How to Train Your Baby to Sleep Early
- 1). Speak with your doctor to ensure your baby is ready for sleep training. Make sure your baby does not have any medical conditions that would affect her sleep. Generally speaking, a baby between 3 to 6 months is ready to be sleep trained because they have developed a regular sleep pattern and can sleep for longer stretches at a time.
- 2). Decide if you're going to use the Ferber approach with your sleep training or the co-sleeping method approach. The Ferber method recommends that you put your baby to bed when she's still awake. Allow her to cry for short periods before comforting (but not picking up) her, until she soothes herself to sleep. The co-sleeping method takes a more gradual approach and offers comfort right away to a crying baby.
- 3). Create a bedtime routine at the same time every night. For example, you can give your baby a warm bath, followed by reading and/or singing before you give him his final feeding before bedtime. A strict routine will help him know when it's time to go to sleep.
- 4). Wake him up at the same time every morning and lay him down at the same time each day for a nap. Consistency is key to training your baby to sleep.
Source...