Sleep training is about helping your child fall asleep (and fall back asleep) on their own. It can mean creating new bedtime routines or changing what you do when your child wakes up at night.
For some families, it's about reducing night wakings. For others, it's about making bedtime calmer and more predictable. The goal is usually better sleep — for both children and parents.
Different sleep training methods
There are many ways to approach sleep training. Here are a few common ones:
1. Gradual change
You make small adjustments, one at a time. Maybe you sit next to the bed and move the chair a little further away each night.
2. Clear routines
The same evening routine before every bedtime — for example bath, pyjamas, story and goodnight. Predictability can make it easier for your child to settle down.
3. More structured methods
Some choose methods where the child practises falling asleep on their own, with short periods of waiting before you go in to comfort them.
There's no “right” way — only what feels safe and works for your family.
Different opinions
Sleep training is a topic that stirs up feelings. Some find it has changed everyday life for the better. Others prefer to co-sleep, nurse to sleep or respond right away to every waking.
The most important thing to remember is that every child is different — and so is every family. What feels right for one family doesn't have to be right for another.
Do you have to sleep train?
No. There's no requirement to sleep train.
Many children develop their sleep at their own pace. If things are working well for you as they are, there's no reason to change anything. Sleep training is a tool for those who want it — not a must.
Does sleep training work for every child?
No, and that's completely normal.
Some children respond quickly to new routines. Others need more time, more closeness, or are going through developmental phases that make sleep extra messy.
If you try something and it doesn't feel right — it's okay to pause. Listen to your child and to your gut!
One last reminder
You're not failing because your child wakes up at night. Little ones are biologically wired to seek closeness and security. Whether you choose to sleep train or not, the most important thing is that both you and your child feel safe.
And yes — this phase will pass, even if it doesn't always feel that way in the middle of the night.