Quick Answer: To sleep train infants, start between 4 and 6 months. Set up a safe, consistent sleep environment with a firm crib mattress and dark room. Establish a bedtime routine, then place the infant in the crib awake. Choose a method (graduated check-ins, fading, or full extinction) and apply it consistently every night until the infant can self-settle.
In This Guide
Reading Time: 11 minutes
Step-by-Step: How to Sleep Train Infants
Step 1: Confirm Your Infant Is Ready
Do not begin sleep training before 4 months. Confirm with your paediatrician that your infant can go overnight without a feed for nutritional reasons. The infant should be healthy and not currently teething, ill, or in a period of disruption. If these conditions are not met, wait.
Step 2: Set Up the Sleep Environment
Before the first night, get the sleep space right. You need: a firm, flat crib mattress that fits snugly with no more than two finger-widths of gap (standard Canadian size: 27¼" x 51⅝"); blackout curtains; a white noise machine running all night; and a room temperature of 18-20 degrees Celsius. Remove all loose bedding, bumper pads, pillows, and stuffed animals from the crib. A fitted sheet on a firm mattress is all that should be in there.
Step 3: Establish a Consistent Bedtime Routine
Run the same sequence of 3-5 steps every night for 5-7 nights before beginning sleep training. A typical routine: warm bath, gentle massage or lotion, pyjamas, feed (start of the feed, not the very end, so the infant does not fall asleep nursing), quiet song or reading, and crib. The routine should take 20-30 minutes and always end at the crib. The routine is the signal that sleep is coming.
Step 4: Separate the Feed From Sleep Onset
If the infant currently falls asleep while feeding, this association needs to break before sleep training begins. Move the feed to the beginning of the bedtime routine rather than the end. After feeding, do the remaining steps (song, book, crib) so the infant is awake when they go down. This is the most important preparatory step for families who breastfeed or bottle-feed to sleep.
Step 5: Choose Your Sleep Training Method
Choose one method based on your temperament and your infant's. The main options are: graduated extinction (Ferber method -- place infant in crib, leave, return at increasing intervals to offer brief verbal reassurance without picking up); full extinction (place in crib, do not return until morning); bedtime fading (temporarily move bedtime later to match the infant's natural sleep pressure, then shift earlier gradually over several days); or the chair method (sit beside the crib and move progressively further away each night over 2-3 weeks). Choose one method. Do not combine methods or switch between them.
Step 6: Night 1 -- Apply the Method
After the bedtime routine, place the infant in the crib awake (drowsy is fine). Say your goodnight phrase consistently. Leave (or in the chair method, take your position). For graduated extinction, return at your first interval (3-5 minutes), offer 1-2 minutes of brief, calm verbal reassurance without picking up, then leave again. Extend intervals. For full extinction, do not return until morning. For bedtime fading, if the infant is not asleep within 20 minutes, the bedtime was set too early -- try again 15 minutes later. For all methods except fading, if the infant wakes overnight, apply the same approach as at bedtime.
Step 7: Nights 2-7 -- Maintain Consistency
Night 2 or 3 is often harder than night 1. This is normal. Do not interpret this as evidence the method is not working. Most infants show substantial improvement by night 4-5 with extinction-based methods. For chair method and fading, improvement comes over 2-4 weeks. Maintain your chosen method without modification. Respond to illness appropriately (comfort a sick infant), but return to the method once the infant is well.
Step 8: After the First Week -- Evaluate and Adjust
After 7 nights, most families using Ferber or full extinction will see major improvement. If there has been no improvement at all, consider whether there is an underlying issue (sleep apnea, unrecognised reflux, genuine developmental unreadiness) that warrants a paediatric assessment. If the method is partially working, maintain consistency for another week. If switching methods, give the original method at least 2 weeks before concluding it is not suitable.
8 min read
The Sleep Environment: Why It Comes First
Sleep training is most effective when the sleep environment consistently signals sleep. Every element of the sleep space contributes to this signal.
Sleep Environment Checklist
- Crib mattress: Firm, flat, properly sized. Standard Canadian crib mattress: 27¼" x 51⅝". The mattress must fit snugly -- no more than two finger-widths of gap on any side.
- Darkness: Blackout curtains that block all light. Even small amounts of light from streetlights or hallways delay melatonin production.
- White noise: A dedicated white noise machine (not a phone app that may stop mid-night). Set at a consistent moderate volume, roughly the level of a shower running. Run all night.
- Temperature: 18-20 degrees Celsius. Dress the infant in one more layer than you would wear at that temperature. Check the back of the neck -- it should be warm but not sweaty.
- Nothing in the crib: Firm mattress + fitted sheet only. No pillows, stuffed animals, loose blankets, or bumper pads. A sleep sack (wearable blanket) is appropriate instead of loose blankets.
At Mattress Miracle in Brantford, we can help you choose a firm, properly sized crib mattress that meets Health Canada's requirements. The mattress is the foundation everything else rests on.
Building an Effective Bedtime Routine
Sleep training without a bedtime routine is like trying to fall asleep without winding down -- the biological preparation is missing. The routine creates a cascade of physiological signals that prime the infant for sleep.
Research on Bedtime Routines
A study by Mindell et al. (2009) published in Sleep found that infants and toddlers with a consistent nightly bedtime routine showed significant improvements in multiple sleep variables -- they fell asleep faster, woke fewer times during the night, and slept longer. The effect was measurable within 2-3 weeks of implementing a consistent routine. Notably, the specific activities in the routine mattered less than their consistency and order.
Keep the routine: predictable (same order every night), calming (progressively quieter activities), feed-inclusive (but not feed-ending), and crib-concluding. Avoid screens in the final hour before bedtime. Bath, if included, should be warm but not overstimulating.
Applying the Graduated Extinction (Ferber) Method: Night by Night
| Night | 1st Check-In | 2nd Check-In | 3rd+ Check-In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night 1 | 3 minutes | 5 minutes | 10 minutes (repeat) |
| Night 2 | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 12 minutes (repeat) |
| Night 3 | 10 minutes | 12 minutes | 15 minutes (repeat) |
| Night 4 | 12 minutes | 15 minutes | 17 minutes (repeat) |
| Night 5 | 15 minutes | 17 minutes | 20 minutes (repeat) |
| Night 6+ | 17 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes (repeat) |
During check-ins: enter calmly, say a brief phrase ("Goodnight, I love you, time to sleep"), do not pick up the infant, do not linger more than 1-2 minutes, and leave before the infant falls asleep. The check-in is for parental reassurance as much as for the infant's. Many parents find that not checking in actually produces less crying -- check-ins can re-stimulate some infants. Adjust based on what you observe.
What to Do When Sleep Training Is Not Working
If two full weeks of consistent sleep training have produced no meaningful improvement, consider the following:
- Inconsistency check: Have you been applying the method every night and at every overnight waking? One inconsistent night resets much of the progress.
- Developmental timing: Some infants respond much better from 5-6 months than from 4 months. If you started early, try again at a slightly older age.
- Medical causes: Reflux, food sensitivities, or sleep apnea can make self-settling very difficult regardless of method. If the infant seems in pain, arching, or snoring, a paediatric assessment is warranted before continuing sleep training.
- Bedtime timing: Overtired infants (bedtime too late) and under-tired infants (bedtime too early) both resist settling. The optimal bedtime is when the infant shows tired cues without being beyond the sleep window.
- Nap disruption: Poor daytime naps create overtired, overstimulated infants who struggle at night. Night sleep and naps are connected -- addressing nap structure can improve night sleep significantly.
Sleep training your baby? Mattress Miracle at 441½ West Street in Brantford carries firm crib-compatible mattresses that meet Health Canada safety standards. A firm, flat sleep surface is non-negotiable for infant safety, regardless of which sleep training method you choose. Dorothy has helped many new Brantford parents select safe crib mattresses. Safety first, always. Call (519) 770-0001.
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Call 519-770-0001Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to sleep train an infant?
With graduated extinction (Ferber) or full extinction, most infants show substantial improvement within 3-7 nights. With gentler approaches like bedtime fading or the chair method, expect 2-4 weeks. Occasional setbacks from illness, travel, or developmental leaps are normal and do not mean starting over. Brief "maintenance" periods of a few nights are typical after these disruptions.
What do I do if my infant vomits during sleep training?
Some infants cry to the point of vomiting during sleep training, particularly in the first 1-2 nights. This is distressing for parents but is not harmful to the infant. If this occurs, calmly and quickly clean up the infant and crib with minimal interaction and low stimulation, then return to the method. Do not abandon the process as this teaches the infant that vomiting ends the process -- which makes it more likely to recur.
Should I do night feeds during sleep training?
For infants over 6 months, most paediatricians agree that night feeds are no longer necessary for nutrition and sleep training can proceed without them. For infants 4-6 months, you may choose to night-wean simultaneously or to continue one or two feeds while sleep training for settling. Consistency in how you respond to night feeds is important -- decide in advance and apply the same response each night.
What if one parent wants to sleep train and the other does not?
Parental disagreement is one of the main reasons sleep training does not succeed. Both caregivers need to choose and agree on the approach before beginning. Discuss the evidence, choose a method that both can live with (even a gentle method is better than none if both are aligned), and plan who handles which nights. One partner working through it while the other sleeps in another room for the first few nights can reduce the emotional difficulty.
Does Mattress Miracle carry crib mattresses in Brantford?
Yes. At our showroom at 441½ West Street in Brantford, we carry firm crib mattresses that meet Health Canada's safety requirements. The crib mattress is the foundation of a safe infant sleep environment and a critical element of any successful sleep training plan. Come in and we will help you choose the right one for your crib.
Sources
- Mindell, J.A., Telofski, L.S., Wiegand, B., & Kurtz, E.S. (2009). A nightly bedtime routine: Impact on sleep in young children and maternal sleep and mood. Sleep, 32(5), 599-606. doi.org/10.1093/sleep/32.5.599
- Gradisar, M., et al. (2016). Behavioral interventions for infant sleep problems: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 137(6), e20151486. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1486
- Ferber, R. (2006). Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems (Revised and expanded ed.). New York: Fireside/Simon & Schuster.
- Canadian Paediatric Society. (2019). Healthy sleep for your baby and child. Caring for Kids. Ottawa: Canadian Paediatric Society.
- Health Canada. (2021). Safe sleep for your baby. Public Health Agency of Canada. canada.ca/en/public-health/services/infant-care/safe-sleep.html
- Mindell, J.A., et al. (2006). Behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. Sleep, 29(10), 1263-1276. doi.org/10.1093/sleep/29.10.1263
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Related Reading
- Sleep Training an Infant: Methods, Age, and Safety
- What Is Sleep Training for Infants?
- When Do Infants Sleep Through the Night?
- Crib Death (SIDS): Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention
- Crib Bedding Sets: Safe Sleep for Infants Guide
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Before you begin sleep training, make sure the sleep environment is set up correctly. Come in and let us help you choose a firm, properly fitted crib mattress -- the foundation everything else rests on.