My Favorite Sleep Training Method: The Sleep Lady Shuffle
Feb 23, 2024
If you’re a regular Groove Parenting reader and Insta follower, you know I’m all about debunking the myth of the Chair Method. Originally created by Kim West, The Sleep Lady®, this method (known as both the Chair Method and the Sleep Lady Shuffle) is based in attachment parenting and parental fading. This approach does NOT use cry-it-out.
There are many parents who try cry-it-out and it doesn’t work for them. Maybe they were unable to be consistent or they couldn’t stand to listen to their child cry. Perhaps their child’s temperament was not a good fit for the cry-it-out approach.
And that brings me to the SLS method – which is somewhere in the middle between cry-it-out and picking up your child as soon as they cry.
IDEA
The Sleep Lady Shuffle allows the child to learn how to put themselves to sleep while building upon the parent-child attachment relationship.
Being present AND responding to your child as they experience some discomfort helps them feel safe and secure.
When a child feels this way – supported, comforted – they can learn. When a healthy baby’s needs are being met, their brains develop, they grow and gain weight, and they typically meet their milestones.
When a baby is in a dysregulated and in distress it is very hard for them to learn new skills.
RESOURCE
If you are ready to sleep train your baby using the Sleep Lady Shuffle, get The Good Night, Sleep Tight WORKBOOK.
TIP
Prepare yourself for some crying no matter what sleep training method you use. The duration and intensity of crying depends on several factors including:
- Age of child
- How long sleep crutch(es) have been in place
- How strong habit needs are (i.e. bottles, pacifiers)
- Consistency of parent response
P.S. If you know anyone expecting or with a newborn, pass this along! Be a friend and don’t let them go down the rabbit hole of sleep training myths.