PDF Summary:Precious Little Sleep, by Alexis Dubief

Does your baby struggle with sleep? You’re not alone. Contrary to popular belief, babies don’t naturally develop healthy sleep habits on their own—they need to be taught. However, without proper guidance, well-intentioned strategies can lead to poor sleep patterns.

In Precious Little Sleep, infant sleep expert Alexis Dubief shares her strategies and guidelines for improving your baby’s sleep—from falling asleep to sleeping through the night and napping well during the day. Armed with the right knowledge and approaches, you can learn how to establish healthy sleep for your baby, which will benefit them and you.

In this guide, we outline the author’s methods and tips for improving your baby’s sleep and explore why they work for many families. We’ll also address safety concerns for infant sleep. Along the way, we provide additional context to help you better understand the science of infant sleep and compare the authors’ techniques to those of other infant sleep experts.

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(Shortform note: Dubief's sleep-wake chart may be appropriate for your baby and family if you live in the United States, but babies' sleep schedules vary drastically across different countries and cultures. For example, children from Asian countries tend to have later bedtimes and shorter total sleep times. It’s common for European families to keep babies up later, prioritizing family time over rigid schedules. And Arctic communities have unique sleep patterns, as their daylight patterns differ from the rest of the globe. Thus, while Dubief’s guidelines can be helpful, they may not align with your culture and family circumstances.)

Create the Ideal Bedtime Routine

The benefits of a consistent sleep schedule are enhanced if you also have a consistent bedtime routine. The right bedtime routine can help your baby transition from alert activities to restful sleep. Form a 20- to 30-minute routine of enjoyable, quiet activities, like bathing, feeding, and reading books, and do your routine in dim lighting in the same order every night.

(Shortform note: Most infant sleep experts echo Dubief’s recommendations for building an effective and pleasant bedtime routine, with some emphasizing the importance of evolving your routine as your child ages. For example, you may choose not to read books to your newborn, but reading is a common and helpful bedtime activity for toddlers. For toddlers, experts also recommend you remain flexible and give them more independence and choices, like letting them pick their pajamas, because this can help make the process smoother and more relaxing for everyone.)

Independent Sleep Methods

Dubief outlines two methods for teaching your baby to sleep independently. We’ll call them the Assisted Sleep Method (ASM) and the Self-Soothe Method (SSM). She recommends you start with the more gradual ASM approach and move to SSM if needed.

Be prepared for your baby to fuss and cry as they adjust to the major change of sleeping without your help. The author asserts that it’s normal for your baby to feel frustrated and upset as they struggle to learn something new. Your baby crying during this process doesn't make you a bad parent—your job is to support them as they learn difficult things at every stage of their lives.

(Shortform note: Some infant sleep experts advocate for what they call No-Tears methods, where you avoid letting your baby cry during the process of teaching them to sleep. Advocates of this approach argue that allowing a baby to cry, even for a short period of sleep training, is cruel and can damage their development and your relationship with them. Many No-Tears advocates go so far as to claim that all sleep training approaches, like Dubief’s methods, are abusive. However, there’s no clear evidence to support their claim—the only evidence that crying can be detrimental to infants comes from studies on long-term abuse and neglect, whereas sleep training generally involves brief periods of crying for just a few days.)

According to the author, between 2 and 4 months of age is in the ideal window to begin learning to sleep independently. This is before the baby forms strong unsustainable sleep associations or hits challenging developmental milestones like teething. If you’re past that age window, no worries—simply start now. With consistency and commitment, your baby can learn how to sleep independently, which will greatly improve their sleep and yours. Once they master independent sleep, you can occasionally be flexible by offering them more soothing help during certain circumstances like illness and travel.

(Shortform note: Contrary to Dubief’s recommendation, some infant sleep experts say the ideal time to begin sleep training is around 5 months old. Before this age, babies go through major sleep cycle developments, so sleep training is often less effective and may involve more crying. After five months, babies' melatonin levels and sleep patterns self-regulate, making sleep training easier. However, many note that the ideal timing depends on your individual child and family situation. Developmental milestones, illnesses, transitions, and parental readiness can all influence the best time to begin.)

The Assisted Sleep Method

Dubief outlines two ASM options that will help your baby learn to fall asleep without you. ASM requires your involvement, commitment, and patience, as the process can take days to weeks.

To implement ASM, read through the options and pick one to try for at least five to seven days. If that one doesn’t work, move on to a different ASM technique. You’ll know that your independent sleep teaching is successful when your baby wakes up less frequently at night, if at all, and when putting your baby to sleep is easy, timely, and enjoyable.

(Shortform note: In addition to helping your baby get more sleep at night and improving your experience at bedtime, some research has shown that independent sleep training, like ASM, can improve the quality of your sleep as a parent and reduce postnatal depression in mothers.)

Option #1: Let Baby Fuss

This option is appropriate for babies 2 months and older.

1. First, deploy all your soothing methods, including sleep aids and unsustainable associations like nursing, to get your baby drowsy.
2. Put your baby down in their crib, sleepy but still awake.
3. Walk away, allowing them 15-20 minutes of fussing and crying before returning to soothe them again. This fussing period gives them a chance to fall asleep on their own.
4. If they fall asleep on their own, congratulations—this is your new strategy.
5. If they don’t fall asleep after the waiting period, you have several options. If your baby is awake but not fussing too much, wait longer and see what happens. If they’re screaming, consider waiting a few more minutes. Some babies go from screaming to sleeping without a transition. If your baby is like this, listen to your parental instinct—they might fall asleep any second, or it might be a failed experiment, which is OK. If needed, go back and soothe your baby. Try again, or wait to try for a few days.

Examining the 20-Minute Wait Time

Other sleep experts also recommend waiting up to 20 minutes to give your baby a chance to fall asleep, saying that it typically takes most babies 5-20 minutes. Anything outside of this window may indicate problems: If it takes your baby less than 5 minutes to fall asleep but then they're waking during the night or waking too early, they may be overtired, prompting their bodies to create stress hormones which interfere with sound sleep. Conversely, if it takes them more than 20 minutes to fall asleep, it’s possible they’re not tired enough.

Dubief isn’t explicit about why it’s OK to use unsustainable sleep aids to help your baby get sleepy with this method. Other infant sleep experts explain that sleep associations are cues your baby associates with falling asleep, not getting sleepy. As long as you put your baby down while they’re still awake, none of your soothing methods, be they sleep aids or nursing, will become sleep associations.

Option #2: Progressive Weaning

Babies who need your help to fall asleep tend to favor movement and physical contact (snuggling, bouncing, and rocking) or sucking (nursing and pacifier). Each category requires a different approach to give your baby more sleep independence incrementally. You’ll gradually reduce your involvement in the soothing process over days or weeks. Progressive weaning is appropriate for babies 2 to 6 months old.

(Shortform note: Other sleep experts commonly refer to progressive weaning strategies as Camping Out sleep training. Contrary to Dubief, they say camping out methods are suitable for a wide range of ages, from infants to older children. You can expect the process to take two to four weeks, and you should see improvements to your child’s sleep, with a reduction in night wakings, within that time period.)

For Movement-and-Touch Babies

1. Rock or bounce your baby until they’re drowsy. Then put them in their crib, still awake.
2. Gently jiggle and rock the crib until they fall asleep. At first, it may take them a long time to fall asleep—up to 30 minutes.
3. The following nights, spend progressively less time jiggling the crib, reducing the duration by five minutes a night until you no longer need to jiggle.
4. When you no longer need to jiggle the crib, simply put your baby down when they’re calm but awake and leave the room.

(Shortform note: This technique assumes that you have a crib that is easily, safely, and effectively rock-able. If your crib is too sturdy or heavy to rock, or doing so will compromise its structural integrity, look into purchasing a vibrating mattress pad or a full vibrating mattress, which create a similar soothing effect for babies and which research has shown can provide significant improvements in infant sleep quality.)

For Suckling Babies

The author says the best time to wean babies from their sleep associations with nursing, bottles, or pacifiers is before 5 months old. Start by allowing your baby to suckle before they go to sleep, but not while they fall asleep: Let them nurse, feed, or use a pacifier until they’re drowsy, then remove the suckling source and place them in the crib awake. If they remain calm, leave them to fall asleep on their own. If they protest, return the suckling source to re-settle them, then remove it again before they fall asleep. Repeat this cycle until they fall asleep without suckling. You might have to repeat the steps for the first few nights. Don’t give up. Eventually, a routine will emerge—a brief period of suckling followed by falling asleep by themselves in their crib.

(Shortform note: This method of returning to your baby to resettle them is often called the Pick-Up-Put-Down method (PUPD). While research on PUPD's effectiveness is limited compared to other more well-known methods, some infant sleep experts consider it a high-soothing approach that provides comfort and reassurance during the sleep training process.)

The Self-Soothe Method

SSM, also known as the “cry-it-out” method, centers on putting your child in a safe sleep environment and allowing them to learn to self-soothe. This method may be stressful for your baby as they adjust, but Dubief asserts that healthy sleep is worth a brief period of distress—SSM usually takes only a few days of consistency to teach your baby to sleep independently.

To succeed with SSM, ensure a safe sleep space, be in 100% agreement with your co-parent about the plan, and prepare to fully commit without wavering, even through distress. The author asserts that this method requires your total commitment—any inconsistency will completely undermine your efforts. If you cannot bear to hear your baby cry without going to them, hold off on SSM until you're emotionally ready to see it through without intervention.

Extinction Sleep Training

According to some infant sleep experts, the cry-it-out method, like SSM, is a part of a larger category of similar sleep training approaches called extinction methods. Extinction methods typically involve putting your baby to bed awake, leaving the room, and not returning until morning to promote their self-soothing skills and encourage independent sleep. Some pediatricians recommend you start extinction methods between 4 to 6 months of age, when your baby is capable of self-soothing and they have a regulated sleep-wake cycle. This method is generally not advised for newborns who require frequent feeding and care.

These infant sleep experts echo Dubief that your full commitment and a safe sleep environment are crucial. They say it’s also important to consider your baby’s age, development, and temperament—be open to alternative sleep training methods based on your baby's unique needs.

How to Do SSM

To prepare, Dubief says to make sure your baby is napping well during the day so they’re not overtired. Do what you must to get your baby to nap, like stroller walks or car rides. Don’t worry about unsustainable sleep associations during naptime yet. Establishing independent sleep at night is your first priority, and you can address independent sleep at naptime later (we’ll discuss this in the next section).

(Shortform note: There are a few reasons why unsustainable sleep associations at naptime might not necessarily derail your sleep training efforts at night. First, nighttime sleep cycles are longer and deeper than nap cycles—a baby who relies on rocking or feeding to fall asleep for naps might still be able to fall asleep independently at night due to their stronger sleep drive. Additionally, bedtime routines are often more consistent, calming, and lengthy compared to naptime routines. This consistency can create stronger sleep associations for the baby, so they may not be as attached to those associations during the day.)

Then, to implement SSM:

1. Complete your usual routine at bedtime, using any sustainable associations that work to calm the baby, like swaddling or white noise. Move any unsustainable sleep associations like nursing, rocking, or cuddling to at least 20 minutes before bedtime.
2. Put your baby down to sleep, drowsy but awake. Leave the room.
3. Don’t go back in, no matter how much or how long your baby cries. Eventually, they will fall asleep.

Dubief explains that your baby will likely cry a lot the first night, typically 45 to 90 minutes, but they should cry progressively less the following nights. Most babies stop crying and fully acclimate to independent sleep after three to four nights. Have faith in your baby's ability to learn this new skill. If they struggle with SSM after five or more nights, Dubief says one or more of the following may be happening: You’re going in to check on them, bedtime is too early or too late, or your bedtime routine isn’t right.

(Shortform note: When using an extinction method like SSM, some prominent experts in child development recommend you consider the skills your child can learn to do alone versus those that require your support, which depends on their developmental stage and temperament. For independent sleep, these experts advise that if your baby can't self-soothe within five minutes of crying during SSM, it likely exceeds their current capabilities, and you should intervene with soothing techniques. However, this stance contradicts the basic premise of extinction methods, which require you not to respond when your baby cries. To determine the right approach, weigh different expert perspectives and your baby’s temperament and needs.)

Troubleshoot Common Sleep Issues

Even after you successfully teach your baby to sleep independently with ASM or SSM, they may still experience some sleep issues, including waking frequently at night and waking up early in the morning (4:00 or 5:00 am).

Night Wakings: Night waking typically happens when babies either wake to feed or have remaining unsustainable sleep associations, like the pacifier. Younger babies typically need to eat during the night, while most older babies can fast longer. However, older babies who may not need to eat may still wake up if they’re in the habit of snacking at night. In these situations, you can use the same technique (ASM or SSM) you used for bedtime to wean them off unnecessary night feedings.

(Shortform note: Exactly when can babies sleep through the night without eating? Just like other developmental milestones, experts say there’s wide variation in when babies are ready to be weaned off night feedings. Many babies can sleep six to eight hours by 3 months old, though growth spurts are common around 3.5 to 4 months, which may cause temporary sleep disruptions. However, most babies can sleep through the night by 6 months old. Ultimately, you should decide the appropriate night weaning time based on your child's needs and readiness signs.)

Early Morning Waking: If your baby wakes up too early, Dubief recommends you try using your ASM or SSM method to encourage them to return to sleep. Try this for at least a week or two before expecting consistently later wake-up times. Another trick is to give them a small “snack” feeding—this may buy you another sleep cycle without disrupting their independent sleep progress.

(Shortform note: According to some infant sleep experts, it's essential to identify the root cause of your baby’s early morning waking to address it successfully, whether it's related to sleep associations or a misalignment between your schedule and their circadian rhythm. Strategies to shift your child's circadian rhythm include exposing them to bright outdoor light in the evening. Patience is key when shifting your baby’s circadian rhythm, as it may take a few days for them to adapt to the new sleep schedule.)

Dubief also suggests adjusting the baby’s bedtime to encourage them to sleep later. If the gap between your baby’s last nap and their bedtime is longer than that suggested in the sleep chart above, they may be overtired, which can cause their bodies to produce stress hormones which might lead them to awaken too early the next morning. Move their bedtime earlier by 15 minutes a day until it’s more in line with what’s typical for their age. Conversely, if your baby goes to bed very early (6:00 or 6:30 pm), they may wake early because they’ve gotten enough sleep. In this case, Dubief recommends you push their bedtime later by 15 minutes over five to seven days.

(Shortform note: The process of gradually adjusting your baby’s bedtime to help them wake up later is often called Fading sleep training. It can also help babies who struggle with late bedtimes and frequent night wakings. According to some infant sleep experts, you can start fading sleep training when your baby is between 4 and 6 months old, once they’ve developed more regular sleep/wake cycles and are capable of sleeping through the night without feedings.)

How to Improve Your Baby’s Naps

Babies who take good naps tend to sleep better at night as well. But lots of babies struggle with naps for many reasons: Nap needs change as babies grow, naps aren’t as fun as being awake, and nap schedules are delicate—illness, teething, car naps, and skipped naps can all throw things off.

(Shortform note: Although getting your baby to take good naps and keep a good nap schedule can be challenging, research shows that not getting enough nap sleep during the day can have consequences for your baby: Skipping naps regularly can inhibit their growth and development. Napping supports learning by helping babies process and remember information they absorb while awake. Naptime is also when growth hormone is secreted most in babies, so interrupted or insufficient naps may interfere with their physical development. Missing out on naps can also have long-term effects, such as causing behavioral issues or attention problems later in life, because sleep is instrumental in brain maturation and cognitive functions.)

Refer to this nap chart as a general guide for understanding your child’s nap needs according to age.

Infant to Toddler Nap Chart
Age	# of Naps	Duration of Naps	Time Between Naps
Birth-6 weeks	4-8	15 min-4 hours	45 min-1 hour
6 weeks-3 months	3-5	30 min-2 hours	1- 1.75 hours
3-6 months	3	1-2 hours	About 2 hours
6-9 months	3	1-2 hours	2-3 hours
9-12 months	2-3	1-2 hours	About 3 hours
12-18 months	1-2	1-2 hours	3 hours
18 months-3 years	1	1-2 hours	N/A

• Be consistent: Have the same nap location, pre-nap routine, and sleep aids for 80% of their naps.
• Time naps well: When naps are too early, your baby isn't tired enough. When they’re too late, your baby becomes overtired. Use their age-appropriate wake time length and patterns as a general guide, and look for tiredness cues.
• Teach independent sleep skills: You must teach your baby how to sleep independently for naptime, just as you do for bedtime. Babies can learn to nap independently between 3 and 6 months of age.

(Shortform note: Dubief’s techniques for improving nap quality echo her recommendations for nighttime sleep. Consistency and timing are important for both types of sleep because little ones learn through repetition and are soothed by predictable routines. Additionally, consistent routines help set and maintain healthy biological rhythms like the circadian hormone cycle, which play a crucial role in healthy sleep patterns for babies and adults. It’s important for your baby to learn to fall asleep independently at naptime after they learn to do so at night to maintain consistency in your routines and help them completely let go of unsustainable sleep associations.)

How to Deal With Short Naps

What if you’ve taught your baby to sleep independently at night, but they only nap for 35 minutes or less? Dubief recommends you try one of the following tactics for babies 6 months and older.

• If their nap schedule is predictable, wake them up very slightly five to 10 minutes before they typically awaken. You can do this by gently nudging them until their eyes flutter. This method disrupts and resets their sleep cycle, so they fall into a deeper stage of sleep. Experiment for five to seven days.
• For the first two naps of the day, give your baby a chance to fall back asleep after waking up—leave them alone for 15 to 30 minutes. This strategy isn’t practical for the third nap (if they’re taking three) because the third nap is usually shorter than the others.

(Shortform note: Your baby may be taking short naps because their sleep cycle is off or they need a chance to fall asleep if they awaken prematurely, though some infant sleep experts offer an additional explanation: they might be hungry. Misaligned feeding and nap schedules or missed feedings can cause your baby to awaken too early from naps. To prevent this, strive to create a structured feeding and nap routine that ensures your baby is satiated enough to get through a full nap.)

How to Help Your Baby Drop Naps

As your baby grows, they’ll take fewer and fewer naps. Navigating the transition to fewer naps can be turbulent. The author offers some tips to help.

• Shorten the nap that they’re ready to drop until they drop it completely.
• Stagger the nap that’s transitioning out to every other day for a while.
• When they drop a nap, go outside to get natural sunlight, if possible, during the time they used to nap. This helps recalibrate their circadian rhythm.
• If you have an older child who’s recently dropped their last nap, make bedtime a little earlier until they adjust.

(Shortform note: Many infant sleep experts echo the tips above for helping your baby drop naps. However, Dubief does not address how to help your baby hold onto a nap for a little longer if they’re not quite ready to drop it—eliminating a nap too soon can result in overtiredness, fussiness, and poor sleep at night. Some sleep experts say you can help your baby hold onto a nap with strategies similar to Dubief’s tips for dropping them: 1) Make the nap they’re getting ready to drop shorter without discontinuing it, or 2) Continue offering opportunities to nap each day, but know they may skip naps sometimes. During this transitional period, it's common for children to alternate between no-nap and one-nap days.)