Getting babies to sleep through the night is among the greatest parenting concerns during the first year, but there are several methods to help children fall asleep and to guide parents’ responses to night waking. The common goal of each method is to help children learn to fall asleep by themselves at bedtime and during the night if they awaken.
With most children, if you hold them until they fall asleep at bedtime, they will expect the same help if they wake in the middle of the night. Some children sleep so deeply that they will not arouse no matter how they were originally put to sleep, but for others, the sleep onset process is incredibly important.
Developing a bedtime routine and sticking to it works best. It usually takes several days or weeks for children to develop these habits, so be patient. Once the bedtime ritual with the children falling to sleep on their own is in place, they will usually stop needing someone to get them back to sleep when they wake at night.
See also ...
• How to Sleep Train Your Baby
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