What Is the Sleep Wave Method? A Gentle, Science-Backed Way to Teach Your Baby to Sleep

Oct 19

By 5 months, most babies are ready to fall asleep on their own and sleep through the night. That’s the great news, and it’s grounded in developmental biology, plus our work with thousands of families over more than a decade.

In practice, though, many parents reach that stage and still find themselves struggling with sleep issues like:

It’s taking longer and longer for baby to fall asleep
The old “soothing ways” are not working anymore and your baby is fighting sleep
Parents are tiptoeing out of the room, only to hear from their baby 30 minutes later
Baby is waking to feed at night, sometimes unpredictably and multiple times
Baby is still waking up too early, missing out on a whole night’s sleep
Naps are unpredictable or too short.

At this point, your baby has outgrown the tried and true tricks that once helped with sleep. The rocking, the soothing, the bouncing, and feeding – they’ve played such an integral role, but now they’re actually getting in the way of your baby’s natural ability to self-soothe.

The Sleep Wave solves the “sleep training” dilemma

Julie Wright created the Sleep Wave Method to help the exhausted parents in her Mommy and Me program because she wasn’t comfortable recommending “cry it out” (CIO ) techniques. It worked so well that it became the foundation of The Happy Sleeper approach, and later, our first book.

The Sleep Wave is a specific, structured way to hand over the role of self-soothing to your capable baby, in an attuned and responsive way. Your baby always knows you’re nearby and responding predictably, while having the space to fall a

Traditional sleep-training methods often tell parents to leave babies alone for long stretches, teaching them through distress. The problem is that babies can move from protest to worry and fear when parents wait too long to respond. Babies of all ages need to know that caregivers are nearby and consistent.

The Sleep Wave is a middle ground approach, because it has the responsiveness of a gentle method and the effectiveness of a “cry-it-out” method (meaning it works as fast as the CIO method, but it maintains your bond with your baby.) There is usually protest crying with the Sleep Wave (change is hard), however, babies stay in a protest state (not progressing to worry or fear) because parents are responding frequently and regularly.

💡 Want step-by-step guidance? Learn the full Sleep Wave process in our Gentle Sleep Course or work 1-on-1 with a Sleep Consultant for a personalized plan.

Why the Sleep Wave Works

Many parents think their only options are to either rock their baby to sleep forever or leave them to cry alone—but that’s not true. The Sleep Wave combines the emotional safety of a responsive approach with the effectiveness of independent-sleep training.

When parents follow the Sleep Wave correctly, babies build confidence in their ability to fall asleep. They start to connect bedtime with calm and predictability, not confusion. Parents feel empowered, not conflicted.

Common Sleep Challenges Around Five Months

Around five months, developmental changes and growing awareness make sleep trickier. Your baby may:

Resist old routines or wake more often
Need fewer night feeds but still wake expecting them
Nap less consistently

This is the perfect time to teach independent sleep with structure and reassurance. The Sleep Wave aligns beautifully with your baby’s readiness to self-soothe and sleep longer stretches.

What does it look like to use the Sleep Wave?

Creating a Sleep Wave plan means setting up a bedtime and nap routine that prepares your baby for independent sleep, setting the ideal timing, and optimizing the room environment. If parents are weaning a baby from night feedings, we lay out the exact and gradual steps for doing so as part of the plan.

Then, you’ll put your baby down awake and begin the Sleep Wave process: a detailed series of check-ins at regular intervals that help your baby practice falling asleep on their own, while knowing you’re nearby. The more specific your plan, the more successful the results.

Parents who learn, and consistently follow, the exact details of the Sleep Wave from the book, online classes, or personal consults, will see the quickest and best success. Typically, baby’s sleep improves in under a week (often quicker), and the most common response we hear from parents is “I’m so proud of my baby! I can’t believe how capable he/she is!”

Learn the Sleep Wave—Step-by-Step Guidance for Parents

Ready to start the Sleep Wave?
You don’t have to choose between sleepless nights and harsh methods.
Get a clear, compassionate plan that teaches your baby to self-soothe—without tears or guilt.

Thousands of families have reclaimed peaceful nights using the Sleep Wave. Yours can, too.

FAQ

We typically recommend starting around 5 months, when babies are developmentally ready to learn self-soothing.
Some protest crying is normal, but babies remain calm and secure because parents respond predictably and frequently.
Most families see improvements in under a week when they follow the plan consistently.
Not at all. The Sleep Wave is a gentle, responsive approach that preserves connection while teaching independence.

Author Bios

Julie Wright, LMFT & Heather Turgeon, MFT

We're Julie Wright and Heather Turgeon — MFTs, psychotherapists, and authors of the best-selling book The Happy Sleeper.

We're also both moms, so we know what it feels like to be desperate for sleep while also wanting, above all else, what's best for our babies.

We created The Happy Sleeper method to give parents a science-based, developmental approach to healthy sleep and a healthy bond. We’ve helped over 100,000 parents achieve this goal, and we’re excited to help you too!