. Side story, we actually took down our baby’s crib in the nursery because I had already accepted that she was never going to go down for a nap by herself. Also the bedroom we used as her nursery was poorly ventilated (would get super cold or super hot depending on the season).

4. Be consistent with your sleep training plan

Being consistent goes with just about anything in life. If you want to see results- you have to stay consistent. Babies are smart little things. They will catch onto what you say, what you do prior to putting them down to sleep, and what happens when they wake up (you walking in to get them and give them love).

Don’t forget to praise your little one when you walk back into the room to get them out of their crib, bassinet, or pack-n-play. And I felt like this was especially important for the developmental stage my 14-month-old baby was at.

5. Don’t give in

Yes, it will break your heart walking away from your crying and distressed baby. But this is the only way you’ll be able to get a break and continue a good sleep routine for the both of you.

6. Give it time

Along with being consistent, everything takes time. Sleep training your baby isn’t going to happen overnight. And who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised to see how quickly your baby catches onto their new sleep routine.

7. Repeat

Repeat the steps above. Create your plan and new sleep training routine, don’t look back, be consistent, don’t give in to the crying, and give it time. Seriously, if I can do it, you can too. I still can’t believe I’m the one sharing my tried and true sleep training tips.

FInal Thoughts

I never knew this day would come but I am beyond happy that sleep training my impossible baby was a success. And have created the time for me that I’ve been longing for.