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The pick-up, put-down method is an effective technique to train infants to sleep alone. Author Tracy Hogg made it famous in her book – Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate with Your Baby. She wrote that this is the technique where you can put your child to sleep without making them feel abandoned or alone. Proponents of various sleep training methods may list several benefits of their methods, but each baby is unique. A baby’s success in learning to sleep alone may depend on multiple factors, some of which are out of anyone’s control. Find out what this sleep training approach entails and if it’s a good fit for your kid.
When attempting to solve a problem using the pick-up and put-down technique, how can you do so? The pick-up-and-drop approach requires a few steps.
1. Nighttime Rituals
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The first step is to implement your baby’s regular nighttime routine. When it’s time to put your baby to sleep, after you’ve gone through the various stages of their routine, lay them down in their crib or bassinet. They should be sleepy from their calming pre-bedtime rituals but they are alert. You may leave the room if your kid isn’t whimpering. But parents should sleep in the same room with their infant if they are awake. Many people who advocate for this technique believe you can leave the room as long as your infant is content.
2. Be Attentive
The second step is to stop what you’re doing and listen to your infant if they start crying. There’s no need to get to them right away. Alternatively, take a moment to pause and listen to their baby to figure out if they are only fussing or upset and need your soothing presence. Pick them up if they are fussing and can’t calm down. Cuddle and comfort your infant to help them relax. The “pick up” phase of the technique begins here.
3. Put Them Down To Sleep
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Lay your baby back down once they have calmed down but are still awake. In this sleep-training strategy, this is the “put down” phase. The procedure continues until the infant falls asleep, which might take quite some time and demands a great deal of patience on your part. It’s crucial to remain quiet and calm when you grab your infant to soothe them; this can be a stressful cycle for parents.
Recommended Age To Begin to Pick Up And Put Down Approach
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Babies should be at least 4 months old to use this sleep training strategy. It works best between four to eight months of age, while even toddlers benefit from this method as well. However, as most babies have established sleep routines by the time they are 6 months old, it might be easier to implement this technique earlier rather than later.
Some infants may experience sensory overload from repeatedly being picked up and set down. Your kid may become more agitated rather than calmer due to a process that they find disturbing.
Advice For Implementing The Pick-Up-And-Set-Down Technique
Prepare For The Method
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Get your infant used to sleeping in a familiar environment and with familiar sounds and objects if you haven’t already. For example, you could give your infant a feeding bottle or breastfeed them before settling them down for the night. Then, pick out a soothing ritual like bedtime reading and stick to it. Your infant might soon learn the association between bedtime rituals and sleep time.
Get Ample Rest
Parents of infants often go without adequate rest. But you need to rest before beginning the pick-up-and-put-down technique. Getting your infant to sleep can take a long time; in the beginning, it could take more than two hours. Maintaining this strategy will take a lot of effort and time, so you need to rest before attempting this method.
Attend To Your Baby
If your kids are fussy, some distance and time may help them calm down. It will become clear whether they are growing anxious, enraged, or too excited. Make sure you attend to them when they are feeling restless.
Ask For Help
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This strategy is most effective when done as a team. In an ideal world, both parents would be willing to try the pick-up, put-down approach. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives who spend significant time with your infant might be invaluable resources.
How Successful Is The Put-Down Pick-Up Method?
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Your baby’s temperament and your dedication will determine how well this strategy works for you. The need for uniformity cannot be overstated. No matter how you go about it, sleep training is difficult. It’s essential to remember that modifying your baby’s sleep schedule might take a couple of days or weeks.
There is no one approach to teaching your infant to go to sleep on their own. Some infants benefit significantly from the pick-up, put-down approach, but not all. Whether or not this is a suitable fit for your family is something only you have to put to the test. The best advice is to stick to a method you are confident with. So what is your preferred way to put your infant to sleep? Let us know in the comments section.
