Ah, sleep...
A topic so hot for new parents that thousands upon thousands of books and blogs and articles and opinion pieces have been written about it.
We all want more of it, basically, but how the heck to manage that when you have babies and young children remains an absolute enigma and something we all pretty much spend our children's entire childhood trying to figure out.
The 'cry it out' method has been getting a lot of backlash lately for being cruel and creating distress in children, but now some expert believe that they have created a better, yet equally effective approach.
Enter the pick-up, put down (PU/PD) method.
What the heck does that all mean, I hear you ask – and so allow me to explains:
Popularized by Tracy Hogg in her book
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with your Baby, the (PU/PD) method promises to teach infants how to fall asleep on their own – without making them feel abandoned.
In contrast to the cry it out method, parents are highly involved in
this new approach (which experts claim works best for babies aged four to eight months).
According to Hoggs, here is how you go about trying to use the method to get your own child to sleep in their own bed – and stay sleeping:
1. Bedtime routine
The process begins with your baby’s bedtime routine, whatever that may be. After you’ve completed the different stages of your baby’s routine and it’s time to put them to sleep, lay them down in their crib or bassinet.
Ideally, they should be drowsy and relaxed from their soothing bedtime routine, but still awake. If your baby doesn’t fuss or cry, leave the room.
The method promoted by Tracy Hogg includes remaining in the room with your baby as long as they’re awake. Others who recommend this method say it’s OK to leave the room when your baby is calm.
2. Stop, wait, and listen
If your baby begins crying, follow the stop, wait, and listen approach. Don’t immediately rush to pick them up. Instead, stop for a few seconds and listen to your baby to determine if they’re simply fussing, or if they’re really worked up enough that they need you to comfort them.
3. Pick up
If your baby isn’t settling down on their own, pick them up. Hold your baby and cuddle them to calm them down. This is the “pick up” part of the pick up, put down method.
4. Put down
Once your baby has settled down, but is still awake, lay them down again. This is the “put down” part of this sleep training method.
This process continues until your baby eventually goes to sleep, and that may take a long time, which means that this sleep training method requires lots of patience. It can be a frustrating cycle for parents, and it’s very important that you are calm and quiet when you pick up your baby to comfort them.
Warning: Experts agree it can take a few nights – even up to a few weeks to get the routine to really stick, so patience is key.
