How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe

A Step-by-Step Sleep Training Guide to Help Your Baby Sleep through the Night

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Nobody should have to experience sleep deprivation if they don't have to

Does your baby refuse to sleep for long periods without you holding him? Do you have to feed him to sleep or rock him for naps? Maybe you’re getting the feeling that his frequent wake-ups aren’t because of hunger anymore, but that he’s grown used to certain sleep aids—and only those sleep aids—to fall asleep.

In other words, your baby doesn’t know how to self soothe.

I don’t have to tell you that sleep deprivation takes its toll on every parent. It’s simply not a sustainable, healthy way to live.

Thankfully, you’re not stuck living this way. Nobody should be sleep deprived if they don’t have to be. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to teach your baby self soothing skills in a gentle and consistent way that can get you results (aka sleep!).

You’ll learn the importance of starting with the right mindset, creating a conducive environment and routine to make it work, and down to the step-by-step sleep training process that can help your baby sleep 11-12 hours straight at night.

Yes, it’s possible! How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe can show you how.

“Nina, I hope you get this email. Thank you for writing this ebook and sharing your journey. My situation was exactly like yours and everything you said felt like it applied 100% to me. In just 1 week my baby is now sleeping alone in her crib and going down without crying. Your ebook gave me to the knowledge, encouragement, confidence, and motivation to start sleep training. We are all more rested and enjoying each other more. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

-LEANNE BECHTER

Leanne

Your baby CAN learn to self soothe

If you’re like most parents with a baby at home, you’re probably beyond exhausted from sleep deprivation. You’re up multiple times a night to feed the baby to sleep (even though he isn’t even hungry) or spend the whole day rocking him for every nap. Your patience is running out as you realize that he’s long past the newborn stage but still relies on you to sleep.

Even though it doesn’t seem like it right now, rest assured that you can help your baby put himself to sleep—and stay asleep—the whole night. After reading the guide, you’ll learn how to:

  • Break the feeding-to-sleep habit
  • Put your baby to sleep in his crib without the usual sleep aids that are no longer working
  • Lay your baby down awake, knowing he’ll fall asleep on his own in a few minutes

More importantly, your baby can sleep through the night without needing to feed or rock. Each time he stirs in the middle of the night, he can simply put himself back to sleep, instead of needing you to help him do so. He can get a solid 11-12 hours of sleep a night, without waking up once.

It seems like a crazy fantasy, but your baby can sleep on his own, and in How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe, you’ll learn the step-by-step process to make it happen.

“Nina – I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my new sleep deprived mother’s heart. I was looking for a way to sleep train my son and regain some sanity when I found your ebook. I was willing to take the chance for some sleep. I AM SO GLAD I DID. I implemented your method last night and tonight and already my son is adapting. The first night it took him 15 minutes and he only woke once, and tonight, only took 6 minutes to settle! Without a pacifier, in his cot. He also stayed in his cot until wake up time, whereas before he would wake at 5am and refuse to go back to sleep unless cuddled with me.

I have my life back. Thank you SO much! I am back at work in 6 weeks, this couldn’t have come at a better time. Forever grateful!”

-DONNA HOGG

Hi, I'm Nina

I’m the author of several parenting books and courses, and the blogger behind Sleeping Should Be Easy. Started in 2010, the site now reaches over two-and-a-half million readers every year and has become a trusted go-to resource for parenting tips and advice.

My passion? Helping overwhelmed moms and dads enjoy parenthood, and this guide is yet another example of that.

You see, as a first-time mom, I figured I was supposed to put my baby to sleep. It seemed so easy, too—just rock or feed him to sleep, and he’d knock right out.

Except after several months, my baby was long past the newborn stage and still relied on me to fall asleep, showing no signs of being able to do so on his own.

Now, this might be simple enough, if he fell asleep each time I rocked or nursed. But nope—the minute I put him down in the crib, he’d wake up right away.

Worse, the rocking wasn’t cutting it anymore. Whereas I was able to rock him gently for a few minutes in the past, I later had to bounce him on a yoga ball for up to an hour.

This doesn’t even cover the wake-ups: either during the nap or through the night, my baby would wake up, not because he was hungry, but because he couldn’t fall back asleep.

The usual baby items that had saved us on so many occasions when he was a newborn were now getting too small or ineffective. He was outgrowing the swing, the swaddle came loose just 45 minutes into his sleep, and even rocking him on a yoga ball was taking longer and longer to get him to close his eyes.

I also got an inkling that he wasn’t waking up throughout the night because he was hungry. He’d doze off a few minutes into nursing. Instead, he was waking up because he didn’t know how to put himself back to sleep (other than through me nursing or rocking him).

I understand how it feels to be “stuck” in that cycle of putting a baby to sleep. When there doesn’t seem to be a simple solution to finally get your baby to sleep through the night. When all the conflicting resources and advice are only confusing you even more.

So when I decided that I needed to teach my baby to self soothe, I clearly had a few doubts. My “wish list” was for my baby to be able to be put down in a crib, awake, without a swaddle, and eventually fall asleep on his own, for 11-12 hours straight at night.

Considering that he was doing pretty much the opposite of that, I was a bit skeptical.

Still, I read a ton of books about sleep and scoured sites and resources on how to best help my baby sleep on his own. And lo and behold, after a few nights, he was putting himself to sleep in exactly that way. Later, he was weaned off night feedings and was able to sleep a solid night of sleep without waking up once.

I was amazed, to say the least. Then incredulous that I didn’t do this earlier, and finally overjoyed that I finally had my life back.

And I know the same can happen for YOU.

Now, you might be hesitant to fork over money to get the guide. Maybe you think you can simply patch together tips and tricks from the internet, or wait to see if your baby grows out of it.

But let me ask you this: How has that helped you so far?

If you’re reading this, I’m willing to bet that what you’ve tried in the past hasn’t helped you all that much.

Sure, initially you may not want to spend money on an ebook, but ask the thousands of parents who’ve already bought How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe and they’ll tell you it’s not about the money, but about getting their lives back.

“My baby would wake 3-4 times a night and need us to rock her for 30-40 minutes to fall asleep. Eventually, I got so tired that I would just bring her into bed with us and let her nurse until we both fell asleep. Finally, I decided that enough was enough and that’s when I found your ebook.

I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would do any form of sleep training. I assumed sleep training was letting your baby cry it out and that was something I wasn’t emotionally equipped to handle. The ebook made me realize that we were actually giving her the opportunity to at least try to self soothe instead of intervening too early.

After one week of self soothing, my baby is now sleeping from 7pm-6:15am. If she fusses at all during the night, she puts herself back to sleep within a few minutes. My husband and I couldn’t be more happy and proud of our little girl. The whole process was not nearly as scary as we thought it was going to be. She’s finally getting the sleep she needs throughout the night. I also feel more energized and present during the day and I can actually enjoy my time with her instead of feeling like a mommy zombie. From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much Nina for all your help and support!”

-CAT GIESER

“THANKS SOOO MUCH! Before reading your ebook, I was rubbing my daughter’s back for an hour until she was completely asleep. But then she’d wake up in another 2-3 hours, and I’d have to rub her back again or nurse. She’d do this 3-4 times a night! I was so sleep deprived, I thought I’d just have to get used to it, that my baby will never be a good sleeper. I even hired a sleep consultant—money wasted! The process with the sleep consultant discouraged me even more. It’s been 2 weeks since applying your ebook, and she goes to sleep without any tears and wakes up happy, I can’t believe it! Your ebook encouraged me to deal with a little crying and know that my baby can do it, and she does! It teaches you how to help your baby sleep in a kind way. Thanks a lot sincerely.”

-DIANA DEL POZO

Diana

How it works:

PREPARE

Create the right sleep environment and daily routines to make self soothing possible.

CREATE NEW HABITS

Implement new sleep habits that allow your baby to put himself to sleep.

WEAN FROM FEEDINGS

Gradually reduce night feedings until your baby no longer needs to eat at night.

“My baby was so happy this morning!! Why? Because she slept all night (we woke up for feedings) in her crib! Before, she was only falling asleep while feeding, only sleeping in her swing, not napping during the day, etc., so this is a BIG deal! I kept telling myself that she was too young, that I didn’t want her to cry/suffer, that she was sleeping okay in her swing at night, and that this was just how it was going to be.

Then I read your guide!! Your realistic and simple approach to sleep training helped me get over my mommy fear (and guilt) of letting my baby cry (which ended up not being for very long) and realize that I actually needed to TEACH her how to soothe herself and fall asleep on her own! And really, it has been just that simple. As I’m writing this, my baby is napping and has been for almost 2 hours. And guess what?! She put herself to sleep in less than 12 minutes! I’m definitely calling this a mommy win.

Thank you so much for everything!! The best money I’ve spent in a LONG time.”

-CARLY GONZALEZ

No more waking up throughout the night

Babies are tricky, don’t you think? One week you’re celebrating because your baby sleeps in 4-hour stretches, waking up only once or twice a night. But the next week, not only did he stop sleeping in long stretches, he’s gone down to waking up once… every. single. hour.

This is what makes those nights miserable. The frequent wake-ups and constant reliance on you to put them back to sleep are enough to make any parent delirious and downright sleep-deprived. It doesn’t help when you have older kids who also need your attention, or when you’re about to go back to work pretty soon.

Then it dawns on you that you’re past the newborn stage… but you’re still exhausted beyond imagination. Your baby has grown used to the sleep aids that helped when he was a newborn (when you were in pure survival mode), so much so that any attempt to help him to self soothe ends up miserably.

Maybe you realize that your baby can likely sleep through the night, and you wonder if you’re doing something wrong that’s preventing him from doing so. You may have even tried some version of sleep training or self soothing in the past, only for it to work inconsistently, or not at all.

Guess what: it’s not you—it’s that you simply didn’t have a step-by-step process to follow. But now you have a solution: How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe.

You can help your baby sleep through the night in a compassionate, gentle way. While your baby will likely cry, you’re not simply closing the door and leaving him for the night. Far from leaving him alone, you’ll be checking in strategically and frequently as part of the process.

Except there’s a way to do these check-ins—certain best practices that make self soothing so much more effective. You’ll learn all these tips and more in the guide.

“I just want to say thank you. You have given us our sleep back!! I followed your guide exactly and I’m so delighted to tell you that he now self settles and even more delighted to say that he sleeps through the night until 7am. He has done it the last 5 nights! Your guide gave me the tools and confidence, and I can’t thank you enough. My husband is extremely grateful too!!”

-CARLA B.

What's inside...

Start with your mindset

Teaching your baby to self soothe starts with the right mindset. You’ll learn how to encourage and believe in his capabilities in a gentle and supportive way, even as he’s learning to put himself to sleep (and likely crying about it).

Set the scene

Create the sleep environment and routine you want to move forward with (including which sleep aids to keep or do away with), as well as establish smooth and effective routines to help your baby along.

Step-by-step self soothing

Learn the exact steps to teaching your baby to self soothe, from how to put him down, to what to do when he cries. You’ll also learn the steps to take when he wakes up throughout the night and even in the early morning hours.

Nighttime weaning

Wean nighttime feedings, so that in a few nights, your baby can sleep without waking up to eat. You’ll discover how to wean gradually, as well as a simple trick to stop the association between waking up and expecting milk.

Self soothing at naptime

Learn how to teach your baby to go back to sleep for the duration of nap time, instead of him relying on you to fall back asleep. No more short naps!

My son is almost 5 months old and my husband and I bounced him to sleep on yoga ball for naps, bedtime and whenever he woke up in the middle of the night. He started to wake up every hour at night and cried. Often, he didn’t even want to take the breast, he just desperately needed to sleep. I did thorough research on the internet and read one other book, which actually scared me a little bit.
 
Luckily I found your guide, which we found incredibly helpful! Helping our son sleep was MUCH easier than we expected. On the third night, it only took 3 minutes until he fell asleep, and then he slept for 12 hours without any interruption! We had to wake him up in the morning—it’s a miracle! His naps have also improved, no more rocking or bouncing, and no more back pain. And most importantly, he’s in a better mood during the day.
 
This guide has all you need to know how to get your baby to fall asleep independently. I’d recommend your guide to every parent who wants a happier, well rested child.”

-KAROLINA DURICOVA

Get a preview chapter

Want a sneak peek of the guide? Join my newsletter and download the first chapter—at no cost to you:

Hi Nina! We are amazed at how fast our little girl has learned to sleep through the night. Only took one night!

-STACY F.

Frequently Asked Questions

“Does this guide involve crying?”

This is a sleep training process, so your baby will likely cry as a result of adjusting to a new way of falling asleep. Imagine, after all, having grown used to being rocked and fed to sleep, to now being put down awake and falling asleep on his own. He’ll be pretty vocal about this new change!

But crying itself isn’t what puts your baby to sleep (that’s why I’m not a fan of the term “crying it out”). It’s giving your baby a chance to experience falling asleep on his own that does. He can’t self soothe if he’s never been given a chance to even try. You’ll also get plenty of opportunities to check in on him throughout the night, offering reassurance and encouraging words.

But here’s the thing: If you’re at all hesitant about your baby crying, I actually recommend that you NOT teach your baby to self soothe just yet. You’re more likely to be inconsistent or go back and forth, which can prolong the process or not have it work at all.

“Is my baby old enough to self soothe?”

Check with your baby’s pediatrician whether she thinks he’s ready to self soothe or wean from night feedings. Each baby is unique, and while age recommendations can be helpful, your best bet is to give your baby’s pediatrician a call to know for sure. She knows your baby’s unique circumstances well and can give you the reassurance and confidence you need to move forward.

That said, I don’t recommend self soothing during the newborn stage, and would rather you err on waiting than rushing. Personally, my eldest was six-months-old, and my twins four-months-old, when they learned to sleep through the night.

“How long can self soothing take before my baby can sleep on his own?”

I’ve had parents whose babies slept on their own after one day, while others took five weeks.

It really is that wide of a range.

My eldest took two days, while my twins took one week before they got the hang of it. And even then, you can still expect a few hiccups here and there, such as naps taking longer or your baby having an off night. But so long as you’re seeing progress, you’re on the right track.

“Does the night weaning process in the guide apply to both breastfed and formula-fed babies?”

Yes. In the chapter where I discuss weaning from night feedings, I break down the process for both breastfed and bottle-fed babies.

“How do I know if this guide is for me? What makes this guide different?”

While there are a ton of books about sleep, you don’t always get one that’s straight to the point, and effective. This guide is written for the exhausted parent who wants a simple method that’s easy to follow and implement. The guide is a quick read, straight to the point and written in an easy-to-read format.

If you’d like to know if the guide is for you, get a sneak peek and download a preview chapter right here.

Can this guide work for toddlers?

Yes, the guide can also apply to toddlers. It does speak to parents of babies, so you’ll hear a lot about pacifiers, weaning, and rocking to sleep, but the general sleep training process works just as well for older kids.

Can this work if the baby sleeps in the same room as us (we’re in a one-bedroom)?

We were also in a one-bedroom when we had our first baby, and yes, it’ll still work. You’ll likely want to set up a temporary sleeping arrangement in the living for yourself so that the baby can sleep in the crib and have the room to herself during sleep training. Then, once she’s sleeping through the night, you can move back in and sleep in your bed once again.

If I follow all the steps, can it absolutely work?

If only kids were that predictable 🙂 Unfortunately, I can’t promise that kind of certainty. That said, this guide has helped thousands of parents, many of whom have written to me on their own sharing their success stories.

I also offer is a 30-day satisfaction guarantee: If you find that you’re not seeing the results you want or that the guide isn’t right for you, simply email me within 30 days of purchase, and you’ll get a full, no questions asked, same-day refund.

Is this a physical book that will be mailed to me?

No, the guide is a digital ebook in a PDF format you can download immediately and open on your computer.

Have more questions?

Email [email protected] with your questions.

“I really enjoyed reading your Self Soothe e-book and started working on the steps last week with my 8 month old son. He was waking 2-3 times a night and wanted me to help him back to sleep (rocking) or give him his pacifier back each time. We took away the pacifier and allowed him to try self soothing and I couldn’t believe that after a few nights he started sleeping 7:00pm-5:30am (wake for a feed) and then back to sleep until 7:20am without any sleep crutches/aids! Your simple steps and reassuring words really helped, so thank you so much!” -Emily Armstrong

-EMILY ARMSTRONG

Emily

I want you to feel confident that you’re getting the best tips, strategies, and methods that will help your baby sleep through the night. If you’re not convinced of the incredible value found in How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe, email me within 30 days of purchase and you will get a full, no questions asked refund.

“Dear Nina, After weeks of theatrics trying to get my 14-week-old son to bed via bouncing, nursing, and singing (and countless hours of googling), I came across your website and your experience was uncannily similar. Even the thought patterns behind trying to get my child to bed rang true, but something in particular stuck with me, ‘what you’re doing now isn’t working.’ We had a very strict routine, but it sure wasn’t working. Tonight at 8:11 I put my son to bed determined to use your method. I was prepared for potentially hours of crying. My son fell asleep at 8:21. After weeks of long, distraught nights trying to get him to bed he fell asleep in 10 minutes. It turns out my child just needed the opportunity to self-soothe. So, from the bottom of my sleep-deprived heart, thank you.”

-DANIELLE LOTHROP

How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe gives you exactly the information you need—without the fluff. It’s a quick guide for the busy and exhausted parent who just wants to know exactly what to do to help her baby sleep through the night.

Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a private sleep coach, you can get the answers you need for a fraction of the price. Imagine…

  • Putting your baby down awake, knowing he’ll go right to sleep
  • Having a few hours to yourself every night, uninterrupted
  • No tiptoeing because your baby might wake up
  • No more rocking, feeding, or putting a pacifier in his mouth
  • Waking up refreshed after a full night of sleep

If you’re serious about helping your baby sleep through the night, grab your copy of the guide today.

“Good morning Nina. I just have to share the news. I put my daughter down this morning for her first nap. She cried for maybe 5 minutes and fell asleep, even with no pacifier or swaddle. I couldn’t believe it. She now soothes herself to sleep by sucking her thumb. Thank you for sharing your book. It truly it gave me the courage to take this leap and stop pacifier use as well as swaddling completely.”

-AIMEE GROENEWALD

Aimee

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  1. Click the “Buy It Now” button above.
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