Pick-Up/ Put-Down: How to Use this GENTLE Sleep Training Method

The “Pick Up, Put Down” Sleep Training Method

If you are looking for a gentle sleep training method for your baby, then you have landed on the right page. We are going to talk about the “pick-up-and-put-down” method.

If you’ve heard of the “pick up, put down” method, then you’ll know that it is a very gradual sleep training method for young babies. And this I mean babies who are younger than six months old. If your baby is older than six months, then go check out this post here.

For this method, you are doing exactly what the name says: picking up and putting down your child until they fall asleep. Now, the point in this method is that you are right there by your child as he or she is falling asleep. Every time your child cries, you are responding to that with physical contact by picking them up and holding them until they are calm.

Note: You are not holding your child until they fall asleep, but you are holding them until they calm down. Put them back down in their crib once they are calm.

Stay Consistent

The same goes for all training methods – it’s easy to implement, but difficult to stay disciplined and consistent. Along with the sleeping training method, you also need to make sure that you have a solid and consistent bedtime routine. Once the routine is over, your child should be tired enough and ready to sleep. They don’t have to be drifting off yet, but you want them to be drowsy. Next, put your baby down in the crib. They are still awake, but they are ready to fall asleep and they’re going to do so independently.

However, if your baby starts crying the moment they are in the crib, pick them up and comfort them. As soon as they are calm, put them back down. Now, you may need to repeat this process for five to 10 minutes – you might even need to do this for a couple of hours. However, I rarely see this go on for the whole night, but be prepared and have those expectations.

It might take a long time on the first night, but by the time you’re on the second or third night, things should go much more smoothly. Remember, your child is just learning something new. Obviously, because they are very young, it’s going to take a while for them to pick up on this process.

You also have to practice leaving the room after you put your baby down for that initial bedtime. So, what you’re going to do is, after the fourth night, when your baby is starting to get the hang of it, try to do your bedtime routine, put your baby down in the crib and walk out of the room. Yes, in some cases this can be after a week or two, but I do not recommend dragging this out very long.

Once you are out of the room, you want your baby to learn how to go to sleep independently. And if your baby starts crying, give it one minute or two before you walk back in. Your child needs to learn that self-soothing means without you going in to pick him or her up instantly whenever they start crying. Make sure that you’re just going in, picking up, comforting until the baby calms down and exits the room. Repeat this when the baby cries again. So, it’s just a lot of repetition.

Be consistent. I know I make it sound easy, but the most difficult thing is to not give in, stick to your guns and stay consistent. Because whatever you do at bedtime, you need to do that throughout the entire night.

Naps

Let’s talk about naps. You can 100% use this method for naps. However, I don’t recommend it for all naps. I recommend trying it for one nap, which is their very first nap in the morning. This is going to be around 8:30 or 9 o’clock in the morning. However, naps are not going to be consistent until your baby is six months or older. You can still practice using this method and work on independent sleep skills because it’s all about the practice at this age. Practice makes perfect! Give your child the opportunity to fall asleep and they might surprise you.

A Free Consultation With Me!

So, lots of repetition, lots of picking up, and lots of putting your baby back down to the crib. You’re going to get very strong! Your muscles are going to be put to work! If you need a one-on-one consultation, check out the link here and set up a free consultation with me. I would love to see how I can help your family sleep through the night. Don’t hesitate to comment or contact me if you have any questions or something to share. Keep Blooming!