What Is the ‘Pick Up, Put Down’ Method of Sleep Training for Babies?

For the first few months of your child’s life, maybe you’ve picked them up any time they’ve started to fuss or cry. At the slightest sound, there you are, ready to provide the tender love and care that your little one needs in order to calm down … and, often, to drift off to sleep.

But now that they’re a little older, you may be wondering: Will they ever fall asleep on their own? And how on earth will you make the transition?!

Sleep training, also called sleep teaching, is the process of teaching your baby to fall asleep by themselves. There are a few different methods of sleep training, many of which encourage you not to pick up your baby when you’re trying to get them to sleep — but one of them, aptly named the “pick up, put down method,” encourages it.

Pediatrician Noah Schwartz, MD, explains the pick up, put down method of sleep training for babies, including how to do it and the challenges you may face.

The pick up, put down method, step by step

Like other types of sleep training, the pick up, put down method aims to teach babies to fall asleep on their own, both at bedtime and if they wake up in the middle of the night. Popularized by nurse Tracy Hogg in her book Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, this method encourages caregivers to pick up their baby if they begin to cry or fuss at night.

But how does it differ from what you’ve already been doing? Great question.

In the past, you’ve likely let your little one fall asleep right there in your arms. But when you’re going through the process of sleep training, you return them to their crib before they actually fall asleep.

“The idea is that, when your baby starts to cry or fuss during the night, you pick them up and provide them with direct physical comfort,” Dr. Schwartz explains, “but you put them down so that they can still fall asleep in their crib.”

Here’s how you do it:

1. Do your bedtime routine. Creating and consistently following a bedtime routine teaches your baby to understand when bedtime is coming.
2. Put baby in their crib and quietly leave the room. Say your goodnights and then, slip out.
3. Come back in as needed. If your baby starts to fuss or cry, return to their room.
4. Pick up, put down. Gently scoop your baby out of their crib to soothe them. But then — and this part is important! — set them down before they doze off. “As soon as you see those eyelids start to droop, you put them back in the crib,” Dr. Schwartz instructs.
5. Repeat as needed. Of course, just because you put them back down doesn’t mean they’ll fall asleep. Continue picking them up to soothe them and putting them down to sleep until they finally drift off.

The goal is for your baby to learn that they should (and can) fall asleep on their own. “You want that transition from wakefulness-to-sleep to happen when the baby is alone,” Dr. Schwartz further explains. “Not when you’re holding them.”

Challenges of this sleep training method

Some parents feel that the pick up, put down method is a gentler sleep training method than its counterparts, the cry-it-out method and the Ferber method. But Dr. Schwartz warns that this method can take more time and patience than others, which can make it more difficult for parents.

“It can require multiple episodes of picking your child up and putting them down,” he continues. “If they start to cry the second their head touches the crib, you have to start again each time.”

If the pick up, put down method feels right for you, go for it! But if you’ve chosen this method only because you’re worried the other methods will traumatize your child by allowing them to cry, Dr. Schwartz urges a bit of mental reframing.

“Babies have to learn to cry sometimes in order to learn how to soothe themselves,” he points out. “Learning this subconscious skill helps them in toddlerhood and throughout their lives, allowing them to adjust to stressors and cope with trauma.”

Final thoughts on the pick up, put down method

Remember: You don’t have to strictly follow any one sleep training method.

“Some people combine ideas from the pick up, put down method and the Ferber method, checking in on their baby at timed intervals and picking them up to console them as needed,” Dr. Schwartz shares.

Just be sure not to try sleep training with a baby who is under 4 months old. If you’re not sure whether your baby is ready, talk to your pediatrician about any concerns or questions you have.

Finally, whatever method you choose, make sure all caregivers in your home are on board with it. Consistency is the key to success — and you’ll all be getting more sleep before you know it.