What Happened When I Started Sleep Training My One-Month-Old Baby
I've been getting some funny looks when I tell people I started sleep training my third baby when she was just 1 month old. Honestly, I don't blame them—I used to be the same way.
But then I started taking a sleep consulting course while recovering from birth with my third baby, Olivia. I was actually really proud to discover that I had already learned and implemented many of the techniques being taught with my first two babies. But even so, the way I thought about sleep training began to shift.
I realised that sleep training isn’t about forcing a baby to sleep or cutting out feeds. It’s really about helping babies learn to fall asleep more independently, with support that matches their age and needs.
You see, sleep training and night weaning are not the same thing. I used to think people sleep trained their babies just to get them to sleep through the night. That’s often how it’s framed—and honestly, that’s why we used it with our first two kids.
I get why it can feel overwhelming or even controversial—especially when you're exhausted and just doing your best. But once again, being informed changes everything.
The difference is that with sleep training, night feeds are still totally okay. Babies need milk—it's just the way it goes. But there are small steps we can take early on to encourage beautiful sleep habits that help the whole family rest.
In fact, when we know how to support our babies' sleep from day one, it creates a gentle, natural transition into longer stretches of sleep and, eventually, sleeping through the night—without needing a big, stressful change later on.
When I made a few small changes to our routine in that first month, Olivia started falling asleep independently within a week. It felt natural and easy—not forced. Then, when her 3-month brain development leap and the 4-month sleep regression rolled around, we barely noticed them. Because we had slowly built up her sleep skills over time, we didn’t have to start from scratch. We still had lots of cuddles, contact naps, and sweet baby snuggles—but we also had rhythms in place that made her capable of doing what she’d already learned. It also gave me the ability to have some freedom to shower, cook meals, or take care of my other kids while she had amazing sleeps.
I’ve been implementing everything I’ve learned since Olivia was 1 month old, and let me tell ya... even though she didn’t sleep through the night until she was 6 months, we've had the most rest and the most peaceful nights of all our babies.
If you’re navigating those early newborn days and wondering how to set up healthy sleep foundations without crying it out or rigid rules, I’m now offering 1:1 newborn sleep support (0–3 months). You don’t have to do this alone—gentle sleep really can start from the very beginning (and it’s never too late to get started.)
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