Three Key Decision Factors
Choosing a sleep training method comes down to three things: your baby's age, your baby's temperament, and your own comfort level with crying. There is no single "best" method. The best method is the one you can follow through on consistently.
Decision by Age
- Under 4 months: Sleep training is not recommended. Focus on healthy sleep habits and soothing.
- 4-5 months: Gentle methods only. The Chair method with shush-pat or the Fading method work well.
- 6+ months: All methods are available. Ferber is the most popular starting point.
- 9+ months: All methods work, but Pick Up Put Down often becomes overstimulating at this age.
- 12+ months: Toddler-specific adaptations may be needed (standing, climbing, verbal protests).
Decision by Crying Tolerance
- No crying tolerance: Fading method (very gradual, 2-4 weeks).
- Minimal crying: Chair method (gentle, 10-14 days) or Pick Up Put Down (4-8 months only).
- Some crying okay: Ferber / graduated extinction (moderate, 5-7 days).
- Comfortable with crying, want fast results: Cry It Out / full extinction (fastest, 3-5 days). Requires baby 6+ months.
Decision by Temperament
Sensitive or anxious babies who escalate quickly and have a hard time calming down often do better with the Chair method or Fading, where a parent's presence is reassuring. Bold or determined babies who protest check-ins and seem to get more upset when a parent visits and leaves may actually do better with CIO, where there's no intermittent reinforcement.
Watch your baby, not the clock. If your chosen method is causing extreme distress after 5-7 nights with no improvement, it may not be the right fit. Switch to a method that better matches your baby's temperament.
How the App Selects a Method
When you complete the sleep training questionnaire in the app, it uses your answers about your baby's age, temperament, current sleep habits, and your preferences to recommend a method. Under 4 months, only the Chair method is offered. For babies who are highly sensitive or parents who want minimal crying, the Chair method or Fading is recommended. For moderate comfort with crying and babies 6+ months, Ferber is recommended. CIO is only suggested for babies 6+ months when parents indicate they are comfortable with crying and want faster results.
No matter which method you choose, consistency is the single biggest predictor of success. A "less optimal" method followed consistently will always outperform a "perfect" method applied inconsistently.
See our comprehensive guide: /sleep-training
Track Your Baby's Sleep
NapNap Baby helps you log sleep, predict nap times, and build healthy routines — all in one app.
Get the app free →Free to try · No account needed · Works offline