If you’re looking to try a gentle sleep training approach for your baby, the chair method might suit you and your little one.

Here’s more about the chair method, which is sometimes called the camping out method or the "sleep lady shuffle," including when you can start and how it works.

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Key Takeaways

The chair (or “camping out”) sleep training method teaches babies to self-soothe by having a parent sit near the crib at bedtime and gradually move farther away each night until they're finally outside the room.

To do the chair method, start bedtime with a routine, place your baby drowsy but awake into her crib, offer minimal verbal or gentle touch reassurance without picking her up, and shift the chair’s position every few nights.

The chair method has some pros and cons: It's a little gentler than the cry-it-out method since parents stay present, but it can take longer than other methods (often weeks) and some babies may still cry or resist when they're not being picked up.

What is the chair method of sleep training?

The chair method of sleep training is a technique that teaches your baby to fall asleep without being picked up when she cries.

The process involves putting your child down, sitting in a chair close to the crib, comforting your baby if necessary, and then gradually moving the chair toward the door each night until you’re finally out of the room. 

Most babies are ready to start sleep training between 4 and 6 months, as this is the age when babies can learn to self-soothe, an important skill for them to master. And if you want to improve your baby’s daytime sleep game, you can use the chair method of sleep training for naps too.[1]

Some parents feel better about the chair method than the cry it out or Ferber methods, as it allows them to stay close to their babies. Still, many little ones can’t drift off without some amount of crying, and they may fall asleep more quickly by fussing a bit first.[2]

How do you do the chair method of sleep training?

The chair method of sleep training is a gradual process that requires time, consistency, and patience. Here’s how to try it at your house:

  • Tuck in your baby as usual. Stick to your baby’s familiar nighttime routine of one last feeding, a short book or two, a lullaby, and some cuddling.
  • Start drowsy, but awake. Put your infant down while she’s still awake but drowsy so she'll learn to fall asleep alone in her own crib. 
  • Find a seat. Sit next to her crib, and offer verbal reassurance until she's asleep.
  • Listen for crying. Most babies fuss a little before settling down to sleep, but if yours gets worked up again after falling asleep, go in, sit in the chair and quietly tell her it’s time for bed.
  • Soothe her. You can coo or offer other soft verbal comfort or a quick pat on the back, but try not to interact much and don’t pick her up.
  • Repeat the process. Leave the chair when she's asleep and then return if she fusses again, waiting a bit before you enter. Repeat the above steps until she's asleep again.
  • Move the chair. After three nights next to the crib, move the chair halfway to the door, sit down and whisper "shh" gently as needed from this new spot.
  • Shift your seat again. After a few more nights, put your seat at the doorway and repeat the process. Move it again after a few nights, this time in the hall but in view and try to decrease the amount of cooing and shushing you’ve been doing.
  • Stay in the hall. After almost two weeks, you’ve made it outside her room now. Continue to listen for her but stay in the hall or another room.

"We used this method with our son at 6 months," says What to Expect Community user alycam10. "We sat for an hour listening to him cry and offering words and pats for the first three nights, after I’d say the fifth day was when he was really understanding it and getting used to it. It’s really all about consistency."

Does the chair method work?

The chair method of sleep training may work for older babies who can be soothed by a parent's presence. But camping out isn't for babies who won’t settle down with you sitting nearby. Note that gradual sleep coaching methods take longer to accomplish than cry it out ones, even up to a few weeks, so it's not ideal if you want quick results.[3]

Some babies cry during the chair method of sleep training when they wake up and realize you’re no longer in your perch. And babies know you’re sitting there, of course, which means some will cry until they’re picked up. But if a parent can soothe verbally or with some light patting (and can tolerate the tears), the chair method may work well for both parties.

Keep up the good work as you shift your seat and slowly shuffle your way out of your baby’s room. With practice and patience, your little one will realize that it's time to lie quietly and sleep.

Still struggling to get your little one to bed? Open the What to Expect app to track baby’s sleep and learn about other sleep training methods — so you all can get some more rest.