How do I know if my baby needs sleep training?
Wondering if your baby needs sleep training? Learn the signs, when to start, and how a sleep consultant can support your family’s sleep. Written by Chloe Roche, Certified Infant & Child Sleep Consultant
We all know that sleep training can be a contentious topic amongst parents and health professionals alike. It really comes down to your own experience with your baby or child’s sleep, and how well-read you are on the topic.
Some families choose to co-sleep for months or even years, skip sleep boundaries altogether, and feel it was the best decision they ever made.
Other families introduce healthy sleep practices from the newborn stage and find that their little one thrives with consistency and routine.
The truth is: there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But if you’re wondering whether your baby might benefit from sleep training, here are a few signs to look for.
💤 Signs your baby may be ready for sleep training
Frequent night waking – If your baby is waking every 1–2 hours and needing help to fall back asleep.
Difficulty settling – Taking more than 30–40 minutes to settle at naps or bedtime most days.
Strong sleep associations – Relying on rocking, feeding, patting, or holding every single time they need to sleep.
Short naps – Consistently catnapping (20–30 minutes) without linking sleep cycles.
Impact on family well-being – When lack of sleep is affecting your energy, mood, or ability to function during the day.
Impact on baby’s well-being - Your baby has a ‘short-fuse’ and emotionally sky-rockets from 0-100 in seconds, is overly clingy, is often exhibiting tired signs (eye rubbing, distant look, avoiding eye contact and engagement, crying often, vocal, sucking on fists and hands, red around the eyes), if your baby is experiencing a ‘snack-feeding’ pattern during the day, having no interest in solids from 6 months+.
🌙 When to consider sleep training
Sleep training is not about forcing your baby into a rigid schedule (although this can work beautifully if the family thinks it is the right fit for them and their babe!). It’s about giving them the opportunity to practice self-settling, so they can achieve more restorative sleep.
If your baby is:
✔️ Over 4 months old (sleep cycles are usually mature by this stage)
✔️ Healthy, with no underlying medical concerns
✔️ Gaining weight appropriately
✔️ Still waking frequently or struggling to settle independently
… then sleep training will help. Dramatically.
💛 A balanced perspective
It’s important to remember that not all babies need formal “sleep training.” Some naturally fall into longer stretches of sleep on their own. Others need a little more support, structure, and consistency.
Sleep training is not about ignoring your baby’s needs. It’s about choosing a method that feels right for your family, whether that’s a gentle in-room approach, spaced soothing, or a more structured plan.
✨ The bottom line
If you find yourself constantly questioning:
➡️ “Are they hungry, or just needing me to resettle?”
➡️ “Why are naps so short?”
➡️ “When will we all get some rest? I can’t go on like this”
… then it may be time to explore whether sleep training could benefit your baby — and your whole family’s well-being.
💕 Ready to explore sleep training?
If you’re reading this and nodding along, please know you’re not alone. Struggling with your baby’s sleep does not mean you’re doing anything wrong — it simply means your little one may need some extra support to develop healthy sleep habits.
As a certified infant and child sleep consultant in Rockhampton QLD, it is my passion to create personalised sleep plans that consider your baby’s temperament, your parenting style, and your family’s unique needs.
Together, we’ll find an approach that feels right for you and helps everyone in your home get the rest they deserve.
✨ You don’t have to figure it out alone — support is just a message away.
👉 Book a consultation with Sleep Again and take the first step towards calmer nights and happier days.