#20 in popularitySince 1997Behavioral: routine + extinction or checking
Sleeping Through the Night
Jodi Mindell, PhD (CHOP)
A research-grounded guide: a consistent routine first, then extinction or checking.
- Starts
- 4 moProgram from birth
- Results in
- 1 week
- Crying
- Cry it out
- Evidence
- Strong
Overview
Jodi Mindell, a psychologist at the Sleep Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has led many of the major studies on infant sleep. Her book starts with a consistent bedtime routine, which her own trials found improves sleep on its own.
Babies go down drowsy but awake, and parents choose either extinction or a checking method, handling night wakings the same way. It offers less hand-holding than commercial programs but is firmly grounded in published research.
How it works
- Consistent bedtime routine.
- Put down drowsy but awake.
- Choose extinction or a checking method.
- Handle night wakings the same way.
Pros
- Research-grounded
- Lets parents choose method
- Routine alone often helps
Cons
- Less hand-holding than commercial programs
Evidence
Strong. Mindell led major reviews and routine trials.
Details
- Popularity
- #20 of 39 · Moderate (estimated)
- Since
- 1997 (29 years)
- When to start
- Routines from early infancy; training typically ~4–6 months
- Day structure
- Cue-based routine
- Format
- Book
- Good fit for
- Parents who want a trusted, evidence-based approach and are happy to choose their own method.