How to phase out baby sleep habits

Baby sleep habits are things babies need to go to sleep, like dummies, music, rocking, movement and feeding.

Babies sometimes have the same sleep habits at the start of the night and after waking in the night.

A change in sleep habits might help your baby sleep and settle.

Contact a child health professional if you need help with baby sleep and settling.

What are baby sleep associations and habits?

Baby sleep associations are the things babies need to settle for sleep. Sleep associations are also known as sleep habits.

Sleep habits can be dummies, music, mobiles, fan noise or other white noise, night-lights, rocking, cuddling, feeding and so on.

How do sleep habits affect baby settling and night waking?

Some babies need their sleep habit to settle to sleep only at the start of the night.

Some babies need their habit to settle to sleep at the start of the night and also after waking during the night. For example, they like to be rocked to sleep at the start of the night and rocked back to sleep in the middle of the night.

And some babies find it hard to settle or wake a lot at night, even when they have their sleep habits.

If you and your baby are in one of these situations and you’d like to change it, you could look at your baby’s sleep habits. A change in sleep habits might help with sleep and settling.

But baby sleep habits aren’t something you need to phase out or change. You can choose what works best for you and your child.

Babies and children need sleep to grow and develop well, so learning what helps your baby to sleep and settle is good for your baby. It can also be good for you if it helps you get more sleep. And if you’re getting more sleep, you’ll have the energy you need to help your baby grow, develop and thrive.

What to expect if you’re phasing out baby sleep habits

Most babies cry while they’re getting used to a new way of going to sleep. That’s because they like their usual way of getting to sleep and might be upset by change. Be prepared for crying for the first few nights.

It might take anything from 3 days to 3 weeks to change baby sleep habits, depending on the approach you use and your baby’s temperament.

After that, sleep usually improves for everyone.

How to identify your baby’s sleep habits

If you want to phase out your baby’s sleep habits, the first step is to work out what they are. For example, to settle for sleep your baby might need:

music or a mobile above the cot

breastfeeding or bottle-feeding

a particular place in your home, like the family room

cuddling or rocking in your arms.

When you know what your baby’s sleep habits are, the next step is to work on phasing them out. There are tips below for phasing out different baby sleep habits.

Dummies can be a tricky sleep habit, especially if your baby loses the dummy during the night and needs you to find it and put it back in.

One thing you can do is help your baby learn to manage the dummy during the night. But if you want to phase out dummies, you can help your baby give up the dummy.

If your baby’s sleep habit is going to sleep with music playing or a mobile moving above the cot, it’s probably best to turn off the music or mobile when your child goes to sleep.

You can phase out these sleep habits gradually. For example, you could use music as part of your bedtime routine but turn it off when your baby starts to look drowsy.

A positive bedtime routine helps most babies settle to sleep.

If your baby routinely falls asleep at the breast or with the bottle, your baby might depend on feeding to get to sleep at the start of the night and during the night.

Feeding your baby earlier at night so feeding isn’t part of their bedtime routine can help to reduce the frequency of feeding overnight.

You could also take your baby off the breast or bottle before they fall asleep or fall back to sleep.

If your baby is developing well, it’s OK to think about phasing out night feeds for bottle-fed babies from 6 months and breastfed babies from 12 months.

But if you’re comfortable with feeding your baby during the night, there’s no hurry to phase out night feeds. You can choose what works best for you and your baby.

Rocking, cuddling, moving or going to sleep in the family room

Some babies are used to being rocked or cuddled to sleep. Or they often fall asleep when they’re moving – for example, when they’re in a car or pram. Other babies want to be with the rest of the family until they fall asleep – for example, in the family room.

These babies might find it hard to resettle when they wake up in a different place from where they went to sleep.

Hands-on settling and putting your baby to bed drowsy but awake can help your baby learn to associate falling asleep with being in bed. And it means your baby will be more likely to settle themselves when they wake in bed in the night.

A safe sleep environment reduces the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) including SIDS and fatal sleep accidents. In a safe sleep environment, your baby sleeps on their back, on a firm, flat and level surface, in a space that’s clear, not too hot and smoke free.

Phasing out baby sleep habits can be tiring, so it helps to look after yourself. You could try resting during the day when you can, going to bed early and asking family and friends for help.

The right support for baby sleep problems can help too. Talk to your child and family health nurse if you feel things aren’t working. They can refer you to an early parenting centre. You can also call a parenting helpline.

Our content is regularly reviewed for quality and currency. The last review of this article was by staff at Melbourne Children’s Sleep Centre, Monash Health. Scientific Advisory Board review was provided by Dr Bronwyn Gould AM.

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