There’s been a theme running through our podcasts and no it’s not my propensity to say “um” a lot. It’s that establishing independent sleep is crucial. Not easy, but essential. While there are many methods to foster independent sleep, this episode focuses on two: the swing method and Pick Up Put Down (aka PUPD).

The Swing Method

Baby swings for sleep are not sanctioned by the AAP and shouldn’t be used for preemies or particularly small newborns, so check in with your pediatrician first. But for parents of older babies, the swing can be an invaluable tool to help your child sleep better. This is hugely effective for motion junkies (hint: if you spend 6 hours a day bouncing your baby on the yoga ball, your child is a motion junkie).

And while improving the quality of your baby’s sleep is a laudable goal, the swing also provides a solid path to teaching your child to fall asleep without you.

Pick Up Put Down

Popularized in the book No-Cry Sleep solution, this method involves doing whatever you normally do to help calm your child but putting them down before they’re actually asleep (this is the “pick up” portion). If they get upset you pick them back up (aka the “put down” portion). Repeat until they fall asleep without you.

This podcast will provide a detailed overview on:



* How to use these methods

* When to use these methods

* Which one might be best for you

* What you should expect to see happen

* How to tell if it’s not working for you



Additional Reading

Dr. Karp on babies sleeping in swings

How to wean your baby off the swing

Tools to make the swing even more awesome

More on making gradual changes to your bedtime routine

Let us know what you think and leave us a comment below! If you have a specific question or issue you would like us to tackle in a future podcast episode, feel free to drop it in a comment or email us at podcast@preciouslittlesleep.com.

Don’t miss out on future episodes, subscribe on iTunes!