Types of Sleep Training for Babies: Mommywise, The Ferber Method & More

There is truly nothing like a good night’s sleep, waking up refreshed and ready to take on a new day. But, for most new parents, good sleep is a thing of the past once they bring their newborn home. However, it doesn’t have to be this way!

Sleep training – done the right way for your unique situation – could be the answer you’ve been looking for to go from sleep deprived to getting the rest you need.

What is Sleep Training?

Let’s first address one of the biggest misconceptions about sleep training. Many people think the term “sleep training” is synonymous with the “cry it out” method. This couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, there are many different sleep solutions that parents can use to help babies sleep.

If “crying it out” isn’t sleep training, then what is?

Sleep Training is the process of helping a newborn or infant learn to fall asleep and stay asleep on their own.

While this can be achieved in a lot of different ways and with many approaches, the bottom line is that we want to help a baby feel safe and comfortable in falling asleep on their own and staying that way for their best growth and development – as well as their parent's sanity.

Teaching your baby to sleep independently can be life changing.

How Does Sleep Training Work?

Sleep training a baby can be different based on your method, your baby's age and your parenting approach. For example, here's our approach to Sleep Training a 9-Month Old Baby using the Mommywise Method, full of details about exactly the routine that we followed for this child.

How Long Does Sleep Training Take?

The timing of when you should start to sleep train your baby is dependent on many factors. Many experts estimate that that entire process can take 2-3 months, although some methods allow sleep consultants to produce results in less than a week.

At CLEBaby, we've had success with sleep training babies at all ages; check out these success stories for more details:

• Sleep Training Success Story: 5 Month Old Baby
• Sleep Training Success Story: 7-Month Old Baby
• Sleep Training Success Story: 9-Month Old Baby

Is Sleep Training Your Baby Safe?

Baby sleep training is a safe and widely practiced method for helping babies develop healthy sleep habits. Most parents find it an essential tool for ensuring both their baby and themselves get the rest they need.

One of the key benefits of baby sleep training is the establishment of a consistent sleep schedule. Babies thrive on routine, and a well-structured sleep schedule helps them regulate their internal clocks. This can lead to more predictable and restful nights for both baby and parent.

Sleep training isn't about forcing a rigid schedule upon your child but rather gently guiding them toward healthy sleep patterns. It involves techniques that teach babies to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own, reducing night awakenings and fostering longer, uninterrupted sleep. This approach is especially useful during sleep regressions and teething, common disruptions in a baby's sleep.

Over the course of a few weeks, babies learn to sleep through the night, take better naps, and feel more well-rested during the day. Parents also benefit from sleep training by gaining confidence in their ability to help their child sleep. A well-rested family is a happier and healthier one, and sleep training offers essential support on this journey, creating a nurturing sleep environment in the nursery and promoting better sleep for everyone.

4 Different Baby Sleep Training Methods

Sleep training is not a one-size-fits-all sort of process and there are many ways to go about it. Here are a few sleep training methods:

The Ferber Method

After putting your baby to sleep, if they cry, you would go in, check on them, console them with affirming words, and then leave.

The “Cry it out” Method (CIO)

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Parents go through the normal nighttime routine, put their baby to bed, and then leave the room. They also don’t respond to cries or they may use a system where they only go into the nursery after a significant amount of time.

The Chair Method for Sleep Training

Go through the bedtime routine motions, put the baby to bed, and then sit in a chair in the same room until they fall asleep. Once asleep, the parent leaves and can return if they cry but only to sit in the chair.

These are just 3 examples of sleep training methods. Our personal recommendation and what we use in our sleep training work is the Mommywise sleep method method.

The Mommywise Sleep Training Method (Why we love it!)

This is an in-home sleep support process backed by decades of success. With the Mommywise method, a baby will learn the skills to put themself back to sleep. This can include tears in the beginning but remember: Crying is normal for babies. It's the way they communicate a variety of feelings, including frustration in learning something new.

The goal with this sleep training method is to make the process as easy as possible for everyone, with as little crying as possible. The reality is that many of the "gentle" or "no cry" methods actually lead to more crying in the long run. This approach works quickly and is sustainable.

But, Does Sleep Training *Actually* Work?

It really does work! For many sleep deprived parents that have "tried everything" – a science-backed sleep training program like Mommywise is the ONLY thing that actually makes a difference. While parents have read books or even explored sleep consulting on some level, they often find these methods fall short. What really moves the needle when it comes to sleep training is having a sleep consulting professional present in real-time to assess, plan, and implement sleep training processes. This is part of why we are so passionate about the Mommywise method as it includes an in-home component.

How Can a Sleep Consultant Help?

Sleep consultants provide support that you may not have had access to before.

• Vast experience in sleep training: While you’ve been trying different sleep solution methods for your baby for a few months that you’ve read about in a book, blog, or found through other resources, a professional sleep consultant does this every week with different babies and helps parents achieve their sleep goals.
• There’s no fumbling around trying to figure it out when you have a sleep consultant. They help you get on the right track to your goals right away so both baby and parents are happy and well-rested!
• In-home presence: This is really the game-changer. Being able to actually see, hear, and experience what’s going on will give a sleep trainer all of the necessary information they need to help your family meet your sleep goals that cannot be found any other way.
• Support: Sleep training your baby is HARD on your own. You’re exhausted, not always thinking straight, hate hearing your little one cry, and find the entire process incredibly draining. Believe us, we’ve been there. The support that a sleep consultant provides cannot be understated, especially when you’re in this season of parenthood.

Work with a CLEbaby Sleep Consultant

Our sleep consultants work with you to create and implement a sleep plan to get babies sleeping on their own.

Caring for a new baby is exhausting, full stop. And when you're not sleeping through the night, everything else seems harder.

Your baby will be sleep-trained following our 72-hour in-home stay, and our ongoing support ensures that your baby is a great sleeper forever. Imagine how your life will change by having the right tools to help your baby sleep so you have a with a well-rested, happy, and healthy family.

Reach out today to begin the path to healthy sleep - for all of you.

You will receive more information about our process, sleep training packages, and the investment. There is no pressure or obligation to commit. We can't wait to hear from you!