If you've been counting down the days until you can start sleep training your little one, you may not need to wait very long. Thankfully, babies typically reach the milestones needed to start a routine sleep schedule earlier than you may realize. If you've been thinking to yourself, "can you sleep train a 6 month old?" you're going to be happy with the answer.
As it turns out, babies in their sixth month are ready to rock some serious slumber, which means you can give them a gentle nudge toward maximum shut eye. "Sleep training methods can help your baby go to sleep more easily, sleep for longer periods at night, and keep more regular hours," according to Baby Center.
You may have been noticing your bambino dropping some hints that she's ready for a solid night of Zs. Around four months, your baby could start showing signs of sleeping through the night, as Parents magazine pointed out. Which means by the time she's 6 months old, your baby will be able to establish a nighttime rhythm and stay asleep longer with just a little help from you. Starting a routine now will help both you and your child enjoy more quality sleep each night.
As Mayo Clinic explained, at this age, babies are learning to move around on their own, start communicating with sounds, and playing more complex games. All this activity can wear a wee one out, so finding a balance between play and rest is natural (and crucial) for a 6-month-old child. Aside from all the awesome new skills your kiddo is learning, she is also at an age where self-soothing is possible, according to the Baby Sleep Site. As the website for pediatrician Dr. William Sears explained, the self-soothing method works like this: "Baby is put down awake and goes to sleep by himself. Parents offer intermittent comforting, but are not there when baby drifts off to sleep."
Creating a routine that can be done each night at bedtime will help send the message to your baby that it's time for some shut eye. As Parents suggested, 15 minutes should be enough prep time before placing your little one in her crib. A warm bath, listening to lullabies, and reading books are all calm and gentle ways to lull your baby into dreamland.
A baby in the sixth month age range is in a prime position to begin sleep training. Even though you may have a few rough nights getting started, know that it won't last forever and that precious sleep you remember pre-baby will be yours again.
