Do I have to sleep train my baby? (Spoiler: no)

This one’s personal.

Because nothing messes with your confidence like sleep.

The moment you say “my baby’s not sleeping,” the advice starts flying in:

“Just sleep train!”

“You have to teach them!”

"They’ll never learn otherwise!”

And suddenly, something you were just trying to figure out becomes a moral dilemma.

Let’s clear the air.

First, what even is sleep training?

Sleep training is a catch-all term for strategies that help babies and toddlers learn to fall asleep independently without feeding, rocking, patting, or being held the whole time.

Some people mean “cry it out.”

Others mean “responsive settling” or “gradual withdrawal.”

There are dozens of methods, some structured, some instinctive.

None are one-size-fits-all and are deeply contextual to your child and your preferences.

So… do you have to sleep train?

No.

Plenty of babies figure out sleep without formal training.

Plenty need more support for longer.

Plenty of families decide not to sleep train and still sleep eventually.

You don’t have to train.

You just need to decide what’s working for your family and what isn’t.

What matters more than “training”

• Connection - your baby feeling safe enough to sleep

• Consistency - bedtime routines that are calming and predictable

• Responsiveness - tuning into your baby’s cues and adjusting when needed

• Environment - darkness, white noise, not too hot or cold, and a sleep space that feels secure

If you want to sleep train, a certified sleep consultant or Yawn can help you do it gently.

If you don’t, Yawn will help you optimise sleep in other ways.

(We love sleep consultants and experts (we even blogged about it here!) - Yawn isn't here to replace them. Nothing beats in-person, hands-on help. Yawn is for families who don't have access to sleep consultants or just need help in the messy middle of parenting). Let's continue...

When to consider making a change

You don’t need to fix sleep just because your baby doesn’t sleep through.

But you can explore changes if:

• Everyone’s exhausted and no one’s coping

• Your baby (5 months +) wakes hourly and needs full resettling every time

• Bedtime is a 2-hour battle every night

• Naps are unpredictable and chaotic and you want more structure

• You want more rest and rhythm without sacrificing connection

Whether that change involves sleep training is entirely up to you.

How Yawn helps

We’re not here to push a method. They each work for different babies/toddlers and families and there is no single one that works for all of them.

We’re here to ask the right questions, offer options that match your values, and give you real-time guidance - based on age, temperament, and what you want to try.

You don’t need a program. You need support.

And you don’t need to sleep train if it doesn’t feel right, you just need a plan that does.