{"id":"2233ab6c0351a614ada128e183e2dd86","slug":"when-can-you-start-sleep-training","question":"when can you start sleep training","answer":"You can typically start sleep training around 5 months. By that age, most babies have developed the capacity for longer, more consolidated sleep, and behavioral methods like gradual withdrawal or controlled comforting become effective.\n\nThe research is reassuring: these approaches work without damaging your bond or worsening your own sleep and mood. Tougher methods tend to work faster, but all the main behavioral approaches are safe. The key is that sleep training should feel right for your family—there's no single \"best\" method, just what works for you.\n\nSince your child's sleep needs shift as they grow, what you establish early becomes a foundation for better focus and self-regulation down the line.","sources":"[{\"title\":\"Implementation of Behavioral Interventions for Infant Sleep Problems in Real-World Settings.\",\"journal\":\"The Journal of pediatrics\",\"year\":\"2023\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36375604/\",\"label\":\"HIGHLY RELEVANT\",\"score\":0.811},{\"title\":\"Temperament and sleep behaviors in infants and toddlers living in low-income homes.\",\"journal\":\"Infant behavior & development\",\"year\":\"2021\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34715609/\",\"label\":\"RELEVANT\",\"score\":0.763},{\"title\":\"Sleep Regulation, Physiology and Development, Sleep Duration and Patterns, and Sleep Hygiene in Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children.\",\"journal\":\"Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care\",\"year\":\"2017\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28117135/\",\"label\":\"RELATED\",\"score\":0.756},{\"title\":\"The Relationship Between Maternal and Infant Sleep Duration Across the First Two Years.\",\"journal\":\"Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP\",\"year\":\"2023\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37276363/\",\"label\":\"RELATED\",\"score\":0.749},{\"title\":\"Urologic Conditions in Infants and Children: Toilet Training and Nocturnal Enuresis.\",\"journal\":\"FP essentials\",\"year\":\"2020\",\"url\":\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31894952/\",\"label\":\"RELATED\",\"score\":0.743}]","view_count":0,"created_at":"2026-07-19T09:52:24.273Z"}