Sleep training methods
There are many methods for helping children fall asleep more independently. They differ mainly in how present the parent is and how much crying typically occurs in the beginning.
Research on sleep training is strongest for children from about 6 months of age. The most studied methods are extinction and graduated extinction – in a major research review of sleep training studies, 81% of the studies used some form of extinction.¹ They can produce rapid improvement but often involve more crying in the beginning. Methods with more parental presence may feel gentler, but do not work for all children, often have a longer or more uncertain timeframe and have been studied far less.
Below, 13 methods are compared based on how much crying they involve, how long they typically take and how strong the scientific support is.
Gentle Removal
The breast, dummy or bottle is removed before the child has fully fallen asleep.
Give Baby a Chance
The child is given the opportunity to fall asleep independently. If upset, the attempt is stopped.
Drowsy but Awake
The parent rocks, breastfeeds or helps the child until drowsy, but puts them down before fully asleep.
Bedtime Fading
Bedtime is aligned with the child's natural sleep onset and gradually moved earlier.
Scheduled Awakenings
The parent wakes the child just before a typical spontaneous waking and helps them back to sleep, gradually reducing night wakings.
Pick Up / Put Down
The child is picked up when crying, soothed and put back down. Repeated until asleep.
Pat Method
The parent keeps a hand on the child at sleep onset and gradually reduces contact.
Gradual SWAP
A sleep habit (e.g. breastfeeding to sleep) is gradually replaced by a less involved one.
Chair Method
The parent sits next to the child and gradually moves further away over several evenings.
Fuss It Out
The parent leaves the room. Fussing and protest are accepted, but comfort is given if crying intensifies.
Extinction with Presence
The parent stays in the room but does not respond to the child's crying until asleep.
Graduated Extinction
The parent leaves the room and checks on the child at gradually increasing intervals.
Extinction
The child is placed awake and the parent leaves the room without returning until asleep.
| Method | Crying level | Duration | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gentle Removal The breast, dummy or bottle is removed before the child has fully fallen asleep. | No crying | Several weeks to months | Not studied |
| Give Baby a Chance The child is given the opportunity to fall asleep independently. If upset, the attempt is stopped. | No crying | Varies | Not studied |
| Drowsy but Awake The parent rocks, breastfeeds or helps the child until drowsy, but puts them down before fully asleep. | No crying | Varies | Not studied |
| Bedtime Fading Bedtime is aligned with the child's natural sleep onset and gradually moved earlier. | No crying | Several weeks | Some support |
| Scheduled Awakenings The parent wakes the child just before a typical spontaneous waking and helps them back to sleep, gradually reducing night wakings. | No crying | Several weeks | Some support |
| Pick Up / Put Down The child is picked up when crying, soothed and put back down. Repeated until asleep. | Little crying | Several weeks | Not studied |
| Pat Method The parent keeps a hand on the child at sleep onset and gradually reduces contact. | Little crying | Several weeks | Not studied |
| Gradual SWAP A sleep habit (e.g. breastfeeding to sleep) is gradually replaced by a less involved one. | Little crying | Several weeks to months | Not studied |
| Chair Method The parent sits next to the child and gradually moves further away over several evenings. | Moderate crying | Several weeks | Some support |
| Fuss It Out The parent leaves the room. Fussing and protest are accepted, but comfort is given if crying intensifies. | Moderate crying | Several weeks | Not studied |
| Extinction with Presence The parent stays in the room but does not respond to the child's crying until asleep. | A lot of crying | 3 to 7 days | Some support |
| Graduated Extinction The parent leaves the room and checks on the child at gradually increasing intervals. | A lot of crying | 3 to 7 days | Strong support |
| Extinction The child is placed awake and the parent leaves the room without returning until asleep. | A lot of crying | 3 to 5 days | Strong support |
It is not necessary to sleep train. Many children develop the ability to fall asleep independently over time without a structured method. No method suits all children or all families – the choice depends on the child's temperament, the family's situation and what the parents feel comfortable with.
Read more about what research says about sleep training involving crying or about crying and stress.
- Mindell, J. A. et al. (2006). Behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. Sleep, 29(10), 1263–1276.