Sleep training can be an invaluable approach to helping babies develop healthy sleep habits, ensuring they get the restful sleep needed for optimal growth and development. By implementing structured sleep training methods, parents can guide their babies to sleep through the night, which also fosters independence and consistency in their daily routine. This guide on how to sleep train a 1-year-old will provide you with methods to make naptime and bedtime a smooth and rewarding experience for both you and your child.
In this post, you’ll discover sleep training techniques, answers to common questions, and step-by-step guidance on implementing each method. Whether you’re facing bedtime struggles or simply looking to reinforce positive sleep habits, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about sleep training a 1-year-old and how to teach your child to sleep independently.
How To Sleep Train A 1-Year-Old
Sleep training is not just about getting your baby to fall asleep independently; it’s about establishing a structure that promotes better sleep for the long term. Training a 1-year-old to sleep through the night can be difficult. At one, infants are going through big leaps developmentally. Your little one may be trying to walk or talk, and he or she is exploring the big world! Sleep training can be an effective and beneficial way to set the stage for good sleep habits as your child grows.
Is It Too Late To Sleep Train At 12 Months?
If you’re wondering whether it’s too late to start sleep training at one year old, the answer is definitely no. It’s never too late to help your child establish good sleep habits. One-year-olds are highly capable of adapting to new sleep routines with the right approach, making now an ideal time to start.
Can You Sleep Train A 1-Year-Old?
Absolutely! You can sleep train a 1-year-old by using proven techniques designed for this age. With consistency, patience, and the right approach, a 1-year-old can learn to fall asleep and stay asleep independently. By teaching your child these skills, you’ll also help reduce naptime struggles and bedtime struggles while providing the comfort and structure they need to be successful.
How To Sleep Train A One-Year-Old
There are several strategies and sleep training methods to choose from, each suited to different parenting styles and child temperaments. Below are two effective methods, broken down into step-by-step approaches to help your child sleep through the night.
Environment
Let’s start with your child’s sleeping environment. Ensuring that your child sleeps in a dark, cool, and quiet environment for both naps and nighttime, can help facilitate optimal sleep.
Circadian rhythms are largely determined by exposure to light, and even the smallest amount of light can disrupt sleep. It is important that the room in which your one-year-old sleeps remains dark. Think blackout shades and avoid a nightlight. Typically, infants or toddlers do not show a fear of the dark until they are around 18 months old. A good test to ensure that the environment is dark enough is to go into your child’s room during the day with the lights off and shades drawn. If you can see your hand, it is not dark enough.
The room in which your child sleeps should be between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. Babies are safest and sleep best in a cooler environment. Sleep sacks are an excellent way to offer an added layer of warmth on cooler nights. Sleep sacks are an excellent sleep cue to incorporate into your pre-sleep routine. Many children really enjoy their sleep sacks. Our favorite sleepsacks are the Zipadee Zip and the Woolino. The Zipadee Zip provides the same comfort as a swaddle by enclosing the child but gives them the freedom to move, roll, and even stand. The Woolino makes amazing sleep sacks for all climates and sleep environments.
Using continuous white noise for both naps and nights is a must. White noise helps mask outside noises that can be disruptive at any age. The Hatch and YogaSleep Dohm are our favorite white noise machines.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the ABCS of safe sleep:
ALONE – while the AAP recommends room sharing, they also recommend a separate sleep space for the baby.
BACK – always place your baby on her back for sleep and be sure the surface is flat. Avoid any sleep positioners such as wedges or risers, and avoid any sleep in swings, bouncers, or rockers.
CRIB – be sure your baby is sleeping in a crib or bassinet free of any pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, or bumpers. The only thing you want in your baby’s sleep space is a fitted sheet and your baby.
Also, if you haven’t already done so, make sure that you drop the crib mattress. Once your child can pull themselves up in the crib to a standing position, it can be unsafe. You do not want your baby to accidentally fall out!
Overnight Feedings
At one, it is appropriate to expect your child to sleep all night without any feedings. Typically, a one-year-old is waking up out of comfort instead of need. Sleep in the first stretch of night is the most restorative, so we want to encourage your child not to wake up for any feedings in that first stretch of the night.
When you begin weaning a feeding, you can choose to drop it cold turkey (implementing one of the methods below) or you can slowly wean the feeding. If you are using a bottle, you would slowly decrease the amount you offer over the course of a few days until the bottle is eliminated. If you are nursing, you would slowly decrease the amount of time you are nursing over the course of a few days until the nursing session is eliminated.
All night wakings outside of feeding time should be addressed using your chosen method. Avoid diaper changes at night unless your child has a bowel movement because diaper changes are very stimulating.
The Timed Checks Method
This method involves gradually increasing the amount of time before comforting your child when they cry, encouraging self-soothing. Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Establish a Bedtime Routine
Creating a consistent bedtime routine can help signal to your child that it’s time to sleep. A routine might include reading a book, singing a lullaby, or using a white noise machine. If your one-year-old is struggling with naps, it would be a great time to incorporate a similar routine before naps. The more consistent you are with your routine, the better.
Step 2: Put Your Child Down Drowsy, But Awake
When it’s time to sleep, place your child in their crib while they’re still awake. It can take around 15 minutes for children to fall asleep on their own. Separation anxiety is a factor when kids are one, so don’t be alarmed if your child calls out or cries when you leave. With consistency in approach, this will decrease over time.
Step 3: Gradually Increase the Time Before Returning to the Room
If your child cries, wait a few minutes before going back to comfort them. Start with shorter intervals, then gradually increase the time you wait before you comfort your child. It is important to differentiate between whining and crying. If your child is whining, you would not want to go in and potentially disrupt them connecting a sleep cycle.
Also, remember that when you check-in, the check-in is not meant to completely soothe or pacify your child. If you have been co-sleeping or quickly attending to your child is they cry at nap or in the middle of the night, communication via crying is expected and normal.
Extinction (Cry it Out Method)
Extinction tends to be the most controversial method of sleep training. Just as you would do with the timed checks method, you follow your naptime or bedtime routine, put your baby in the crib, say goodnight, and leave the room. They may protest and let you know that they are not happy but with this method, you don’t reenter their room.
The only exception is if your baby still needs a middle of the night feeding. A one-year-old is developmentally able to sleep all night, without any feedings. You would need to choose a weaning process (described above) to work on eliminating any potential feedings during the process.
Parents are often nervous or hesitant to try this method but are often shocked at how quickly it works. There will be crying for the first night or even the first few nights, but your child will get the hang of it and begin crying less and less every night.
The Chair Method
The Chair Method involves sitting close to your child as they fall asleep, then gradually moving farther away each night until you’re eventually out of the room.
Step 1: Place a Chair Near the Crib
Start by sitting in a chair right next to your child’s crib as they fall asleep. Offer soothing words if needed but avoid picking them up. The more physical comfort and attention you give early on, the harder it will be to move the chair away as the nights progress.
Step 2: Gradually Move the Chair Closer to the Door
Each night or every few nights, move the chair closer to the door, providing comfort without direct engagement. This method encourages your child to stay asleep independently over time.
By choosing a suitable sleep training method, you’re not only teaching your child to sleep independently but also helping them develop lifelong sleep skills. Be consistent, maintain a calm demeanor, and remember that each child may respond differently. Patience and flexibility can go a long way in ensuring success with these sleep training techniques. For specific schedules geared towards a 12-month-old schedule, check out this blog. If you are looking for more infant or toddler sleep training tips, check out this blog.
Sleep Shore Sleep Consulting
Whichever method you choose to sleep train your baby, be sure to stick with it for at least a week. Don’t switch around between methods as this can confuse your baby and you won’t end up making any progress at all. If you are struggling with deciding which method to choose or what to do next, I am happy to help! We can set up a FREE 15 minute consultation call to make sure your goals match with our methods.
Is your one year old having difficulty sleeping? If your child is unable to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up at a normal time, it may be time to consider sleep training. Sleep Shore offers personalized solutions for each unique sleeping situation to get your little one on track- whether they’re a newborn, infant, or toddler. We also offer in home sleep training services in the Boston, Massachusetts and Michigan area. Sleep training offers babies and children with the skills to fall asleep on their own so they can wake up feeling more well-rested- and in turn, you’ll feel more energized, too! See what this mama had to say about our sleep services below:
“We just did a week of sleep training with Danielle and am SO happy we decided to go with Sleep Shore. Danielle was so helpful and was always there to text and help me through naps and wake ups. She was also just so kind:)
My son was taking very short naps, not connecting his sleep and waking up very early and after a week there was huge progress. Now 10 days later he connects his naps and doesn’t wake up early anymore. 100% recommend Danielle and Sleep Shore. Thank you Danielle!!!” – Mom of a 1 year old