Is sleep training safe? How the AAP safe-sleep rules shape a sleep plan

What every plan must include

• Back to sleep for every nap and every night, until age 1.
• A firm, flat surface that does not sink under the baby: a crib, bassinet or play yard. According to the AAP, any surface tilted more than 10 degrees is unsafe for sleep. If a baby dozes off in a car seat, swing, stroller or carrier, move them onto their back on a firm, flat sleep surface as soon as you can.
• An empty sleep space apart from a fitted sheet: no bumpers, pillows, quilts or loose bedding. A wearable sleep sack keeps a baby warm instead.
• Share the room, not the bed, for at least the first 6 months. The AAP says bed sharing should be avoided under any circumstances, including with twins and other multiples. A plan can teach independent sleep in a bassinet beside your bed.
• No exposure to smoke or vapes; offer a pacifier at sleep time once breastfeeding is established; stay current with vaccinations.
• End swaddling as soon as your baby appears to be attempting to roll.

These rules are the foundation of every plan Actually Sleeping writes. Dr. Sam writes the plan for your baby, so a safe sleep setup is built in from night one rather than tacked on afterward.

What research shows about sleep training

A 2016 randomized controlled trial of 43 infants aged 6 to 16 months found that both graduated extinction and bedtime fading improved sleep. In those groups, salivary cortisol fell by a small-to-moderate amount compared with controls, and at the 12-month follow-up the groups showed no significant differences in emotional and behavioral problems or in secure-insecure attachment. Thoughtful people disagree about method; this trial does not back the claim that teaching independent sleep harms babies.

How coaching makes nights safer

Unsafe sleep frequently begins as a 2 a.m. improvisation: a worn-out parent pulls the baby into bed, nods off on the couch holding them, or props up a bottle. Having a written plan and daily support takes much of that improvising away. If something goes wrong overnight, the plan already spells out what to do, and a coach checks in the following morning.

When a sleep plan should wait for the pediatrician

During an acute illness; when there are concerns about weight gain; when a pediatrician has raised a medical sleep issue, such as suspected sleep-disordered breathing. Your pediatrician decides on readiness. With young babies, Actually Sleeping works on foundations from the newborn weeks and begins the 14-day guarantee clock on the baby’s 10-week birthday.

Safe sleep and good sleep together

Many families believe they have to pick between a safe sleep space and a baby who sleeps. They do not have to. Actually Sleeping combines the AAP rules with a plan built for your baby, bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, 1:1 check-ins every day and nap coaching until naps are solid. It is not cry it out. Families who moved their baby out of their bed talk about it in the co-sleeping video reviews.

Book the free consultation and build a plan that keeps your baby safe and actually works.