6 Most Popular Baby Sleep-Training Methods Explained

Not to be confused with the bedtime-routine fading technique described above, bedtime-hour fading involves putting your baby into the crib at the time they usually end up dozing off, and making that their new bedtime for a couple of nights, and then gradually moving it to an earlier time.

• For example, say you always put your baby down for the night at 7:30 p.m., but they tend to fuss or cry in the crib for 20 minutes or more, until they finally nod off around eight. This means 7:50 to 8 p.m. is actually their "natural bedtime," even though you'd like it to be earlier.
• To figure out when your baby naturally falls asleep, keep a diary for a few nights to track when they finally settle for the night. (Using a video monitor can help with this.)
• A few nights later, move the whole routine 15 minutes earlier. Continue moving the bedtime earlier by 15 minutes each night (if needed) until your baby has shifted their old habits to nod off at the desired time instead of the later one.

While McGinn doesn’t use this technique with her clients, she says the trick with any training routine is to be very consistent and commit to moving the bedtime routine earlier. “It’s easy to become inconsistent with things or give up, and then the child has a really late bedtime,” says McGinn