A bit of crying is expected at tuck-in for many infants, but if yours is wailing for longer than the norm, the issue could be her bedtime. If it’s too late, your little one could be overtired and fighting sleep, and if she's heading to bed too early, you’ll be pacing the floor with a wide-awake babe.
To help you find the sweet spot of sleep, consider the bedtime fading method. Read on for how this gentle sleep training technique works and some tips for trying it with your little one.
What is the bedtime fading sleep training method?
The bedtime fading sleep training method is a strategy based on the theory that if a baby isn’t ready for sleep, she won’t willingly go down. The fading approach involves paying attention to your little one’s sleep patterns and cues and adjusting her schedule to find the bedtime that works best.
Bedtime fading can also describe a sleep training method that gradually reduces the amount of time you’re in your baby’s room when she's heading to bed.
As with other sleep training techniques, the fading approach can begin when most babies are between 4 and 6 months, as this is when infants are usually capable of learning to self-soothe.
Does the bedtime fading method work?
With a close eye on your baby’s level of fatigue and gradual shifts in the timing of her bedtime routine, the fading technique can work well. In fact, a small study found that the bedtime fading method was effective at reducing both the time it took for babies to fall asleep and the number of times they woke up at night.
And if you’re curious how long gentle sleep training generally takes, know that slower approaches like fading take more time than the Ferber or cry it out methods. The bedtime fading sleep training method could require weeks of repetition before it sticks for good.
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How do you do bedtime fading?
The bedtime fading method of sleep training involves a little sleuthing around before you actually start to shift her routine. Here’s how to begin the process:
- Keep a log. Jot down your baby’s sleep times so you can track when she usually naps and settles at night. Use the time your baby naturally falls asleep at night as her temporary bedtime, even if it’s a late hour like 10 p.m.
- Avoid late afternoon naps. If your little one is napping after 4 p.m., she may struggle to fall asleep at bedtime. Try shifting her naptime to earlier in the day, and keep late cat naps short when you can't avoid them.
- Learn the cues. Fussing, eye rubbing, ear pulling, turning her head and yawning are all signs your baby is tired and needs to head to bed.
- Start your routine. Once you know her sleep signals and her current bedtime, begin the routine ahead of time, including a bath, book, one more feeding and a little song.
- Offer comfort. If she cries, wait a bit before going to her as she may pipe down on her own. But if she doesn’t, pick her up for an interval of 20 or 30 minutes and try again.
- Shift her bedtime. Every couple of nights, move her bedtime 15 minutes earlier or later, depending on your goal for the ideal new bedtime, and follow the same routine, keeping it low-key and calm.
- Arrive at the new hour. Keep shifting her bedtime by 15 minutes every couple of nights until you’ve settled on a new time that suits both your schedule and your baby’s sleep needs. A bedtime of between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. generally works best for babies.
Gradually adjusting your baby’s bedtime so it's ideal for everyone is an involved process, but with enough practice and time, many parents find this fading technique appealing and effective. Give the bedtime fading sleep training strategy a try at your house, and your baby may become the solid sleeper you want her to be.
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